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Dennert AM, Elle E, Reynolds JD. Nutrients from spawning salmon influence leaf area, tissue density, and nitrogen-15 in riparian plant leaves. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11041. [PMID: 38380061 PMCID: PMC10877449 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Nutrient subsidies have significant impacts on ecosystems by connecting disjunct habitats, often through long-distance animal migrations. Salmon migrations on the North Pacific coasts provide these kinds of nutrient subsidies from senescent fish at the end of their life cycle, which can have significant ecological effects on terrestrial species. This can include impacts on individuals, populations, and communities, where shifts in community composition towards plant species that indicate nitrogen-rich soils have been documented. We investigated the effects of variation in salmon spawning density on the leaf traits of four common riparian plant species on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. We found that all plant species had higher foliar salmon-derived nitrogen on streams with a higher spawning density. Three of the four species had larger leaves, and one species also had higher leaf mass per area on streams with more salmon. However, we found no differences in leaf greenness or foliar percent nitrogen among our study streams. These results demonstrate that nutrient subsidies from spawning salmon can have significant impacts on the ecology, morphology, and physiology of riparian plants, which lends support to a mechanism by which certain plants are more common on productive salmon streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Dennert
- Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Elizabeth Elle
- Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - John D. Reynolds
- Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Dennert AM, Elle E, Reynolds JD. Experimental addition of marine-derived nutrients affects wildflower traits in a coastal meta-ecosystem. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221008. [PMID: 36704256 PMCID: PMC9874277 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Organismal movement can bring individuals, resources and novel interactions across ecosystem boundaries and into recipient habitats, thereby forming meta-ecosystems. For example, Pacific salmon ecosystems receive large marine-derived nitrogen subsidies during annual spawning events, which can have a wide range of effects on aquatic and terrestrial plant species and communities. In this study, we evaluate the effects of cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies on terrestrial plant growth and reproduction. We conducted a large-scale field experiment with four treatments: (i) addition of a pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) carcass, (ii) addition of the drift seaweed rockweed (Fucus distichus), (iii) addition of both salmon + rockweed, and (iv) a control. We examined treatment effects on leaf nitrogen and fitness-associated floral traits in four common estuarine wildflower species. We found elevated leaf ∂15N in all plant species and all sampling years in treatments with salmon carcass additions but did not observe any differences in leaf per cent nitrogen. We also observed larger leaf area in two species, a context-dependent increase in floral display area in two species, and a limited increase in plant seed set in response to both salmon carcass treatments. In sum, our study suggests that marine nutrients can affect terrestrial plant growth and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Dennert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - E. Elle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - John D. Reynolds
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
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Latorre D, Merino-Aguirre R, Cruz A, Lantero E, Arroyo AM, Fletcher DH, Almeida D. Ecological role of the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra (Mustelidae, Carnivora) as a seed dispersal species for riparian vegetation in Iberian fresh waters. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.22037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dani Latorre
- GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; e-mail:
| | | | - Alejandra Cruz
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain; e-mail: , , ,
| | - Esther Lantero
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain; e-mail: , , ,
| | - Alejandra M. Arroyo
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain; e-mail: , , ,
| | - David H. Fletcher
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Gwynedd, United Kingdom; e-mail:
| | - David Almeida
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain; e-mail: , , ,
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Obrist DS, Hanly PJ, Brown NEM, Ernst CM, Wickham SB, Fitzpatrick OT, Kennedy JC, Nijland W, Reshitnyk LY, Darimont CT, Starzomski BM, Reynolds JD. Biogeographic features mediate marine subsidies to island food webs. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Debora S. Obrist
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Patrick J. Hanly
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Norah E. M. Brown
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Christopher M. Ernst
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Sara B. Wickham
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Owen T. Fitzpatrick
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Jeremiah C. Kennedy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Wiebe Nijland
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Department of Physical Geography Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | | | - Chris T. Darimont
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | - Brian M. Starzomski
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - John D. Reynolds
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
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Muñoz NJ, Reid B, Correa C, Madriz RI, Neff BD, Reynolds JD. Emergent trophic interactions following the Chinook salmon invasion of Patagonia. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas J. Muñoz
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
| | - Brian Reid
- Laboratorio de Limnología Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia Coyhaique Chile
| | - Cristian Correa
- Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
- Centro de Humedales Río Cruces Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Ruben Isaí Madriz
- Independent Investigator Puerto Rio Tranquilo Chile
- Independent Investigator Aurora Illinois USA
| | - Bryan D. Neff
- Department of Biology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
| | - John D. Reynolds
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
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