1
|
Scholl EA, Cross WF, Guy CS, Dutton AJ, Junker JR. Landscape diversity promotes stable food-web architectures in large rivers. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1740-1751. [PMID: 37497804 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering relationships between landscape diversity and species interactions is crucial for predicting how ongoing land-use change and homogenization will impact the stability and persistence of communities. However, such connections have rarely been quantified in nature. We coupled high-resolution river sonar imaging with annualized energetic food webs to quantify relationships among habitat diversity, energy flux, and trophic interaction strengths in large-river food-web modules that support the endangered Pallid Sturgeon. Our results demonstrate a clear relationship between habitat diversity and species interaction strengths, with more diverse foraging landscapes containing higher production of prey and a greater proportion of weak and potentially stabilizing interactions. Additionally, rare patches of large and relatively stable river sediments intensified these effects and further reduced interaction strengths by increasing prey diversity. Our findings highlight the importance of landscape characteristics in promoting stabilizing food-web architectures and provide direct relevance for future management of imperilled species in a simplified and rapidly changing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wyatt F Cross
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Christopher S Guy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Adeline J Dutton
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - James R Junker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Great Lakes Research Center 100 Phoenix Drive, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Assessing the Predatory Effects of Invasive Brown Trout on Native Rio Grande Sucker and Rio Grande Chub in Mountain Streams of New Mexico, USA. CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation2030035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive predators pose a critical threat to native taxa. Body size plays an important role in mediating the interactions of predator and prey. For piscivorous fishes, increased predator body size can be accompanied by the selection of increasingly larger prey or may reflect a mix of small and large prey. Knowledge of such interactions helps determine how predation affects population vital rates. Here, we assessed the predatory effects of invasive Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) on populations of native Rio Grande Sucker (Catostomus plebeius) and Rio Grande Chub (Gila pandora) in streams of the Jemez River watershed (New Mexico, USA). Trout diets were sampled every two weeks during the 2020 growing season. Predator and prey body lengths were measured to examine relationships to better understand patterns of piscivory and quantify the threat Brown Trout pose to populations of Rio Grande Chub and Rio Grande Sucker. Across all streams and sampling dates, 7% of Brown Trout diets contained fish. Predator–prey length relationships reflected a ‘wedge’ pattern, indicating that Brown Trout consumed an increasing range of prey body sizes as they grew larger. Rio Grande Sucker and Rio Grande Chub comprised 46% of consumed fishes. The findings demonstrated that Rio Grande Sucker and Rio Grande Chub experience constant predation over the growing season by Brown Trout. Moreover, our study provides evidence that these invasive predators pose a threat to the viability of Rio Grande Chub and Rio Grande Sucker populations. Conservation efforts to protect these chub and sucker populations must account for and directly address predation by invasive Brown Trout.
Collapse
|
3
|
Fuller N, Anzalone SE, Huff Hartz KE, Whitledge GW, Acuña S, Magnuson JT, Schlenk D, Lydy MJ. Bioavailability of legacy and current-use pesticides in juvenile Chinook salmon habitat of the Sacramento River watershed: Importance of sediment characteristics and extraction techniques. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 298:134174. [PMID: 35276115 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Sacramento River watershed, California, provides important rearing and migratory habitat for several species of conservation concern. Studies have suggested significant benefits for juvenile fish rearing in floodplain habitats of the watershed compared to the mainstem Sacramento River. However, the potential for contaminant exposure in each of these two habitats is poorly understood. Consequently, the present study aimed to determine the distribution and occurrence of bioavailable pesticides within two known salmon habitats using a suite of approaches including exhaustive chemical extraction, single-point Tenax extraction (SPTE) and ex situ passive sampling. Sediment samples were collected from sites within both habitats twice annually in 2019 and 2020, with inundation of the floodplain and high flows for both areas in 2019 and low flow conditions observed in 2020. Sediment characteristics including total organic carbon, black carbon and particle size distribution were determined to elucidate the influence of physical characteristics on pesticide distribution. Using exhaustive extractions, significantly greater sediment concentrations of organochlorines were observed in the floodplain compared to the Sacramento River in both years, with bioaccessible organochlorine concentrations also significantly greater in the floodplain (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Using both SPTEs and exhaustive extractions, significantly fewer pesticides were detected across both sites under low flow conditions as compared to high flow conditions (Poisson regression, p < 0.05). Sediment characteristics including percent fines and black carbon had significant positive relationships with total and bioaccessible pyrethroid and organochlorine concentrations. Fewer analytes were detected using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers as compared to SPTEs, suggesting greater sensitivity of the Tenax technique for bioavailability assessments. These findings suggest that threatened juvenile fish populations rearing on the floodplain may have greater exposure to organochlorines than fish inhabiting adjacent riverine habitats, and that pesticide exposure of resident biota may be exacerbated during high-flow conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil Fuller
- Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA
| | - Sara E Anzalone
- Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA
| | - Kara E Huff Hartz
- Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA
| | - Gregory W Whitledge
- Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA
| | - Shawn Acuña
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA
| | - Jason T Magnuson
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Daniel Schlenk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Michael J Lydy
- Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Flow Characteristics at a River Diversion Juncture and Implications for Juvenile Salmon Entrainment. FLUIDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fluids7030098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Flow structures at a river diversion juncture are complex and have been studied extensively. Their impact on the juvenile salmon entrainment into the side channel, however, is less investigated, and based mostly on empiricism. In this study, a Eulerian fish tracking model is developed and used in conjunction with a 3D flow solver to quantitatively evaluate the implications of complex flow characteristics at typical junctures on fish entrainment. First, the flow model is validated with the available experimental data, key flow structures are examined using the results, and their implications for fish entrainment are discussed. Next, the numerical fish tracking model is used to show that the cross-sectional fish distribution immediately upstream of a juncture is an important factor that controls fish entrainment efficiency. Fish entrainment efficiency curves are developed for different flow diversion ratios and fish distribution patterns and used to shed light on the reasons behind some field-observed fish entrainment patterns. Further, the model is used to show that the secondary flow in a river bend may have a significant impact on fish entrainment at flow junctures, in agreement with field observations. Finally, a submerged vane is demonstrated to be a potential management option to locally generate secondary flows upstream of a juncture to achieve the desired fish entrainment property.
Collapse
|
5
|
Owens DC, Heatherly TN, Eskridge KM, Baxter CV, Thomas SA. Seasonal Variation in Terrestrial Invertebrate Subsidies to Tropical Streams and Implications for the Feeding Ecology of Hart’s Rivulus (Anablepsoides hartii). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.788625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial invertebrates are important subsidies to fish diets, though their seasonal dynamics and importance to tropical stream consumers are particularly understudied. In this year-round study of terrestrial invertebrate input to two Trinidadian headwater streams with different forest canopy densities, we sought to (a) measure the mass and composition of terrestrial inputs with fall-in traps to evaluate the influences of seasonality, canopy cover, and rainfall intensity, and; (b) compare terrestrial and benthic prey importance to Anablepsoides hartii (Hart’s Rivulus), the dominant invertivorous fish in these streams, by concurrently measuring benthic and drifting invertebrate standing stocks and the volume and composition of invertebrates in Rivulus guts throughout the year. The biomass of terrestrial invertebrate fall-in was 53% higher in the wet versus dry season; in particular, ant input was 320% higher. Ant biomass fall-in also increased with the density of canopy cover among sampling locations within both streams. Greater precipitation correlated with increased ant inputs to the more open-canopied stream and increased inputs of winged insects in the more closed canopy stream. Concurrently, the biomass of benthic invertebrates was reduced by more than half in the wet season in both streams. We detected no differences in the total volume of terrestrial prey in Rivulus diets between seasons, though ants were a greater proportion of their diet in the wet season. In contrast, benthic prey were nearly absent from Rivulus diets in the wet season in both streams. We conclude that terrestrial invertebrates are a substantial year-round prey subsidy for invertivores in tropical stream ecosystems like those we studied, which may contrast to most temperate streams where such terrestrial inputs are significantly reduced in the cold season. Interestingly, the strongest seasonal pattern in these tropical streams was observed in benthic invertebrate biomass which was greatly reduced and almost absent from Rivulus diets during the wet season. This pattern is essentially the inverse of the pattern observed in many temperate streams and highlights the need for additional studies in tropical ecosystems to better understand how spatial and temporal variation in terrestrial subsidies and benthic prey populations combine to influence consumer diets and the structure of tropical stream food webs.
Collapse
|
6
|
Torgersen CE, Le Pichon C, Fullerton AH, Dugdale SJ, Duda JJ, Giovannini F, Tales É, Belliard J, Branco P, Bergeron NE, Roy ML, Tonolla D, Lamouroux N, Capra H, Baxter CV. Riverscape approaches in practice: perspectives and applications. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:481-504. [PMID: 34758515 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Landscape perspectives in riverine ecology have been undertaken increasingly in the last 30 years, leading aquatic ecologists to develop a diverse set of approaches for conceptualizing, mapping and understanding 'riverscapes'. Spatiotemporally explicit perspectives of rivers and their biota nested within the socio-ecological landscape now provide guiding principles and approaches in inland fisheries and watershed management. During the last two decades, scientific literature on riverscapes has increased rapidly, indicating that the term and associated approaches are serving an important purpose in freshwater science and management. We trace the origins and theoretical foundations of riverscape perspectives and approaches and examine trends in the published literature to assess the state of the science and demonstrate how they are being applied to address recent challenges in the management of riverine ecosystems. We focus on approaches for studying and visualizing rivers and streams with remote sensing, modelling and sampling designs that enable pattern detection as seen from above (e.g. river channel, floodplain, and riparian areas) but also into the water itself (e.g. aquatic organisms and the aqueous environment). Key concepts from landscape ecology that are central to riverscape approaches are heterogeneity, scale (resolution, extent and scope) and connectivity (structural and functional), which underpin spatial and temporal aspects of study design, data collection and analysis. Mapping of physical and biological characteristics of rivers and floodplains with high-resolution, spatially intensive techniques improves understanding of the causes and ecological consequences of spatial patterns at multiple scales. This information is crucial for managing river ecosystems, especially for the successful implementation of conservation, restoration and monitoring programs. Recent advances in remote sensing, field-sampling approaches and geospatial technology are making it increasingly feasible to collect high-resolution data over larger scales in space and time. We highlight challenges and opportunities and discuss future avenues of research with emerging tools that can potentially help to overcome obstacles to collecting, analysing and displaying these data. This synthesis is intended to help researchers and resource managers understand and apply these concepts and approaches to address real-world problems in freshwater management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian E Torgersen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, University of Washington, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A
| | - Céline Le Pichon
- INRAE, HYCAR, Université Paris-Saclay, 1 rue Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, Antony Cedex, 92761, France
| | - Aimee H Fullerton
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fish Ecology Division, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA, 98112, U.S.A
| | - Stephen J Dugdale
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Jeffrey J Duda
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 6505 NE 65th St., Seattle, WA, 98115, U.S.A
| | - Floriane Giovannini
- INRAE, DipSO (Directorate for Open Science), 1 rue Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, Antony Cedex, 92761, France
| | - Évelyne Tales
- INRAE, HYCAR, Université Paris-Saclay, 1 rue Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, Antony Cedex, 92761, France
| | - Jérôme Belliard
- INRAE, HYCAR, Université Paris-Saclay, 1 rue Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, Antony Cedex, 92761, France
| | - Paulo Branco
- Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1349-017, Portugal
| | - Normand E Bergeron
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Mathieu L Roy
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1550 Av. d'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1J 0C3, Canada
| | - Diego Tonolla
- Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Grüental, Wädenswil, 8820, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Lamouroux
- INRAE, RiverLy, 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, Villeurbanne Cedex, 69625, France
| | - Hervé Capra
- INRAE, RiverLy, 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, Villeurbanne Cedex, 69625, France
| | - Colden V Baxter
- Stream Ecology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, 83209, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shafii B, Minshall GW, Holderman CE, Anders PJ, Price WJ. Benthic Insect Assemblage and Species-Level Responses to Eleven Years of Nutrient Addition in the Kootenai River, Idaho. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3955/046.095.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bahman Shafii
- Emeritus Professor of Statistics, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, Idaho 83844
| | - G. Wayne Minshall
- Emeritus Professor of Stream Ecology, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho 83209
| | - Charles E. Holderman
- Nutrient Mitigation Project Manager, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, PO Box 1269, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
| | - Paul J. Anders
- Senior Ecologist, Cramer Fish Sciences, 121 South Jackson Street, Moscow, Idaho 83843
| | - William J. Price
- Director of Statistical Programs, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, Idaho 83844
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Marcarelli AM, Baxter CV, Benjamin JR, Miyake Y, Murakami M, Fausch KD, Nakano S. Magnitude and direction of stream–forest community interactions change with timescale. Ecology 2020; 101:e03064. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Marcarelli
- Department of Biological Sciences Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan 49931 USA
| | - Colden V. Baxter
- Department of Biological Sciences Stream Ecology Center Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho 83209 USA
| | - Joseph R. Benjamin
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Boise Idaho 83702 USA
| | - Yo Miyake
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering Ehime University Matsuyama 790‐8577 Japan
| | - Masashi Murakami
- Community Ecology Lab Faculty of Science Chiba University Chiba 263-8522 Japan
| | - Kurt D. Fausch
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Shigeru Nakano
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Hirano Shiga 520-2113 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Walters DM, Cross W, Kennedy T, Baxter C, Hall R, Rosi E. Food web controls on mercury fluxes and fate in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz4880. [PMID: 32440546 PMCID: PMC7228746 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz4880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) biomagnification in aquatic food webs is a global concern; yet, the ways species traits and interactions mediate these fluxes remain poorly understood. Few pathways dominated Hg flux in the Colorado River despite large spatial differences in food web complexity, and fluxes were mediated by one functional trait, predation resistance. New Zealand mudsnails are predator resistant and a trophic dead end for Hg in food webs we studied. Fishes preferred blackflies, which accounted for 56 to 80% of Hg flux to fishes, even where blackflies were rare. Food web properties, i.e., match/mismatch between insect production and fish consumption, governed amounts of Hg retained in the river versus exported to land. An experimental flood redistributed Hg fluxes in the simplified tailwater food web, but not in complex downstream food webs. Recognizing that species traits, species interactions, and disturbance mediate contaminant exposure can improve risk management of linked aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D. M. Walters
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - W.F. Cross
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - T.A. Kennedy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - C.V. Baxter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA
| | - R.O. Hall
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860 USA
| | - E.J. Rosi
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Laske SM, Rosenberger AE, Wipfli MS, Zimmerman CE. Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure and complexity across local- and meta-food webs in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes. FOOD WEBS 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2019.e00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
11
|
Holgerson MA, Duarte A, Hayes MP, Adams MJ, Tyson JA, Douville KA, Strecker AL. Floodplains provide important amphibian habitat despite multiple ecological threats. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A. Holgerson
- Department of Environmental Science and Management Portland State University Portland Oregon 97201 USA
| | - Adam Duarte
- Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Marc P. Hayes
- Aquatic Research Section, Habitat Program Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia Washington 98501 USA
| | - Michael J. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Julie A. Tyson
- Aquatic Research Section, Habitat Program Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia Washington 98501 USA
| | - Keith A. Douville
- Aquatic Research Section, Habitat Program Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia Washington 98501 USA
| | - Angela L. Strecker
- Department of Environmental Science and Management Portland State University Portland Oregon 97201 USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Behn KE, Baxter CV. The trophic ecology of a desert river fish assemblage: influence of season and hydrologic variability. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine E. Behn
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho 83209 USA
| | - Colden V. Baxter
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho 83209 USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Benedito E, Santana ARA, Werth M. Divergence in energy sources for Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae) in Neotropical floodplains. NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20160130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The stable carbon isotopic variability and the contributions of autochthonous (sediment microbial biomass, phytoplankton, and periphyton) and allochthonous (soil microbial biomass) sources available to the detritivorous fish Prochilodus lineatus were investigated in three environments of the floodplain of the Upper Paraná River. The isotopic composition of carbon sources and fish varied significantly among the studied environments. The autochthonous resources, represented by the phytoplankton, were the most assimilated by the species, followed by periphyton and sediment microbial biomass. The species used the sources differently in each environment. This study suggests that the inherent characteristics of this area, as well as the size of the watershed, the dry season, anthropogenic actions, and phytoplankton productivity, favor the use of autochthonous resources by the species studied. Therefore, studies in the floodplain should employ an eco-hydrological approach that quantifies the magnitude of energy subsidies, as well as an access route to consumers, knowledge about the selectivity of detritivorous species and the effects of different land uses.
Collapse
|
14
|
Williams JE, Gregory SV. Fish Occurrence in a Seasonally Inundated Floodplain of the Willamette River, Oregon. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.3955/046.092.0306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua E. Williams
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Stanley V. Gregory
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Naman SM, Rosenfeld JS, Kiffney PM, Richardson JS. The energetic consequences of habitat structure for forest stream salmonids. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1383-1394. [PMID: 29737519 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Increasing habitat availability (i.e. habitat suitable for occupancy) is often assumed to elevate the abundance or production of mobile consumers; however, this relationship is often nonlinear (threshold or unimodal). Identifying the mechanisms underlying these nonlinearities is essential for predicting the ecological impacts of habitat change, yet the functional forms and ultimate causation of consumer-habitat relationships are often poorly understood. Nonlinear effects of habitat on animal abundance may manifest through physical constraints on foraging that restrict consumers from accessing their resources. Subsequent spatial incongruence between consumers and resources should lead to unimodal or saturating effects of habitat availability on consumer production if increasing the area of habitat suitable for consumer occupancy comes at the expense of habitats that generate resources. However, the shape of this relationship could be sensitive to cross-ecosystem prey subsidies, which may be unrelated to recipient habitat structure and result in more linear habitat effects on consumer production. We investigated habitat-production relationships for juveniles of stream-rearing Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.), which typically forage in low-velocity pool habitats, while their prey (drifting benthic invertebrates) are produced upstream in high-velocity riffles. However, juvenile salmonids also consume subsidies of terrestrial invertebrates that may be independent of pool-riffle structure. We measured salmonid biomass production in 13 experimental enclosures each containing a downstream pool and upstream riffle, spanning a gradient of relative pool area (14%-80% pool). Increasing pool relative to riffle habitat area decreased prey abundance, leading to a nonlinear saturating effect on fish production. We then used bioenergetics model simulations to examine how the relationship between pool area and salmonid biomass is affected by varying levels of terrestrial subsidy. Simulations indicated that increasing terrestrial prey inputs linearized the effect of habitat availability on salmonid biomass, while decreasing terrestrial inputs exaggerated a "hump-shaped" effect. Our results imply that nonlinear effects of habitat availability on consumer production can arise from trade-offs between habitat suitable for consumer occupancy and habitat that generates prey. However, cross-ecosystem prey subsidies can effectively decouple this trade-off and modify consumer-habitat relationships in recipient systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Naman
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jordan S Rosenfeld
- Applied Freshwater Ecology Research Unit, British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter M Kiffney
- Fish Ecology Division, Watershed Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Mukilteo, Washington
| | - John S Richardson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Benke AC. River food webs: an integrative approach to bottom-up flow webs, top-down impact webs, and trophic position. Ecology 2018; 99:1370-1381. [PMID: 29604060 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The majority of food web studies are based on connectivity, top-down impacts, bottom-up flows, or trophic position (TP), and ecologists have argued for decades which is best. Rarely have any two been considered simultaneously. The present study uses a procedure that integrates the last three approaches based on taxon-specific secondary production and gut analyses. Ingestion flows are quantified to create a flow web and the same data are used to quantify TP for all taxa. An individual predator's impacts also are estimated using the ratio of its ingestion (I) of each prey to prey production (P) to create an I/P web. This procedure was applied to 41 invertebrate taxa inhabiting submerged woody habitat in a southeastern U.S. river. A complex flow web starting with five basal food resources had 462 flows >1 mg·m-2 ·yr-1 , providing far more information than a connectivity web. Total flows from basal resources to primary consumers/omnivores were dominated by allochthonous amorphous detritus and ranged from 1 to >50,000 mg·m-2 ·yr-1 . Most predator-prey flows were much lower (<50 mg·m-2 ·yr-1 ), but some were >1,000 mg·m-2 ·yr-1 . The I/P web showed that 83% of individual predator impacts were weak (<10%), whereas total predator impacts were often strong (e.g., 35% of prey sustained an impact >90%). Quantitative estimates of TP ranged from 2 to 3.7, contrasting sharply with seven integer-based trophic levels based on longest feeding chain. Traditional omnivores (TP = 2.4-2.9) played an important role by consuming more prey and exerting higher impacts on primary consumers than strict predators (TP ≥ 3). This study illustrates how simultaneous quantification of flow pathways, predator impacts, and TP together provide an integrated characterization of natural food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur C Benke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Terrestrial–aquatic trophic linkages support fish production in a tropical oligotrophic river. Oecologia 2018; 186:1069-1078. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
18
|
Robson BJ, Lester RE, Baldwin DS, Bond NR, Drouart R, Rolls RJ, Ryder DS, Thompson RM. Modelling food-web mediated effects of hydrological variability and environmental flows. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 124:108-128. [PMID: 28750285 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental flows are designed to enhance aquatic ecosystems through a variety of mechanisms; however, to date most attention has been paid to the effects on habitat quality and life-history triggers, especially for fish and vegetation. The effects of environmental flows on food webs have so far received little attention, despite food-web thinking being fundamental to understanding of river ecosystems. Understanding environmental flows in a food-web context can help scientists and policy-makers better understand and manage outcomes of flow alteration and restoration. In this paper, we consider mechanisms by which flow variability can influence and alter food webs, and place these within a conceptual and numerical modelling framework. We also review the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to modelling the effects of hydrological management on food webs. Although classic bioenergetic models such as Ecopath with Ecosim capture many of the key features required, other approaches, such as biogeochemical ecosystem modelling, end-to-end modelling, population dynamic models, individual-based models, graph theory models, and stock assessment models are also relevant. In many cases, a combination of approaches will be useful. We identify current challenges and new directions in modelling food-web responses to hydrological variability and environmental flow management. These include better integration of food-web and hydraulic models, taking physiologically-based approaches to food quality effects, and better representation of variations in space and time that may create ecosystem control points.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Robson
- CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Rebecca E Lester
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Vic, 3220, Australia.
| | - Darren S Baldwin
- CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia; The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, La Trobe University, PO Box 821, Wodonga, Vic, 3689, Australia; Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Bond
- The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, La Trobe University, PO Box 821, Wodonga, Vic, 3689, Australia
| | - Romain Drouart
- CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia; Ecole des Mines d'Alès, 6 Avenue de Clavières, 30319, Alès Cedex, France
| | - Robert J Rolls
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Darren S Ryder
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Ross M Thompson
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bellmore JR, Benjamin JR, Newsom M, Bountry JA, Dombroski D. Incorporating food web dynamics into ecological restoration: a modeling approach for river ecosystems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:814-832. [PMID: 28078716 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Restoration is frequently aimed at the recovery of target species, but also influences the larger food web in which these species participate. Effects of restoration on this broader network of organisms can influence target species both directly and indirectly via changes in energy flow through food webs. To help incorporate these complexities into river restoration planning, we constructed a model that links river food web dynamics to in-stream physical habitat and riparian vegetation conditions. We present an application of the model to the Methow River, Washington, USA, a location of on-going restoration aimed at recovering salmon. Three restoration strategies were simulated: riparian vegetation restoration, nutrient augmentation via salmon carcass addition, and side channel reconnection. We also added populations of nonnative aquatic snails and fish to the modeled food web to explore how changes in food web structure mediate responses to restoration. Simulations suggest that side channel reconnection may be a better strategy than carcass addition and vegetation planting for improving conditions for salmon in this river segment. However, modeled responses were strongly sensitive to changes in the structure of the food web. The addition of nonnative snails and fish modified pathways of energy through the food web, which negated restoration improvements. This finding illustrates that forecasting responses to restoration may require accounting for the structure of food webs, and that changes in this structure, as might be expected with the spread of invasive species, could compromise restoration outcomes. Unlike habitat-based approaches to restoration assessment that focus on the direct effects of physical habitat conditions on single species of interest, our approach dynamically links the success of target organisms to the success of competitors, predators, and prey. By elucidating the direct and indirect pathways by which restoration affects target species, dynamic food web models can improve restoration planning by fostering a deeper understanding of system connectedness and dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Ryan Bellmore
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Juneau, Alaska, 99801, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, 83706, USA
| | - Joseph R Benjamin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, 83706, USA
| | - Michael Newsom
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Portland, Oregon, 97232, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Malison RL, Kuzishchin KV, Stanford JA. Do beaver dams reduce habitat connectivity and salmon productivity in expansive river floodplains? PeerJ 2016; 4:e2403. [PMID: 27635357 PMCID: PMC5012414 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Beaver have expanded in their native habitats throughout the northern hemisphere in recent decades following reductions in trapping and reintroduction efforts. Beaver have the potential to strongly influence salmon populations in the side channels of large alluvial rivers by building dams that create pond complexes. Pond habitat may improve salmon productivity or the presence of dams may reduce productivity if dams limit habitat connectivity and inhibit fish passage. Our intent in this paper is to contrast the habitat use and production of juvenile salmon on expansive floodplains of two geomorphically similar salmon rivers: the Kol River in Kamchatka, Russia (no beavers) and the Kwethluk River in Alaska (abundant beavers), and thereby provide a case study on how beavers may influence salmonids in large floodplain rivers. We examined important rearing habitats in each floodplain, including springbrooks, beaver ponds, beaver-influenced springbrooks, and shallow shorelines of the river channel. Juvenile coho salmon dominated fish assemblages in all habitats in both rivers but other species were present. Salmon density was similar in all habitat types in the Kol, but in the Kwethluk coho and Chinook densities were 3–12× lower in mid- and late-successional beaver ponds than in springbrook and main channel habitats. In the Kol, coho condition (length: weight ratios) was similar among habitats, but Chinook condition was highest in orthofluvial springbrooks. In the Kwethluk, Chinook condition was similar among habitats, but coho condition was lowest in main channel versus other habitats (0.89 vs. 0.99–1.10). Densities of juvenile salmon were extremely low in beaver ponds located behind numerous dams in the orthofluvial zone of the Kwethluk River floodplain, whereas juvenile salmon were abundant in habitats throughout the entire floodplain in the Kol River. If beavers were not present on the Kwethluk, floodplain habitats would be fully interconnected and theoretically could produce 2× the biomass (between June–August, 1,174 vs. 667 kg) and rear 3× the number of salmon (370,000 vs. 140,000) compared to the existing condition with dams present. The highly productive Kol river produces an order of magnitude more salmon biomass and rears 40× the individuals compared to the Kwethluk. If beavers were introduced to the Kol River, we estimate that off-channel habitats would produce half as much biomass (2,705 vs. 5,404 kg) and 3× fewer individuals (1,482,346 vs. 4,856,956) owing to conversion of inter-connected, productive springbrooks into inaccessible pond complexes. We concluded that beaver dams may limit the total amount of floodplain habitat available for salmon rearing in the Kwethluk river and that the introduction of beavers to the Kol river could be detrimental to salmon populations. The introduction of beavers to other large alluvial rivers like those found in Kamchatka could have negative consequences for salmon production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Malison
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States; Current affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kirill V Kuzishchin
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States; Ichthyology Department, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Jack A Stanford
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana , Polson , MT , United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Collins SF, Baxter CV, Marcarelli AM, Wipfli MS. Effects of experimentally added salmon subsidies on resident fishes via direct and indirect pathways. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Scott F. Collins
- Stream Ecology CenterDepartment of Biological SciencesIdaho State University Pocatello ID 83209 USA
| | - Colden V. Baxter
- Stream Ecology CenterDepartment of Biological SciencesIdaho State University Pocatello ID 83209 USA
| | - Amy M. Marcarelli
- Stream Ecology CenterDepartment of Biological SciencesIdaho State University Pocatello ID 83209 USA
- Department of Biological SciencesMichigan Technological University Houghton MI 49931 USA
| | - Mark S. Wipfli
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitInstitute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK 99775 USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
|
23
|
Collins SF, Marcarelli AM, Baxter CV, Wipfli MS. A Critical Assessment of the Ecological Assumptions Underpinning Compensatory Mitigation of Salmon-Derived Nutrients. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 56:571-586. [PMID: 25968140 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We critically evaluate some of the key ecological assumptions underpinning the use of nutrient replacement as a means of recovering salmon populations and a range of other organisms thought to be linked to productive salmon runs. These assumptions include: (1) nutrient mitigation mimics the ecological roles of salmon, (2) mitigation is needed to replace salmon-derived nutrients and stimulate primary and invertebrate production in streams, and (3) food resources in rearing habitats limit populations of salmon and resident fishes. First, we call into question assumption one because an array of evidence points to the multi-faceted role played by spawning salmon, including disturbance via redd-building, nutrient recycling by live fish, and consumption by terrestrial consumers. Second, we show that assumption two may require qualification based upon a more complete understanding of nutrient cycling and productivity in streams. Third, we evaluate the empirical evidence supporting food limitation of fish populations and conclude it has been only weakly tested. On the basis of this assessment, we urge caution in the application of nutrient mitigation as a management tool. Although applications of nutrients and other materials intended to mitigate for lost or diminished runs of Pacific salmon may trigger ecological responses within treated ecosystems, contributions of these activities toward actual mitigation may be limited.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott F Collins
- Stream Ecology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA,
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bellmore JR, Baxter CV, Connolly PJ. Spatial complexity reduces interaction strengths in the meta‐food web of a river floodplain mosaic. Ecology 2015; 96:274-83. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0733.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Ryan Bellmore
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 777 NW 9th Street, Suite 400, Corvallis, Oregon 97330 USA
- Columbia River Research Laboratory, Western Fisheries Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Cook, Washington 98605 USA
- Stream Ecology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8007 USA
| | - Colden V. Baxter
- Stream Ecology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8007 USA
| | - Patrick J. Connolly
- Columbia River Research Laboratory, Western Fisheries Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Cook, Washington 98605 USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kiffney PM, Buhle ER, Naman SM, Pess GR, Klett RS. Linking resource availability and habitat structure to stream organisms: an experimental and observational assessment. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00269.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
26
|
Pollock MM, Beechie TJ, Wheaton JM, Jordan CE, Bouwes N, Weber N, Volk C. Using Beaver Dams to Restore Incised Stream Ecosystems. Bioscience 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|