A Stable Isotope Study on Seasonal Food Web Dynamics in a Eutrophic Lake

Yoshioka, Takahito; Wada, Eitaro; Hayashi, Hikaru

doi:10.2307/1941739

Cited by 181 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…This range was compatible with the δ 15 N observed for potential prey of estuarine and palustrine wetlands (Nadelhoffer and Fry 1994;Michener and Schell 1994), although this was not surprising given the wide and overlapping range of δ 15 N observed for prey in aquatic ecosystems. The dynamic nature of wetlands, which can vary spatially and temporally in δ 15 N (Yoshioka et al 1994;France 1995;Boon and Bunn 1994), requires additional habitat-specific knowledge to decipher the nitrogen isotope records embodied in feather keratin. It is not known whether the ecosystems in which adult wood storks foraged were similar in structure and δ 15 N content, but if this were the case then the ~3‰ difference between feathers from the inland colonies would predict distinct feeding patterns, with nestlings from Chew Mill subsisting primarily on upper trophic-level consumers (piscivorous fish) and nestlings from Blackwater being fed lower trophic-level consumers (crayfish).…”

Section: Nitrogen Isotopes In Feathers and Food Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

et al. 2000

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Down feathers and regurgitant were collected from nestling wood storks (Mycteria americana) from two inland and two coastal breeding colonies in Georgia. The stable isotopic ratios of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) and nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N) in these materials were analyzed to gain insights into the natal origins of juvenile storks and the foraging activities of adults. Down feathers differed in δ 13 C between inland and coastal colonies, having average isotopic values that reflected the sources of carbon fixed in biomass at the base of the food web. Feathers from the inland colonies differed between colonies in δ 15 N, while those from the coastal colonies did not. These patterns primarily reflected the foraging activities of parent storks, with individuals capturing differing percentages of prey of distinct trophic status at each colony. Collectively, the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of feather keratin were used to distinguish nestlings from each colony, except for instances where storks from different colonies foraged in common wetlands. The stable isotopic composition of food items in regurgitant was used to reconstruct the trophic structure of the ecosystems in which wood storks foraged. Predicted foraging activities based on the isotopic composition of keratin were generally consistent with the percentage of prey types (freshwater vs. saltwater and lower trophic level vs. upper trophic level consumer) observed in regurgitant, except for the coastal colony at St. Simons Island, where the δ 13 C of feathers strongly suggested that freshwater prey were a significant component of the diet. This inconsistency was resolved by aerial tracking of adults during foraging excursions using a fixed-wing aircraft. Observed foraging activities supported interpretations based on the stable isotope content of feathers, suggesting that the latter provided a better record of overall foraging activity than regurgitant analysis alone. Observed foraging patterns were compared to the predictions of a statistical model that determined habitat utilization based on habitat availability using a geographic information system (GIS) database. Observed foraging activities and those predicted from feathers both suggested that some adult storks preferred to feed their young freshwater prey, even when saltwater resources were more accessible in the local environment. This conclusion supports the contention that wood stork populations are sensitive to changes in the distribution of freshwater habitats along the southeastern coastal plain of the United States.

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Section: Nitrogen Isotopes In Feathers and Food Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

et al. 2000

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“…Yoshioka (1991) also used stable isotope measurements to demonstrate that pond smelt depended on various prey items, but their main food source was zooplankton. As a planktivorous fish, the main food sources for pond smelt are zooplankton, but feeding behavior gradually changes with growth (Yoshioka and Wada 1994;Ibe et al 2011). In Lake Soyang, a large freshwater reservoir, Lee et al (unpublished data) showed that pond smelt (H. nipponensis) change feeding behavior with growth.…”

Section: Isotopic Differences In Pond Smelt In Brackish Lagoonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…only occur in Lake Hwajinpo, unlike in Lake Youngrang and Mae (Wonju Regional Environmental Office 2008). N-fixing algae often have lower d 15 N values ranging from about (2 to '2 (Gu and Alexander 1993;Yoshioka and Wada 1994;Vuorio et al 2006). Therefore, we expect that pond smelt d 15 N values will reflect phytoplankton d 15 N values in our study lagoons through food web relationships, even though pond smelt do not directly consume phytoplankton (Yoshioka 1991;Yoshioka and Wada 1994).…”

Section: Isotopic Differences In Pond Smelt In Brackish Lagoonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These brackish lagoon ecosystems have received little attention related to fish habitat. Pond smelt can be useful indicators for assessing ecosystem condition disturbance because they are widely distributed throughout Korea and prey on zooplankton (Degraaf 1986;Yoshioka and Wada 1994). More studies are needed to understand whether pond smelt can be useful as indicators of habitat characteristics or ecosystem disturbances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat-specific variation in stable C and N isotope ratios of pond smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Lee

Choi

Owen

et al. 2013

Animal Cells and Systems

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The aim of this study was to investigate differences in d 13 C and d 15 N of pond smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis) collected from three brackish lagoons, which have different characteristics, the principal one being the presence or absence of a weir located near the mouth of the outlet channel. The presence or absence of a weir is reflected in a difference in salinity among the study lakes. We found a general pattern of lower pond smelt d 13 C values in Lake Mae with lower salinity and higher pond smelt d 13 C values in Lake Hwajinpo and Lake Youngrang (lagoons with higher salinity). Pond smelt d 13 C values showed little variation among the three lagoons related to pond smelt length, but likely reflected the availability of freshwater prey in Lake Mae. Among the lagoons, we found that pond smelt d 15 N values were lower in Lake Hwajinpo compared with pond smelt d 15 N values in Lake Youngrang and Lake Mae. This pattern likely shows a difference in anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading among the lagoons. The results of this study emphasize the utility of stable isotope measurements to better understand how structural characteristics of aquatic ecosystems (presence or absence of a weir) and anthropogenic disturbances can affect stable isotope patterns in aquatic food webs. This stable isotope approach may be a general technique for evaluating fish habitat and restoration or management of coastal lagoon ecosystems.

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“…Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (d 13 C and d 15 N) has been increasingly applied in studies of aquatic food webs because of their capacity to reveal food assimilation, and thus actual energy transfer, rather than merely ingestion as indicated by gut-content analysis or feeding observations (e.g., Yoshioka et al 1994;Hall et al 2001;O'Reilly et al 2002;Mantel et al 2004;Li and Dudgeon 2008). Stable isotopes of samples preserved in formalin, ethanol, and formalin-ethanol (fixation in formalin followed by storage in ethanol) can yield trophic information that may allow investigation of temporal changes in food-web dynamics, especially where stored specimens from aquatic ecosystems subject to anthropogenic impacts are available (Vander Zanden et al 2003).…”

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2012

Limnology & Ocean Methods

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This study examined the effects of fluid preservatives on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (d 13 C and d 15 N) and C/N ratios of freshwater animals. Brotia hainanensis snails, Caridina cantonensis and Macrobrachium hainanense shrimps, and Pseudogastromyzon myersi, Liniparhomaloptera disparis, and Ctenogobius duospilus fishes were collected from seven Hong Kong streams, so as to incorporate natural variations in isotopic signals among conspecifics. Samples were preserved with 10% formalin, 70% ethanol, or formalin-ethanol solution (fixation in formalin then storage in ethanol). We compared sample molar C/N, d 13 C, and d 15 N with frozen conspecifics after 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 d. Increases in C/N were evident in formalin-fixed shrimps and fish only, whereas DC/N attributable to ethanol and formalin-ethanol preservation was insignificant in all species. Chemical preservation generally caused d 13 C depletion in fishes and Dd 13 C significantly declined over time in formalin-ethanol-preserved L. disparis. Formalin-induced d 13 C shifts were observed in shrimps (C. cantonensis: -1.54‰; M. hainanense: -0.80‰) and snails (-0.25‰) and were relatively consistent when preservation was ≤ 60 d. The influence of formalin-ethanol on C/N and d 13 C was smaller than that of formalin for all species and more consistent than ethanol preservation. d 15 N of all species was unaffected (within ±1‰) by chemical preservation. Effects on isotopic signals were more predictable among fishes than shrimps or snails. Corrections of +1.11‰ and +1.24‰ should be applied to d 13 C of fishes preserved with formalin and formalin-ethanol (respectively) during trophic analysis. We recommend using formalin-ethanol for macroinvertebrates to limit isotopic shifts, especially those preserved for > 60 d.

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A Stable Isotope Study on Seasonal Food Web Dynamics in a Eutrophic Lake

Cited by 181 publications

References 37 publications

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

Habitat-specific variation in stable C and N isotope ratios of pond smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

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