Flood disturbance, algal productivity, and interannual variation in food chain length

Marks, Jane C.; Power, Mary E.; Parker, Michael S.

doi:10.1034/j.1600-0706.2000.900103.x

Cited by 80 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…It is well known that floods can reduce the abundance of stream invertebrates directly (Matthaei and Townsend 2000), and that populations can recover rapidly if predation pressure and competition are reduced (Scrimgeour et al 1988;Zhang et al 1998). Thus, biological interactions may be particularly important in structuring many stream communities during more stable periods (Power 1990;Marks et al 2000). However, recent studies indicate that biotic interactions may be just as important in disturbed environments (Wootton et al 1996;Thompson et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Are impacts of an exotic predator on a stream food web influenced by disturbance history?

Nyström

McIntosh

2003

Oecologia

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Predatory species have been introduced to habitats spanning a wide range of environmental conditions. To better understand the consequences of predation in natural communities we need to examine how variations in abiotic factors modify the influence of predation. The effects of introduced predators may vary amongst habitats if natural disturbance affects the abundance and taxonomic composition of consumers and their resources, or the predator alters recolonisation after disturbance. We tested whether a bed-moving disturbance altered subsequent interactions involving native and introduced predatory fish, invertebrate grazers and algae in experimental channels within a New Zealand stream. Disturbance reduced the abundance of invertebrates by 84%, and induced mortality of Conoesucidae caddisflies. However, the relative abundance of taxa changed little immediately following the disturbance. Invertebrate communities recovered following disturbance in fishless channels and those with native galaxiids (Galaxias vulgaris), and were almost indistinguishable from undisturbed fishless controls after 2 weeks. Invertebrate abundance declined and algal abundance increased in channels with exotic brown trout (Salmo trutta) and their effect was strongest in previously disturbed channels. However, predators and disturbance only had interactive effects on grazer emigration rates. Trout affected grazers through direct consumption (e.g. Conoesucidae caddisflies), and induced higher emigration rates of grazers from channels via drift (e.g. the mayfly Deleatidium). The effects of predatory trout and galaxiids combined differed in disturbed and stable channels. The observed combined effects of predatory trout and galaxiids on invertebrate grazers were lower than expected in stable channels partly due to low emigration rates of Conoesucidae, whereas emigration of grazers was higher than expected in the disturbed channels. The biomass of algae was higher than expected in disturbed channels with both predators. Collectively, our results indicate that predator substitutability and the non-lethal effects of introduced predators varied depending on disturbance history, but their effects on the biomass of grazers and algae did not.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Are impacts of an exotic predator on a stream food web influenced by disturbance history?

Nyström

McIntosh

2003

Oecologia

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“…Menge and Sutherland, 1976); however, empirical tests of disturbance impacts on food chain length in streams have yielded contrasting results, reflecting different approaches, methodologies and focal disturbance regimes. Flood disturbances have reportedly increased (Marks et al, 2000), decreased (Parker and Huryn, 2006) or not affected (Townsend et al, 1998) food chain length in streams. Drought disturbance studies have been slower to emerge, revealing reductions in food chain length where dewatering occurs Sabo et al, 2010), or no change where flow reduction is less severe (Walters and Post, 2008).…”

Section: P0575mentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme Climatic Events Alter Aquatic Food Webs

Ledger

Brown

Edwards

et al. 2013

Global Change in Multispecies Systems: Part 3

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“…Fish effects depend on a variety of other factors, especially when food web linkages are between pelagic fish and benthic invertebrates and algae. For instance, Marks et al (2000) demonstrated that importance of fish predation is dependent on functional food chain length, which is affected by disturbance (flooding), but also that fish effects on herbivores are influenced by specific herbivore habits (i.e., highly mobile grazers versus restricted mobility grazers). Fish predation effects are also dependent upon behavior of grazers, which can change in the presence or absence of predation (McIntosh & Townsend, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent food web studies have shown this to be a simplified view, with complex trophic interactions and resource limitation also being important, but this is still a useful heuristic framework (Polis & Winemiller, 1996). Studies have demonstrated that predators and herbivores can affect abundance and diversity of lower trophic levels in a variety of aquatic habitats (Power et al, 1985(Power et al, , 1988Threlkeld, 1988;Power, 1990;Martin et al, 1992;Rosemond et al, 1993;Bro¨nmark, 1994;Wootton, 1995;Marks et al, 2000), but no studies have yet addressed trophic interactions between vertebrates and invertebrates on stromatolites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Role of Fish in Structuring Invertebrates on Stromatolites in Cuatro Ciénegas, México

Dinger

Hendrickson

Winsborough³

et al. 2006

Hydrobiologia

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Stromatolites, the dominant Precambrian life form, declined in the Phanerozoic to occur today in only a few sites. This decline has been attributed to evolution of metazoan grazers, but stromatolites in our study site, Cuatro Cie´negas, Coahuila, Me´xico, harbor diverse macroinvertebrates. Drawing on food chain theory, we hypothesized that fish predation on invertebrates controls invertebrate populations, allowing stromatolites to flourish in Cuatro Cie´negas. Our experiment used small mesh (1 mm) cages to exclude all but larval fishes, and larger (6.5 mm) cages to exclude all larger fishes (including the molluscivorous and omnivorous endemic polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi), but allow access to all sizes of the abundant endemic pupfish, Cyprinodon bifasciatus. No effects of treatments on invertebrate densities were noted at 6 week, but significant effects were observed on specific taxonomic groups after 3 month. In absence of fishes, hydrobiidae snails and ceratopogonids increased 3-and 5-fold, respectively, and invertebrate assemblage composition varied among treatments. Algal biomass was not affected by treatments, but algal species composition appeared to change. Overall results suggest that fish assemblages structure invertebrate assemblages, and that fishes may also be factors in determining algal communities.

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Flood disturbance, algal productivity, and interannual variation in food chain length

Cited by 80 publications

References 26 publications

Are impacts of an exotic predator on a stream food web influenced by disturbance history?

Are impacts of an exotic predator on a stream food web influenced by disturbance history?

Extreme Climatic Events Alter Aquatic Food Webs

Role of Fish in Structuring Invertebrates on Stromatolites in Cuatro Ciénegas, México

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