Human-induced Trophic Cascades and Ecological Regime Shifts in the Baltic Sea

Österblom, Henrik; Hansson, Sture; Larsson, Ulf; Hjerne, Olle; Wulff, Fredrik; Elmgren, Ragnar; Folke, Carl

doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9069-0

Cited by 264 publications

(152 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Some substances are still found in high levels and there are new contaminants. A human activity that has a profound effect is fishing given the large number of key species that are removed from the Baltic Sea ecosystem (Österblom et al 2007(Österblom et al , Zeller et al 2010. All countries around the Baltic Sea are actively harvesting fishery resources.…”

Section: Appendix 2 Background Information On Baltic Environment Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea

Ahtiainen¹,

Öhman²

2014

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Section: Appendix 2 Background Information On Baltic Environment Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea

Ahtiainen¹,

Öhman²

2014

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“…Stickleback changes distribution over the ontogeny, and after their first summer the majority migrate offshore (unpublished data). Since the 1980s, the offshore food web in the central Baltic Sea has changed dramatically, indicating a strong basin-wide mesopredator release phase (Alheit et al 2005;Ö sterblom et al 2007;Casini et al 2008;Möllmann et al 2008). Initially, the offshore Baltic Sea cod populations declined by 75% during the 1980s, due to climate induced poor recruitment conditions combined with high fishing pressure ( Fig.…”

Section: Increase Of Mesopredators On the Swedish Atlantic Coastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Altered Offshore Food Webs on Coastal Ecosystems Emphasize the Need for Cross-Ecosystem Management

Eriksson

Sieben

Eklöf

et al. 2011

AMBIO

108

144

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By mainly targeting larger predatory fish, commercial fisheries have indirectly promoted rapid increases in densities of their prey; smaller predatory fish like sprat, stickleback and gobies. This process, known as mesopredator release, has effectively transformed many marine offshore basins into mesopredator-dominated ecosystems. In this article, we discuss recent indications of trophic cascades on the Atlantic and Baltic coasts of Sweden, where increased abundances of mesopredatory fish are linked to increased nearshore production and biomass of ephemeral algae. Based on synthesis of monitoring data, we suggest that offshore exploitation of larger predatory fish has contributed to the increase in mesopredator fish also along the coasts, with indirect negative effects on important benthic habitats and coastal water quality. The results emphasize the need to rebuild offshore and coastal populations of larger predatory fish to levels where they regain their control over lower trophic levels and important links between offshore and coastal systems are restored.

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“…The food-web model used in this study is parameterized to the Baltic proper conditions, i.e., the central basin of the Baltic Sea. Baltic proper food-web dynamics are well studied and in the past, fishery, climate, and high nutrient inputs have caused ecosystem-wide changes, i.e., regime shifts in the system (Ö sterblom et al 2007;Möllmann et al 2008). The most recent shift took place in the late 1980s.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Uncertainties in a Baltic Sea Food-Web Model Reveal Challenges for Future Projections

Niiranen

Blenckner

Hjerne

et al. 2012

AMBIO

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Models that can project ecosystem dynamics under changing environmental conditions are in high demand. The application of such models, however, requires model validation together with analyses of model uncertainties, which are both often overlooked. We carried out a simplified model uncertainty and sensitivity analysis on an Ecopath with Ecosim food-web model of the Baltic Proper (BaltProWeb) and found the model sensitive to both variations in the input data of pre-identified key groups and environmental forcing. Model uncertainties grew particularly high in future climate change scenarios. For example, cod fishery recommendations that resulted in viable stocks in the original model failed after data uncertainties were introduced. In addition, addressing the trophic control dynamics produced by the food-web model proved as a useful tool for both model validation, and for studying the food-web function. These results indicate that presenting model uncertainties is necessary to alleviate ecological surprises in marine ecosystem management.

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Human-induced Trophic Cascades and Ecological Regime Shifts in the Baltic Sea

Cited by 264 publications

References 44 publications

Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea

Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea

Effects of Altered Offshore Food Webs on Coastal Ecosystems Emphasize the Need for Cross-Ecosystem Management

Uncertainties in a Baltic Sea Food-Web Model Reveal Challenges for Future Projections

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