Increased individual growth rate and community biomass of stream insects associated with salmon carcasses

Minakawa, Noboru; Gara, R. I.; Honea, J. M.

doi:10.2307/1468436

Cited by 48 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…salmon carcasses. In a laboratory growth experiment, E. conspersa did show faster growth on coho salmon carcasses than on red alder leaves (Minakawa et al 2002). By day 111 we found 11 detritivorous species on carcasses in the experimental streams, with four species of Trichopteran detritivores including E. conspersa.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

Impacts of marine-derived nutrients on stream ecosystem functioning

Zhang

Negishi

Richardson

et al. 2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Energy and nutrient subsidies transported across ecosystem boundaries are increasingly appreciated as key drivers of consumer-resource dynamics. As purveyors of pulsed marine-derived nutrients (MDN), spawning salmon are one such cross-ecosystem subsidy to freshwaters connected to the north Pacific. We examined how salmon carcasses influenced detrital processing in an oligotrophic stream. Experimental manipulations of MDN inputs revealed that salmon carcasses indirectly reduced detrital processing in streams through temporarily decoupling the detrital resource-consumer relationship, in which detrital consumers shifted their diet to the high-nutrient resource, i.e. salmon carcasses. The average decomposition rate of alder leaves with salmon carcass addition was significantly lower than that without the carcass, which was associated with lower abundance and biomass of detritivorous Trichoptera on the carcass-treated leaves. There were generally larger in size Trichopteran detritivores on the carcasses than on leaves. These results imply that cross-boundary MDN subsidies indirectly retard the ecosystem processing of leaf litter within the short term, but may enhance those food-limited detritivorous consumers. Because unproductive freshwaters in the Pacific northwest are highly dependent upon the organic matter inputs from surrounding forests, this novel finding has implications for determining conservation and management strategies of salmon-related aquatic ecosystems, in terms of salmon habitat protection and fisheries exploitation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

Impacts of marine-derived nutrients on stream ecosystem functioning

Zhang

Negishi

Richardson

et al. 2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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“…Direct consumption of MDN in the form of salmon eggs and flesh has been observed for Dolly Varden (Denton et al 2009, 2010, Jaecks 2010) and all of the generalist macroinvertebrate taxa we sampled (Piorkowski 1995, Minakawa and Gara 1999, Minakawa et al 2002, Claeson et al 2006, Walter et al 2006. We hypothesize that MDN persistence in consumer tissues may be driven by one or two nonmutually exclusive mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Dissolved MDN, excreted by live salmon and liberated from decomposing carcasses, can boost periphyton biomass (Wipfli et al 1998, Johnston et al 2004) and leaf litter decomposition (Claeson et al 2006). The presence of salmon carcasses enhances growth and development rates for taxa that scavenge carcass material (Minakawa et al 2002, Walter et al 2006 and is often associated with increased abundance and biomass of aquatic macroinvertebrates (e.g., Wipfli et al 1998, Minakawa and Gara 1999, Claeson et al 2006, Lessard and Merritt 2006. Substrate disturbance during salmon spawning, however, can offset these effects and reduce overall periphyton and macroinvertebrate biomass Schindler 2008, Verspoor et al 2010), especially in streams with fine sediments (Janetski et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal persistence of marine‐derived nutrients in south‐central Alaskan salmon streams

Rinella

Wipfli

Walker³

et al. 2013

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Spawning salmon deliver annual pulses of marine-derived nutrients (MDN) to riverine ecosystems around the Pacific Rim, leading to increased growth and condition in aquatic and riparian biota. The influence of pulsed resources may last for extended periods of time when recipient food webs have effective storage mechanisms, yet few studies have tracked the seasonal persistence of MDN. With this as our goal, we sampled stream water chemistry and selected stream and riparian biota spring through fall at 18 stations (in six watersheds) that vary widely in spawner abundance and at nine stations (in three watersheds) where salmon runs were blocked by waterfalls. We then developed regression models that related dissolved nutrient concentrations and biochemical measures of MDN assimilation to localized spawner density across these 27 stations. Stream water ammonium-N and orthophosphate-P concentrations increased with spawner density during the summer salmon runs, but responses did not persist into the following fall. The effect of spawner density on d 15 N in generalist macroinvertebrates and three independent MDN metrics (d 15 N, d 34 S, and x3:x6 fatty acids) in juvenile Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) was positive and similar during each season, indicating that MDN levels in biota increased with spawner abundance and were maintained for at least nine months after inputs. Delta 15 N in a riparian plant, horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), and scraper macroinvertebrates did not vary with spawner density in any season, suggesting a lack of MDN assimilation by these lower trophic levels. Our results demonstrate the ready assimilation of MDN by generalist consumers and the persistence of this pulsed subsidy in these organisms through the winter and into the next growing season.

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“…Some macroinvertebrates and juvenile salmonids consume salmon tissue or eggs (Bilby et al 1998;Chaloner et al 2002;Minakawa et al 2002). Salmon carcasses can provide consumers with a high-quality organic food resource (Cederholm et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of nutrients, biofilm, and benthic insects to salmon carcass addition

Claeson¹,

Li²,

Compton³

et al. 2006

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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Salmon carcass addition to streams is expected to increase stream productivity at multiple trophic levels. This study examined stream nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon), epilithic biofilm (ash-free dry mass and chlorophyll a), leaf-litter decomposition, and macroinvertebrate (density and biomass) responses to cargass addition in three headwater streams of southwestern Washington State, USA. We used stable isotopes (613C and 615N) to trace incorporation of salmon-derived (SD) nutrients into stream food webs. SD nutrients were assimilated by biofilm, benthic insects (Perlidae and Limnephilidae spp.), and age-1 steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri). SD nutrients peaked -2 weeks after carcass addition for insects and fish feeding on carcasses, but indirect uptake of SD nutrients by biofilm and insects was delayed by -2 months. A strong stable isotope signal did not always correspond with measurable biological change. At reaches 10-50 m downstream from carcasses, ammonium concentration, leaf-litter decomposition, and benthic insect density all increased relative to upstream control sites. The strongest responses and greatest SDnutrient uptake were observed 10 m from decomposing carcasses, with effects generally decreasing to undetectable levels 250 m downstream. Carcass addition to headwater streams can have a transient effect on primary and secondary trophic levels, but responses may be limited to specific taxa near carcass locations.

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Increased individual growth rate and community biomass of stream insects associated with salmon carcasses

Cited by 48 publications

References 35 publications

Impacts of marine-derived nutrients on stream ecosystem functioning

Impacts of marine-derived nutrients on stream ecosystem functioning

Seasonal persistence of marine‐derived nutrients in south‐central Alaskan salmon streams

Response of nutrients, biofilm, and benthic insects to salmon carcass addition

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