Predator and detritivore niche width helps to explain biocomplexity of experimental detritus-based food webs in four aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Rossi, Loreto; Lascio, Antonella di; Carlino, Pasquale; Calizza, Edoardo; Costantini, Maria Letizia

doi:10.1016/j.ecocom.2015.04.005

Cited by 39 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 87 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Theory predicts that as intraspecific competition intensifies, individuals should become increasingly opportunistic and thus have greater niche variation (Rossi, di Lascio, Carlino, Calizza, & Costantini, 2015;Svanbäck & Bolnick, 2006). The relatively large niches apparent in all allopatric treatments were consistent with this, where the intensity of intraspecific competitive interactions was assumed to be highest.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Predicting the ecological impacts of an alien invader: Experimental approaches reveal the trophic consequences of competition

Britton

Roberts

Trigo

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecological theory on the trophic impacts of invasive fauna on native competitors is equivocal. Whilst increased interspecific competition can result in coexisting species having constricted and diverged trophic niches, the competing species might instead increase their niche sizes to maintain energy intakes. Empirical experiments can test invasion theory on competitive interactions and niche sizes across different spatial scales and complexity. The consequences of increased interspecific competition from a model alien fish Leuciscus idus were tested on two taxonomically and trophically similar native fishes, Squalius cephalus and Barbus barbus. Competitive interactions were tested in tank aquaria using comparative functional responses (CFRs) and cohabitation trials. The consequences of these competitive interactions for the trophic niche sizes and positions of the fishes were tested in pond mesocosms. Comparative functional responses revealed that compared to B. barbus, L. idus had significantly higher attack and consumption rates; cohabitation trials revealed B. barbus growth rates were depressed in sympatry with L. idus. For L. idus and S. cephalus, differences in their functional response parameters and growth rates were not significant. Pond mesocosms used stable isotope metrics to quantify shifts in the trophic niche sizes of the fishes between allopatry and sympatry using a substitutive experimental design. Isotopic niches were smaller and more divergent in sympatric paired species than predicted by their allopatric treatments, suggesting trophic impacts from interspecific competition. However, an all‐species sympatric treatment revealed similar niche sizes with allopatry. This maintenance of niche sizes in the presence of all species potentially resulted from the buffering of direct competitive effects of the species pairs by indirect effects. Experimental predictions from tank aquaria assisted the interpretation of the constricted and diverged trophic niches detected in the paired‐species sympatric treatments of the pond mesocosms. However, the all‐species sympatric treatment of this experiment revealed greater complexity in the outcomes of the competitive interactions within and between the species. These results have important implications for understanding how alien species integrate into food webs and influence the trophic relationships between native species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Predicting the ecological impacts of an alien invader: Experimental approaches reveal the trophic consequences of competition

Britton

Roberts

Trigo

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The results are reported as g of ash-free dry organic matter per 100 g dry weight of sediment (AFDM%) and are considered indicative of the overall basal resource availability for detritivorous invertebrates Calizza et al, 2012;Costantini & Rossi, 1998;di Lascio et al, 2013;Rossi et al, 2015). In addition, the ash-free dry organic matter content in the first 10 cm of sediment was assessed after muffle combustion (5 hr at 500°C) .…”

Section: Field Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the ash-free dry organic matter content in the first 10 cm of sediment was assessed after muffle combustion (5 hr at 500°C) . The results are reported as g of ash-free dry organic matter per 100 g dry weight of sediment (AFDM%) and are considered indicative of the overall basal resource availability for detritivorous invertebrates Calizza et al, 2012;Costantini & Rossi, 1998;di Lascio et al, 2013;Rossi et al, 2015).…”

Section: Field Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two areas, in the northern and southern sectors of the lake, respectively, differ in terms of the physical habitat and, as a consequence, the abundance of littoral vegetation, sediment organic matter and macroinvertebrate species (Mancinelli & Rossi, 2002;Rossi, Costantini, Carlino, di Lascio, & Rossi, 2010;Rossi, di Lascio, Carlino, Calizza, & Costantini, 2015;Van Dokkum, Slijkerman, Rossi, & Costantini, 2002). Specifically, in two large areas of Lake Bracciano (Italy), we investigated the trophic structure of the fish community, the trophic position occupied by the invasive alien species M. salmoides, and its trophic relationship with fish species with similar feeding habits: the native top predator, the percid Perca fluviatilis (which is of commercial interest both locally and regionally), and the naturalised centrarchid Lepomis gibbosus (introduced more than one century ago).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, in two large areas of Lake Bracciano (Italy), we investigated the trophic structure of the fish community, the trophic position occupied by the invasive alien species M. salmoides, and its trophic relationship with fish species with similar feeding habits: the native top predator, the percid Perca fluviatilis (which is of commercial interest both locally and regionally), and the naturalised centrarchid Lepomis gibbosus (introduced more than one century ago). The two areas, in the northern and southern sectors of the lake, respectively, differ in terms of the physical habitat and, as a consequence, the abundance of littoral vegetation, sediment organic matter and macroinvertebrate species (Mancinelli & Rossi, 2002;Rossi, Costantini, Carlino, di Lascio, & Rossi, 2010;Rossi, di Lascio, Carlino, Calizza, & Costantini, 2015;Van Dokkum, Slijkerman, Rossi, & Costantini, 2002). Local professional fishermen report decreasing catches of the native perch since the introduction of the largemouth bass, with consequent economic damage, as well as a higher abundance of this invasive species in the northern area of the lake, in association with a lower diversity of native fish species than what is observed in the south.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The role of alien fish (the centrarchid Micropterus salmoides) in lake food webs highlighted by stable isotope analysis

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Non‐native freshwater fish species can have adverse ecological impacts on native populations. However, the mechanisms determining the success or otherwise of their invasion and their role in invaded communities remain largely unknown. This is particularly true for the Mediterranean region, where endemic species characterised by restricted natural ranges may be at high risk of extinction. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is native to North America but is invasive in the Italian Peninsula. The aim of this study was to explore the trophic position of M. salmoides, its diet and niche overlap with native fish species in the littoral areas of a Mediterranean lake. Our study was supported by analysis of stable C and N isotopes in the tissues of fish and their potential food sources, twenty years after the introduction of the largemouth bass to Lake Bracciano (Italy). Samples were collected in locations varying in terms of physical structure and resource availability at lower trophic levels in the food web, which was greater in the southern (hereafter: South) than in the northern (hereafter: North) area of the lake. These differences made it possible to explore the mechanisms linking environmental conditions and the role of alien predators in the invaded food web. The abundance of M. salmoides was higher, and the diversity of native fish species was lower, in North than South. In North, M. salmoides had a piscivorous diet and occupied a higher trophic position in the food web than in South, where invertebrates constituted an important part of its diet. As a consequence, trophic niche interference with other fish species at intermediate trophic levels was higher in South. In contrast, in North, M. salmoides showed stronger trophic interference with the percid Perca fluviatilis, a native top predator in the food web, but weaker interference with remaining fish species. Our results help to understand the role of alien species in the food webs of Lake Bracciano, which primarily depends on the habitat and the availability of prey across trophic levels. Physical and ecological variations in the habitat were associated with differences in predatory interactions among native and alien fish species. This suggests that a reduction in productivity and biodiversity at lower trophic levels in lake food webs may favour the success of opportunistic invasive fish species, given the ability of the invaders to maintain some of their characteristics silent, and to fully express their genotype under favourable environmental conditions.

show abstract

Diet composition of the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) in structurally different artificial ponds based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses

Careddu

Carlini

Romano

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In order to evaluate the effects of ecological disturbances, such as climate change, human‐induced habitat modification, or species introduction, and in order to adopt appropriate management policies for their conservation, knowledge of the trophic ecology of protected or threatened species is crucial. The Italian crested newt, Triturus carnifex (Laurenti, 1768), is listed in annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive. For this species, changes in water quality and habitat loss represent major threats, potentially impairing its breeding and feeding activities. Artificial aquatic habitats, such as cattle‐drinking pools, represent valuable refuges and suitable breeding sites for T. carnifex. The aim of this study was to determine the food niche of the Italian crested newt in these habitats, evaluating its prey selection strategy in relation to a range of environmental conditions and differing availability of resources. Stomach contents (indicative of short‐term diet) and δ13C and δ15N signatures of tails (indicative of medium‐term diet) of adult newts from three artificial ponds in central Italy, where traditional silvo‐pastoral activities are still important, were determined. Potential prey were also sampled and processed for stable isotope analysis. Triturus carnifex, similar to other newt species, is an opportunistic predator, feeding on a wide variety of prey that includes terrestrial and aquatic macroinvertebrates. In particular, the opportunistic use of temporally available small zooplankton was identified from stomach contents analysis. Conversely, stable isotope analysis highlighted the consumption of larger, soft‐bodied prey that the stomach‐contents‐based approach underestimated. These included terrestrial oligochaetes, which turned out to be the most important and energy‐rich food source in the medium term. These results emphasize the usefulness of combined approaches for studying the trophic ecology of salamanders and also highlight the importance of the integrated management of aquatic breeding habitats and neighbouring terrestrial habitats, as sources of food, for newt conservation.

show abstract

Predator and detritivore niche width helps to explain biocomplexity of experimental detritus-based food webs in four aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Cited by 39 publications

References 87 publications

Predicting the ecological impacts of an alien invader: Experimental approaches reveal the trophic consequences of competition

Predicting the ecological impacts of an alien invader: Experimental approaches reveal the trophic consequences of competition

The role of alien fish (the centrarchid Micropterus salmoides) in lake food webs highlighted by stable isotope analysis

Diet composition of the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) in structurally different artificial ponds based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About