Responses of riparian tetragnathid spiders to wildfire in forested ecosystems of the California Mediterranean climate region, USA

Jackson, Breeanne K.; Sullivan, Sean

doi:10.1086/683682

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…We did not assess prey composition of spiders, however, to test this idea. A previous study on tetragnathid spiders from California found no difference in abundance at burned and unburned sites, with fires having burned between 2 and 15 years before the surveys (Jackson and Sullivan 2015). In northern Idaho streams, however, spider densities increased 5–6 years after severe fire, in association with increases in insect emergence (Malison and Baxter 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Studies that have examined both imports and exports of insects to and from streams after wildfires, and linked this to characteristics of both aquatic and riparian consumer populations, are relatively rare. In many mountain streams, trout and riparian spiders (Tetragnathidae) utilize cross‐ecosystem insect subsidies (Benjamin et al 2011), making them useful indicators of changes in food web functioning that may be affected by wildfires and post‐fire disturbances (Koetsier et al 2007, Jackson and Sullivan 2015). Additionally, while many post‐fire studies on stream community ecology have evaluated mid‐term effects, fewer have quantified change on shorter time scales (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short‐term effects of wildfire on high elevation stream‐riparian food webs

Preston

Trujillo

Fairchild

et al. 2023

Oikos

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Understanding how wildfires affect food web structure and function remains an important challenge, especially at high elevations that historically have burned infrequently. In particular, fires may alter the magnitude of reciprocal cross‐ecosystem subsidies, leading to indirect effects on aquatic and terrestrial consumers. We quantified characteristics of high‐elevation (2500–3000 m) stream‐riparian food webs at 10 locations in the southern Rocky Mountains less than one year following high‐intensity, stand‐replacing wildfires. Using a paired ‘burned−unburned' stream survey design, we assessed benthic periphyton, aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure, trout population characteristics, trout stomach contents, inputs and emergence of insects to and from streams, and abundance of predatory riparian spiders that consume aquatic insects. Benthic macroinvertebrate density, flux of emerging aquatic insects, and riparian spider abundances were lower at burned sites. Fluxes of insect inputs entering the stream did not differ with burn status, despite the loss of riparian vegetation due to fire. Trout were somewhat less abundant, but larger on average at burned sites and did not differ in body condition. These results suggest mortality of smaller trout from fire disturbance and/or recolonization of burned sites by larger individuals. Trout showed subtle changes in diet composition with burn status, but no change in biomass or number of prey consumed. In general, burned sites showed greater variation in community characteristics than unburned sites, which may reflect differences in the timing and magnitude of post‐fire flooding, erosion, and scouring of the stream bed. Taken together, our results suggest that short‐term effects of fire disturbance strongly altered some food web responses, but others appeared relatively resilient, which is notable given the high severity of the wildfires in the study area.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short‐term effects of wildfire on high elevation stream‐riparian food webs

Preston

Trujillo

Fairchild

et al. 2023

Oikos

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“…Several studies have examined the relationship between floods and food chain length, with results indicating a positive effect (Sullivan et al 2015, Jackson and, negative effect (Parker and Huryn 2006, McHugh et al 2010, Sabo et al 2010, or no effect (Thompson and Townsend 1999). Working in the same study area, Jackson and Sullivan (2018) found that higher magnitude predictable floods were associated with longer food chains leading to tetragnathid spiders.…”

Section: Comparison Between the Regulated And Unregulated Rivers And mentioning

confidence: 99%

River food chains lead to riparian bats and birds in two mid‐order rivers

Jackson¹,

Stock²,

Harris

et al. 2020

Ecosphere

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River regulation can modify natural flow regimes with deleterious effects on aquatic communities. While the effects of flow manipulation on the physical environment and populations and assemblages of aquatic organisms have been described thoroughly, how and to what extent river regulation influences ecosystem processes like food web architecture is less studied. Emergent aquatic insect prey can provide an important food resource to riparian consumers like birds and bats with concomitant consequences for nutrient cycling through aquatic-terrestrial food webs, thus potentially increasing the spatial influence of river regulation into the riparian zone and beyond. We used naturally abundant stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to compare food web architecture (trophic position and reliance on an aquatic nutritional pathway) leading to birds and bats between a regulated river, the Tuolumne River downstream of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and an adjacent unregulated river, the Merced River, located in Yosemite National Park on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. We found that both birds and bats derived >50% of their nutrition from food webs originating in photosynthesis by algae. In addition, birds and bats occupied a similar trophic position to predatory fish in other systems. Both birds and bats seemed to rely more strongly on an aquatic nutritional pathway during the dryer year of our study period, underscoring the potential importance of emergent aquatic prey as a water subsidy in dry systems and in dry years. In the Tuolumne River, reservoir managers strive to simulate characteristics of the natural flow regime, including seasonal scouring flows and prolonged floodplain inundation. Although we found no conclusive evidence of an effect of river regulation on food web responses, our study suggests that nutrient cycling through aquatic-terrestrial food webs expands the potential influence of river regulation to organisms and ecosystems typically characterized as terrestrial.

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“…However, the current literature on the interplay between aquatic ecosystems, wildfires and trophic cascades indicates context‐specific and complex processes that require more research to be understood for a management context (Jager et al, 2021; Minshall, 2003; Verkaik et al, 2015). For instance, aquatic–riparian ecosystems are influenced by the timing of climatic variables, such as precipitation, in concurrence with wildfire events (Jackson & Sullivan, 2015), or reduction of riparian shading, which promotes algal growth, producing shorter‐term flood–wildfire productivity pulse events (Malison & Baxter, 2010).…”

Section: Mechanisms Generating Positive Biodiversity Outcomes From Ri...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is important to consider for ecosystem management. Much previous literature recognizes the importance of the timing and frequency of disturbance events, such as wildfires, in predicting aquatic and riparian biodiversity recovery, especially in accordance with other seasonal characteristics, such as climate (Jackson & Sullivan, 2015; Mester et al, 2015). Floodplain reconnectivity restoration projects often operate at the reach scale (e.g., most existing Stage Zero projects) and involve the restoration of pre‐Anthropocene biotic and abiotic processes (Cluer & Thorne, 2014; Table 1), all of which operate on a range of spatial and temporal scales.…”

Section: River Restoration and Wildfire Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A possible role for river restoration enhancing biodiversity through interaction with wildfire

Pugh

Colley

Dugdale

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Background: Historically, wildfire regimes produced important landscape-scale disturbances in many regions globally. The "pyrodiversity begets biodiversity" hypothesis suggests that wildfires that generate temporally and spatially heterogeneous mosaics of wildfire severity and post-burn recovery enhance biodiversity at landscape scales.However, river management has often led to channel incision that disconnects rivers from their floodplains, desiccating floodplain habitats and depleting groundwater. In conjunction with predicted increases in frequency, intensity and extent of wildfires under climate change, this increases the likelihood of deep, uniform burns that reduce biodiversity. Predicted synergy of river restoration and biodiversity increase:Recent focus on floodplain re-wetting and restoration of successional floodplain habitat mosaics, developed for river management and flood prevention, could reduce wildfire intensity in restored floodplains and make the burns less uniform, increasing climate-change resilience; an important synergy. According to theory, this would also enhance biodiversity. However, this possibility is yet to be tested empirically. We suggest potential research avenues. Illustration and future directions:We illustrate the interaction between wildfire and river restoration using a restoration project in Oregon, USA. A project to reconnect the South Fork McKenzie River and its floodplain suffered a major burn ("Holiday Farm" wildfire, 2020), offering a rare opportunity to study the interaction between this type of river restoration and wildfire; specifically, the predicted increases in pyrodiversity and biodiversity. Given the importance of river and wetland ecosystems for biodiversity globally, a research priority should be to increase our understanding of potential mechanisms for a "triple win" of flood reduction, wildfire alleviation and biodiversity promotion.

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Responses of riparian tetragnathid spiders to wildfire in forested ecosystems of the California Mediterranean climate region, USA

Cited by 10 publications

References 84 publications

Short‐term effects of wildfire on high elevation stream‐riparian food webs

Short‐term effects of wildfire on high elevation stream‐riparian food webs

River food chains lead to riparian bats and birds in two mid‐order rivers

A possible role for river restoration enhancing biodiversity through interaction with wildfire

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