Secondary production as a tool for better understanding of aquatic ecosystems

Dolbeth, Marina; Cusson, Mathieu; Sousa, Ronaldo; Pardal, Miguel Ângelo

doi:10.1139/f2012-050

Cited by 122 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 108 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that freshwater fish influence and decrease the secondary production of certain meiofaunal groups (nematodes, oligochaetes and crustaceans) but not rotifers. The importance of meiofauna to secondary production in aquatic ecosystems is recognised (Bergtold & Traunspurger, ; Tod & Schmid‐Araya, ; Benke, ), but many different methodological assumptions have been made (Dolbeth et al ., ). The size‐frequency method used in this study is appropriate for estimating secondary production by meiofaunal communities, although a tendency of underestimation has been documented (Stead et al ., ; Tod & Schmid‐Araya, ; Butkas, Vadeboncoeur & Vander Zanden, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The effects of predation by juvenile fish on the meiobenthic community structure in a natural pond

Weber

Traunspurger

2015

Freshwater Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Benthic communities in aquatic ecosystems include an abundant and functionally important meiofaunal component. The effects of predation by fish on zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and periphyton in freshwater habitats have been clearly demonstrated, whereas impacts on meiofaunal assemblages are poorly understood. In this study, the predation effects of benthivorous juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) on the abundance, biomass, secondary production, size classes and community structure of meiofaunal assemblages and on nematode diversity in the littoral zone of a natural freshwater pond were examined over 125 days using field enclosures and exclosures. Fish predation altered the abundance, biomass and secondary production of nematodes, oligochaetes and microcrustaceans (cyclopoids, harpacticoids, ostracods and cladocerans) but not of rotifers. These changes were consistent with top‐down control of the freshwater meiofaunal assemblages in the natural pond over time. By contrast, small‐bodied meiofauna were more abundant in the presence of fish, suggesting indirect facilitation. Both species richness and species composition but not the diversity of the nematode community were affected by fish predation. Removal of the fish from the enclosures resulted in the thorough recovery of the density, biomass and secondary production of nematodes, oligochaetes and microcrustaceans within 45 days. The results indicate that predation by juvenile freshwater fish depresses the overall abundance, biomass and secondary production of meiofaunal assemblages, except in the case of rotifers, and alters the size structure of the meiofaunal community. Our study provides insight into the food‐web ecology of lakes and the first evidence of freshwater fish predation effects on meiofaunal assemblages in a natural habitat.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The effects of predation by juvenile fish on the meiobenthic community structure in a natural pond

Weber

Traunspurger

2015

Freshwater Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Secondary production, defined as the accumulation of heterotrophic biomass over time (Benke 2010), is a foundational concept in fisheries science (Ricker 1946;Wiley et al 1984;Beamish 1993;Dolbeth et al 2012). However, there has been a surprising lack of basic information on how fish production rates vary spatially and temporally (but see Carlander and Payne 1977;Randall et al 1995;Waters 1999;Valentine-Rose et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production rates of walleye and their relationship to exploitation in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, 1965–2009

Rypel

Goto

Sass

et al. 2015

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding variability in fish production, biomass, production/biomass (P/B) ratios, and their relationship to exploitation is central to fisheries sustainability. At Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, USA, data from a compulsory creel census were combined with survey data on fish populations to test for empirical relationships between annual production and exploitation rates of walleye (Sander vitreus). Empirical estimates of walleye production were relatively high and temporally variable in Escanaba Lake. Annual production, biomass, and P/B ratios ranges were 2.4-11.3 kg·ha −1 ·year −1 , 9.1-49.4 kg·ha −1 , and 0.15-0.30 year −1 , respectively. Walleye production rates were significantly and positively correlated with adult (i.e., age 3+) walleye density -the core metric used to manage walleye populations in the Ceded Territory of Wisconsin. However, adult walleye density correlated best with ages 4-6 production. Annual exploitation based on the percentage of individuals removed from the population was linearly related to annual exploitation based on the percentage of production removed. On average, 100% of annual production was harvested at ϳ20% annual exploitation of individuals; thus, higher sustained exploitation rates would deplete walleye biomass in Escanaba Lake over time. A sustainable annual exploitation rate of 20% annually is lower than the 35% limit reference point currently used for walleye management in the Ceded Territory of Wisconsin. Nevertheless, our estimate is strongly concordant with two recent and independent modeling efforts addressing this same topic. We suggest empirical estimates of fish production are a vastly underutilized tool for better understanding sustainable exploitation rates in walleye populations and, likely, fisheries in general.Résumé : La compréhension des variations de la production, de la biomasse et des rapports production/biomasse (P/B) ainsi que de leur lien avec l'exploitation est essentielle à la durabilité des pêches. Au lac Escanaba, au Wisconsin (États-Unis), des données d'un relevé des prises obligatoire ) ont été combinées à des données d'évaluation des populations de poissons afin d'établir s'il y a un lien empirique entre la production annuelle et les taux d'exploitation du doré jaune (Sander vitreus). Les estimations empiriques de la production de dorés jaunes étaient relativement élevées et variables dans le temps au lac Escanaba. La production annuelle, la biomasse et les rapports P/B étaient de 2,4-11,3 kg·ha −1 ·an −1 , 9,1-49,4 kg·ha −1 et 0,15-0,30 an −1 , respectivement. Les taux de production de dorés jaunes présentaient une corrélation significative positive avec la densité de dorés jaunes adultes (c.-à -d. 3 ans et plus), le principal paramètre utilisé dans la gestion des populations de dorés jaunes dans le Territoire cédé du Wisconsin. Toutefois, la densité des dorés adultes présentait la meilleure corrélation avec la production d'individus âgés de 4 à 6 ans. L'exploitation annuelle basée sur le pourcentage d'individus extraits de la population était ...

show abstract

“…It has been estimated for populations, groups of populations and entire invertebrate assemblages, but mostly in benthic habitats (Benke & Huryn, ). When production is estimated for a population, it represents a measure of success or fitness; when applied to functional groups or entire assemblages, it represents a measure of energy flow through the ecosystem (Benke, ; Dolbeth et al ., ). Production also has been used to address many additional questions, including chemical flows, intertaxon and intersystem comparisons, quantification of food webs and for assessing the effects of competition/predation, pollution and other stressors (Benke & Huryn, ; Dolbeth et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High secondary production in a Coastal Plain river is dominated by snag invertebrates and fuelled mainly by amorphous detritus

Benke

Wallace

2014

Freshwater Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary The 2‐years production dynamics of major taxa (family/order) and functional feeding groups was synthesised from detailed production analyses previously published for all major invertebrate species/genera (retained by a 100 μm sieve) found on snags (submerged wood) in a sixth‐order south‐eastern U.S. Coastal Plain river. The trophic basis of this production and annual consumption of six food types were quantified. Invertebrate production (148 and 203 g dry mass m−2 year−1 of snag surfaces for the 2 years) was among the highest ever measured for a specific habitat in non‐polluted or unregulated rivers and was still relatively high when converted to overall area of the river bed (48 and 70 g m−2 year−1). Snag production constituted 73% of total main‐channel production (production from snag and river bed combined). Chironomidae (40–44% over the 2 years), Ephemeroptera (14–21%) and Trichoptera (25–31%) together represented the majority (88–93%) of the putative production of primary consumers on snags. Functional group analysis showed that fine filterers (26–36% over the 2 years), gatherers (36–44%) and macro‐filterers (21–25%) represented the majority of total invertebrate production. Production of predaceous insects (mostly Plecoptera, Odonata and Megaloptera) represented only 5–7% of the total. Production of the three major taxa and three major functional groups was remarkably consistent over 2 years of monthly sampling, despite strong seasonal variation in discharge/light/temperature and production of individual genera and families. Seventy‐nine per cent of production by primary consumers was supported by microbially enriched amorphous detritus, the major component of seston originating primarily from floodplain forests. Invertebrates consumed ˜357 g AFDM m−2 (river bed) year−1 of seston, 325 g m−2 year−1 of amorphous detritus and 20 g m−2 year−1 of diatoms. Dividing seston consumption by seston transport indicated that ˜67% of seston was consumed over 100 km of river length. Consumption was higher than autochthonous net primary production, supporting other evidence that terrestrially derived dissolved organic matter, incorporated via the microbial loop, is the main trophic basis of this riverine food web. Macro‐filtering hydropsychid caddisflies were omnivorous with > half their production from carnivory. Snag predators, including hydropsychids, consumed ˜60% (29 g m−2 year−1 of river bed) of invertebrate production (assumed to be from snags), leaving the remainder for emergence, downstream transport and consumption by fish.

show abstract

Secondary production as a tool for better understanding of aquatic ecosystems

Cited by 122 publications

References 108 publications

The effects of predation by juvenile fish on the meiobenthic community structure in a natural pond

The effects of predation by juvenile fish on the meiobenthic community structure in a natural pond

Production rates of walleye and their relationship to exploitation in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, 1965–2009

High secondary production in a Coastal Plain river is dominated by snag invertebrates and fuelled mainly by amorphous detritus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About