Temporal variation in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) density structure the benthic food web and community composition on hard substrates in Lake Constance, Germany

Gergs, René; Grey, Jonathan; Rothhaupt, Karl‐Otto

doi:10.1007/s10530-011-9943-8

Cited by 38 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Previous studies have shown that dreissenid biodeposits are used as an energy source by some littoral benthic taxa [15], [23], and our results demonstrate that redirected sestonic material forms a large portion of the energy budget of the postdreissenid littoral food web in Lake Simcoe. While sestonic carbon contributed most to the biomass and production of dreissenid mussels, it also supported between one third and half of the biomass and production of non-dreissenid benthos.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Because seston is often depleted in 13 C relative to benthic algae [5], [20], carbon isotope ratios can be used to determine how dreissenids affect the importance and availability of these two energy sources to food webs. SIA of carbon has been used to show that dreissenids can compete with native filter feeders for seston [21], [22], and that redirected sestonic material in the form of dreissenid biodeposits can contribute significantly to the diet and production of detritivores such as amphipods and chironomids [11], [23]. However, there have been no comprehensive examinations of how dreissenid establishment affects the absolute importance of benthic primary production to food webs, or the relative balance between sestonic and benthic energy sources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

2012

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We investigated how establishment of invasive dreissenid mussels impacted the structure and energy sources of the littoral benthic food web of a large temperate lake. We combined information about pre- and postdreissenid abundance, biomass, and secondary production of the littoral benthos with results of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of archival (predreissenid) and recent (postdreissenid) samples of all common benthic taxa. This approach enabled us to determine the importance of benthic and sestonic carbon to the littoral food web before, and more than a decade after dreissenid establishment. Long term dreissenid presence was associated with a 32-fold increase in abundance, 6-fold increase in biomass, and 14-fold increase in secondary production of the littoral benthos. Dreissenids comprised a large portion of the post-invasion benthos, making up 13, 38, and 56% of total abundance, biomass, and secondary production, respectively. The predreissenid food web was supported primarily by benthic primary production, while sestonic material was relatively more important to the postdreissenid food web. The absolute importance of both sestonic material and benthic primary production to the littoral benthos increased considerably following dreissenid establishment. Our results show drastic alterations to food web structure and suggest that dreissenid mussels redirect energy and material from the water column to the littoral benthos both through biodeposition of sestonic material as well as stimulation of benthic primary production.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

2012

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“…Similar habitat preferences were found for Caenis macrura. Gergs et al (2011) hypothesized that Caenis spp. were linked to the availability of D. polymorpha bio- Figure 3.…”

Section: Indicator Taxa Of Environmental and Spatial Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative impacts of morphological alteration to shorelines and eutrophication on littoral macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean lakes

et al. 2015

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Development of effective methods for assessing the ecological status of lakes based on littoral benthic fauna has been hampered by the lack of quantitative data on the relative impacts of key pressures on the benthic community. We used variance partitioning at 126 sites belonging to 14 natural Mediterranean lakes to analyze the pure and shared effects of eutrophication, morphological alterations, microhabitat type, lake morphometry and geographic position on the littoral macroinvertebrate community. The spatial arrangement of the sampling sites was responsible for 9.1% of the total variance in littoral benthic community composition, lake morphometry accounted for 4.3% of variation, and microhabitat type accounted for 3.9%. Communities appeared to be affected primarily by morphological alterations to lake shorelines, and their impact was 2.5 times as important as that of eutrophication. The structure of littoral benthic communities was governed by processes acting at several spatial scales from region to lake scale. Thus, several pressures and the various spatial scales at which these act should be taken into account when implementing methods of assessing lake ecological condition based on littoral benthic invertebrates. Region-specific methods for subalpine and volcanic lakes might enhance the validity of assessment of results of morphological alterations and improve management of those water resources.

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“…The western, Lower Lake Constance (LLC) comprises a total area of 63 km 2 with a maximum depth of 46 m. About 30% of its area consists of extensive shallow water areas, of less than 5 m depth. The eastern, Upper Lake Constance (ULC) comprises a total area of 473 km 2 and is dominated by deep water areas with a maximum depth of 254 m. [22] ULC is poorer in nutrients than LLC but the total phosphorus content is below 20 µg L −1 even at LLC. [23] The nitrogen load (expressed as annual maximum NH 4 nitrogen concentration) at LLC ranges from 0.1 to 1 mg L −1 and at ULC the nitrogen load is much lower, at about 10 µg L -1…”

Section: Experimental Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1,2] In most of these studies, the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios are reported in the delta-notation (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) as the per mil (‰) difference between heavy and light isotopes in relation to international standards. Food-web studies are based on the assumption that the carbon isotope ratios of consumers are quite similar to the isotopic composition of their diets (usually within a range of 1‰ enrichment), while consumer tissues are on average more enriched in 15 N (about 3‰ between food and consumer tissue) relative to their food.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Depth‐specific and spatiotemporal variation of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in Charophytes of Lake Constance: implications for food web studies

Matuszak

Voigt

Storch

et al. 2011

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Macrophytes are at the base of many lake food webs providing essential food resources for animals at higher trophic level, such as invertebrates, fish and waterbirds. However, data regarding the spatiotemporal variation in isotopic composition of macrophytes are generally missing. We measured the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of Charophytes at Lake Constance, where they constitute a major food source for waterbirds. Our data reveal seasonal and site-specific differences as well as depth-specific variations in isotopic carbon values within the littoral zone. Charophytes were enriched in (13)C at sites of higher productivity: the δ(13)C values were high in summer, at shallow and at relatively nutrient-rich sites, and comparatively low in winter, and in deeper and nutrient-poorer sites. In contrast, no temporal or spatial trend was found to explain the variability in the isotopic nitrogen values. These results imply that the seasonal timing of food intake (relative to turnover rates of consumers tissue) and the potential depth of foraging need to be taken into account when calculating the relative contribution of energy sources to diets of consumers such as waterbirds.

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Temporal variation in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) density structure the benthic food web and community composition on hard substrates in Lake Constance, Germany

Cited by 38 publications

References 42 publications

Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

Relative impacts of morphological alteration to shorelines and eutrophication on littoral macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean lakes

Depth‐specific and spatiotemporal variation of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in Charophytes of Lake Constance: implications for food web studies

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Temporal variation in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) density structure the benthic food web and community composition on hard substrates in Lake Constance, Germany

Cited by 38 publications

References 42 publications

Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

Invasive Mussels Alter the Littoral Food Web of a Large Lake: Stable Isotopes Reveal Drastic Shifts in Sources and Flow of Energy

Relative impacts of morphological alteration to shorelines and eutrophication on littoral macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean lakes

Depth‐specific and spatiotemporal variation of δ13C and δ15N in Charophytes of Lake Constance: implications for food web studies

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Product

Resources

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Depth‐specific and spatiotemporal variation of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in Charophytes of Lake Constance: implications for food web studies