Food web structure of the epibenthic and infaunal invertebrates on the Catalan slope (NW Mediterranean): Evidence from δ13C and δ15N analysis

The food web structure of a headwater stream (Hapen Creek) in subtropical northern Taiwan, which is subject to regular typhoon disturbances, was characterised using stable isotope techniques. δ13C and δ15N signatures were used to examine (i) the relative contributions of allochthonous versus. autochthonous sources to the web, and (ii) the trophic organisation of the community including the predominant feeding guilds and the most prevalent feeding mode. This study presents food web attributes for one of the very few food webs studied to date in a subtropical region. Consumers utilised allochthonous and autochthonous carbon sources differently depending on their trophic positions. The majority of consumers exploited more autochthonous carbon sources. Consumers at higher trophic positions in the food web had more direct and greater association with benthic algae. Higher-order consumers also consumed allochthonous carbon in an indirect manner by assimilating lower-order insects. The results reveal the importance of invertebrate consumer snails and aquatic insects in the transfer of organic matter. Omnivores predominated in the food web; this may reflect an opportunistic foraging strategy that enables them to adapt to hydrological disturbances and a fluctuating food supply.

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Food web structure and seasonality of slope megafauna in the NW Mediterranean elucidated by stable isotopes: Relationship with available food sources

Journal of Sea Research ◽

10.1016/j.seares.2012.10.002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 77 ◽

pp. 53-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

V. Papiol ◽

J.E. Cartes ◽

E. Fanelli ◽

P. Rumolo

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotopes ◽

Food Web ◽

Food Sources ◽

Food Web Structure ◽

Web Structure ◽

Nw Mediterranean

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Benthic food web structure in the southeastern Chukchi Sea: an assessment using δ13C and δ15N analyses

Polar Biology ◽

10.1007/s00300-010-0906-9 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 521-532 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Howard M. Feder ◽

Katrin Iken ◽

Arny L. Blanchard ◽

Stephen C. Jewett ◽

Susan Schonberg

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Chukchi Sea ◽

Food Web Structure ◽

Δ13c And Δ15n ◽

Benthic Food Web ◽

Web Structure ◽

Benthic Food

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Complexity of the food web structure of the Ascophyllum nodosum zone evidenced by a δ13C and δ15N study

Journal of Sea Research ◽

10.1016/j.seares.2010.04.003 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 304-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Claire Golléty ◽

Pascal Riera ◽

Dominique Davoult

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Ascophyllum Nodosum ◽

Food Web Structure ◽

Δ13c And Δ15n ◽

Web Structure

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Food-web structure in a subtropical coastal lake: how phylogenetic constraints may affect species linkages

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf12259 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 65 (5) ◽

pp. 453 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Lúcia Ribeiro Rodrigues ◽

Nelson Ferreira Fontoura ◽

David da Motta Marques

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Fish Species ◽

Relative Size ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Coastal Lake ◽

Food Web Structure ◽

Δ13c And Δ15n ◽

Web Structure

To describe a food-web structure is a main goal in any attempt to understand ecosystem functioning. In the present study, we analysed the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of primary producers and consumers in the large subtropical Mangueira Lake in southern Brazil. On the basis of the δ13C and δ15N values and analysis of stomach contents of several fish species, we provide a description of the food-web structure and trophic positions of the dominant fish species. Analysis of nitrogen isotope ratios indicated the existence of two consumer trophic levels. Isotopic signatures of primary consumers were compatible with those of producers, indicating a food web sustained by autochthonous carbon. Nevertheless, when food items were classified in larger groups by relative size and source, the combined analysis of isotopic signature and feeding preferences revealed a phylogenetically structured arrangement for the fish species of Mangueira Lake. This indicates that the main feeding niches are shared by taxonomically related species.

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