Changes in food web structure of fish assemblages along a river-to-ocean transect of a coastal subtropical system

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adna F. S. Garcia ◽  
Mauricio L. Santos ◽  
Alexandre M. Garcia ◽  
João P. Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Bipartite Networks ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure

There is an urgent need to understand how food web structure changes along environmental gradients. In this study we investigated changes in trophic organisation and the relative importance of autotrophic sources sustaining fish assemblages along a transect from river to ocean. In order to address these topics, we analysed fish stomach contents and isotopic composition of consumers and food sources. The findings revealed a greater number of autotrophic sources sustaining fish assemblages in the continental systems (especially in the river) than in the adjacent marine system. Bipartite networks depicting trophic relationships between fish and prey also changed along the transect, showing comparatively higher complexity in the estuary. These findings could be explained by the greater number of food web components (autotrophic sources, fish trophic guilds and prey) associated with pelagic and benthic food chains within the estuary compared with the adjacent systems studied. The findings of this study highlight the need to take into account river-to-ocean changes in food web structure of fish assemblages in management plans to mitigate human impacts in coastal systems.

scholarly journals Characterization of Trophic Structure of Fish Assemblages in the East and South Seas of Korea Based on C and N Stable Isotope Ratios

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Donghoon Shin ◽  
Tae Hee Park ◽  
Chung-Il Lee ◽  
Kangseok Hwang ◽  
Doo Nam Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
East Sea ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
The South ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
South Sea

The aim of this study was to assess seasonal variation in the food-web structure of fish assemblages in the East (two sites) and the South (one site) Seas of Korea, and to compare the isotopic niche areas between the regions. To do this, we analyzed the community structures and the δ13C and δ15N values for fish assemblages, and their potential food sources collected during May and October 2020. There were spatial differences in the diversity and dominant species of fish assemblages between the two seas. The fish assemblages in the South Sea had relatively wide ranges of δ13C and δ15N (−22.4‰ to −15.3‰ and 7.4‰ to 13.8‰, respectively) compared to those (−22.1‰ to −18.0‰ and 9.8‰ to 13.6‰, respectively) in the East Sea. The δ13C and δ15N values of suspended particulate organic matter, zooplankton, and fish assemblages differed significantly among sites and between seasons (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05, in all cases). Moreover, isotopic niche indices were relatively higher in the South Sea compared to those in the East Sea. Such differences in food-web characteristics among sites are likely due to the specific environmental effects (especially, major currents) on the differences in the species compositions and, therefore, their trophic relationships. Overall, these results allow for a deeper understanding of the changing trophic diversity and community structure of fish assemblages resulting from climate variability.

DNA barcoding increases resolution and changes structure in Canadian boreal shield lake food webs

DNA Barcodes ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Bartley ◽  
Heather E. Braid ◽  
Kevin S. McCann ◽  
Nigel P. Lester ◽  
Brian J. Shuter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Diet Analysis ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Habitat Coupling ◽  
Boreal Shield ◽  
Predatory Fishes

AbstractFood webs are important in understanding the structure, function, and behaviour of ecosystems, but, due to methodological limitations, are often poorly resolved in ways that impact food-web properties. Although DNA barcoding has proven useful in determining the diet of consumers, few studies have used this technique to determine food-web structure. These studies report mixed impacts on various food-web properties, but are limited by their taxonomic focus and their failure to evaluate DNA barcoding for both diet analysis and food-web structure. In this study, we show that, when compared to a morphological approach, DNA barcoding increases foodweb resolution by increasing the number and frequency of prey species identified in the stomach contents of eight species of Canadian boreal shield predatory fishes. In addition, we observed differences in food-web structure, such as increased generalism, habitat coupling, and omnivory, that have strong implications for food-web stability and dynamics. We conclude that DNA barcoding is a powerful tool to evaluate how resolution impacts foodweb properties and can help further our understanding of how food webs are structured by identifying feeding interactions in an unprecedented and highly detailed manner.

scholarly journals Trophic plasticity, environmental gradients and food-web structure of tropical pond communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Schalk ◽  
Carmen G. Montaña ◽  
Kirk O. Winemiller ◽  
Lee A. Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Trophic Plasticity ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Tropical Pond

Food web structure within an estuary of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence undergoing eutrophication

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 1805-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Schein ◽  
Simon C. Courtenay ◽  
Karen A. Kidd ◽  
K. Alexander Campbell ◽  
Michael R. van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
Apeltes Quadracus ◽  
Anoxic Events

This study compared food web structure in eutrophied Ulva lactuca-dominated areas within an estuary in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, with Zostera marina beds within the same estuary. The estuarine food web consisted only of primary producers, mesograzers, and secondary grazers, with the absence of piscivorous top predators. It was hypothesized that the altered plant habitat would lead to structural changes in the food web and the dominance of benthic carbon. Stomach contents from mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), fourspine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) showed that only mummichog had significant differences in prey items between the different habitats. Stable isotopes showed that there were no significant differences in the food web structure and individual species’ 13C values. A 13C spike in particulate organic matter during the onset of anoxia in July, presumably due to bacterial blooms, indicated the complete dominance of benthic carbon the pelagic food web during this month. Thus, blooms of heterotrophs during anoxic events may have the greatest influence on nutrient cycling in estuaries undergoing eutrophication.

scholarly journals Food-Web Structure in Relation to Environmental Gradients and Predator-Prey Ratios in Tank-Bromeliad Ecosystems

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. e71735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Dézerald ◽  
Céline Leroy ◽  
Bruno Corbara ◽  
Jean-François Carrias ◽  
Laurent Pélozuelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Tank Bromeliad

scholarly journals Food-Web Structure of Seagrass Communities across Different Spatial Scales and Human Impacts

PLoS ONE ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. e22591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Coll ◽  
Allison Schmidt ◽  
Tamara Romanuk ◽  
Heike K. Lotze
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure

scholarly journals Food‐web structure varies along environmental gradients in a high‐latitude marine ecosystem

Ecography ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Kortsch ◽  
Raul Primicerio ◽  
Michaela Aschan ◽  
Sigrid Lind ◽  
Andrey V. Dolgov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure

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

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 453 ◽  
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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document