A simulation of food-web interactions leading to rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax dominance in Sparkling Lake, Wisconsin

Estimates of production and predation rates from bioenergetic models of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) suggest a long-term decline in their gross conversion efficiency (gross production/prey consumption) and the gross production to biomass ratio in Lake Ontario during 1978-1994. The former pattern was caused primarily by a declining trend in adult alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) energy density during 1978-1985; the latter pattern resulted from reductions in growth rates (coho salmon) and a buildup of the older age-classes in the population (lake trout) over time. Model results suggest that over 100 and 25% of the annual production of adult alewife and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), respectively, was consumed by salmonines during 1990 in Lake Ontario; hence, we claim that recent observations of reduced salmonine growth in Lake Ontario may be a result of prey limitation. Energy transfer from primary production to salmonines appeared to be more efficient in Lake Ontario than in Lake Michigan, probably due to higher stocking levels per unit area and higher densities of preferred prey fish in Lake Ontario. Through separate analyses, we arrived at conflicting conclusions concerning the sustainability of the food web configuration in Lake Ontario during 1990.

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Using ratios of stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes to characterize the biomagnification of DDE, mirex, and PCB in a Lake Ontario pelagic food web

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f95-855 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 52 (12) ◽

pp. 2660-2674 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Richard M. Kiriluk ◽

Mark R. Servos ◽

D. Michael Whittle ◽

Gilbert Cabana ◽

Joseph B. Rasmussen

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotopes ◽

Food Web ◽

Trophic Status ◽

Lake Trout ◽

Trophic Position ◽

Lake Ontario ◽

Osmerus Mordax ◽

Rainbow Smelt ◽

Slimy Sculpin ◽

Pelagic Food Web

Stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) were used to describe the trophic status and interactions of biota characteristic of a Lake Ontario pelagic food web. Stable isotopes of nitrogen were further used to characterize the relationship between an organism's trophic position and the biomagnification of specific hydrophobic contaminants through this food web. The δ15N defines the relative trophic status as (i) the top predator, lake trout (Saivelinus namaycush); (ii) prey species, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus); (iii) macroinvertebrates, mysids (Mysis relicta), and amphipods (Diporeia hoyi); (iv) net zooplankton, dominated by cyclopoids (Diacyclops thomasi) and cladocerans (Bosmina longirostris); and (v) net phytoplankton, dominated by diatoms (Melosira spp.). The separation of the four fish species, lake trout and associated prey items (alewife, rainbow smelt, and slimy sculpin), on the basis of their mean δ13C signatures complements what is known about the preferred diet of these fishes. The enrichment of 15N through this food web indicates that there is a strong correlation between the biomagnification of persistent lipophilic contaminants (p,p′-DDE, mirex, and PCB) and the relative trophic status of an organism as described by stable isotopes of nitrogen.

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Food web alterations that promote native species: the recovery of cisco (Coregonus artedi) populations through management of native piscivores

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f05-132 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 62 (10) ◽

pp. 2177-2188 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Damon M Krueger ◽

Thomas R Hrabik

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Food Webs ◽

Fisheries Management ◽

Native Species ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Sander Vitreus ◽

Osmerus Mordax ◽

Rainbow Smelt ◽

Parallel Increase ◽

Coregonus Artedi

We evaluated the effects of fisheries management on food webs in three northern Wisconsin lakes with exotic rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). In two of the lakes, restrictions on fishing reduced mortality rates on adult walleye (Sander vitreus) during the study period. In these lakes, walleye populations increased concurrently with a decline in rainbow smelt populations. As rainbow smelt populations declined in both lakes, native cisco (Coregonus artedi) populations increased. Our analysis of walleye diets illustrated that walleye fed selectively on rainbow smelt but did not feed on cisco during the summer months. When entered into bioenergetics simulations, this information demonstrates that walleye predation alone was enough to cause the observed rainbow smelt declines in our study lakes. Our results indicate that increased walleye density allows for a parallel increase in cisco density. Based on our results, fishery regulations to restore walleye to high densities in lakes invaded by rainbow smelt may restore native planktivores that have co-evolved traits.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Species response to environmental change: impacts of food web interactions and evolution.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1158190.618310 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Ary Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Environmental Change ◽

Food Web ◽

Food Web Interactions ◽

Species Response ◽

Response To Environmental Change

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Importance of Thin Plankton Layers in Hawaiian Food Web Interactions: Research Spanning From Physical Circulation to Spinner Dolphins

10.21236/ada573314 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Kelly J. Benoit-Bird ◽

Margaret A. McManus

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Food Web Interactions ◽

Spinner Dolphins

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Introduction

10.1093/oso/9780198713593.003.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Christer Brönmark ◽

Lars-Anders Hansson

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Environmental Threats ◽

Food Web Interactions

The chapter introduces the reader to the book structure, including the overall topics the abiotic frame, the organisms, biotics, food web interactions and biodiversity and environmental threats. In addition to laying out the structure, this chapter brings up some overarching concepts such as the niche, generalists versus specialists and factors determining the distribution of organisms in natural ecosystems.

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