A Trophic Cascade Following the Introduction of an Omnivorous Fish, Dorosoma cepedianum, in a Mid-continental Reservoir (Mozingo Studies IV)

The trophic cascade hypothesis currently being tested in north temperate systems may not apply to open-water communities in lower latitude U.S. reservoirs. These reservoir communities differ dramatically from northern lakes in that an open-water omnivore, gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), often occurs in abundance. Neither controlled by fish predators (owing to high fecundity and low vulnerability) nor by their zooplankton prey (following the midsummer zooplankton decline, gizzard shad consume detritus and phytoplankton), gizzard shad regulate community composition rather than being regulated by top-down or bottom-up forces. In experiments across a range of spatial scales (enclosures, 1–9 m2; ponds, 4–5 ha; and reservoirs, 50–100 ha), we evaluated the generality of the trophic cascade hypothesis by assessing its conceptual strength in reservoir food webs. We reviewed the role of gizzard shad in controlling zooplankton populations and hence recruitment of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (via exploitative competition for zooplankton), and largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (by reducing their bluegill prey). Reservoir fish communities, owing to the presence of gizzard shad, appear to be regulated more by complex weblike interactions among species than by the more chainlike interactions characteristic of the trophic cascade.

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Planktivores and Plankton Dynamics: Effects of Fish Biomass and Planktivore Type

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f92-161 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 49 (7) ◽

pp. 1466-1473 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Xavier Lazzaro ◽

Ray W. Drenner ◽

Roy A. Stein ◽

J. Durward Smith

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Green Algae ◽

Primary Productivity ◽

Trophic Cascade ◽

Gizzard Shad ◽

Particulate Phosphorus ◽

Fish Biomass ◽

Dorosoma Cepedianum ◽

Pennate Diatoms ◽

Plankton Communities

We quantified the effects of planktivore biomass and planktivore type in an experimental mesocosm study of factorial design in which five levels of fish biomass (0–75 g/m3) were cross-classified with two plantivore types: filter-feeding gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and visual-feeding bluegill (Lepomis macrochims). As fish biomass increased, cladocerans, cyclopoids, particulate phosphorus (PP) > 200 μm, and chironomids declined; conversely, rotifers, primary productivity, chlorophyll a, turbidity, unicellular flagellates, colonial and unicellular green algae, pennate diatoms, total phosphorus, and 20–200 and 12–20 μm PP were enhanced. In the presence of gizzard shad, as compared with bluegill, cyclopoids, turbidity, unicellular green algae, pennate diatoms, > 200 μm PP, and chironomid tubes were higher whereas colonial green algae and < 0.2 μm PP were lower. Fish biomass operated independently of planktivore type for most variables, except copepods, colonial green algae, turbidity, and 20–200 μm PP. Although gizzard shad and bluegill have different trophic cascade pathways, fish biomass was more important than planktivore type as a regulator of plankton communities and water quality.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of What determines the strength of a trophic cascade?

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

10.3410/f.1024936.294710 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

Michael Bonsall

Keyword(s):

Trophic Cascade

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Linking a cougar decline, trophic cascade, and catastrophic regime shift in Zion National Park.

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

10.3410/f.1069763.522691 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Robert Paine

Keyword(s):

Trophic Cascade ◽

National Park ◽

Regime Shift ◽

Zion National Park

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of A disease-mediated trophic cascade in the Serengeti and its implications for ecosystem C.

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

10.3410/f.1165174.628098 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Wayne Getz

Keyword(s):

Trophic Cascade

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Evidence for Ecosystem-Level Trophic Cascade Effects Involving Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) Triggered by the Deepwater Horizon Blowout

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse9020190 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 190

Author(s):

Jeffrey Short ◽

Christine Voss ◽

Maria Vozzo ◽

Vincent Guillory ◽

Harold Geiger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Mississippi River ◽

Trophic Cascade ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Net Primary Production ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Dominant Role ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Predator Species ◽

Brevoortia Patronus

Unprecedented recruitment of Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) followed the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout (DWH). The foregone consumption of Gulf menhaden, after their many predator species were killed by oiling, increased competition among menhaden for food, resulting in poor physiological conditions and low lipid content during 2011 and 2012. Menhaden sampled for length and weight measurements, beginning in 2011, exhibited the poorest condition around Barataria Bay, west of the Mississippi River, where recruitment of the 2010 year class was highest. Trophodynamic comparisons indicate that ~20% of net primary production flowed through Gulf menhaden prior to the DWH, increasing to ~38% in 2011 and ~27% in 2012, confirming the dominant role of Gulf menhaden in their food web. Hyperabundant Gulf menhaden likely suppressed populations of their zooplankton prey, suggesting a trophic cascade triggered by increased menhaden recruitment. Additionally, low-lipid menhaden likely became “junk food” for predators, further propagating adverse effects. We posit that food web analyses based on inappropriate spatial scales for dominant species, or solely on biomass, provide insufficient indication of the ecosystem consequences of oiling injury. Including such cascading and associated indirect effects in damage assessment models will enhance the ability to anticipate and estimate ecosystem damage from, and provide recovery guidance for, major oil spills.

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Omnivorous Carp (Carassius gibelio) Increase Eutrophication in Part by Preventing Development of Large-Bodied Zooplankton and Submerged Macrophytes

Water ◽

10.3390/w13111497 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 1497

Author(s):

Vladimir Razlutskij ◽

Xueying Mei ◽

Natallia Maisak ◽

Elena Sysova ◽

Dzmitry Lukashanets ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Submerged Macrophytes ◽

Benthic Algae ◽

Plankton Community ◽

Prussian Carp ◽

Omnivorous Fish ◽

Outdoor Experiment ◽

Nitrogen Concentrations ◽

Lower Biomass

Fish, being an important consumer in aquatic ecosystems, plays a significant role by affecting the key processes of aquatic ecosystems. Omnivorous fish consume a variety of food both from pelagic and benthic habitats and may directly or indirectly affect the plankton community as well as the lake trophic state. We conducted a 72-day outdoor experiment in mesocosms with and without Prussian carp (Carassius auratus) to evaluate the effect of this often-stocked omnivorous fish on the plankton community and water quality. We found that the presence of fish increased the biomass of planktonic algae, total and inorganic suspended solids, leading to decreased light intensity in the water and a lower biomass of benthic algae. Fish also prevented development of submerged macrophytes and the establishment of large-bodied zooplankton. However, the fish did not increase nitrogen concentrations and even was lowered total phosphorus levels, in part due to nutrient storage in the fish. We conclude that stocking of Prussian carp should be avoided, or removed where stocked and abundant, to obtain good ecological quality of shallow lakes, characterized by clear water and high abundance of macrophytes.

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