Stable isotope analysis of consumer food webs indicates ecosystem recovery following prolonged drought in a subtropical estuarine lake     

MS Bird  R Perissinotto  NAF Miranda  N Peer  JL Raw 《African Journal of Marine Science》2016,38(3):411-422

Assessing changes in food-web structure provides a useful monitoring tool for gauging the resilience of ecosystems in the face of climatic impacts. We consider the ecological resilience of a large estuarine lake (St Lucia Estuary, South Africa) in the wake of an extreme climatic event (prolonged drought). Using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, food-web structure was assessed at five sites across the estuary during the winter and spring of 2013. Sampling occurred approximately three years after heavy rains flooded the system and returned it to a relatively diluted state following an almost decade-long drought that decimated food webs in the upper parts of the estuary due to hypersalinity effects. Comparisons of niche width and variance of consumer food webs among sites revealed a general homogenisation of food webs across the entire system, contrasting with the spatial differentiation of food webs documented during the drought phase. Our results indicate that the estuary is able to maintain ecological resilience at the whole-system level in the face of an extreme drought. This is likely facilitated by source pools of species residing in the relatively stable lower estuary, which are able to rapidly recolonise areas denuded by drought in the upper estuary.  相似文献   

Ecological indicators based on fish biomass distribution along trophic levels: an application to the Terminos coastal lagoon, Mexico     

Sosa-Lopez  Atahualpa; Mouillot  David; Do Chi  Thang; Ramos-Miranda  Julia 《ICES Journal of Marine Science》2005,62(3):453-458

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Trophic Structure and Community Composition of Polychaetes Inhabiting Some Sabellaria alveolata (L.) Reefs Along the Valencia Gulf Coast, Western Mediterranean     

R. Porras    J. V. Bataller    E. Murgui  M. T. Torregrosa 《Marine Ecology》1996,17(4):583-602

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Water Flow, Trophic Depletion, and Benthic Macrofauna Impoverishment in a Submarine Cave from the Western Mediterranean   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Mikel Zabala  Tecla Riera  Josep Maria Gili  Manel Barange  Agustin Lobo  Josep Peñuelas 《Marine Ecology》1989,10(3):271-287

Abstract. Biotic zonation and severe impoverishment of benthic macrofauna are two of the most conspicuous features of submarine caves. The prevailing explanation assumes trophic depletion caused by reduction of water flow. However, no isolation of water was found in the studied Catalan submarine cave, even in the wall microlayer. Fluorescein diffusion was so fast that it was detectable everywhere in the cave already only a few minutes after the injection. The rate of dissolution of plaster spheres was even greater in the cave than in a nearby tunnel – without benthic macrofauna impoverishment – showing a considerable water flow. The oxygen concentration of water in dialysis bags placed at varying distances from the cave walls showed that no wall microlayer gradients were present.
Biochemical gradients did not indicate any decrease in food supply. Although photosynthetic pigment concentration generally decreased inside the cave, and although the gradients were not linear but formed different patterns throughout the cave, the BOD₅, the POM, the C:N ratio, the [³H]-thymidine incorporation rate, and the ETS activity were higher in the inner part of the cave. There was an accumulation of detritic material and bacteria in the inner parts that constitute a plausible food supply for benthic macrofauna.
If neither water motion nor food supply can be invoked, research into the causes of zonation and disappearence of benthic macrofauna is proposed to be carried out on biotic interactions and behavioural processes.  相似文献   

The Diets in Four Pacific Tube Blennies (Acanthemblemaria: Chaenopsidae): Lack of Ecological Divergence in Syntopic Species     

David G.  Lindquist Kurt M.  Kotrschal 《Marine Ecology》1987,8(4):327-335

Abstract. The diets of three syntopic Gulf of California Acanthemblemaria (A. balanorum, A. crock-eri and A. macrospilus) and A. castroi from the Galapagos Island are nearly uniformly composed of harpacticoid copepods and other small benthic-vagile or planktonic crustaceans. On occasion, large prey items such as crabs or other small fishes are taken. HORN'S index of niche overlap indicates that the three syntopic Acanthemblemaria are not separated along the food resource utilization axis. Slight variations in diets among the syntopic species seem to be related to differences in degree of microhabitat specialization.  相似文献   

Reference and current Trophic Level Index of New Zealand lakes: benchmarks to inform lake management and assessment     

Jonathan M. Abell  Paul van Dam-Bates  Deniz Özkundakci  David P. Hamilton 《新西兰海洋与淡水研究杂志》2020,54(4):636-657

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of trophic status is fundamental to understanding the condition and function of lake ecosystems. We developed regression models to predict chlorophyll a concentrations (chl a) in New Zealand lakes for reference and current states, based on an existing dataset of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations for 1031 lakes. Models were then developed to predict Secchi depth based on chl a and a sediment resuspension term applicable to shallow lakes. Estimates of all four Trophic Level Index (TLI) variables (chl a, TN, TP and Secchi depth) were analysed to estimate reference and current state TLI for the nationally representative sample of 1031 lakes. There was a trend of eutrophication between reference and current states, with systematic differences among lake geomorphic types. Mean chl a increased 3.5-fold (2.42?mg?m^?3 vs. 8.32?mg?m^?3) and mean Secchi depth decreased (indicating lower clarity) by approximately one-third (9.62?m vs. 6.48?m) between reference and current states. On average, TLI increased by 0.67, with the TLI increase >1 in approximately one-third (31%) of lakes. This study informs the status of lake ecosystems in NZ and provides benchmarks to guide management and assessment.  相似文献   

南沙渚碧礁生态系营养关系的稳定碳同位素研究   总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4  

郭卫东  杨逸萍  吴林兴  王汉奎  胡明辉 《台湾海峡》2002,21(1):94-101

利用稳定碳同位素分析技术研究了南沙渚碧礁生态系食物网主要生物类群之间的营养关系。结果表明，生物的稳定碳同位素组成与其营养来源有密切关系。浮游植物的δ^13C为-18.3‰，与其所处海域的环境条件一致，浮游动物的δ^13C值变化较大，范围为-20.4‰～-10.9‰,表明可能存在浮游植物和碎屑两种营养来源。珊瑚和砗磲的碳同位素组成（-17‰～-15‰）与浮游动物相差较大，暗示共生虫黄藻可能在这些珊瑚的营养来源中起重要作用。底栖海参（-9.6‰)和蜘蛛螺（-12.5‰)的碳同位不比组成与它们沉积物食性的营养特征吻合。鱼类的δ^13C值变化范围较大（-17.7‰～-10.9‰），未表现出随营养级升高而增大的趋势，说明影响鱼类碳同位素组成的因素比较复杂。  相似文献   

Food and feeding habits of Octopus insularis in the Veracruz Reef System National Park and confirmation of its presence in the southwest Gulf of Mexico     

Rigoberto Rosas‐Luis  María de Lourdes Jimnez Badillo  Lucia Montoliu‐Elena  Piedad S. Morillo‐Velarde 《Marine Ecology》2019,40(1)

Octopuses are active predators that feed on a wide range of prey including crustaceans, fishes, and mollusks. They are important components of coral reef systems and support local and artisanal fisheries in the Gulf of México. Octopus insularis has been found to be one of the most relevant components in catches from the coral reef system of Veracruz in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, and its role in the ecosystem requires assessment. To corroborate the morphological identification of O. insularis, six octopuses were identified by genetic methods. And to understand the trophic relationships between this octopus species and its prey, 394 octopuses caught during 2016 and 2017 by an artisanal fleet were sampled and their stomach contents analyzed. Results showed that crustaceans are the most frequently consumed group, with the genera Mithraculus and Etisus being the most important in the diet. Fishes, bivalves, and gastropods were identified as uncommon prey items in the diet. Their presence in the stomachs could be related to the movement of this octopus outside of the coral reef. Considering that our samples were of medium‐ and large‐sized individuals, cannibalism could be discarded for O. insularis in this size range in the Veracruz reef system. These findings suggest a generalist and opportunistic predation of O. insularis on the most abundant and available prey in the study area, namely the crustaceans. These represents an effective transfer of biomass from the low trophic levels to top predators in the coral reef system.  相似文献   

长江口邻近海域浮游植物粒级结构特征及其与环境的响应关系     

李丽  岑竞仪  崔磊  吕颂辉 《海洋学报(英文版)》2019,38(1):151-159

浮游植物的分粒级研究是监测浮游植物特征的重要工具，对于深入了解浮游植物动态的作用也不容忽视。本文的研究目的在于揭示长江口邻近海域春秋季不同粒级的浮游植物分布动态，分析浮游植物粒级结构与环境因素以及浮游动物群落结构的关系。通过2010年春季和秋季对粒径分级叶绿素a浓度的现场调查研究发现：春季，浮游植物主要以微型浮游植物占优势；秋季，微微型浮游植物和微型浮游植物共同占优势。相关分析结果表明，温度和富营养化状况是影响微型和微微型浮游植物对总叶绿素a贡献的重要因素。浮游动物的摄食压力可能对小型浮游植物对总叶绿素a的贡献起着重要的作用。  相似文献   

Seasonal and temporal trends in metrics of fish community for otter-trawl discards in a Mediterranean ecosystem     

Tsagarakis  K.; Machias  A.; Giannoulaki  M.; Somarakis  S.; Karakassis  I. 《ICES Journal of Marine Science》2008,65(4):539-550

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