Fertilization of Terrestrial Vegetation by Spawning Pacific Salmon: The Role of Flooding and Predator Activity

Ben‐David, Merav; Hanley, Thomas A.; Schell, Donald M.

doi:10.2307/3546545

Cited by 215 publications

(222 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…However, given the quantity of biomass removed, we believe that this situation deserves future attention. Our results support the growing body of evidence indicating that terrestrial food webs adjacent to rivers can be strongly subsidized by the movement of nutrients and energy from adjacent riverbed onto less productive land, which are often also subject to harsher conditions (Ben-David et al, 1998;Helfield and Naiman, 2001). Although, some examples have been reported on migratory fishes, this study emphasizes the possible fundamental role of freshwater bivalves.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Massive die-offs of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses

Sousa

Varandas

Cortes

et al. 2012

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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-The winter of 2009/2010 was particularly severe in Northern Portugal resulting in higher river flow levels. A study was undertaken to assess the impact of this situation on several populations of freshwater bivalves (e.g., Anodonta anatina, Corbicula fluminea, Margaritifera margaritifera, Potomida littoralis and Unio delphinus) in the catchments of the Rivers Minho, Douro, Taˆmega, Tua and Sabor. Massive die-offs occurred for all species in all rivers, resulting in the removal of great numbers and biomass from the riverbed to the adjacent riverbanks, reaching maximum values of 2280 individuals.m x2 and 10 225 g wet weight.m x2 , respectively. The invasive Asian clam C. fluminea had both highest density and biomass (however, this invasive bivalve is not dominant in several surveyed sites, and some rivers are still not colonized by this species). Results show that the quantitative and qualitative importance of this carrion transfer to the riverbank should be incorporated in future studies on the assessment of ecosystem function, contributing to a better understanding of the role of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses in adjacent terrestrial habitats. Some of the affected species have conservational importance and these extreme climatic events are predicted to increase in the future. These massive die-off events should be incorporated into management plans and selected restoration measures such as rapid relocation of endangered native mussels back to the riverbed can be easily applied to lessen possible impacts.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Massive die-offs of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses

Sousa

Varandas

Cortes

et al. 2012

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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“…Bears act as "engineers" of nutrient transfer in riparian areas when they feed on salmon because they defecate (and urinate) digested fish material and drag carcasses into the forest, thereby transferring marine-derived nutrients front the aquatic to the terrestrial systems (Bilby et al 1996;Ben-David et al 1998;Willson et al 1998;Hilderbrand et al 1999b). The marine-derived nutrients and energy in salmon tissue enhances freshwater productivity (Wipfli et al 1999) and is also utilized by riparian plants and animals (Bilby et al 1996;Ben-David et al 1998). Thus, partial consumption of salmon affects the energy and nutrients available to both the aquatic and terrestrial foodwebs (Mathisen et al 1988;Cederholm et al 1989;Willson and Halupka 1995;Bilby et al 1996Bilby et al , 1998Willson et al 1998;Wipfli et al 1998).…”

Section: Salmon Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption choice by bears feeding on salmon

2001

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Consumption choice by brown (Ursus arctos) and black bears (U. americanus) feeding on salmon was recorded for over 20,000 bear-killed fish from 1994 to 1999 in Bristol Bay (sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka) and southeastern Alaska (pink, O. gorbuscha and chum salmon O. keta). These data revealed striking patterns of partial and selective consumption that varied with relative availability and attributes of the fish. As the availability of salmon decreased, bears consumed a larger proportion of each fish among both years and habitats. When availability was high (absolute number and density of salmon), bears consumed less biomass per captured fish, targeting energy-rich fish (those that had not spawned) or energy-rich body parts (eggs in females; brain in males). In contrast, individual fish were consumed to a much greater extent, regardless of sex or spawning status, in habitats or years of low salmon availability. The proportion of biomass consumed per fish was similar for males and females, when spawning status was statistically controlled, but bears targeted different body parts: the body flesh, brain and dorsal hump in males and the roe in females. Bears thus appeared to maximize energy intake by modifying the amount and body parts consumed, based on availability and attributes of spawning salmon.

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“…Additionally, higher water temperature, to a limit, may also increase metabolic and developmental rates of biofilm and invertebrates (Allan 1995), ultimately affecting their production. Redistribution of salmon from streams onto land through flooding and vertebrate scavenging (Cederholm et al 1989;Ben-David et al 1998) may influence community responses to spawner loading. Nutrients that would otherwise leach directly into streams are often instead spread throughout the terrestrial environment via whole or fragmented carcasses or carnivore feces at various distances from the stream (Cederholm et al 1989;Ben-David et al 1998;Willson et al 1998).…”

Section: Ecological Considerations and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of salmon spawner densities on stream productivity in Southeast Alaska

Wipfli¹,

Hudson²,

Chaloner³

et al. 1999

Journal canadien des sciences halieutiques et aquatiques

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Abstract:We conducted this study to determine the relationship between salmon spawner abundance and stream biofilm and benthic macroinvertebrate abundance in Southeast Alaska. Experiments took place in outdoor artificial and natural streams. Six pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) carcass treatments (0.00, 1.45, 2.90, 4.35, 5.80, and 7.25 kg wet mass) placed in artificial channels were subsampled repeatedly for biofilm ash-free dry mass (AFDM), chlorophyll a, and macroinvertebrates. In a small (nonanadromous) forest stream, we sampled benthos throughout a 66-m reach 17 days after distributing 60 carcasses along the lower half of that reach. All response variables significantly increased in response to carcass additions in both artificial and natural streams. Chlorophyll a continued to increase across all loading rates, while AFDM and total macroinvertebrate densities showed no further response to loading beyond the first treatment (1.45 kg) in artificial streams. In the natural stream, AFDM and chironomid densities continued increasing across loading levels. These results indicated that increased spawner densities increased lower trophic level abundance until a trophic capacity was reached. Salmon escapement goals should consider food web effects, especially on trophic levels that support juvenile salmonids, that ultimately affect freshwater salmon production.Résumé : Nous avons entrepris cette étude pour déterminer la relation entre, d'une part, l'abondance des saumons reproducteurs et, d'autre part, l'abondance des films biologiques fluviaux et des macroinvertébrés dans le sud-est de l'Alaska. Les expériences ont été effectuées à l'extérieur dans des canaux artificiels et un cours d'eau naturel. On a procédé à cinq traitements consistant en l'introduction de carcasses de saumon rose (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) (1,45, 2,90, 4,35, 5,80, et 7,25 kg poids humide) avec témoin (0,00 kg) dans des canaux artificiels; on y a prélevé à plusiers reprises des sous-échantillons pour mesurer la masse à sec sans cendre des films biologiques ainsi que la chlorophylle a et les macroinvertébrés. Dans un petit cours d'eau forestier non fréquenté par des saumons anadromes, nous avons échantillonné le benthos d'un tronçon de 66 m 17 jours après avoir distribué 60 carcasses dans la moitié inférieure de ce tronçon. Toutes les variables mesurées se sont significativement accrues en réponse aux introductions de carcasses tant dans les canaux artificiels que dans le cours d'eau naturel. La quantité de chlorophylle a n'a pas cessé de s'accroître d'un traitement à l'autre, tandis que la masse à sec sans cendre des films biologiques et les densités de macroinvertébrés ont plafonné dès le premier traitement (1,45 kg) dans les canaux artificiels. Dans le cours d'eau naturel, la masse à sec sans cendre des films biologiques et les densités des chironomides n'ont cessé de s'accroître d'un traitement à l'autre. Ces résultats ont indiqué que l'accroissement des densités de reproducteurs a eu pour effet d'accroître l'abondance des organismes des ...

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Fertilization of Terrestrial Vegetation by Spawning Pacific Salmon: The Role of Flooding and Predator Activity

Cited by 215 publications

References 34 publications

Massive die-offs of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses

Massive die-offs of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses

Consumption choice by bears feeding on salmon

Influence of salmon spawner densities on stream productivity in Southeast Alaska

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