Rapid recovery of macroinvertebrates in a South African stream treated with rotenone

Bellingan, Terence A.; Hugo, Sanet; Woodford, Darragh J.; Gouws, Jeanne; Villet, Martin H.; Weyl, Olaf L. F.

doi:10.1007/s10750-019-3885-z

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Unfortunately, the possibility of this being a consequence of seasonal influences could not be investigated because the treated reservoir dried up in January 2018 owing to severe drought conditions, so collection of the 12‐month post‐treatment sample was not possible. The rapid recovery of macroinvertebrate communities in the present study is similar to findings by Bellingan et al (2019), who demonstrated the rapid recovery of macroinvertebrates in a South African stream treated with rotenone.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…documented (Bellingan et al, 2019;Vinson et al, 2010). Here we demonstrated that the treatment of a small reservoir using rotenone resulted in the eradication of common carp and a decrease in turbidity, a shift in plankton and invertebrate communities and changes in water quality.…”

Section: Conservation and Managementmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…As a result, attempts to rehabilitate aquatic ecosystems through eradication of alien fishes are becoming common management interventions (Britton et al, 2010; Shelton et al, 2018; van der Walt et al, 2019; Weyl et al, 2014). Of the available methods, piscicides are the most effective at achieving fish eradications (see Rytwinski et al, 2019) but are also the most controversial as the collateral impacts on non‐target taxa have not been extensively documented (Bellingan et al, 2019; Vinson et al, 2010). Here we demonstrated that the treatment of a small reservoir using rotenone resulted in the eradication of common carp and a decrease in turbidity, a shift in plankton and invertebrate communities and changes in water quality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Dalu

Bellingan

Gouws³

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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The control of invasive alien fish populations using piscicides to alleviate impacts on native biota is a controversial conservation strategy because the collateral impacts on non‐target taxa are not well documented. This article documents the responses of water quality, plankton and macroinvertebrate communities to an eradication of the globally invasive common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758, using the piscicide rotenone in a small South African reservoir. Treated and untreated reservoirs were sampled before and at intervals following rotenone treatment. Sampling endpoints included water quality parameters, plankton, macroinvertebrates and fish. These endpoints were selected to gain an understanding of the ecological impacts of the treatment at various biological levels and to document possible recovery following treatment. The study showed that: (i) the common carp were successfully removed; (ii) water clarity improved following the removal of fish; (iii) invertebrate communities, including macroinvertebrates and large zooplankton, recovered within 6 months of treatment; and (iv) that small zooplankton (i.e. Rotifera) dynamics were complex but rotifer abundances had returned to pre‐treatment levels within 6 months of treatment. There was a 56% similarity between the macroinvertebrate assemblages before and 6 months after treatment, showing a substantial turnover in taxa following treatment. The phytoplankton community of the treated reservoir was dominated by blue‐green and green algae prior to the treatment. The blue‐green algal communities were not present 6 months after the treatment, possibly indicating a change in the nutrient status of the reservoir resulting from lower nutrient concentrations in the water column. The phytoplankton community of the reservoir changed from a community typical of eutrophic waters to a community typical of a lower nutrient state. Within each group, there were species changes, but we suggest these are likely to be part of the altered biological interaction dynamics resulting from fish removals, rather than a direct effect of rotenone.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Conservation and Managementmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Dalu

Bellingan

Gouws³

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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show abstract

“…Micropterus dolomieu were successfully extirpated from this river following two rotenone treatments 1 year apart and upgrading of an instream weir to prevent reinvasion from downstream sources (Weyl et al 2014). Extensive post-treatment monitoring of non-target aquatic invertebrates illustrated that despite short-term negative effects, the invertebrate community recovered relatively quickly to pre-intervention levels (Woodford et al 2013;Bellingan et al 2015Bellingan et al , 2019. Native fish from upstream of the treatment zone successfully recolonised the treatment zone, resulting in an increased area of occupancy for these species in the absence of M. dolomieu (Weyl et al 2014;Marr et al 2019).…”

Section: Micropterus Species (Black Basses)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience and Lessons from Alien and Invasive Animal Control Projects in South Africa

Davies

Jordaan

Karsten

et al. 2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

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South Africa has a rich history of managing invasive alien animal populations. This chapter explores examples of animal control projects, their resourcing and degree of success or failure. Out of 1023 alien animal species present in South Africa, 80 are designated for compulsory control or eradication in national legislation, and 24 are currently being controlled with the aim of eradication or containment. Only two species have been successfully eradicated from mainland SA and its near-shore islands: Otala punctata (the Freckled Edible Snail) and Trogoderma granarium (the Khapra Beetle). These two projects took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and were rapid responses by small groups of role players to small infestations. In contrast, most current projects are larger, involving complex stakeholder management and considerable technical complexity. Three further invertebrate species are currently controlled through integrated pest management (Bactrocera dorsalis, the Oriental Fruit Fly) or nest removal (Vespula germanica, the German Wasp and Polistes dominula, the European Paper Wasp). No marine species are currently subject to control. Among vertebrates, 12 freshwater fish species have been controlled in localised areas, according to their specific listing in legislation and protected area management priorities; two amphibian, two bird and five mammal species are currently subject to control using a wide variety of techniques. Inter-institutional working groups have played a significant role in promoting the success of invasive alien species management in South Africa. Three working groups are actively addressing new and existing invasions, and promoting awareness and cooperation among a wide range of organisations, as well as recording the experience and learning of these groups.

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“…At present, conservation efforts are focused on eradicating invaders, but those that are well established and strongly interspersed with natives cannot realistically be eradicated without affecting native species (i.e. with the use of rotenone; Bellingan et al, 2019). Accordingly, IAS removal may lead to unwanted and unexpected outcomes (Zavaleta, Hobbs & Mooney, 2001; Wallach, Ripple & Carroll, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic structure of a pond community dominated by an invasive alien species: Insights from stomach content and stable isotope analyses

Bissattini

Haubrock

Buono

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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Invaders affect native species across multiple trophic levels, influencing the structure and stability of freshwater communities. Based on the ‘trophic position hypothesis’, invaders at the top of the food web are more harmful to native species via direct and indirect effects than trophically analogous native predators are. However, introduced and native predators can coexist, especially when non‐native species have no ecological and behavioural similarities with natives, occupy an empty niche, or natives show generalist anti‐predator strategies that are effective at the community level. At present, conservation efforts are focused on eradicating invaders; however, their removal may lead to unwanted and unexpected outcomes, especially when invaders are well established and strongly interspersed with natives. This highlights the need to consider invaders in a whole‐ecosystem context and to consider the evolutionary history and behavioural ecology of natives and invaders before active management is applied. Here, stomach content and stable isotope analyses were combined to investigate a pond system dominated by invaders in order to understand the effects of the interactions among upper level predators and lower level members of the food web on the whole community structure. Both diet and isotope analyses showed that several invaders contributed to the diet of natives and invaders. A significant isotope overlap was found among upper level predators. However, stomach content analysis suggested that predators reduced the potential competition differentiating the food spectrum by including additional prey in their diet. Both native and non‐native upper level predators, by preying on invaders, seem not to exert a strong suppressive effect through predation and competition on native species. This research confirms the importance of studying food webs to identify ecological conditions that forecast the potential for deleterious impacts before management is applied. In cases where invaders cannot be eradicated, management efforts should follow a conciliatory approach promoting the coexistence of native species with invaders.

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Rapid recovery of macroinvertebrates in a South African stream treated with rotenone

Cited by 24 publications

References 37 publications

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Experience and Lessons from Alien and Invasive Animal Control Projects in South Africa

Trophic structure of a pond community dominated by an invasive alien species: Insights from stomach content and stable isotope analyses

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