Trophic Variation in Coastal Plain Stream Predatory Fishes

Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stillings, Garrett K.; Mills, Gary L.; Blas, Susan A.; McArthur, J. Vaun

doi:10.1656/058.014.0217

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…Spatial variability of δ 15 N included the general depletion of 15 N in taxa from Site A. This pattern was observed in other BDC invertebrates [ 23 ], but not in more mobile large fishes [ 41 ]. Despite Site A generally being more depleted with 15 N, when standardized to basal signatures, Dromogomphus , Stylurus , Gomphus and Boyeria actually occupied higher trophic positions in this site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…fluminea , but caution is warranted because we have not confirmed the fractionation rate of 15 N and a lower fractionation rate would increase the calculated trophic position. Four species of predatory fish were calculated to average trophic positions of 3.04, 3.50, 3.72, and 3.94 for Channel Catfish, Bowfin, Largemouth Bass, and Longnose Gar, respectively, from δ 15 N’s of 11.1, 12.7, 13.5, and 14.2 [ 41 ]. Whether comparing the calculated trophic position or the δ 15 N directly, the dragonflies fell between the predatory fish and herbivores as expected for a predatory aquatic insect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Study site descriptions are available in Fletcher et al [ 23 , 40 , 41 ] and briefly summarized here. Our study stream, Beaver Dam Creek is located on the Savannah River Site (SRS), an 801 km 2 National Environmental Research Park operated by the U.S. Department of Energy since 1951.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…modestum and deposit/filter feeding C . fluminea , to provide a trophic baseline as described previously [ 23 , 41 ]. These calculations assume a 15 N trophic fractionation of 3.4‰ for lack of site specific data.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters

et al. 2017

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Constituents of coal combustion waste (CCW) expose aquatic organisms to complex mixtures of potentially toxic metals and metalloids. Multi-element trace element analyses were used to distinguish patterns of accumulation among 8 genera of dragonfly nymphs collected from two sites on a CCW contaminated coastal plain stream. Dragonfly nymphs are exceptional for comparing trace element accumulation in syntopic macroinvertebrates that are all predators within the same order (Odonata) and suborder (Anisoptera), but differ vastly in habitat use and body form. Sixteen trace element (Be, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Tl, and Pb) were analyzed and trophic position and basal carbon sources assessed with stable isotope analyses (C and N). Trophic positions varied within relatively narrow ranges. Size did not appear to influence trophic position. Trophic position rarely influenced trace element accumulation within genera and did not consistently correlate with accumulation among genera. Patterns between δ13C and trace element accumulation were generally driven by differences between sites. An increase in trace element accumulation was associated with a divergence of carbon sources between sites in two genera. Higher trace element concentrations tended to accumulate in nymphs from the upstream site, closer to contaminant sources. Influences of factors such as body form and habitat use appeared more influential on trace element accumulation than phylogeny for several elements (Ni, Ba, Sr, V, Be, Cd, and Cr) as higher concentrations accumulated in sprawler and the climber-sprawler genera, irrespective of family. In contrast, As and Se accumulated variably higher in burrowers, but accumulation in sprawlers differed between sites. Greater variation between genera than within genera suggests genus as an acceptable unit of comparison in dragonfly nymphs. Overall, taxonomic differences in trace element accumulation can be substantial, often exceeding variation between sites. Our results underscore the element and taxa specific nature of trace element accumulation, but we provide evidence of accumulation of some trace elements differing among dragonflies that differ in body form and utilize different sub-habitats within a stream reach.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters

et al. 2017

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“…The ratio of heavy to light isotope is typically reported as parts per thousand (per mil, ‰) relative to a known standard (denoted using δ , where δ = [[Rsample/Rstandard]−1]) [1,4,8,20,78,79]. Certain stable isotopes, such as carbon (indicated as the ratio 13 C/ 12 C or as δ 13 C, reported hereafter relative to Vienna Pee-Dee Belemnite or VPDB), nitrogen (indicated as the ratio 15 N/ 14 N or as δ 15 N, reported hereafter relative to atmospheric N 2 or AIR) and oxygen (indicated as the ratio 18 O/ 16 O or δ 18 O, reported hereafter relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water or VSMOW), have been extensively used to study the ecology of a wide variety of taxa [1,3,9,14,15,26,50–54,56,58–60,64–69,73,80–105] from a range of different habitats [1,17,18,49,52,54,57,106–110]. Which isotope is used depends on the study questions, as different isotopic ratios relate to different aspects of the ecology, physiology and environment of an organism [1,3,4,20,78,111].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotopic characterization of a coastal floodplain forest community: a case study for isotopic reconstruction of Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages

et al. 2019

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Stable isotopes are powerful tools for elucidating ecological trends in extant vertebrate communities, though their application to Mesozoic ecosystems is complicated by a lack of extant isotope data from comparable environments/ecosystems (e.g. coastal floodplain forest environments, lacking significant C 4 plant components). We sampled 20 taxa across a broad phylogenetic, body size, and physiological scope from the Atchafalaya River Basin of Louisiana as an environmental analogue to the Late Cretaceous coastal floodplains of North America. Samples were analysed for stable carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions from bioapatite and keratin tissues to test the degree of ecological resolution that can be determined in a system with similar environmental conditions, and using similar constraints, as those in many Mesozoic assemblages. Isotopic results suggest a broad overlap in resource use among taxa and considerable terrestrial–aquatic interchange, highlighting the challenges of ecological interpretation in C 3 systems, particularly when lacking observational data for comparison. We also propose a modified oxygen isotope-temperature equation that uses mean endotherm and mean ectotherm isotope data to more precisely predict temperature when compared with measured Atchafalaya River water data. These results provide a critical isotopic baseline for coastal floodplain forests, and act as a framework for future studies of Mesozoic palaeoecology.

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Tracking Change in the Illinois River using Stable Isotopes in Modern and Ancient Fishes

et al. 2016

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The Illinois River has been heavily modified by human activities. We examined the nitrogen and carbon stable isotope composition of collagen from fish bones in two Native American middens comparing them to modern fishes in the River today. We also compared ancient and modern fishes to three reference samples-(i) Illinois River phytoplankton; (ii) backwater lake sediment; and (iii) tissue from riverside trees. We found a large increase in δ 15 N values in modern fish bone collagen relative to ancient collagen. However, there is little change in δ 13 C between ancient and modern samples. Bone collagen from invasive carp species (Hypopthalmichthys and Cyprinus) are similar to modern phytoplankton. All fishes are different from riverside trees and backwater lake sediment. The large shift in δ 15N values between ancient and modern fishes is probably caused by contamination of the river by Chicago treated wastewater and by denitrified fertilizer run-off. Our results indicate a major change in nitrogen biogeochemistry in the modern river. Comparisons between ancient and modern δ 13 C values suggest little change in feeding behaviour of fishes between ancient and modern times. However, our data for invasive carp suggest strong competition with native planktivores.

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Trophic Variation in Coastal Plain Stream Predatory Fishes

Cited by 6 publications

References 89 publications

Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters

Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters

Stable isotopic characterization of a coastal floodplain forest community: a case study for isotopic reconstruction of Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages

Tracking Change in the Illinois River using Stable Isotopes in Modern and Ancient Fishes

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