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Stable isotope evidence for the food web consequences of species invasions in lakes

Nature volume 401, pages 464–467 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Species invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity and native ecosystems1,2; however, predicting and quantifying the impacts of invasive species has proven problematic3,4,5,6. Here we use stable isotope ratios to document the food-web consequences of the invasion of two non-native predators, smallmouth bass and rock bass, into Canadian lakes. Invaded lakes had lower littoral prey-fish diversity and abundance than uninvaded reference lakes. Consistent with this difference, lake trout from invaded lakes had more negative δ13C values (-29.2‰ versus -27.4‰) and reduced trophic positions (3.3 versus 3.9) than those from reference lakes, indicating differences in food-web structure. Furthermore, a comparison of the pre- and post-invasion food webs of two recently invaded lakes showed that invasion was followed by substantial declines in littoral prey-fish abundance and the trophic position of lake trout, reflecting a shift in the diet of lake trout towards zooplankton and reduced dependence on littoral fish. This study demonstrates the use of stable isotope techniques to detect changes in food-web structure following perturbations; in this instance, bass-induced food-web shifts may have severe consequences for native species and ecosystems.

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Figure 1: Trophic position and δ13C values.
Figure 2
Figure 3: Temporal changes in the trophic position of lake trout (left axis) and log-transformed littoral prey-fish catch rate from quantitative electrofishing transects (right axis) in MacDonald Lake (circles) and Clean Lake (squares) for the period 1981–1996.

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Acknowledgements

We thank H. Sarakinos, M. Trudel, Y. Vadeboncoeur, M. Ridgway and T. Ricciardi for reviewing the manuscript, and H. Sarakinos for graphic design expertise. Logistic support was provided by D. Brown and the staff at the Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research. Research was supported by Natural Science and Engineering Research Council grants to J.B.R., and Graduate Fellowships to J.V.Z. from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Friends of McGill, the Vineberg Family and the Group de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie. This is Contribution 99-10 of the Aquatic Ecosystems Science Section, Science Development and Transfer Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

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  1. M. Jake Vander Zanden

    Present address: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, One Shields Avenue, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Ave. Dr. Penfield, Montreal, H3A 1B1, PQ, Canada

    M. Jake Vander Zanden & Joseph B. Rasmussen

  2. Science Development Transfer Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Glenora Fisheries Station, RR4, Picton, K0K 2T0, ON, Canada

    John M. Casselman

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  1. M. Jake Vander Zanden
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Correspondence to M. Jake Vander Zanden.

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Vander Zanden, M., Casselman, J. & Rasmussen, J. Stable isotope evidence for the food web consequences of species invasions in lakes. Nature 401, 464–467 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/46762

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