Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic.
Terrestrial organic matter is believed to play an important role in promoting resilient estuarine food webs, but the inherent interconnectivity of estuarine systems often obscures the origins and importance of these terrestrial inputs. To determine the relative contributions of terrestrial (allochth...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296836&type=printable |
| _version_ | 1827321042508447744 |
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| author | Melanie J Davis Isa Woo Susan E W De La Cruz Christopher S Ellings Sayre Hodgson Glynnis Nakai |
| author_facet | Melanie J Davis Isa Woo Susan E W De La Cruz Christopher S Ellings Sayre Hodgson Glynnis Nakai |
| author_sort | Melanie J Davis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Terrestrial organic matter is believed to play an important role in promoting resilient estuarine food webs, but the inherent interconnectivity of estuarine systems often obscures the origins and importance of these terrestrial inputs. To determine the relative contributions of terrestrial (allochthonous) and aquatic (autochthonous) organic matter to the estuarine food web, we analyzed carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopes from multiple trophic levels, environmental strata, and habitats throughout the estuarine habitat mosaic. We used a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (SIMM) to parse out relationships among primary producers, invertebrates, and a pelagic and demersal fish species (juvenile Chinook salmon and sculpin, respectively). The study was carried out in the Nisqually River Delta (NRD), Washington, USA, a recently-restored, macrotidal estuary with a diverse habitat mosaic. Plant groupings of macroalgae, eelgrass, and tidal marsh plants served as the primary base components of the NRD food web. About 90% of demersal sculpin diets were comprised of benthic and pelagic crustaceans that were fed by autochthonous organic matter contributions from aquatic vegetation. Juvenile salmon, on the other hand, derived their energy from a mix of terrestrial, pelagic, and benthic prey, including insects, dipterans, and crustaceans. Consequently, allochthonous terrestrial contributions of organic matter were much greater for salmon, ranging between 26 and 43%. These findings demonstrate how connectivity among estuarine habitat types and environmental strata facilitates organic matter subsidies. This suggests that management actions that improve or restore lateral habitat connectivity as well as terrestrial-aquatic linkages may enhance allochthonous subsidies, promoting increased prey resources and ecosystem benefits in estuaries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:28:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-823337c4f61c4f1a9bf6b6b56d5c9a1d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:59:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-823337c4f61c4f1a9bf6b6b56d5c9a1d2024-03-11T05:32:24ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01192e029683610.1371/journal.pone.0296836Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic.Melanie J DavisIsa WooSusan E W De La CruzChristopher S EllingsSayre HodgsonGlynnis NakaiTerrestrial organic matter is believed to play an important role in promoting resilient estuarine food webs, but the inherent interconnectivity of estuarine systems often obscures the origins and importance of these terrestrial inputs. To determine the relative contributions of terrestrial (allochthonous) and aquatic (autochthonous) organic matter to the estuarine food web, we analyzed carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopes from multiple trophic levels, environmental strata, and habitats throughout the estuarine habitat mosaic. We used a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (SIMM) to parse out relationships among primary producers, invertebrates, and a pelagic and demersal fish species (juvenile Chinook salmon and sculpin, respectively). The study was carried out in the Nisqually River Delta (NRD), Washington, USA, a recently-restored, macrotidal estuary with a diverse habitat mosaic. Plant groupings of macroalgae, eelgrass, and tidal marsh plants served as the primary base components of the NRD food web. About 90% of demersal sculpin diets were comprised of benthic and pelagic crustaceans that were fed by autochthonous organic matter contributions from aquatic vegetation. Juvenile salmon, on the other hand, derived their energy from a mix of terrestrial, pelagic, and benthic prey, including insects, dipterans, and crustaceans. Consequently, allochthonous terrestrial contributions of organic matter were much greater for salmon, ranging between 26 and 43%. These findings demonstrate how connectivity among estuarine habitat types and environmental strata facilitates organic matter subsidies. This suggests that management actions that improve or restore lateral habitat connectivity as well as terrestrial-aquatic linkages may enhance allochthonous subsidies, promoting increased prey resources and ecosystem benefits in estuaries.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296836&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Melanie J Davis Isa Woo Susan E W De La Cruz Christopher S Ellings Sayre Hodgson Glynnis Nakai Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. PLoS ONE |
| title | Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. |
| title_full | Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. |
| title_fullStr | Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. |
| title_short | Allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. |
| title_sort | allochthonous marsh subsidies enhances food web productivity in an estuary and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296836&type=printable |
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