Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest
The trophic ecology of wetlands with mangrove forests remains poorly understood. Through the use of stomach contents analysis, stable isotope signatures, and Bayesian mixing models, the food web of a tropical wetland in the gulf of California was investigated. Consumers had heterogeneous diets, omni...
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/11/3105 |
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| author | Victor M. Muro-Torres Felipe Amezcua Martin Soto-Jiménez Eduardo F. Balart Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza Lucinda Green Jana Rajnohova |
| author_facet | Victor M. Muro-Torres Felipe Amezcua Martin Soto-Jiménez Eduardo F. Balart Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza Lucinda Green Jana Rajnohova |
| author_sort | Victor M. Muro-Torres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The trophic ecology of wetlands with mangrove forests remains poorly understood. Through the use of stomach contents analysis, stable isotope signatures, and Bayesian mixing models, the food web of a tropical wetland in the gulf of California was investigated. Consumers had heterogeneous diets, omnivores were the most abundant species (47%), followed by planktivorous (21%), minor piscivores (10%), major piscivores (10%), macrobenthivores (9%), and herbivores (3%). The values of δ<sup>13</sup>C (from −12 to −29‰) and δ<sup>15</sup>N (from 4 to 24‰) showed a wide range of isotopic values of the consumers. Most of the species had a broad isotopic niche and there was a large diet overlap of species due to the exploitation of a common set of food resources. Five trophic levels were identified, with the weakfish (<i>Cynoscion xanthulus</i>) as the top predator of this system with detritus coming from the mangrove as the main source that supports the food chain. This highlights the importance of the mangrove forests to such ecosystems, because not only they are the most important primary food source, but also, they offer habitat to a large suite of fauna, which are important components of the trophic chain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:05:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc5ea3c00ab844eebac710eaa872d50f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:05:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc5ea3c00ab844eebac710eaa872d50f2023-11-20T19:50:18ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-11-011211310510.3390/w12113105Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove ForestVictor M. Muro-Torres0Felipe Amezcua1Martin Soto-Jiménez2Eduardo F. Balart3Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza4Lucinda Green5Jana Rajnohova6CONACYT-Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Calle IPN # 195, La Paz 23096, MexicoInstituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Joel Montes Camarena s/n, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, MexicoInstituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Joel Montes Camarena s/n, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, MexicoCONACYT-Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Calle IPN # 195, La Paz 23096, MexicoCONACYT-Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Calle IPN # 195, La Paz 23096, MexicoMarine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, International MSc in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumMarine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, International MSc in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumThe trophic ecology of wetlands with mangrove forests remains poorly understood. Through the use of stomach contents analysis, stable isotope signatures, and Bayesian mixing models, the food web of a tropical wetland in the gulf of California was investigated. Consumers had heterogeneous diets, omnivores were the most abundant species (47%), followed by planktivorous (21%), minor piscivores (10%), major piscivores (10%), macrobenthivores (9%), and herbivores (3%). The values of δ<sup>13</sup>C (from −12 to −29‰) and δ<sup>15</sup>N (from 4 to 24‰) showed a wide range of isotopic values of the consumers. Most of the species had a broad isotopic niche and there was a large diet overlap of species due to the exploitation of a common set of food resources. Five trophic levels were identified, with the weakfish (<i>Cynoscion xanthulus</i>) as the top predator of this system with detritus coming from the mangrove as the main source that supports the food chain. This highlights the importance of the mangrove forests to such ecosystems, because not only they are the most important primary food source, but also, they offer habitat to a large suite of fauna, which are important components of the trophic chain.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/11/3105trophic levelstable isotopesmangrove ecosystem |
| spellingShingle | Victor M. Muro-Torres Felipe Amezcua Martin Soto-Jiménez Eduardo F. Balart Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza Lucinda Green Jana Rajnohova Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest Water trophic level stable isotopes mangrove ecosystem |
| title | Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest |
| title_full | Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest |
| title_fullStr | Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest |
| title_short | Primary Sources and Food Web Structure of a Tropical Wetland with High Density of Mangrove Forest |
| title_sort | primary sources and food web structure of a tropical wetland with high density of mangrove forest |
| topic | trophic level stable isotopes mangrove ecosystem |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/11/3105 |
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