1. Limited effects of non-native trout on microcrustacean zooplankton in boreal foothills lakes: comparisons of stocked, unstocked, and fishless lakes
- Author
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Holmes, Teslin G., Tonn, William M., Paszkowski, Cynthia A., and Scrimgeour, Garry J.
- Subjects
Trout -- Environmental aspects ,Crustaceans -- Environmental aspects ,Earth sciences - Abstract
Stocking lakes with trout can have strong effects on native communities; however, the nature of impacts is not universal across receiving ecosystems. To assess effects of non-native trout, relative to native small-bodied fish, on microcrustacean zooplankton, we compared stocked, unstocked (but fish-bearing), and fishless lakes in the boreal foothills of Alberta, Canada. Relative to unstocked lakes, stocked lakes had greater richness, but otherwise showed few additional effects on microcrustacean communities. In contrast, fishless lakes supported lower abundances of Cladocera, Calanoida, and Cyclopoida, but were dominated by larger cladoceran and calanoid taxa, compared with fish-bearing lakes (stocked and unstocked). Vertical distributions also differed significantly among lake types; microcrustaceans had far higher relative abundances at 1 m than at 2 m in fishless lakes compared with fish-bearing lakes (distributions in stocked and unstocked lakes were similar). Microcrustacean communities in fishless lakes were likely shaped by the invertebrate planktivore Chaoborus, which was abundant in these systems, whereas native fishes likely structured microcrustacean communities prior to trout introductions, with planktivory by trout causing few additional effects. Si l'ensemencement de truites dans les lacs peut avoir d'importants effets sur les communautes indigenes, la nature des impacts n'est pas la meme dans tous les ecosystemes recepteurs. Afin d'evaluer les effets de truites non indigenes par rapport a ceux de petits poissons indigenes sur le zooplancton de microcrustaces, nous avons compare des lacs ensemences, non ensemences (mais contenant des poissons) et sans poisson dans les contreforts boreaux des Rocheuses en Alberta (Canada). Comparativement aux lacs non ensemences, les lacs ensemences presentaient une plus grande richesse, mais tres peu d'autres effets sur les communautes de microcrustaces. En revanche, les lacs sans poisson supportaient de plus faibles abondances de cladoceres, de calanides et de cyclopides, mais etaient domines par de plus grands taxons de cladoceres et de calanides que les lacs avec poissons (ensemences ou non). Les repartitions verticales variaient egalement de maniere significative d'un type de lacs a l'autre; l'abondance relative des microcrustaces etait beaucoup plus grande a 1 m qu'a 2 m dans les lacs sans poisson comparativement aux lacs avec poissons (les repartitions dans les lacs ensemences et non ensemences etant semblables). Les communautes de microcrustaces dans les lacs sans poisson etaient vraisemblablement modulees par le planctonivore invertebre Chaoborus, abondant dans ces systemes, alors que les poissons indigenes structuraient vraisemblablement les communautes de microcrustaces avant l'introduction de truites, la consommation de plancton par les truites entramant peu d'effets supplementaires. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Sport fish stocking is employed throughout North America to create and (or) enhance angling opportunities. Many species used for this purpose belong to the family Salmonidae, such as rainbow [...]
- Published
- 2017
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