Role of visual barriers on mitigation of interspecific interference competition between native and non-native salmonid species

Interspecific competition is a mechanism by which native salmonids can be replaced by non-native species. According to the two-species Lotka–Volterra competition model, replacement of the native species would occur when the non-native species has a competitive advantage over the native species and interspecific competition is more intense than competition within each of the two species. However, field observations have implied that visual barriers such as woody debris may slow down the replacement by mitigating interspecific competition. Using an experimental stream with white-spotted charr ( Salvelinus leucomaenis (Pallas, 1814)) as the native species and brown trout ( Salmo trutta L., 1758) as the non-native species, this study examined aggressive actions within and between species to assess the relative intensities of interspecific and intraspecific competitons within native species and the effect of visual barriers for reducing the relative intensity. In a sympatric and no-barrier treatment where trout was the dominant species, interspecific competition occurred more intensely than intraspecific competition among native charr. However, the relative intensity of interspecific competition decreased in a sympatric and with-barrier treatment. Our results suggest that interspecific competition may contribute to the replacement of native species by more competitive, non-native species. However, restoring visual barriers is a potential method to mitigate interference interactions and may deter the replacement.