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Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning

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Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning. / Jackson, Michelle C; Jones, Tabitha; Milligan, Maaike et al.
In: Freshwater Biology, Vol. 59, No. 6, 06.2014, p. 1123-1135.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Jackson, MC, Jones, T, Milligan, M, Sheath, D, Taylor, J, Ellis, A, England, J & Grey, J 2014, 'Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning', Freshwater Biology, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 1123-1135. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12333

APA

Jackson, M. C., Jones, T., Milligan, M., Sheath, D., Taylor, J., Ellis, A., England, J., & Grey, J. (2014). Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning. Freshwater Biology, 59(6), 1123-1135. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12333

Vancouver

Jackson MC, Jones T, Milligan M, Sheath D, Taylor J, Ellis A et al. Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning. Freshwater Biology. 2014 Jun;59(6):1123-1135. Epub 2014 Feb 16. doi: 10.1111/fwb.12333

Author

Jackson, Michelle C ; Jones, Tabitha ; Milligan, Maaike et al. / Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning. In: Freshwater Biology. 2014 ; Vol. 59, No. 6. pp. 1123-1135.

Bibtex

@article{f3baf2840c53422e88c943f2b0249500,
title = "Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning",
abstract = "1.Many aquatic ecosystems sustain multiple invasive species and interactions among them have important implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, we examine interactions among two pairs of invasive crayfish species because of their close proximity and thus chance of sympatric populations in the near future within the Thames catchment, U.K. (signal, Pacifastacus leniusculus and virile crayfish, Orconectes virilis within a river system; red swamp, Procambarus clarkii and Turkish crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus found within a suite of ponds). We address two questions: do sympatric invasive crayfish occupy a smaller niche than their allopatric counterparts due to potential resource competition? and do interactions among invasive species amplify or mitigate one another's impacts on the ecosystem? 2.Two fully factorial mesocosm experiments (one for each crayfish pair) were used to investigate crayfish diet and their impact on benthic invertebrate community structure, benthic algal standing stock and leaf litter decomposition rates in allopatric and sympatric populations, compared with a crayfish-free control. We used stable isotope analysis to examine crayfish diet in the mesocosms and in allopatric populations of each species in the Thames catchment. 3.Isotopic niche width did not vary significantly between allopatric and sympatric populations of crayfish in the mesocosm experiments, and isotopic niche partitioning in all the wild populations suggests the invaders can coexist. 4.All four species altered benthic invertebrate community structure but with differing functional effects, often mediated via trophic cascades. Red swamp crayfish predation upon snails evidently promoted benthic algal standing stock via reduction in grazing pressure. However, a trophic cascade whereby the crayfish consumed native invertebrate shredders, causing a reduction in net leaf litter decomposition, was decoupled by red swamp and signal crayfish since they consumed leaf litter directly and thus moderated the cascade to a trickle when in sympatry with Turkish or virile crayfish, respectively. 5.Benthic invertebrate predator abundance was significantly reduced by sympatric red swamp and Turkish crayfish but not independently when in allopatry, indicating an amplified effect overall when in sympatry. 6.Our results suggest that the combined effect of multiple invasions on the ecosystem can reflect either an additive effect of their independent impacts or an amplified effect, which is greater than the sum of their independent impacts. A lack of general pattern in their effects makes any potential management strategy more complex. ",
keywords = "crayfish, ecosystem functioning, invasive species, stable isotopes, trophic cascades",
author = "Jackson, {Michelle C} and Tabitha Jones and Maaike Milligan and Danny Sheath and Jeff Taylor and Adam Ellis and Judy England and Jonathan Grey",
year = "2014",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1111/fwb.12333",
language = "English",
volume = "59",
pages = "1123--1135",
journal = "Freshwater Biology",
issn = "0046-5070",
publisher = "Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
number = "6",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Niche differentiation among invasive crayfish and their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning

AU - Jackson, Michelle C

AU - Jones, Tabitha

AU - Milligan, Maaike

AU - Sheath, Danny

AU - Taylor, Jeff

AU - Ellis, Adam

AU - England, Judy

AU - Grey, Jonathan

PY - 2014/6

Y1 - 2014/6

N2 - 1.Many aquatic ecosystems sustain multiple invasive species and interactions among them have important implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, we examine interactions among two pairs of invasive crayfish species because of their close proximity and thus chance of sympatric populations in the near future within the Thames catchment, U.K. (signal, Pacifastacus leniusculus and virile crayfish, Orconectes virilis within a river system; red swamp, Procambarus clarkii and Turkish crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus found within a suite of ponds). We address two questions: do sympatric invasive crayfish occupy a smaller niche than their allopatric counterparts due to potential resource competition? and do interactions among invasive species amplify or mitigate one another's impacts on the ecosystem? 2.Two fully factorial mesocosm experiments (one for each crayfish pair) were used to investigate crayfish diet and their impact on benthic invertebrate community structure, benthic algal standing stock and leaf litter decomposition rates in allopatric and sympatric populations, compared with a crayfish-free control. We used stable isotope analysis to examine crayfish diet in the mesocosms and in allopatric populations of each species in the Thames catchment. 3.Isotopic niche width did not vary significantly between allopatric and sympatric populations of crayfish in the mesocosm experiments, and isotopic niche partitioning in all the wild populations suggests the invaders can coexist. 4.All four species altered benthic invertebrate community structure but with differing functional effects, often mediated via trophic cascades. Red swamp crayfish predation upon snails evidently promoted benthic algal standing stock via reduction in grazing pressure. However, a trophic cascade whereby the crayfish consumed native invertebrate shredders, causing a reduction in net leaf litter decomposition, was decoupled by red swamp and signal crayfish since they consumed leaf litter directly and thus moderated the cascade to a trickle when in sympatry with Turkish or virile crayfish, respectively. 5.Benthic invertebrate predator abundance was significantly reduced by sympatric red swamp and Turkish crayfish but not independently when in allopatry, indicating an amplified effect overall when in sympatry. 6.Our results suggest that the combined effect of multiple invasions on the ecosystem can reflect either an additive effect of their independent impacts or an amplified effect, which is greater than the sum of their independent impacts. A lack of general pattern in their effects makes any potential management strategy more complex.

AB - 1.Many aquatic ecosystems sustain multiple invasive species and interactions among them have important implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, we examine interactions among two pairs of invasive crayfish species because of their close proximity and thus chance of sympatric populations in the near future within the Thames catchment, U.K. (signal, Pacifastacus leniusculus and virile crayfish, Orconectes virilis within a river system; red swamp, Procambarus clarkii and Turkish crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus found within a suite of ponds). We address two questions: do sympatric invasive crayfish occupy a smaller niche than their allopatric counterparts due to potential resource competition? and do interactions among invasive species amplify or mitigate one another's impacts on the ecosystem? 2.Two fully factorial mesocosm experiments (one for each crayfish pair) were used to investigate crayfish diet and their impact on benthic invertebrate community structure, benthic algal standing stock and leaf litter decomposition rates in allopatric and sympatric populations, compared with a crayfish-free control. We used stable isotope analysis to examine crayfish diet in the mesocosms and in allopatric populations of each species in the Thames catchment. 3.Isotopic niche width did not vary significantly between allopatric and sympatric populations of crayfish in the mesocosm experiments, and isotopic niche partitioning in all the wild populations suggests the invaders can coexist. 4.All four species altered benthic invertebrate community structure but with differing functional effects, often mediated via trophic cascades. Red swamp crayfish predation upon snails evidently promoted benthic algal standing stock via reduction in grazing pressure. However, a trophic cascade whereby the crayfish consumed native invertebrate shredders, causing a reduction in net leaf litter decomposition, was decoupled by red swamp and signal crayfish since they consumed leaf litter directly and thus moderated the cascade to a trickle when in sympatry with Turkish or virile crayfish, respectively. 5.Benthic invertebrate predator abundance was significantly reduced by sympatric red swamp and Turkish crayfish but not independently when in allopatry, indicating an amplified effect overall when in sympatry. 6.Our results suggest that the combined effect of multiple invasions on the ecosystem can reflect either an additive effect of their independent impacts or an amplified effect, which is greater than the sum of their independent impacts. A lack of general pattern in their effects makes any potential management strategy more complex.

KW - crayfish

KW - ecosystem functioning

KW - invasive species

KW - stable isotopes

KW - trophic cascades

U2 - 10.1111/fwb.12333

DO - 10.1111/fwb.12333

M3 - Journal article

VL - 59

SP - 1123

EP - 1135

JO - Freshwater Biology

JF - Freshwater Biology

SN - 0046-5070

IS - 6

ER -