Forest conversion to oil palm compresses food chain length in tropical streams.
File(s)ecy.3199.pdf (653.34 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In Southeast Asia, biodiversity-rich forests are being extensively logged and converted to oil palm monocultures. Although the impacts of these changes on biodiversity are largely well documented, we know little about how these large-scale impacts affect freshwater trophic ecology. We used stable isotope analyses (SIA) to determine the impacts of land-use changes on the relative contribution of allochthonous and autochthonous basal resources in 19 stream food webs. We also applied compound-specific SIA and bulk-SIA to determine the trophic position of fish apex predators and meso-predators (invertivores and omnivores). There was no difference in the contribution of autochthonous resources in either consumer group (70-82%) among streams with different land-use type. There was no change in trophic position for meso-predators, but trophic position decreased significantly for apex predators in oil palm plantation streams compared to forest streams. This change in maximum food chain length was due to turnover in identity of the apex predator among land-use types. Disruption of aquatic trophic ecology, through reduction in food chain length and shift in basal resources, may cause significant changes in biodiversity as well as ecosystem functions and services. Understanding this change can help develop more focused priorities for mediating the negative impacts of human activities on freshwater ecosystems.
Date Issued
2020-09-24
Date Acceptance
2020-07-20
Citation
Ecology, 2020, 102 (1), pp.1-10
ISSN
0012-9658
Publisher
Ecological Society of America
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Ecology
Volume
102
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Sponsor
Rainforest Research Sdn Bhd
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32969053
Grant Number
LBEE_P34395
Subjects
autochthony
food web
freshwater fish
niche size
stable isotope analysis
trophic ecology
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2020-09-24