Autecological effects of habitat alteration: trophic changes in mangrove marsh fish as a consequence of marsh impoundment
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10.3354/meps07641http://hdl.handle.net/11603/4117
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Date
2008-11-19Type of Work
9 pagesText
journal articles
Citation of Original Publication
Kemp SJ (2008) Autecological effects of habitat alteration: trophic changes in mangrove marsh fish as a consequence of marsh impoundment. Marine Ecology Progress Series 371: 233–242.Subjects
life historyautoecology
stable isotope
trophic differences
mangrove food webs
poecillia latipinna
habitat alteration
Abstract
The key to predicting, counteracting, and managing environmental change is understanding
the mechanisms through which habitat change affects populations of organisms. The mangrove
ecosystem of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), east-central Florida, has been impounded for the
purpose of mosquito control and is representative of such large-scale alterations. Sailfin mollies Poecilia
latipinna in this system exhibit significant interpopulation differences in adult body size in relation
to habitat alteration. One likely hypothesis for this pattern is the apparent change in diet experienced
as a result of impoundment, as has been documented in earlier studies. To address the
question of whether these dietary changes would have been sufficient to cause trophic differences in
P. latipinna populations relative to impoundment, a comparative study of trophic position in 2 size divergent
populations of P. latipinna using stable isotopes was employed. Results suggested that
P. latipinna from an unimpounded site had a slightly higher trophic position than those from an
impounded site and may constitute a partial explanation of differences in adult body size between
the 2 populations. Results from the present study also showed that there was a fundamental difference
in energy source between the study sites, which suggests greater assimilation of mangrove based
carbon in impoundments. Specific population- and community-level effects of impoundment
on mangrove habitats have been demonstrated, indicating a mechanistic link between anthropogenic
habitat alteration and life history of P. latipinna.