1
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Wilson KL, Sawyer AC, Potapova A, Bailey CJ, LoScerbo D, Sweeney-Bergen EK, Hodgson EE, Pitman KJ, Seitz KM, Law LK, Warkentin L, Wilson SM, Atlas WI, Braun DC, Sloat MR, Tinker MT, Moore JW. The role of spatial structure in at-risk metapopulation recoveries. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2898. [PMID: 37303288 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Metapopulations are often managed as a single contiguous population despite the spatial structure underlying their local and regional dynamics. Disturbances from human activities can also be spatially structured with mortality impacts concentrated to just a few local populations among the aggregate. Scale transitions between local and regional processes can generate emergent properties whereby the whole system can fail to recover as quickly as expected for an equivalent single population. Here, we draw on theory and empirical case studies to ask: what is the consequence of spatially structured ecological and disturbance processes on metapopulation recoveries? We suggest that exploring this question could help address knowledge gaps for managing metapopulations including: Why do some metapopulations recover quickly while others remain collapsed? And, what risks are unaccounted for when metapopulations are managed at aggregate scales? First, we used model simulations to examine how scale transitions among ecological and disturbance conditions interact to generate emergent metapopulation recovery outcomes. In general, we found that the spatial structure of disturbance was a strong determinant of recovery outcomes. Specifically, disturbances that unevenly impacted local populations consistently generated the slowest recoveries and highest conservation risks. Ecological conditions that dampened metapopulation recoveries included low dispersal, variable local demography, sparsely connected habitat networks, and spatially and temporally correlated stochastic processes. Second, we illustrate the unexpected challenges of managing metapopulations by examining the recoveries of three USA federally listed endangered species: Florida Everglade snail kites, California and Alaska sea otters, and Snake River Chinook salmon. Overall, our results show the pivotal role of spatial structure in metapopulation recoveries whereby the interplay between local and regional processes shapes the resilience of the whole system. With this understanding, we provide guidelines for resource managers tasked with conserving and managing metapopulations and identify opportunities for research to support the application of metapopulation theory to real-world challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L Wilson
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexandra C Sawyer
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anna Potapova
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Colin J Bailey
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniella LoScerbo
- Cooperative Resource Management Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elissa K Sweeney-Bergen
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emma E Hodgson
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kara J Pitman
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Karl M Seitz
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lauren K Law
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Luke Warkentin
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Samantha M Wilson
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - William I Atlas
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Douglas C Braun
- Cooperative Resource Management Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - M Tim Tinker
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Jonathan W Moore
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Cooperative Resource Management Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Gibeau P, Palen WJ. Impacts of run‐of‐river hydropower on coho salmon (
Oncorhynchus kisutch
): the role of density‐dependent survival. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Gibeau
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Wendy J. Palen
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
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3
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Miller AD, Brewer SK. Riverscape nesting dynamics of Neosho Smallmouth Bass: To cluster or not to cluster? DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Miller
- Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
| | - Shannon K. Brewer
- U.S. Geological Survey Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
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4
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Scheuerell MD, Ruff CP, Anderson JH, Beamer EM. An integrated population model for estimating the relative effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on a threatened population of steelhead trout. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Scheuerell
- Fish Ecology Division Northwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries ServiceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle WA USA
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5
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Crozier LG, McClure MM, Beechie T, Bograd SJ, Boughton DA, Carr M, Cooney TD, Dunham JB, Greene CM, Haltuch MA, Hazen EL, Holzer DM, Huff DD, Johnson RC, Jordan CE, Kaplan IC, Lindley ST, Mantua NJ, Moyle PB, Myers JM, Nelson MW, Spence BC, Weitkamp LA, Williams TH, Willis-Norton E. Climate vulnerability assessment for Pacific salmon and steelhead in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217711. [PMID: 31339895 PMCID: PMC6655584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major ecological realignments are already occurring in response to climate change. To be successful, conservation strategies now need to account for geographical patterns in traits sensitive to climate change, as well as climate threats to species-level diversity. As part of an effort to provide such information, we conducted a climate vulnerability assessment that included all anadromous Pacific salmon and steelhead (Oncorhynchus spp.) population units listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Using an expert-based scoring system, we ranked 20 attributes for the 28 listed units and 5 additional units. Attributes captured biological sensitivity, or the strength of linkages between each listing unit and the present climate; climate exposure, or the magnitude of projected change in local environmental conditions; and adaptive capacity, or the ability to modify phenotypes to cope with new climatic conditions. Each listing unit was then assigned one of four vulnerability categories. Units ranked most vulnerable overall were Chinook (O. tshawytscha) in the California Central Valley, coho (O. kisutch) in California and southern Oregon, sockeye (O. nerka) in the Snake River Basin, and spring-run Chinook in the interior Columbia and Willamette River Basins. We identified units with similar vulnerability profiles using a hierarchical cluster analysis. Life history characteristics, especially freshwater and estuary residence times, interplayed with gradations in exposure from south to north and from coastal to interior regions to generate landscape-level patterns within each species. Nearly all listing units faced high exposures to projected increases in stream temperature, sea surface temperature, and ocean acidification, but other aspects of exposure peaked in particular regions. Anthropogenic factors, especially migration barriers, habitat degradation, and hatchery influence, have reduced the adaptive capacity of most steelhead and salmon populations. Enhancing adaptive capacity is essential to mitigate for the increasing threat of climate change. Collectively, these results provide a framework to support recovery planning that considers climate impacts on the majority of West Coast anadromous salmonids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa G. Crozier
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michelle M. McClure
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Tim Beechie
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Steven J. Bograd
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, California, United States of America
| | - David A. Boughton
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Mark Carr
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas D. Cooney
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jason B. Dunham
- Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Correigh M. Greene
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Melissa A. Haltuch
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Elliott L. Hazen
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, California, United States of America
| | - Damon M. Holzer
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David D. Huff
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Rachel C. Johnson
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Chris E. Jordan
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Isaac C. Kaplan
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Steven T. Lindley
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Nathan J. Mantua
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Peter B. Moyle
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - James M. Myers
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mark W. Nelson
- ECS Federal, Inc. Under Contract to Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brian C. Spence
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Laurie A. Weitkamp
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Thomas H. Williams
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Ellen Willis-Norton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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6
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Waddle E, Piedrahita LR, Hall ES, Kendziorski G, Morris WF, DeMarche ML, Doak DF. Asynchrony in individual and subpopulation fecundity stabilizes reproductive output of an alpine plant population. Ecology 2019; 100:e02639. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Waddle
- Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80302 USA
| | - Lucas R. Piedrahita
- Biology Department Appalachian State University Boone North Carolina 28608 USA
| | - Elijah S. Hall
- Biology Department Juniata College Huntingdon Pennsylvania 16652 USA
| | - Grace Kendziorski
- Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80302 USA
| | - William F. Morris
- Department of Biology Duke University Durham North Carolina 27708 USA
| | - Megan L. DeMarche
- Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80302 USA
| | - Daniel F. Doak
- Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80302 USA
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7
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Abbott RE, Doak DF, Peterson ML. Portfolio effects, climate change, and the persistence of small populations: analyses on the rare plant Saussurea weberi. Ecology 2017; 98:1071-1081. [PMID: 28112402 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms that stabilize small populations in the face of environmental variation are crucial to their long-term persistence. Building from diversity-stability concepts in community ecology, within-population diversity is gaining attention as an important component of population stability. Genetic and microhabitat variation within populations can generate diverse responses to common environmental fluctuations, dampening temporal variability across the population as a whole through portfolio effects. Yet, the potential for portfolio effects to operate at small scales within populations or to change with systematic environmental shifts, such as climate change, remain largely unexplored. We tracked the abundance of a rare alpine perennial plant, Saussurea weberi, in 49 1-m2 plots within a single population over 20 yr. We estimated among-plot correlations in log annual growth rate to test for population-level synchrony and quantify portfolio effects across the 20-yr study period and also in 5-yr subsets based on June temperature quartiles. Asynchrony among plots, due to different plot-level responses to June temperature, reduced overall fluctuations in abundance and the probability of decline in population models, even when accounting for the effects of density dependence on dynamics. However, plots became more synchronous and portfolio effects decreased during the warmest years of the study, suggesting that future climate warming may erode stabilizing mechanisms in populations of this rare plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Abbott
- Independent Researcher, P.O. Box 1431, Greeley, Colorado, 80632, USA
| | - Daniel F Doak
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
| | - Megan L Peterson
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
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8
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Fullerton AH, Anzalone S, Moran P, Van Doornik DM, Copeland T, Zabel RW. Setting spatial conservation priorities despite incomplete data for characterizing metapopulations. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2558-2578. [PMID: 27865061 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Management of spatially structured species poses unique challenges. Despite a strong theoretical foundation, practitioners rarely have sufficient empirical data to evaluate how populations interact. Rather, assumptions about connectivity and source-sink dynamics are often based on incomplete, extrapolated, or modeled data, if such interactions are even considered at all. Therefore, it has been difficult to evaluate whether spatially structured species are meeting conservation goals. We evaluated how estimated metapopulation structure responded to estimates of population sizes and dispersal probabilities and to the set of populations included. We then compared outcomes of alternative management strategies that target conservation of metapopulation processes. We illustrated these concepts for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Snake River, USA. Our description of spatial structure for this metapopulation was consistent with previous characterizations. We found substantial differences in estimated metapopulation structure when we had incomplete information about all populations and when we used different sources of data (three empirical, two modeled) to estimate dispersal, whereas responses to population size estimates were more consistent. Together, these findings suggest that monitoring efforts should target all populations occasionally and populations that play key roles frequently and that multiple types of data should be collected when feasible. When empirical data are incomplete or of uneven quality, analyses using estimates produced from an ensemble of available datasets can help conservation planners and managers weigh near-term options. Doing so, we found trade-offs in connectivity and source dominance in metapopulation-level responses to alternative management strategies that suggest which types of approaches may be inherently less risky.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Fullerton
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Biology Divisions, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E, Seattle, Washington, 98125, USA
| | - S Anzalone
- University of Western Washington, 516 High Street, Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA
| | - P Moran
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Biology Divisions, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E, Seattle, Washington, 98125, USA
| | - D M Van Doornik
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Biology Divisions, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E, Seattle, Washington, 98125, USA
| | - T Copeland
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Southwest Region, 1414 E Locust Lane, Nampa, Idaho, 83686, USA
| | - R W Zabel
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Biology Divisions, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E, Seattle, Washington, 98125, USA
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9
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Goertler PAL, Scheuerell MD, Simenstad CA, Bottom DL. Estimating Common Growth Patterns in Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from Diverse Genetic Stocks and a Large Spatial Extent. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162121. [PMID: 27695094 PMCID: PMC5047595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Life history variation in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) supports species resilience to natural disturbances and fishery exploitation. Within salmon species, life-history variation often manifests during freshwater and estuarine rearing, as variation in growth. To date, however, characterizing variability in growth patterns within and among individuals has been difficult via conventional sampling methods because of the inability to obtain repeated size measurements. In this study we related otolith microstructures to growth rates of individual juvenile Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from the Columbia River estuary over a two-year period (2010-2012). We used dynamic factor analysis to determine whether there were common patterns in growth rates within juveniles based on their natal region, capture location habitat type, and whether they were wild or of hatchery origin. We identified up to five large-scale trends in juvenile growth rates depending on month and year of capture. We also found that hatchery fish had a narrower range of trend loadings for some capture groups, suggesting that hatchery fish do not express the same breadth of growth variability as wild fish. However, we were unable to resolve a relationship between specific growth patterns and habitat transitions. Our study exemplifies how a relatively new statistical analysis can be applied to dating or aging techniques to summarize individual variation, and characterize aspects of life history diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale A. L. Goertler
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mark D. Scheuerell
- Fish Ecology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Charles A. Simenstad
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Daniel L. Bottom
- Fish Ecology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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10
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Siple MC, Francis TB. Population diversity in Pacific herring of the Puget Sound, USA. Oecologia 2015; 180:111-25. [PMID: 26427990 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3439-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Demographic, functional, or habitat diversity can confer stability on populations via portfolio effects (PEs) that integrate across multiple ecological responses and buffer against environmental impacts. The prevalence of these PEs in aquatic organisms is as yet unknown, and can be difficult to quantify; however, understanding mechanisms that stabilize populations in the face of environmental change is a key concern in ecology. Here, we examine PEs in Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in Puget Sound (USA) using a 40-year time series of biomass data for 19 distinct spawning population units collected using two survey types. Multivariate auto-regressive state-space models show independent dynamics among spawning subpopulations, suggesting that variation in herring production is partially driven by local effects at spawning grounds or during the earliest life history stages. This independence at the subpopulation level confers a stabilizing effect on the overall Puget Sound spawning stock, with herring being as much as three times more stable in the face of environmental perturbation than a single population unit of the same size. Herring populations within Puget Sound are highly asynchronous but share a common negative growth rate and may be influenced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The biocomplexity in the herring stock shown here demonstrates that preserving spatial and demographic diversity can increase the stability of this herring population and its availability as a resource for consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Siple
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Tessa B Francis
- Puget Sound Institute, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, USA
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11
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Lamy T, Legendre P, Chancerelle Y, Siu G, Claudet J. Understanding the Spatio-Temporal Response of Coral Reef Fish Communities to Natural Disturbances: Insights from Beta-Diversity Decomposition. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138696. [PMID: 26393511 PMCID: PMC4578945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how communities respond to natural disturbances is fundamental to assess the mechanisms of ecosystem resistance and resilience. However, ecosystem responses to natural disturbances are rarely monitored both through space and time, while the factors promoting ecosystem stability act at various temporal and spatial scales. Hence, assessing both the spatial and temporal variations in species composition is important to comprehensively explore the effects of natural disturbances. Here, we suggest a framework to better scrutinize the mechanisms underlying community responses to disturbances through both time and space. Our analytical approach is based on beta diversity decomposition into two components, replacement and biomass difference. We illustrate this approach using a 9-year monitoring of coral reef fish communities off Moorea Island (French Polynesia), which encompassed two severe natural disturbances: a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak and a hurricane. These disturbances triggered a fast logistic decline in coral cover, which suffered a 90% decrease on all reefs. However, we found that the coral reef fish composition remained largely stable through time and space whereas compensatory changes in biomass among species were responsible for most of the temporal fluctuations, as outlined by the overall high contribution of the replacement component to total beta diversity. This suggests that, despite the severity of the two disturbances, fish communities exhibited high resistance and the ability to reorganize their compositions to maintain the same level of total community biomass as before the disturbances. We further investigated the spatial congruence of this pattern and showed that temporal dynamics involved different species across sites; yet, herbivores controlling the proliferation of algae that compete with coral communities were consistently favored. These results suggest that compensatory changes in biomass among species and spatial heterogeneity in species responses can provide further insurance against natural disturbances in coral reef ecosystems by promoting high levels of key species (herbivores). They can also allow the ecosystem to recover more quickly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lamy
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CRIOBE-USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Pierre Legendre
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yannick Chancerelle
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, CRIOBE-USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, BP 1013, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Gilles Siu
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, CRIOBE-USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, BP 1013, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Joachim Claudet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CRIOBE-USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan cedex, France
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12
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Scheuerell MD, Buhle ER, Semmens BX, Ford MJ, Cooney T, Carmichael RW. Analyzing large-scale conservation interventions with Bayesian hierarchical models: a case study of supplementing threatened Pacific salmon. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2115-25. [PMID: 26045960 PMCID: PMC4449763 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Myriad human activities increasingly threaten the existence of many species. A variety of conservation interventions such as habitat restoration, protected areas, and captive breeding have been used to prevent extinctions. Evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions requires appropriate statistical methods, given the quantity and quality of available data. Historically, analysis of variance has been used with some form of predetermined before-after control-impact design to estimate the effects of large-scale experiments or conservation interventions. However, ad hoc retrospective study designs or the presence of random effects at multiple scales may preclude the use of these tools. We evaluated the effects of a large-scale supplementation program on the density of adult Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Snake River basin in the northwestern United States currently listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We analyzed 43 years of data from 22 populations, accounting for random effects across time and space using a form of Bayesian hierarchical time-series model common in analyses of financial markets. We found that varying degrees of supplementation over a period of 25 years increased the density of natural-origin adults, on average, by 0-8% relative to nonsupplementation years. Thirty-nine of the 43 year effects were at least two times larger in magnitude than the mean supplementation effect, suggesting common environmental variables play a more important role in driving interannual variability in adult density. Additional residual variation in density varied considerably across the region, but there was no systematic difference between supplemented and reference populations. Our results demonstrate the power of hierarchical Bayesian models to detect the diffuse effects of management interventions and to quantitatively describe the variability of intervention success. Nevertheless, our study could not address whether ecological factors (e.g., competition) were more important than genetic considerations (e.g., inbreeding depression) in determining the response to supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Scheuerell
- Fish Ecology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle, Washington, 98112
| | - Eric R Buhle
- Fish Ecology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle, Washington, 98112
| | - Brice X Semmens
- Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093
| | - Michael J Ford
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle, Washington, 98112
| | - Tom Cooney
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle, Washington, 98112
| | - Richard W Carmichael
- Northeast-Central Oregon Research and Monitoring, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Eastern Oregon University La Grande, Oregon, 97850
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13
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Kanno Y, Letcher BH, Hitt NP, Boughton DA, Wofford JEB, Zipkin EF. Seasonal weather patterns drive population vital rates and persistence in a stream fish. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:1856-1870. [PMID: 25523515 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change affects seasonal weather patterns, but little is known about the relative importance of seasonal weather patterns on animal population vital rates. Even when such information exists, data are typically only available from intensive fieldwork (e.g., mark-recapture studies) at a limited spatial extent. Here, we investigated effects of seasonal air temperature and precipitation (fall, winter, and spring) on survival and recruitment of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) at a broad spatial scale using a novel stage-structured population model. The data were a 15-year record of brook trout abundance from 72 sites distributed across a 170-km-long mountain range in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA. Population vital rates responded differently to weather and site-specific conditions. Specifically, young-of-year survival was most strongly affected by spring temperature, adult survival by elevation and per-capita recruitment by winter precipitation. Low fall precipitation and high winter precipitation, the latter of which is predicted to increase under climate change for the study region, had the strongest negative effects on trout populations. Simulations show that trout abundance could be greatly reduced under constant high winter precipitation, consistent with the expected effects of gravel-scouring flows on eggs and newly hatched individuals. However, high-elevation sites would be less vulnerable to local extinction because they supported higher adult survival. Furthermore, the majority of brook trout populations are projected to persist if high winter precipitation occurs only intermittently (≤3 of 5 years) due to density-dependent recruitment. Variable drivers of vital rates should be commonly found in animal populations characterized by ontogenetic changes in habitat, and such stage-structured effects may increase population persistence to changing climate by not affecting all life stages simultaneously. Yet, our results also demonstrate that weather patterns during seemingly less consequential seasons (e.g., winter precipitation) can have major impacts on animal population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichiro Kanno
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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14
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Anderson SC, Moore JW, McClure MM, Dulvy NK, Cooper AB. Portfolio conservation of metapopulations under climate change. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:559-72. [PMID: 26263675 DOI: 10.1890/14-0266.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is likely to lead to increasing population variability and extinction risk. Theoretically, greater population diversity should buffer against rising climate variability, and this theory is often invoked as a reason for greater conservation. However, this has rarely been quantified. Here we show how a portfolio approach to managing population diversity can inform metapopulation conservation priorities in a changing world. We develop a salmon metapopulation model in which productivity is driven by spatially distributed thermal tolerance and patterns of short- and long-term climate change. We then implement spatial conservation scenarios that control population carrying capacities and evaluate the metapopulation portfolios as a financial manager might: along axes of conservation risk and return. We show that preserving a diversity of thermal tolerances minimizes risk, given environmental stochasticity, and ensures persistence, given long-term environmental change. When the thermal tolerances of populations are unknown, doubling the number of populations conserved may nearly halve expected metapopulation variability. However, this reduction in variability can come at the expense of long-term persistence if climate change increasingly restricts available habitat, forcing ecological managers to balance society's desire for short-term stability and long-term viability. Our findings suggest the importance of conserving the processes that promote thermal-tolerance diversity, such as genetic diversity, habitat heterogeneity, and natural disturbance regimes, and demonstrate that diverse natural portfolios may be critical for metapopulation conservation in the face of increasing climate variability and change.
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15
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Griffiths JR, Schindler DE, Armstrong JB, Scheuerell MD, Whited DC, Clark RA, Hilborn R, Holt CA, Lindley ST, Stanford JA, Volk EC. Performance of salmon fishery portfolios across western North America. J Appl Ecol 2014; 51:1554-1563. [PMID: 25552746 PMCID: PMC4277685 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying the variability in the delivery of ecosystem services across the landscape can be used to set appropriate management targets, evaluate resilience and target conservation efforts. Ecosystem functions and services may exhibit portfolio‐type dynamics, whereby diversity within lower levels promotes stability at more aggregated levels. Portfolio theory provides a framework to characterize the relative performance among ecosystems and the processes that drive differences in performance. We assessed Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. portfolio performance across their native latitudinal range focusing on the reliability of salmon returns as a metric with which to assess the function of salmon ecosystems and their services to humans. We used the Sharpe ratio (e.g. the size of the total salmon return to the portfolio relative to its variability (risk)) to evaluate the performance of Chinook and sockeye salmon portfolios across the west coast of North America. We evaluated the effects on portfolio performance from the variance of and covariance among salmon returns within each portfolio, and the association between portfolio performance and watershed attributes. We found a positive latitudinal trend in the risk‐adjusted performance of Chinook and sockeye salmon portfolios that also correlated negatively with anthropogenic impact on watersheds (e.g. dams and land‐use change). High‐latitude Chinook salmon portfolios were on average 2·5 times more reliable, and their portfolio risk was mainly due to low variance in the individual assets. Sockeye salmon portfolios were also more reliable at higher latitudes, but sources of risk varied among the highest performing portfolios. Synthesis and applications. Portfolio theory provides a straightforward method for characterizing the resilience of salmon ecosystems and their services. Natural variability in portfolio performance among undeveloped watersheds provides a benchmark for restoration efforts. Locally and regionally, assessing the sources of portfolio risk can guide actions to maintain existing resilience (protect habitat and disturbance regimes that maintain response diversity; employ harvest strategies sensitive to different portfolio components) or improve restoration activities. Improving our understanding of portfolio reliability may allow for management of natural resources that is robust to ongoing environmental change.
Portfolio theory provides a straightforward method for characterizing the resilience of salmon ecosystems and their services. Natural variability in portfolio performance among undeveloped watersheds provides a benchmark for restoration efforts. Locally and regionally, assessing the sources of portfolio risk can guide actions to maintain existing resilience (protect habitat and disturbance regimes that maintain response diversity; employ harvest strategies sensitive to different portfolio components) or improve restoration activities. Improving our understanding of portfolio reliability may allow for management of natural resources that is robust to ongoing environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Griffiths
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington Box 355020, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Daniel E Schindler
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington Box 355020, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jonathan B Armstrong
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington Box 355020, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Mark D Scheuerell
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| | - Diane C Whited
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana 32125 Bio Station Lane, Polson, MT, 59860-6815, USA
| | - Robert A Clark
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK, 99518, USA
| | - Ray Hilborn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington Box 355020, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Carrie A Holt
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N7, Canada
| | - Steven T Lindley
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Jack A Stanford
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana 32125 Bio Station Lane, Polson, MT, 59860-6815, USA
| | - Eric C Volk
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK, 99518, USA
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16
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Sternecker K, Denic M, Geist J. Timing matters: species-specific interactions between spawning time, substrate quality, and recruitment success in three salmonid species. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2749-58. [PMID: 25077024 PMCID: PMC4113297 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Substratum quality and oxygen supply to the interstitial zone are crucial for the reproductive success of salmonid fishes. At present, degradation of spawning grounds due to fine sediment deposition and colmation are recognized as main factors for reproductive failure. In addition, changes in water temperatures due to climate change, damming, and cooling water inlets are predicted to reduce hatching success. We tested the hypothesis that the biological effects of habitat degradation depend strongly on the species-specific spawning seasons and life-history strategies (e.g., fall- vs. spring-spawners, migratory vs. resident species) and assessed temperature as an important species-specific factor for hatching success within river substratum. We studied the species-specific differences in their responses to such disturbances using egg-to-fry survival of Danube Salmon (Hucho hucho), resident brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), and migratory brown trout (Salmo trutta lacustris) as biological endpoint. The egg incubation and hatching success of the salmonids and their dependence on temperature and stream substratum quality were compared. Hatching rates of Danube salmon were lower than of brown trout, probably due to higher oxygen demands and increased interstitial respiration in spring. Increases in maximum water temperature reduced hatching rates of resident and migratory brown trout (both fall-spawners) but were positively correlated with hatching rates of Danube salmon (a spring-spawner). Significantly longer incubation periods of resident and migratory brown trout coincided with relatively low stream substratum quality at the end of the egg incubation. Danube salmon seem to avoid low oxygen concentrations in the hyporheic zone by faster egg development favored by higher water temperatures. Consequently, the prediction of effects of temperature changes and altered stream substratum properties on gravel-spawning fishes and biological communities should consider the observed species-specific variances in life-history strategies to increase conservation success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Sternecker
- Aquatic System Biology Unit, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München D-85350, Freising, Germany ; Department of Anatomy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität D-80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Denic
- Aquatic System Biology Unit, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München D-85350, Freising, Germany
| | - Juergen Geist
- Aquatic System Biology Unit, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München D-85350, Freising, Germany
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17
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Jones KK, Cornwell TJ, Bottom DL, Campbell LA, Stein S. The contribution of estuary-resident life histories to the return of adult Oncorhynchus kisutch. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2014; 85:52-80. [PMID: 24766645 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated estuarine habitat use, life-history composition, growth and survival of four successive broods of coho salmon Oncoryhnchus kisutch in Salmon River, Oregon, U.S.A. Subyearling and yearling O. kisutch used restored and natural estuarine wetlands, particularly in the spring and winter. Stream-reared yearling smolts spent an average of 2 weeks in the estuary growing rapidly before entering the ocean. Emergent fry also entered the estuary in the spring, and some resided in a tidal marsh throughout the summer, even as salinities increased to >20. A significant portion of the summer stream-resident population of juvenile O. kisutch migrated out of the catchment in the autumn and winter and used estuary wetlands and adjacent streams as alternative winter-rearing habitats until the spring when they entered the ocean as yearling smolts. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag returns and juvenile life-history reconstructions from otoliths of returning adults revealed that four juvenile life-history types contributed to the adult population. Estuarine-associated life-history strategies accounted for 20-35% of the adults returning to spawn in the four brood years, indicating that a sizable proportion of the total O. kisutch production is ignored by conventional estimates based on stream habitat capacity. Juvenile O. kisutch responses to the reconnection of previously unavailable estuarine habitats have led to greater life-history diversity in the population and reflect greater phenotypic plasticity of the species in the U.S. Pacific Northwest than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Jones
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis, OR 97333, U.S.A
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18
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Wang S, Loreau M. Ecosystem stability in space: α, β and γ variability. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:891-901. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shaopeng Wang
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling; Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS 09200 Moulis France
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling; Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS 09200 Moulis France
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