Title: Shifting Trophic Control of Fishery–Ecosystem Dynamics Following Biological Invasions
Abstract:Nonnative species often interact with native species in unexpected ways, posing threats to conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Synthesizing 30 years of extensive ecosystem monitoring ...Nonnative species often interact with native species in unexpected ways, posing threats to conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Synthesizing 30 years of extensive ecosystem monitoring data, we show how two pervasive invasive consumers, dreissenids and Bythotrephes, rewire trophic interactions and undermine efforts to rebuild cold-water fisheries in a large, intensely exploited lake in Ontario, Canada (Lake Simcoe). We found that large-scale shifts in community composition (from pelagic to demersal dominance) brought on by the invaders have diminished ecosystem productivity, thereby shrinking fishery yields. Our work underscores the need to account for altered ecological reality in managing invaded ecosystems. These photographs illustrate the article “Shifting trophic control of fishery–ecosystem dynamics following biological invasions” by Daisuke Goto, Erin S. Dunlop, Joelle D. Young, and Donald A. Jackson published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002//eap.2190Read More