Abstract
Background:Reservoir communities in the intermountain west are typically dominated by a mix of introduced fishes. Due to the non-coevolved interactions present in these communities, energy flow and trophic interactions may not facilitate optimal growth and survival for all species. It is difficult to predict how well each species will survive in such novel communities. One such community is in Jordanelle Reservoir in northern Utah, USA. Recently, low survival and recruitment of stocked rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) have been observed in Jordanelle Reservoir.Objective:We characterize the food web structure of the fish community in Jordanelle reservoir to infer competitive or predatory interactions that might lead to a poor return of stocked rainbow trout.Methods:We performed a stable isotope analysis on the fish community in Jordanelle Reservoir and carried out niche space analyses using the software package Stable Isotope Bayesian Ellipse (SIBER) in R.Results:Small rainbow trout exhibit high competitive overlap with brown trout (Salmo trutta), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). In addition, large brown trout and large smallmouth bass may feed heavily on small rainbow trout.Conclusion:Food web analysis suggests that rainbow trout encounter a highly competitive and potentially high predation environment in Jordanelle reservoir, leading to observed low return rates.
Highlights
Reservoirs in the intermountain west are typically dominated by a mix of non-native fish introduced from elsewhere in North America or Europe for angling purposes [1 - 5]
Food web analysis suggests that rainbow trout encounter a highly competitive and potentially high predation environment in Jordanelle reservoir, leading to observed low return rates
The niche space around the small rainbow trout appears to be crowded with brown trout, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch
Summary
Reservoirs in the intermountain west are typically dominated by a mix of non-native fish introduced from elsewhere in North America or Europe for angling purposes [1 - 5]. The evolutionary history of an introduced species interacts with local environmental and biotic conditions to increase potential complexities. These novel interactions can result in high levels of predation (top-down effects) or reduced amounts of energy flow up through the food web (bottom-up effects) [8, 13]. Reservoir communities in the intermountain west are typically dominated by a mix of introduced fishes. Due to the non-coevolved interactions present in these communities, energy flow and trophic interactions may not facilitate optimal growth and survival for all species. Low survival and recruitment of stocked rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) have been observed in Jordanelle Reservoir
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