Invaders induce coordinated isotopic niche shifts in native fish species

Abstract

Food-web investigations inform management strategies by exposing potential interactions between native and nonnative species and anticipating likely outcomes associated with species removal efforts. We leveraged a natural gradient of compositional turnover from native-only to nonnative-only fish assemblages, combined with an intensive removal effort, to investigate underlying food-web changes in response to invasive species expansion in a Lower Colorado River tributary. Nonnative fishes caused coordinated isotopic niche displacement in native fishes by inducing resource shifts toward lower trophic positions and enriched carbon sources. By contrast, nonnative fishes did not experience reciprocal shifts when native fishes were present. Asymmetrical outcomes between native and nonnative fishes indicated species displacement may result from competitive or consumptive interactions. Native species’ isotopic niches returned to higher trophic levels after nonnative green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) removal, indicating removal efforts can support trophic recovery of native fishes like desert suckers (Catostomus clarkii) and roundtail chub (Gila robusta). Using stable isotope analysis in preremoval assessments provides opportunities to identify asymmetric interactions, whereas postremoval assessments could identify unintended consequences, like mesopredator release, as part of adaptive decision making to recover native fishes.