2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/24/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | RIPARIAN VEGETATION REMOVAL DOES NOT ALTER THE TROPHIC BASIS OF TROPICAL STREAM FOOD WEBS | Virtual Platform
RIPARIAN VEGETATION REMOVAL DOES NOT ALTER THE TROPHIC BASIS OF TROPICAL STREAM FOOD WEBS
Disturbances to riparian zones that alter vegetation cover can change the trophic basis of stream food webs. Reductions in tree cover decrease inputs of allochthonous carbon and increase solar radiation to the channel. The predicted result is an increase in primary production and a switch in the carbon basis of foodwebs from allochthonous to autochthonous. Here, we assessed this prediction by studying the response of tropical streams to two major disturbances: land use conversion from forest to pasture in Mexico and hurricane impacts in Puerto Rico. Both disturbances reduced riparian vegetation, decreased leaf litter inputs, and increased solar radiation. We expected food webs to switch to autochthonous carbon. We sampled biofilms from rocks, collected leaf litter, and obtained carbon isotopic signals. We used Bayesian models to determine the proportion of autochthonous and allochthonous carbon. Both disturbances resulted in highly allochthonous biofilms. The dominance of allochthonous carbon indicates that vertical inputs of leaf litter are not the only source of riparian carbon for tropical streams. The prevalence of heavy rains suggests a role for runoff in moving carbon and scouring algal biomass in the channel.
- Food webs
- Tropical
- Ecosystem functioning
Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Alonso RamÃrez
(), North Carolina State University, alonso.ramirez@ncsu.edu;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Pavel Garcia
(), Organismal Biology, Ecology and Evolution Program, University of Montana, pavel.garciasoto@umontana.edu;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Pablo Gutiérrez-Fonseca
(), University of Costa Rica, pabloe.gutierrezfonseca@gmail.com;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Gabriela Vazquez
(), INECOL, Mexico, gabriela.vazquez@inecol.mx;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -