2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/27/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | FOOD WEBS UNDER A CHANGING CLIMATE: DO PRECIPITATION REGIME AND TOP-DOWN CONTROL DRIVE COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND TROPHIC STRUCTURE IN TEXAS COASTAL STREAMS? | Virtual Platform
FOOD WEBS UNDER A CHANGING CLIMATE: DO PRECIPITATION REGIME AND TOP-DOWN CONTROL DRIVE COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND TROPHIC STRUCTURE IN TEXAS COASTAL STREAMS?
Global climate models forecast significant changes in precipitation patterns in coming decades, to which lotic systems are particularly sensitive. Yet, the impact of such changes on community composition and trophic structure within these systems remains unclear. Lotic community structure has traditionally been regarded as governed by hydrology (environmental constraints) and resources (bottom-up control); however recent evidence indicates that predators can shape these communities through top-down control. Given that the strengths of top-down processes can be affected by environmental variability, a key mechanism driving future shifts in community structure may lie in the link between climate (precipitation rate, hydrology) and top-down control. We are utilizing a naturally steep rainfall gradient along the Texas coastal plain in a space-for-time study of nine stream communities to address this hypothesis. Data indicate that predatory fishes increase in abundance and diversity with increasing precipitation rate. Coupled with analysis of stable isotope data, stomach contents, species’ functional traits, and in situ experiments, we aim to characterize each stream’s food web, testing the potential for environmentally-mediated top-down control. Ultimately, results will improve our understanding of lotic community assembly and ability to predict communities’ responses to climate change.
- Stream
- Climate change
- Ecosystem functioning
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Presenters/Authors
Christopher Groff
(), Texas A&M Corpus Christi, cgroff@islander.tamucc.edu;
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Christopher Patrick
(), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), cpatrick@vims.edu;
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Sean Kinard
(), Virginia Institute of Marine Science, s2kinard@gmail.com;
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Matt Whiles
(), University of Florida, mwhiles@ufl.edu;
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Hannah Vander Zanden
(), UF, hvz@ufl.edu;
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Amber Ulseth
(), Sam Houston State University, amber.ulseth@epfl.ch;
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Bradley Strickland
(), Virginia Institute of Marine Science, bastrickland273@gmail.com;
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Fernando Carvallo
(), Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, fcarvallo@islander.tamucc.edu ;
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Victoria Jenkins
(), Texas A&M Corpus Christi, vjenkins@islander.tamucc.edu;
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Alexander Solis
(), VIMS, alexander.tr.solis@gmail.com;
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Desiree Corbiere
(), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Desiree.Corbiere@tamucc.edu;
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Christopher Frazier
(), Texas A&M Corpus Christi, christopher.frazier@tamucc.edu;
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Connor Brown
(), Sam Houston State University, clb150@SHSU.EDU;
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James Hogan
(), Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, james.hogan@tamucc.edu;
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