These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Stream food webs in tropical mountains rely on allochthonous carbon regardless of land use.
    Author: Ramírez A, Vázquez G, Sosa V, García P, Castillo G, García-Franco J, Martínez ML, Mehltreter K, Pineda E, Alvarado-Barrientos MS, Escobar F, Valdespino C, Campos A.
    Journal: PLoS One; 2023; 18(12):e0295738. PubMed ID: 38100504.
    Abstract:
    The relative importance of allochthonous and autochthonous carbon (C) as sources of energy for tropical stream food webs remains an open question. Allochthonous C might be the main energy source for small and shaded forest streams, while autochthonous C is more likely to fuel food webs draining land uses with less dense vegetation. We studied food webs in cloud forest streams draining watersheds with forests, coffee plantations, and pastures. Our goal was to assess the effects of those land uses on the C source and structure of stream food webs. The study took place in tropical montane streams in La Antigua Watershed, in eastern Mexico. We selected three streams per land use and sampled biofilm and leaf litter as the main food resources, and macroinvertebrates and aquatic vertebrates from different trophic guilds. Samples were analyzed for δ13C and δ15N isotopes. Using a Bayesian mixing model, we estimated the proportional assimilation of autochthonous and allochthonous carbon by each guild. We found that consumers were mostly using allochthonous C in all streams, regardless of watershed land use. Our findings indicate that montane cloud forest streams are dominated by allochthony even in watersheds dominated by pastures. Abundant precipitation in this life zone might facilitate the movement of allochthonous C into streams. While food webs of streams from coffee plantations and pastures also rely on allochthonous resources, other impacts do result in important changes in stream functioning.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]