Multi-level trophic cascades in a heavily exploited open marine ecosystem.

Casini, M., Lövgren, J., Hjelm, J., Cardinale, M., Molinero, Juan Carlos and Kornilovs, G. (2008) Multi-level trophic cascades in a heavily exploited open marine ecosystem. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B : Biological Sciences, 275 (1644). pp. 1793-1801. DOI 10.1098/rspb.2007.1752.

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Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances intertwined with climatic changes can have a large impact on the upper trophic levels of marine ecosystems, which may cascade down the food web. So far it has been difficult to demonstrate multi-level trophic cascades in pelagic marine environments. Using field data collected during a 33-year period, we show for the first time a four-level community-wide trophic cascade in the open Baltic Sea. The dramatic reduction of the cod (Gadus morhua) population directly affected its main prey, the zooplanktivorous sprat (Sprattus sprattus), and indirectly the summer biomass of zooplankton and phytoplankton (top-down processes). Bottom-up processes and climate–hydrological forces had a weaker influence on sprat and zooplankton, whereas phytoplankton variation was explained solely by top-down mechanisms. Our results suggest that in order to dampen the occasionally harmful algal blooms of the Baltic, effort should be addressed not only to control anthropogenic nutrient inputs but also to preserve structure and functioning of higher trophic levels

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Baltic Sea, pelagic marine ecosystem, food web, bottom-up versus top-down control, climate, eutrophication
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB3 Marine Ecology > FB3-EOE-N Experimental Ecology - Food Webs
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Royal Society of London
Projects: Future Ocean
Date Deposited: 03 Dec 2008 16:50
Last Modified: 23 Sep 2019 17:42
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/7920

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