A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic
Climate change is leading to northward shifts in species distributions that is altering interspecific interactions at low- and mid-trophic levels. However, little attention has been focused on the effects of redistributions of species on the trophic ecology of a high trophic-level predator assemblag...
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Online Access: | https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/316 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 |
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ftunivwindsor:oai:scholar.uwindsor.ca:glierpub-1318 2023-06-11T04:08:56+02:00 A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic Yurkowski, David J. Hussey, Nigel E. Ferguson, Steven H. Fisk, Aaron T. 2018-10-01T07:00:00Z https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/316 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 unknown Scholarship at UWindsor https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/316 doi:10.1098/rsos.180259 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications Climate change Community-wide metrics Fishes Food web structure Marine mammals Stable isotopes text 2018 ftunivwindsor https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 2023-05-06T19:10:50Z Climate change is leading to northward shifts in species distributions that is altering interspecific interactions at low- and mid-trophic levels. However, little attention has been focused on the effects of redistributions of species on the trophic ecology of a high trophic-level predator assemblage. Here, during a 22-year period (1990-2012) of increasing sea temperature (1.08C) and decreasing sea ice extent (12%) in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, Canada, we examined the trophic structure of a near-apex predator assemblage before (1990-2002) and after (2005-2012) an increase in the availability of capelin-generally an indicator species in colder marine environments for a warming climate. Stable isotopes (d13C and d15N) were used in a Bayesian framework to assess shifts in diet, niche size and community-wide metrics for beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), ringed seals (Pusa hispida), Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). After 2005, consumption of forage fish increased for all predator species, suggesting diet flexibility with changing abiotic and biotic conditions. An associated temporal shift from a trophically diverse to a trophically redundant predator assemblage occurred where predators now play similar trophic roles by consuming prey primarily from the pelagic energy pathway. Overall, these long-term ecological changes signify that trophic shifts of a high trophic-level predator assemblage associated with climate change have occurred in the Arctic food web. Text Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Cumberland Sound Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Nunavut Pusa hispida Salvelinus alpinus Sea ice University of Windsor, Ontario: Scholarship at UWindsor Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound ENVELOPE(-66.014,-66.014,65.334,65.334) Royal Society Open Science 5 10 180259 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Windsor, Ontario: Scholarship at UWindsor |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwindsor |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Climate change Community-wide metrics Fishes Food web structure Marine mammals Stable isotopes |
spellingShingle |
Climate change Community-wide metrics Fishes Food web structure Marine mammals Stable isotopes Yurkowski, David J. Hussey, Nigel E. Ferguson, Steven H. Fisk, Aaron T. A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
topic_facet |
Climate change Community-wide metrics Fishes Food web structure Marine mammals Stable isotopes |
description |
Climate change is leading to northward shifts in species distributions that is altering interspecific interactions at low- and mid-trophic levels. However, little attention has been focused on the effects of redistributions of species on the trophic ecology of a high trophic-level predator assemblage. Here, during a 22-year period (1990-2012) of increasing sea temperature (1.08C) and decreasing sea ice extent (12%) in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, Canada, we examined the trophic structure of a near-apex predator assemblage before (1990-2002) and after (2005-2012) an increase in the availability of capelin-generally an indicator species in colder marine environments for a warming climate. Stable isotopes (d13C and d15N) were used in a Bayesian framework to assess shifts in diet, niche size and community-wide metrics for beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), ringed seals (Pusa hispida), Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). After 2005, consumption of forage fish increased for all predator species, suggesting diet flexibility with changing abiotic and biotic conditions. An associated temporal shift from a trophically diverse to a trophically redundant predator assemblage occurred where predators now play similar trophic roles by consuming prey primarily from the pelagic energy pathway. Overall, these long-term ecological changes signify that trophic shifts of a high trophic-level predator assemblage associated with climate change have occurred in the Arctic food web. |
format |
Text |
author |
Yurkowski, David J. Hussey, Nigel E. Ferguson, Steven H. Fisk, Aaron T. |
author_facet |
Yurkowski, David J. Hussey, Nigel E. Ferguson, Steven H. Fisk, Aaron T. |
author_sort |
Yurkowski, David J. |
title |
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
title_short |
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
title_full |
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
title_fullStr |
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic |
title_sort |
temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming arctic |
publisher |
Scholarship at UWindsor |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/316 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-66.014,-66.014,65.334,65.334) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound |
genre |
Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Cumberland Sound Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Nunavut Pusa hispida Salvelinus alpinus Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Cumberland Sound Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Nunavut Pusa hispida Salvelinus alpinus Sea ice |
op_source |
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications |
op_relation |
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/316 doi:10.1098/rsos.180259 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180259 |
container_title |
Royal Society Open Science |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
180259 |
_version_ |
1768382576161980416 |