Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream

Thomas R. Barnum; John M. Drake; Jose Checo Colón-Gaud; Amanda T. Rugenski; Therese C. Frauendorf; Susan S. Kilham; Matt R. Whiles; Karen R. Lips; Catherine M. Pringle

Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream

Thomas R. Barnum, John M. Drake, Jose Checo Colón-Gaud, Amanda T. Rugenski, Therese C. Frauendorf, Susan S. Kilham, Matt R. Whiles, Karen R. Lips, Catherine M. Pringle

Biology

Research output: Contribution to conference › Presentation

Abstract

Background/Question/Methods

As species are extirpated, ecosystem productivity will likely decline with concomitant declines in food web structure as linkages are removed. Catastrophic amphibian extirpations in Central America can affect ecosystem function, but have unknown consequences on food web structure. We empirically assessed periphyton-insect food webs, both before and after (5 yrs) a disease-driven amphibian extirpation in a highland Panamanian stream. Food webs were constructed using gut content analysis of 891 tadpoles and insects to identify 1793 linkages from four food webs: pools and riffles with and without tadpoles. For each food web, fourteen structural properties were estimated and the effect size was measured between pre- and post-decline food webs. Simulations using pre-decline food webs that reflected the loss of tadpoles and cascading extirpations of macroinvertebrates, were then compared with the observed post-extirpation food web to quantify the robustness of food web structure with respect to these perturbations.

Results/Conclusions

Amphibian extirpations resulted in the loss of 52% of macroinvertebrate taxa, but connectance was reduced by an average of only 3%. The mean difference in the values of the fourteen food web properties from pre- to post-decline was

Original language	American English
State	Published - Aug 3 2013
Event	Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting - Minneapolis, United States Duration: Aug 4 2013 → Aug 9 2013 Conference number: 98 https://programarchives.z20.web.core.windows.net/2013/ (Link to program) https://esa.org/minneapolis/ (Link to archived conference website)

Conference

Conference	Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting
Abbreviated title	ESA
Country/Territory	United States
City	Minneapolis
Period	08/4/13 → 08/9/13
Internet address	https://programarchives.z20.web.core.windows.net/2013/ (Link to program) https://esa.org/minneapolis/ (Link to archived conference website)

Disciplines

Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Biology

Keywords

Amphibian extirpations
Food web properties
Neotropical stream

Access to Document

https://eco.confex.com/eco/2013/webprogram/Paper43667.html

Cite this

Barnum, T. R., Drake, J. M., Colón-Gaud, J. C., Rugenski, A. T., Frauendorf, T. C., Kilham, S. S., Whiles, M. R., Lips, K. R., & Pringle, C. M. (2013). Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. https://eco.confex.com/eco/2013/webprogram/Paper43667.html

@conference{affc9a9c46fc4044a357030814a40970,

title = "Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream",

abstract = " Background/Question/Methods As species are extirpated, ecosystem productivity will likely decline with concomitant declines in food web structure as linkages are removed. Catastrophic amphibian extirpations in Central America can affect ecosystem function, but have unknown consequences on food web structure. We empirically assessed periphyton-insect food webs, both before and after (5 yrs) a disease-driven amphibian extirpation in a highland Panamanian stream. Food webs were constructed using gut content analysis of 891 tadpoles and insects to identify 1793 linkages from four food webs: pools and riffles with and without tadpoles. For each food web, fourteen structural properties were estimated and the effect size was measured between pre- and post-decline food webs. Simulations using pre-decline food webs that reflected the loss of tadpoles and cascading extirpations of macroinvertebrates, were then compared with the observed post-extirpation food web to quantify the robustness of food web structure with respect to these perturbations. Results/Conclusions Amphibian extirpations resulted in the loss of 52% of macroinvertebrate taxa, but connectance was reduced by an average of only 3%. The mean difference in the values of the fourteen food web properties from pre- to post-decline was",

keywords = "Amphibian extirpations, Food web properties, Neotropical stream",

author = "Barnum, {Thomas R.} and Drake, {John M.} and Col{\'o}n-Gaud, {Jose Checo} and Rugenski, {Amanda T.} and Frauendorf, {Therese C.} and Kilham, {Susan S.} and Whiles, {Matt R.} and Lips, {Karen R.} and Pringle, {Catherine M.}",

year = "2013",

month = aug,

day = "3",

language = "American English",

note = "Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, ESA ; Conference date: 04-08-2013 Through 09-08-2013",

url = "https://programarchives.z20.web.core.windows.net/2013/, https://esa.org/minneapolis/",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream

AU - Barnum, Thomas R.

AU - Drake, John M.

AU - Colón-Gaud, Jose Checo

AU - Rugenski, Amanda T.

AU - Frauendorf, Therese C.

AU - Kilham, Susan S.

AU - Whiles, Matt R.

AU - Lips, Karen R.

AU - Pringle, Catherine M.

N1 - Conference code: 98

PY - 2013/8/3

Y1 - 2013/8/3

N2 - Background/Question/Methods As species are extirpated, ecosystem productivity will likely decline with concomitant declines in food web structure as linkages are removed. Catastrophic amphibian extirpations in Central America can affect ecosystem function, but have unknown consequences on food web structure. We empirically assessed periphyton-insect food webs, both before and after (5 yrs) a disease-driven amphibian extirpation in a highland Panamanian stream. Food webs were constructed using gut content analysis of 891 tadpoles and insects to identify 1793 linkages from four food webs: pools and riffles with and without tadpoles. For each food web, fourteen structural properties were estimated and the effect size was measured between pre- and post-decline food webs. Simulations using pre-decline food webs that reflected the loss of tadpoles and cascading extirpations of macroinvertebrates, were then compared with the observed post-extirpation food web to quantify the robustness of food web structure with respect to these perturbations. Results/Conclusions Amphibian extirpations resulted in the loss of 52% of macroinvertebrate taxa, but connectance was reduced by an average of only 3%. The mean difference in the values of the fourteen food web properties from pre- to post-decline was

AB - Background/Question/Methods As species are extirpated, ecosystem productivity will likely decline with concomitant declines in food web structure as linkages are removed. Catastrophic amphibian extirpations in Central America can affect ecosystem function, but have unknown consequences on food web structure. We empirically assessed periphyton-insect food webs, both before and after (5 yrs) a disease-driven amphibian extirpation in a highland Panamanian stream. Food webs were constructed using gut content analysis of 891 tadpoles and insects to identify 1793 linkages from four food webs: pools and riffles with and without tadpoles. For each food web, fourteen structural properties were estimated and the effect size was measured between pre- and post-decline food webs. Simulations using pre-decline food webs that reflected the loss of tadpoles and cascading extirpations of macroinvertebrates, were then compared with the observed post-extirpation food web to quantify the robustness of food web structure with respect to these perturbations. Results/Conclusions Amphibian extirpations resulted in the loss of 52% of macroinvertebrate taxa, but connectance was reduced by an average of only 3%. The mean difference in the values of the fourteen food web properties from pre- to post-decline was

KW - Amphibian extirpations

KW - Food web properties

KW - Neotropical stream

UR - https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/biology-facpres/36

UR - https://eco.confex.com/eco/2013/webprogram/Paper43667.html

M3 - Presentation

T2 - Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting

Y2 - 4 August 2013 through 9 August 2013

ER -

Food Web Properties Persist Following Amphibian Extirpations in a Neotropical Stream

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