Article
Nutrient cycling and transport by fish and terrestrial insect nutrient subsidies to lakes
Limnology and Oceanography
(2007)
Abstract
Mehner et al.(2005) reported that fish feeding on terrestrial insects could be important for the
nutrient budgets and cycling in lakes. They studied bleak (Alburnus alburnus) that fed
largely on terrestrial insects, and they suggested that this contributed 2.1% of the nutrient
budget of a 12-ha lake (Großer Vätersee) and that the subsequent excretion by the fish was
equivalent to 11% of epilimnetic dissolved phosphorus concentrations. They concluded that
nutrients delivered to lakes via terrestrial insects and recycled by fish would be most
important for small lakes because of the large perimeter-to-area ratio between donor and
recipient habitats. Fish may have important impacts on the community structure of lakes (eg,
Brooks and Dodson 1965), and, under some circumstances, they may influence internal
nutrient cycling and transport (eg, Vanni et al. 1997, 2006).
Disciplines
Publication Date
2007
Citation Information
Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh. "Nutrient cycling and transport by fish and terrestrial insect nutrient subsidies to lakes" Limnology and Oceanography Vol. 52 Iss. 6 (2007) p. 2715 - 2718 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/wayne_wurtsbaugh/218/