Trophic overlap between fish and riparian spiders: potential impacts of an invasive fish on terrestrial consumers.

ABSTRACT: Studies on resource sharing and partitioning generally consider species that occur in the same habitat. However, subsidies between linked habitats, such as streams and riparian zones, create potential for competition between populations which never directly interact. Evidence suggests that the abundance of riparian consumers declines after fish invasion and a subsequent increase in resource sharing of emerging insects. However, diet overlap has not been investigated. Here, we examine the trophic niche of native fish, invasive fish, and native spiders in South Africa using stable isotope analysis. We compared spider abundance and diet at upstream fishless and downstream fish sites and quantified niche overlap with invasive and native fish. Spider abundance was consistently higher at upstrea

SUBMITTER: Jackson MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4801975 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature