1. Food Webs
Chapter 17

2. Figure 17_01

3. Food Webs
Chapter 17

4. Food Web Complexity
Winemiller described feeding relations among tropical freshwater fish.
Represented food webs in various ways:
Only included common species.
Top-predator sink.
Excluded weakest trophic links.

5. Food Web Complexity

6. Strong Interactions and Food Web Structure
Tscharntke studied food webs associated with wetland reeds (Phragmites australis).
Attacked by fly Giraudiella inclusa.
Attacked by 14 species of parasitoid wasps.
Predator specialization
Distinguished weak and strong interactions.
Determination of keystone species.

7. Figure 17_05

8. Figure 17_06

9. Figure 17_07

10. Figure 17_08

11. Keystone Species
If keystone species reduce likelihood of competitive exclusion, their activities would increase the number of species that could coexist in communities.

12. Keystone Species

13. Figure 17_10

14. Food Web Structure and Species Diversity
Paine found as number of species in intertidal food webs increased, proportion of the web represented by predators also increased.
According to his hypothesis, higher proportion of predators produces higher predation pressure on prey populations, in turn promoting higher diversity.
Removal of starfish (top predator) caused decline in diversity from 15 to 8 species.

15. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity
Lubchenko proposed to resolve the effect herbivores have on plant diversity, you need to know:
Herbivore food preference.
Competitive relationships between plant species in the local community.
Variance in feeding preferences and competitive relationships across environments.

16. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity
Lubchenko studied influence of intertidal snail (Littorina littorea) on structure of an algal community.
Snails fed on green (Enteromorpha spp.) and red (Chondrus crispus) algae.
Under normal conditions, Enteromorpha out-competes Chondrus in tide pools, and Littornia prefers Enteromorpha.
In the absence of snails, Chondrus is competitively displaced.

17. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity

18. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity
When snails are present in high densities, Littorina grazes down Enteromorpha, releasing Chondrus from competition.
Green crabs (Carcinus maenus) prey on young snails, preventing juveniles from colonizing tide pools.
Populations of Carcinus are controlled by seagulls.

19. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity
Low snail density - Enteromorpha dominates tide pool.
Medium snail density - Competitive exclusion eliminated, and algal diversity increased.
High snail density - Feeding requirements are high enough that snails eat preferred algae and less-preferred algae.
Algal diversity decreased.

20. Consumers’ Effects on Local Diversity

21. Fish as River Keystone Species

23. Keystone Species: Summation
Power : Keystone species exert strong effects on their community structure, despite low biomass.

24. Exotic Predators
Exotic species have dramatic impacts on communities because they were outside the evolutionary experience of local prey populations.
Nile Perch (Lates nilotica) exotic fish predator in Lake Victoria.
Fish fauna dramatically reduced.

25. Exotic Predators

26. Exotic Predators

27. Exotic Predators
Kaufman pointed out changes in Lake Victoria fish community coincide with other ecosystem changes.
Dissolved oxygen concentrations significantly decreased.
Cultural eutrophication.

28. Mutulaistic Keystone Species
Cleaner fish in Red Sea coral reef communities…

29. Seed Dispersal Mutualists as Keystone Species
Christian observed native ants disperse 30% of shrubland seeds in fynbos of South Africa.
Seed-dispersing ants bury seeds in sites safe from predators and fire.
Argentine ants have displaced many native ant species that disperse large seeds.
Substantial reductions in seedling recruitment by plants producing large seeds.

30. Homo sapiens as Keystone Species