Invasive alien species can have complex effects on native ecosystems, and interact with multiple components of food webs, making it difficult a comprehensive quantification of their direct and indirect effects. We evaluated the relationships between the invasive crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, amphibian larvae and predatory insects, to quantify crayfish impacts on multiple levels of food webs, and to evaluate whether crayfish predation of aquatic insects has indirect consequences for their preys. We used pipe sampling to assess the abundance of crayfish, amphibian larvae and their major predators (Ditiscidae, Notonectidae and larvae of Anisoptera) in invaded and uninvaded ponds within a human dominated landscape. We disentangled the multivariate effects of P. clarkii on different components of food web through a series of constrained redundancy analyses. The crayfish had a negative, direct impact on both amphibian communities and their predators. Amphibian abundance was negatively related to both predators. However, the negative, direct effects of crayfish on amphibians were much stronger than predation by native insects. Our results suggest that this crayfish impacts multiple levels of food webs, disrupting natural prey-predator relationships.

Ficetola, G., Siesa, M., De Bernardi, F., PADOA SCHIOPPA, E. (2012). Complex impact of an invasive crayfish on freshwater food webs. BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION, 21, 2641-2651 [10.1007/s10531-012-0323-1].

Complex impact of an invasive crayfish on freshwater food webs

FICETOLA, GENTILE FRANCESCO;PADOA SCHIOPPA, EMILIO
2012

Abstract

Invasive alien species can have complex effects on native ecosystems, and interact with multiple components of food webs, making it difficult a comprehensive quantification of their direct and indirect effects. We evaluated the relationships between the invasive crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, amphibian larvae and predatory insects, to quantify crayfish impacts on multiple levels of food webs, and to evaluate whether crayfish predation of aquatic insects has indirect consequences for their preys. We used pipe sampling to assess the abundance of crayfish, amphibian larvae and their major predators (Ditiscidae, Notonectidae and larvae of Anisoptera) in invaded and uninvaded ponds within a human dominated landscape. We disentangled the multivariate effects of P. clarkii on different components of food web through a series of constrained redundancy analyses. The crayfish had a negative, direct impact on both amphibian communities and their predators. Amphibian abundance was negatively related to both predators. However, the negative, direct effects of crayfish on amphibians were much stronger than predation by native insects. Our results suggest that this crayfish impacts multiple levels of food webs, disrupting natural prey-predator relationships.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Amphibian larvae, Biological invasions, Dragonfly, Mesopredator release, Native predators, Redundancy analysis
English
2012
21
2641
2651
none
Ficetola, G., Siesa, M., De Bernardi, F., PADOA SCHIOPPA, E. (2012). Complex impact of an invasive crayfish on freshwater food webs. BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION, 21, 2641-2651 [10.1007/s10531-012-0323-1].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/34893
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