Energy Flow and Food Webs

1) What was R. Lindemans contribution to ecology?

2) How can food chain length be determined?

3) What is bioaccumulation and biomagnification?

Individual

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Raymond Lindeman changed the way we think about ecosystems

Cedar Creek Bog, MN

Died at age 27

In 1941 arrived at Yale for a post-doctoral position with Hutchinson.

Final chapter of his Ph.D. thesis was an essay on the trophic-dynamic aspect of ecology

Originally, rejected for publication in Ecology

Trophic levels a subset of the community. Includes species that acquire energy in the same way.

Primary producer Primary consumer

Secondary consumer
Top carnivores

Food Chains vs. Food Webs

nutrients
www.vacadsci.org/ jsr/tlist2.htm

Simple food chains are rarely found in nature

Neo Martinez

But can still ask questions about food chain length

Long standing question in ecology.... What determines food chain length?

Why care? Influences community structure Ecosystem functions Contaminant concentration

What are the main hypotheses? Primary productivity Ecosystem size Productivity-size interaction

How to determine an organisms trophic position and consequently food chain length?

For example, what is the trophic position of perch adults in this food web?

Can use stable isotopes to determine trophic position

Stable isotopes
Naturally occurring non-radioactive isotopes of N and C
15N 13C

Stable isotopes

15N increases 3-4 with each trophic level

13C does not change, so can be used to determine source of carbon (e.g., littoral production vs. pelagic production)

Post et al. (2002) sampled 25 lakes These lakes ranged in size and TP Ecosystem size and TP were not correlated Used stable isotopes to determine trophic position of the dominant piscivore (bass, pike, walleye or trout) What did they conclude determines food chain length?

Food chain length is also an important determinant of contaminant concentrations in organisms.

Several types of toxic chemicals in the environment, many are harmful to both aquatic organisms and people

Some contaminants are unstable in the environment and degrade quickly, others are persistent

Mutagens cause mutations in DNA Carcinogens - cause cancer Neurotoxins - attack nerve cells Heavy Metals kill nerve cells Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (e.g., DDT) disrupt nerve cell membranes. Organophosphates and Carbamates (organic insecticides) inhibit signal transmission between nerve cells.

Bioaccumulation - an accumulation of a contaminant in an organism

Biomagnification increase in concentration of the contaminant from one link in a food chain to another

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

PCBs a group of 200+ synthetic chemicals that were used as insulating fluid for electrical equipment like capacitors and transformers Banned by the USEPA in 1979

Still present in many products made prior to 1979, and take a long time to break down.
Health effects - changes in liver activity, possible effects on immune, endocrine and reproductive systems, classified as probable human carcinogens

Can be stored in human fat tissue for years

Vander Zanden and Rasmussen 1996

Mercury

Mercury in the environment is primarily the result of human activities.

In lake and river sediments, bacteria create an organic form of mercury methylmercury. Methylmercury is very persistent in the environment and biomagnifies.

PCB Concentration (parts per million)

Advisory Category

below 0.05 0.05 - 0.2 0.2 - 1.0 1.0 - 2.0 above 2.0

unrestricted 1 meal per week 1 meal per month 6 meals per year no consumption

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/fishadv/fishadvisory04.htm

Also concerns about mercury

In order to protect the most sensitive populations, pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age and children younger than 15 years of age are advised to eat no more than one meal per week of predator fish. Since women beyond childbearing age and males older than 15 years of age are at less risk for the effects of methylmercury, these groups may continue to enjoy as many meals of predator fish as they please.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/fishadv/lakemichigan.htm Lake Michigan Cook and Lake Counties Species and Meal Frequency

Chinook Salmon

Coho Salmon

All Waters Less than 30" 1 meal/month - or Larger than 30" 6 meals/year Contaminant - PCBs

All Waters All Sizes 1 meal/month Contaminant - PCBs

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/fishadv/lakemichigan.htm Lake Michigan Cook and Lake Counties Species and Meal Frequency

Rainbow Trout

Brown Trout

Yellow Perch

All Waters Less than 22" 1 meal/week -orLarger than 17" 1 meal/month Contaminant PCB

All Waters Less than 22" 1 meal/month - or Larger than 22" 6 meals/year Contaminant PCBs

All Waters All Sizes 1 meal/week Contaminant PCBs

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/fishadv/lakemichigan.htm Lake Michigan Cook and Lake Counties Species and Meal Frequency

Channel Catfish

Lake Trout

Carp

All Waters All Sizes Do Not Eat Contaminant PCBs

All Waters Less than 23" 1 meal/month - or 23" to 27" 6 meals/year - or Larger than 27" Do Not Eat Contaminant PCBs

All Waters All Sizes Do Not Eat Contaminant PCB

Special Mercury Advisory

Water Body Species Sensitive Populations Others

Ohio River Rock River (Rockford to Milan Steel Dam) Arrowhead Lake Campus Lake (Southern Illinois University) Cedar Lake

Largemouth bass, all sizes Flathead Catfish, larger than 29" Largemouth Bass, all sizes Largemouth bass, all sizes Largemouth bass, all sizes White crappie, all sizes

1 meal/month 1 meal/month 1 meal/month 1 meal/month 1 meal/month 1 meal/week 1 meal/month 1 meal/month 1 meal/week 1 meal/month

1 meal/week 1 meal/week 1 meal/week 1 meal/week 1 meal/week Unlimited 1 meal/week 1 meal/week Unlimited 1 meal/week

Devil's Kitchen Lake Kinkaid Lake

Largemouth Bass, all sizes Largemouth bass, all sizes White crappie, all sizes

Lake In the Hills

Largemouth bass, greater than 15"

Midlothian Reservoir
Monee Reservoir

Largemouth bass, greater than 14"

Largemouth bass, all sizes

1 meal/month
1 meal/month

1 meal/week
1 meal/week

Q : A :

What are the potential health effects for people who eat fish contaminated with methylmercury? A: The developing nervous systems of fetuses and children could be damaged if exposed to even small amounts of methylmercury. At high doses, methylmercury can affect the central nervous system (causing such health problems as memory loss and slurred speech) and can cause kidney damage and failure, and gastrointestinal damage. The possible health effects depend on how much methylmercury is stored in the fish and how much fish is eaten over a period of time. Based on the amounts of methylmercury detected in predator sport fish in Illinois, it is unlikely that people would experience adverse health effects associated with exposure to high doses.

Q : A :

What about the fish I buy in the grocery store? Should I be concerned that they may be contaminated with mercury? Fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish contain high levels of methylmercury. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising pregnant women, women of childbearing age and children not to eat these fish. The FDA advisory acknowledges that seafood can be an important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women and women of childbearing age. The FDA advises these women to select a variety of other kinds of fish, such as shellfish, canned fish (including tuna), smaller ocean fish or farm-raised fish. These women can safely eat 12 ounces per week of cooked fish. A typical serving of fish is from 3 ounces to 6 ounces.

Concepts to Know
What was the major contribution of Lindemans trophic-dynamic concept? Why do we care about food chain length? How is trophic position estimated? What are some major contaminants of freshwater? How do these contaminants influence human health?

Practice question
In the first lab, you were introduced to depth-volume curves, which provide information on both the size and shape of a lake. From a depth-volume curve, you can determine the maximum depth of a lake (last point on the curve), how much water the lake holds (total volume), and whether or not most of the water is in shallow or deep water (the shape of the curve provides information about the bathymetry). Below are the depth-volume curves for Fair Lake and Clear Lake. Both lakes are located in central Wisconsin, just three miles apart. Imagine you are at a dinner party and you must choose to have your meal prepared from either a 25 lake trout from Fair Lake or a 25 lake trout from Clear Lake. The lake trout is the top predator in both lakes. If you are concerned about your health, from which lake should you select your fish dinner ? Please explain your choice.

Volume (m3 x 1010)

0 2 Depth (m) 6 8 10 12 Depth (m) 4 100 200 300 400

Volume (m3 x 105)

0
2 4 100 200 300 400

6
8 10 12

Fair Lake

Clear Lake