Stable isotope analysis provides novel insights for measuring lake ecosystem recovery following acidification

dc.affiliation.institutionLaurentian University Faculty of Science Engineering and Architecture
dc.affiliation.institutionUniversity of Guelph
dc.affiliation.institutionLaurentian University
dc.affiliation.institutionNatural Resources Canada
dc.affiliation.institutionUniversity of Guelph
dc.affiliation.institutionOntario Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks
dc.contributor.authorDawson, Jade
dc.contributor.authorGuzzo, Matthew M
dc.contributor.authorGunn, John M
dc.contributor.authorEmilson, Erik J.S.
dc.contributor.authorMcCann, Kevin S.
dc.contributor.authorEdwards, Brie
dc.date.accepted2024-04-02
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-24T13:00:41Z
dc.date.available2024-06-24T13:00:41Z
dc.date.issued2024-04-02
dc.date.revised2024-03-14
dc.date.submitted2023-10-20
dc.description.abstractUnstable and simplified freshwater food webs impair the resilience of Canadian fisheries facing environmental stressors. This study utilizes stable isotope analyses to assess trophic recovery to explore food web resiliency in lakes historically impacted by metal mining in Sudbury, Ontario. Carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N) stable isotope ratios were quantified in yellow perch (Perca flavescens), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and baseline organisms to develop quantitative population metrics and describe dietary niche partitioning. The most severely damaged lake with a barren watershed had the lowest trophic positioning, smallest body size and niche area, and greatest niche overlap among fish species. Semi-barren and forested watershed lakes were more similar to reference lakes in isotopic metrics; however elevated niche overlap and reduced trophic positioning suggests recovery in these lakes is ongoing. We found that including stable isotope analyses in lake recovery studies provided critical insights not captured by traditional biomonitoring approaches.
dc.description.disclaimerThe presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author.
dc.identifier.doi10.1139/cjfas-2023-0305
dc.identifier.issn0706-652X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1807/138860
dc.publication.journalCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
dc.publisherCanadian Science Publishing
dc.titleStable isotope analysis provides novel insights for measuring lake ecosystem recovery following acidification
dc.typeResearch Article
dc.typeArticle Post-Print

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