TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable isotopes reveal that chironomids occupy several trophic levels within West Greenland lakes
T2 - implications for food web studies
AU - Reuss, Nina Steenberg
AU - Hamerlik, Ladislav
AU - Velle, Gaute
AU - Michelsen, Anders
AU - Pedersen, Ole
AU - Brodersen, Klaus Peter
N1 - CENPERM[2013]
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Stable isotope analyses of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ 13C) were conducted on individual chironomid taxa from low arctic lakes to investigate the range in trophic levels covered by this diverse insect group. Five lakes were sampled, including two freshwater, two oligosaline, and one glacier influenced lake, representing the major lake types in southwest Greenland. There was a large difference in the offset of isotopic values among the different lake types. In the oligosaline lakes, we ascribe low d13C values to the use of recycled CO2, while the high δ 15N signal ispossibly controlled by microbial processes. In order to compare among lakes, the δ 15N signal of the chironomid taxa was normalized to common primary consumers (Psectrocladius sordidellus group and Psectrocladius limbatellus groups) that show consistently low δ 15N values and belong to the subfamily Orthocladiinae. Normalized δ 15N values spanned more than 5‰, indicating that the chironomid community covered at least two trophic levels in these low arctic lakes. The δ 15N values of different chironomid taxa within a single habitat differed by 1‰ to 5‰. The results suggest that chironomids should not be considered as one group in food web studies. Even interpretation of trophic position on subfamily level can be problematic as a result of the large differences observed in their δ 15N values. The level of detailed trophic information on individual chironomid taxa presented here has not previously been reported. Chironomids are an abundant and important group of organisms in arctic lakes, and the observed variation in their trophic level indicates a high complexity of the food web structure of arctic lakes.
AB - Stable isotope analyses of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ 13C) were conducted on individual chironomid taxa from low arctic lakes to investigate the range in trophic levels covered by this diverse insect group. Five lakes were sampled, including two freshwater, two oligosaline, and one glacier influenced lake, representing the major lake types in southwest Greenland. There was a large difference in the offset of isotopic values among the different lake types. In the oligosaline lakes, we ascribe low d13C values to the use of recycled CO2, while the high δ 15N signal ispossibly controlled by microbial processes. In order to compare among lakes, the δ 15N signal of the chironomid taxa was normalized to common primary consumers (Psectrocladius sordidellus group and Psectrocladius limbatellus groups) that show consistently low δ 15N values and belong to the subfamily Orthocladiinae. Normalized δ 15N values spanned more than 5‰, indicating that the chironomid community covered at least two trophic levels in these low arctic lakes. The δ 15N values of different chironomid taxa within a single habitat differed by 1‰ to 5‰. The results suggest that chironomids should not be considered as one group in food web studies. Even interpretation of trophic position on subfamily level can be problematic as a result of the large differences observed in their δ 15N values. The level of detailed trophic information on individual chironomid taxa presented here has not previously been reported. Chironomids are an abundant and important group of organisms in arctic lakes, and the observed variation in their trophic level indicates a high complexity of the food web structure of arctic lakes.
U2 - 10.4319/lo.2013.58.3.1023
DO - 10.4319/lo.2013.58.3.1023
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0024-3590
VL - 58
SP - 1023
EP - 1034
JO - Limnology and Oceanography
JF - Limnology and Oceanography
IS - 3
ER -
