97th ESA Annual Meeting (August 5 -- 10, 2012)

OOS 44 - Impacts of Species Addition and Species Loss on Ecosystem Function in Freshwater Systems

Thursday, August 9, 2012: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
B116, Oregon Convention Center
Organizer:
Krista A. Capps
Co-organizers:
Carla L. Atkinson and Amanda Rugenski
Moderator:
Krista A. Capps
Understanding the role of species as drivers of ecosystem processes is imperative to preserve, utilize, and sustain ecosystems throughout the globe. The addition of species through invasion and the subtraction of species through extirpation and/or extinction can have profound effects on primary production, community respiration, and nutrient cycling. This is especially true for freshwater ecosystems in which a preponderance of native species are threatened with extirpation and/or extinction and where non-native species are frequently introduced. Commonly, anthropogenic activities result in the loss of biodiversity and enhance the ability of exotic species to invade and persist in novel habitats. These activities are expected to increase through time and advances in understanding the consequences of species loss and addition on ecosystem function are needed to guide appropriate management and conservation decisions. The loss and addition of organisms may result in a reduced capacity to support processes of self-purification of natural freshwater ecosystems and may render many habitats functionally impaired. The goal of this session is to use theoretical and applied work from studies of the addition of species and the loss of species from freshwater ecosystems to create a conceptual framework to quantify the effect of organisms on ecosystem processes. This goal will be achieved by addressing the following questions: 1. What patterns emerge from studies examining changes in ecosystem function after species invasion and species loss? 2. Are these patterns consistent across study sites and study organisms? 3. Are there specific character traits that make a species more apt to be an important driver of ecosystem function? The session will begin by a talk summarizing what has been learned from studies examining the effects of species loss and species gain on ecosystem processes. This talk will be followed by a series of theoretical and applied talks examining the effects of species addition and species loss from a broad range of freshwater ecosystems. For example, one of the talks will discuss changes in nutrient recycling after the loss of native bivalves in river ecosystems. We will also feature talks focused on the context-dependent nature of ecosystem change in response to increasing populations of organisms. We will close the session with a brief summary of findings that highlights the emerging patterns from the two types of studies and begin to outline a framework for understanding and predicting the potential effects of species gain and species loss on ecosystem processes in freshwater ecosystems.
1:30 PM
The effects of species gain and species loss on nutrient storage and cycling in freshwater ecosystems: Summarizing patterns across ecosystems
Carla L. Atkinson, Alabama University; Krista A. Capps, University of Maine; Amanda Rugenski, Southern Illinois University
1:50 PM
Trophic state mediates the effect of cyanobacterial blooms on freshwater ecosystems
Cayelan Carey, Virginia Tech; Kathryn L. Cottingham, Dartmouth; Kathleen C. Weathers, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Nelson G. Hairston Jr., Cornell University
2:10 PM
Emerging lessons: Invasive species effects that cross habitat boundaries
Colden V. Baxter, Idaho State University; Joseph R. Benjamin, U. S. Geological Survey; Madeleine M. Mineau, University of Maine; Kurt Fausch, Colorado State University; Fabio Lepori, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland; Amy M. Marcarelli, Michigan Technological University; G. Wayne Minshall, Idaho State University
2:30 PM
Linking fish diversity to primary productivity: Direct and indirect feedback pathways in Lake Tanganyika
Peter B. McIntyre, University of Wisconsin; Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Wright State University; Benjamin M. Kraemer, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Renalda Munubi, Wright State University; Samuel Drerup, Wright State University
2:50 PM
Mussels, drought and ecosystem services
Caryn C. Vaughn, University of Oklahoma; Carla L. Atkinson, Alabama University; Adam J. Riggsbee, Riverbank Ecosystems; Daniel E. Spooner, University of Massachussetts
3:10 PM
3:20 PM
Invasion potential and ecosystem-level impacts of non-native fishes in a riverine system
Weston H. Nowlin, Texas State University; Crystal LeBeouf, Texas State University; Susanna Scott, Texas State University; Corey Pray, Texas State University; Yixin Zhang, Texas State University at San Marcos
3:40 PM
Ecosystem-consequences of community disassembly in freshwater ecosystems
Jonathan W. Moore, Simon Fraser University; Julian D. Olden, University of Washington
4:00 PM
Building a framework for predicting the effects of species addition and species loss on nutrient dynamics in freshwater ecosystems
Amanda Rugenski, Southern Illinois University; Krista A. Capps, University of Maine; Carla L. Atkinson, Alabama University
4:20 PM
Taxonomically diverse predator assemblages and the consequences for nutrient recycling in California stream ecosystems
Robin G. Munshaw, Simon Fraser University; Wendy J. Palen, Simon Fraser University; Danielle M. Courcelles, Simon Fraser University; Jacques C. Finlay, University of Minnesota
4:40 PM
Top predator extinctions in drying streams modify community structure and ecosystem functioning
Kate S. Boersma, University of San Diego; Michael T. Bogan, University of Arizona; David A. Lytle, Oregon State University
See more of: Organized Oral Session