Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Competitive exclusion after invasion?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ is a foundation stone in the understanding of interspecific competition and niche relationships between species. In spite of having the status of a biological law, the principle has limited empirical support. In this study, we document strong effects of competition from the invading fish species vendace Coregonus albula over a 14-year period in the sub-arctic Pasvik watercourse. The native d.r. whitefish, that shared food and habitat niche with the invader, was displaced from its original niche and showed a more than 90% decline in population density over the study period. The study thus provides a unique record of how an exotic fish species excludes a native species from its original niche. Our data support the competitive exclusion principle, but also indicate that the vulnerability of the inferior competitor depends on a lack of alternative resources and on indirect ecological interactions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amundsen P-A, Staldvik FJ, Reshetnikov YS, Kashulin N, Lukin A, Bøhn T, Sandlund OT, Popova OA (1999) Invasion of vendace Coregonus albula in a subarctic watercourse. Biol Conserv 88:405–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen P-A, Bøhn T, Popova OA, Staldvik FJ, Reshetnikov YS, Kashulin NA, Lukin A (2003) Ontogenetic niche shifts and resource partitioning in a subarctic piscivore fish guild. Hydrobiologia 497:109–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen P-A, Bøhn T, Våga G (2004) Gill raker morphology and feeding ecology of two sympatric whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) morphs. Ann Zool Fenn 41:125–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Bøhn T, Amundsen P-A (1998) Effects of invading vendace (Coregonus albula L.) on species composition and body size in two zooplankton communities of the Pasvik River System, northern Norway. J Plankton Res 20:243–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bøhn T, Amundsen P-A (2001) The competitive edge of an invading specialist. Ecology 82:2150–2163

    Google Scholar 

  • Bøhn T, Amundsen P-A, Popova OA, Reshetnikov YS, Staldvik FJ (2002) Predator avoidance of coregonids: habitat choice explained by size-related prey vulnerability? Arch Hydrobiol Spec Issues Adv Limnol Ergebnisse Limnol 57:183–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Bøhn T, Sandlund OT, Amundsen PA, Primicerio R (2004) Rapidly changing life history during invasion. Oikos 106:138–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brian MV (1956) Segregation of species of the ant genus Myrmica. J Anim Ecol 25:319–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks JL, Dodson SI (1965) Predation, body size, and composition of plankton. Science 150:28–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diehl S, Eklov P (1995) Effects of piscivore-mediated habitat use on resources, diet, and growth of perch. Ecology 76:1712–1726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekschmitt K, Breckling B (1994) Competition and coexistence – the contribution of modeling to the formation of ecological concepts. Ecol Model 75:71–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gause GF (1934) The struggle for existence. Haefner

  • Geiger W, Alcorlo P, Baltanas A, Montes C (2005) Impact of an introduced Crustacean on the trophic webs of Mediterranean wetlands. Biol Invas 7:49–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gliwicz M, Pijanowska J (1989) The role of predation in zooplankton succession. In: Sommer U (ed) Plankton ecology: succession in plankton communities. Springer-Verlag, pp 253–296

  • Glowka L, Burhenne-Guilmin F, Synge H (1994) A guide to the convention on biological diversity. IUCN, Gland & Cambridge

  • Hardin G (1960) The competitive exclusion principle. Science 131:1292–1297

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helminen H, Sarvala J (1994) Population regulation of vendace (Coregonus albula) in Lake Pyhajarvi, Southwest Finland. J Fish Biol 45:387–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Keddy PA (1989) Competition. Chapman & Hall

  • Lazzaro X (1987) A review of planktivorous fishes: their evolution, feeding behaviours, selectivities, and impacts. Hydrobiologia 146:97–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lotka AJ (1932) The growth of mixed populations: two species competing for a common food supply. J Washington Acad Sci 72:461–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller TE, Burns JH, Munguia P, Walters EL, Kneitel JM, Richards PM, Mouquet N, Buckley HL (2005) A critical review of twenty years’ use of the resource-ratio theory. Am Nat 165:439–448

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moyer GR, Osborne M, Turner TF (2005) Genetic and ecological dynamics of species replacement in an arid-land river system. Mol Ecol 14:1263–1273

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mutenia A, Salonen E (1992) The vendace (Coregonus albula L.), a new species in the fish community and fisheries of Lake Inari. Arch Hydrobiol 39:797–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Næsje TF, Sandlund OT, Saksgård R (1998) Selective predation of piscivorous brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) on polymorphic whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.). Arch Hydrobiol Spec Issues Adv Limnol 50:283–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson NA (1967) Interactive segregation between fish species. In: Gerking SD (ed) The biological basis of freshwater fish production. Blackwell, pp 295–313

  • Nilsson NA (1978) The role of size-biased predation in competition and interactive segregation in fish. In: Gerking SD (ed) Ecology of freshwater fish production. Blackwell, pp 303–325

  • Ostbye K, Naesje TF, Bernatchez L, Sandlund OT, Hindar K (2005) Morphological divergence and origin of sympatric populations of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) in Lake Femund, Norway. J Evol Biol 18:683–702

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ostbye K, Amundsen PA, Bernatchez L, Klemetsen A, Knudsen R, Kristoffersen R, Naesje TF, Hindar K (2006) Parallel evolution of ecomorphological traits in the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (L.) species complex during postglacial times. Mol Ecol 15:3983–4001

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peters RH (1991) A critique for ecology. Cambridge University Press

  • Pianka ER (2000) Evolutionary ecology. Benjamin-Cummings

  • Pimm SL (1989) Theories of predicting success and impact of introduced species. In: Drake JA (ed) Biological invasion: a global perspective. John Wiley & Sons

  • Ross ST (1986) Resource partitioning in fish assemblages: a review of field studies. Copeia 2:352–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross ST (1991) Mechanisms structuring stream fish assemblages: are there lessons from introduced species? Environ Biol Fishes 30:359–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson SL, Cheer AY, Goodrich JS, Graziano JD, Callan WT (2001) Crossflow filtration in suspension-feeding fishes. Nature 412:439–441

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sandlund OT, Schei PJ, Viken Å (1999) Invasive species and biodiversity management. Kluwer Academic Publishers

  • Simberloff D (1981) Community effects of introduced species. In: Nitecki MH (ed) Biotic crisis in ecological and evolutionary time. Academic Press

  • Skurdal J, Vøllestad LA, Qenild T (1985) Comparison of scales and otoliths for age determination in whitefish Coregonus lavaretus. Fish Res 3:237–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svärdson G (1976) Interspecific population dominance in fish communities in Scandinavian lakes. Inst Freshwater Res Drottningholm 55:144–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1980) Resources – a graphical-mechanistic approach to competition and predation. Am Nat 116:362–393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1982) Resource competition and community structure. Princeton University Press

  • Volterra V (1931) Variations and fluctuations of the numbers of individuals in animal species living together. In: Chapman RN (ed) Animal ecology. McGraw-Hill, pp 409–448

  • Wang ZL, Wang FZ, Chen S, Zhu MY (2002) Competition and coexistence in regional habitats. Am Nat 159:498–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wauters LA, Tosi G, Gurnell J (2002) Interspecific competition in tree squirrels: do introduced grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) deplete tree seeds hoarded by red squirrels (S. vulgaris)? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 51:360–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb CO, Ackerly DD, Mcpeek MA, Donoghue MJ (2002) Phylogenies and community ecology. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 33:475–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber M (1999) The aim and structure of ecological theory. Philos Sci 66:71–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner EE (1986) Species interactions in freshwater fish communities. In: Diamond JM, Case TJ (eds) Community ecology. Princeton University Press, pp 344–357

  • Williamson M (1996) Biological invasions. Chapman & Hall

  • Wilson KA, Magnuson JJ, Lodge DM, Hill AM, Kratz TK, Perry WL, Willis TV (2004) A long-term rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) invasion: dispersal patterns and community change in a north temperate lake. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 61:2255–2266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wootton RJ (1998) Ecology of teleost fishes. Kluwer Academic Publishers

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Stephen T. Ross for comments on an earlier version of the manuscript and to Frode Staldvik, Laina Dalsbø, Jan Evjen, Elleke Wartena, Pål Arne Bjørn, Hallvard Jensen, Gry Hellander Våga, Ingrid Jensvoll, Karl Øystein Gjelland, Anna Siwertson, Odd Terje Sandlund and Rune Knudsen for help during field work. Financial support was given by the Norwegian Research Council under the program ‘Biological Diversity – Dynamics, Threats and Management’, the Directorate for Nature Management and the Governor of Finnmark County.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology, The Science Park, P.O. Box 6418, Tromso , 9294, Norway

    Thomas Bøhn

  2. Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Tromso , 9037, Norway

    Per-Arne Amundsen

  3. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Mail Stop 186/1000 Valley Road, Reno, NV, 89012-0013, USA

    Ashley Sparrow

Authors
  1. Thomas Bøhn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Per-Arne Amundsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ashley Sparrow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Bøhn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bøhn, T., Amundsen, PA. & Sparrow, A. Competitive exclusion after invasion?. Biol Invasions 10, 359–368 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9135-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9135-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation