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Effects of exotic fish farms on bird communities in lake and marine ecosystems

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Abstract

Salmon farming is a widespread activity around the world, also known to promote diverse environmental effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, information regarding the impact of salmon farming on bird assemblages is notably scarce. We hypothesize that salmon farming, by providing food subsidies and physical structures to birds, will change their local community structure. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a seasonal monitoring of bird richness, abundance, and composition at paired salmon pen and control plots in two marine and two lake sites in southern Chile, from fall 2002 to summer 2004. Overall, salmon farming had no significant effects on species richness, but bird abundance was significantly and noticeably higher in salmon pens than in controls. Such aggregation was mainly accounted for by the trophic guilds of omnivores, diving piscivores, carrion eaters, and perching piscivores, but not by invertebrate feeders, herbivores, and surface feeders. Species composition was also significantly and persistently different between salmon pens and controls within each lake or marine locality. The patterns described above remained consistent across environment types and seasons indicating that salmon farming is changing the community structure of birds in both lake and marine habitats by promoting functional and aggregation responses, particularly by favoring species with broader niches. Such local patterns may thus anticipate potential threats from the ongoing expansion of the salmon industry to neighboring areas in Chile, resulting in regional changes of bird communities, toward a less diverse one and dominated by opportunistic, common, and generalist species such as gulls, vultures, and cormorants.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant (to JEJ) from the Research Division of Universidad de Los Lagos. We thank Marine Harvest and Multiexport for granting access to their fish farms at Calbuco and Puerto Fonck, respectively, and to the Experimental Aquaculture Centers of Limnology and Marine Sciences of Universidad de Los Lagos for their logistical support at Rupanco and Metri, respectively. The Birder Exchange program provided field equipment, and A.H. Navarrete helped with the nMDS analysis. We appreciate the English correction made by K. Moses. We also thank the comments of J.P. González-Varo. FEF was supported by a CONICYT doctoral fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies, Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203-5017, USA

    Jaime E. Jiménez

  2. Programa IBAM, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile

    Aldo M. Arriagada

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800024, Santiago, Chile

    Francisco E. Fontúrbel

  4. Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile

    Patricio A. Camus & M. Isidora Ávila-Thieme

  5. Omora Ethnobotanical Park, Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile

    Jaime E. Jiménez

Authors
  1. Jaime E. Jiménez
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  2. Aldo M. Arriagada
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  3. Francisco E. Fontúrbel
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  4. Patricio A. Camus
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  5. M. Isidora Ávila-Thieme
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Correspondence to Francisco E. Fontúrbel.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Jiménez, J.E., Arriagada, A.M., Fontúrbel, F.E. et al. Effects of exotic fish farms on bird communities in lake and marine ecosystems. Naturwissenschaften 100, 779–787 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1076-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1076-8

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