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Lake ecosystem effects associated with top-predator removal due to selenium toxicity

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Abstract

We examined the fish and zooplankton composition of Belews Lake, a 1,564-ha impoundment located in north-central North Carolina, which experienced a temporary surge of selenium that subsequently eliminated piscivorous fish stocks from the lake basin. Beginning in 1974 and ending in 2004, we focused on three 14 month sampling periods. In 1974/1975 the piscivorous fish community was comparable to that of near-by lakes. In the high selenium impact period of 1985/1986 piscivorous fish species were eliminated from the lake basin. In 2003/2004 piscivorous species again constituted a significant component of the fish community of the lake, although fish species diversity declined significantly. Lepomis cyanellus, which had been limited to <2% of all fish sampled prior to 1984, increased dramatically, constituting >63% from 1993 to 2004. Macrozooplankton density was >17 times higher in 1974/1975 than in 1985/1986. During 1985/1986, all cladocera except the smallest species were eliminated or were present at extremely low densities. As the piscivore population at Belews Lake returned to its pre-impact density, macrozooplankton recovered to baseline levels for density, raw species counts, and Shannon–Wiener diversity. Since zooplankton is resistant to selenium at the exposure levels experienced at Belews Lake, we attribute the changes in the restructuring of the zooplankton community and phytoplankton densities to changes in top-down predation.

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Acknowledgments

Matt Trump assisted in zooplankton identification. Financial assistance was provided by the Biology Department and Environmental Program of Wake Forest University. Dennis Lemly provided useful comments.

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  1. Department of Biology and Environmental Program, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA

    Robert A. Browne & David Lutz

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  1. Robert A. Browne
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  2. David Lutz
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Correspondence to Robert A. Browne.

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Handling editor: P. Noges

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Browne, R.A., Lutz, D. Lake ecosystem effects associated with top-predator removal due to selenium toxicity. Hydrobiologia 655, 137–148 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0416-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0416-3

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