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The trophic niche of Arctic charr in large southern Scandinavian lakes is determined by fish community and lake morphometry

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Abstract

The influence of interspecific interactions and habitat characteristics on the ecological niche of species’ populations is a controversial issue in ecology. We explored the niche use of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) in seven relatively large and deep lakes in southern Norway. We aimed to investigate how the presence of potentially competitive fish species, such as whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.), perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and brown trout (Salmo trutta L.), and the lake morphometry affects the littoral reliance and niche breadth of Arctic charr. Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analyses showed that Arctic charr relied less on littoral food resources than brown trout and perch but had largely overlapping niche with whitefish. Arctic charr showed narrower niche use (i.e. less individual variation in δ13C and δ15N) than the other fish species in all seven lakes, particularly in communities where both littoral and pelagic competitors were present. Our results demonstrate that Arctic charr rely much less on littoral resources (<50%) in large and deep lakes in southern Scandinavia than in small, shallower subarctic lakes, and that interspecific interactions with both littoral and pelagic resource competitors can lead to niche compression of this generalist salmonid fish.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partly funded by the HydroBalance project (Norwegian Research Council Project No. 228714/E20) and by the strategic institute program (SIS) and other funds of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. The samples for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were collected in connection with applied projects funded by the hydropower companies Statkraft (Eikesdalsvatnet) and Glommens og Laagens Brukseierforening (Savalen, Aursunden, Storsjøen), during monitoring funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency (Atnsjøen) and during field work for the MSc theses (at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences) of Håkon Berg Sundet (Sølensjøen) and Eivind Haugerud (Skasen). The extra efforts required to collect isotope samples in these projects were funded by NINA. Assistance during fieldwork was provided by Randi Saksgård, Jon Gunnar Dokk (both NINA), Håkon Berg Sundet and Eivind Haugerud. Malcolm Jobling (UIT—The Arctic University of Norway) and three anonymous reviewers are thanked for their valuable comments to an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Odd Terje Sandlund.

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Guest editors: M. Power, R. Knudsen, C. Adams, M. J. Hansen, J. B. Dempson, M. Jobling & M. Ferguson / Advances in Charr Ecology and Evolution

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10750_2016_2646_MOESM2_ESM.eps

Online resource 3 (EPS 4808 kb). Biplot showing mean and standard deviation of δ13C and δ15N values for zooplankton, littoral zoobenthos and all analysed fish species from seven lakes in southern Norway. The fish species are: (Arctic) charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.), (brown) trout Salmo trutta L., whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (L.), perch Perca fluviatilis L., roach Rutilus rutilus (L.), grayling Thymallus thymallus (L.), (European) minnow Phoxinus phoxinus (L.), (Atlantic) salmon Salmo salar L., burbot Lota lota (L.), pike Esox lucius L., 3-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.), Sculpin (Alpine bullhead) Cottus poecilopus Heckel

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Sandlund, O.T., Eloranta, A.P., Borgstrøm, R. et al. The trophic niche of Arctic charr in large southern Scandinavian lakes is determined by fish community and lake morphometry. Hydrobiologia 783, 117–130 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2646-5

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