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Connecting the trophic dots: responses of an aquatic bird species to variable abundance of macroinvertebrates in northern boreal wetlands

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Abstract

To evaluate variation in abundance of boreal wetland macroinvertebrates and test for effects of this variation on the diet and habitat use of a bird species that consumes aquatic invertebrates (lesser scaup, Aythya affinis), we collected macroinvertebrates and birds and conducted bird surveys (June–August) at two wetland complexes in northwestern Canada and assessed diet composition using an isotopic approach. At both study areas, for macroinvertebrate taxa reported to be key prey items for scaup, biomass varied intra-seasonally and annually, but patterns differed among taxa and between areas. Macroinvertebrate biomass varied strongly across wetlands within study areas, and isotopic mixing models indicated that local heterogeneity in macroinvertebrate biomass was reflected in duckling diets, which also varied across wetlands, indicating a generalist foraging strategy for this species. Wetland habitats used by brood-rearing female scaup had greater amphipod and gastropod biomasses. Our results show that boreal wetland macroinvertebrate abundances vary considerably across coarse and fine spatial scales. Female scaup and their ducklings appear well adapted to exploit this dynamic food resource, but overall productivity of scaup may depend on the abundances of certain taxa, suggesting that conservation efforts should focus on maintaining abundant populations of key wetland invertebrates.

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Acknowledgments

We thank numerous individuals (notably Karen Petkau, Olivier Mongeon, Melanie Wilson, Wally Price, and Steve Leach) for help in the field, as well as the Gwich’in Renewable Resource Board (funding and logistical support), Gwich’in Tribal Council (land access), and the Gwichya Gwich’in Renewable Resource Council (Tsiigehtchic Renewable Resource Council) for permission to work on their land. Studies were conducted under licences from the Canadian Wildlife Service (Permit NWT-SCI-04-04) and the University of Saskatchewan Animal Care and Use Committee (Permit 20050038). We are also grateful to Hollie Remenda for tireless work in the lab. Funding was provided by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Environment Canada, personal support for K. Gurney was through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant (to RGC), NSERC Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship in conjunction with DUC, University of Saskatchewan Graduate Fellowship, MBNA Canada Bank Conservation Fellowship (DUC), Northern Scientific Training Program (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) and Dennis Raveling Scholarship for Waterfowl Research, California Waterfowl Association. Finally, we thank Mark Miller and an anonymous reviewer for constructive review comments.

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  1. K. E. B. Gurney

    Present address: Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    K. E. B. Gurney & R. G. Clark

  2. Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Canada

    R. G. Clark

  3. Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Canada

    S. M. Slattery & L. C. M. Ross

  4. Native Plant Solutions, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Winnipeg, Canada

    L. C. M. Ross

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  1. K. E. B. Gurney
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Gurney, K.E.B., Clark, R.G., Slattery, S.M. et al. Connecting the trophic dots: responses of an aquatic bird species to variable abundance of macroinvertebrates in northern boreal wetlands. Hydrobiologia 785, 1–17 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2817-4

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