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Food web structure in exotic and native mangroves: a Hawaii–Puerto Rico comparison

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Abstract

Plant invasions can fundamentally alter detrital inputs and the structure of detritus-based food webs. We examined the detrital pathways in mangrove food webs in native (Puerto Rican) and introduced (Hawaiian) Rhizophora mangle forests using a dual isotope approach and a mixing model. Based on trophic-level fractionation of 0–1‰ for δ 13C and 2–3‰ for δ 15N, among the invertebrates, only nematodes, oligochaetes, and nereid polychaetes from native mangroves exhibited stable isotopes consistent with a mangrove-derived diet. Certain fauna, in particular tubificid oligochaetes, had δ 13C values consistent with the consumption of mangrove leaves, but they were depleted in 15N, suggesting their primary nitrogen source was low in 15N, and was possibly N2-fixing bacteria. In introduced mangroves, all feeding groups appeared to rely heavily on non-mangrove sources, especially phytoplankton inputs. Mixing model results and discriminant analysis showed clear separation of introduced and native mangrove sites based on differential food source utilization within feeding groups, with stronger and more diverse use of benthic foods observed in native forests. Observed differences between native and invasive mangrove food webs may be due to Hawaiian detritivores being poorly adapted to utilizing the tannin-rich, nitrogen-poor mangrove detritus. In addition, differential utilization of mangrove detritus between native and introduced mangroves may be a consequence of forest age. We postulate that increasing mangrove forest age may promote diversification of bacterial food webs important in N and S cycling. Our results also suggest a potentially important role for sulfur bacteria in supporting the most abundant infaunal consumers, nematodes, in the most mature systems.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the many people who have assisted with the field collections, infaunal sorting, and sample analyses, especially the JBNERR Staff, C. Burgos, E. Quiñones, C. Mojica, P. Robles, L. Crawford, A. Thurber, A. Glover, A. Hannides, G. Demopoulos, T. Rust, and J. Tanimoto. Also, the following people assisted with animal identifications: I. Altamira, J. Bailey-Brock, C. Erseus, A. Fukunaga, S. Godwin, K. Longenecker. Grant support was provided by a Hawaii Sea Grant (NA 86RG0041) to C. R. S. and A. D., and from a NOAA/NERR fellowship to A. D. This is contribution no. 7118 from the School of Ocean and Earth Science, the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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  1. Department of Oceanography, SOEST, University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Amanda W. J. Demopoulos & Craig R. Smith

  2. Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Amanda W. J. Demopoulos

  3. US Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 7920 NW 71st St, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA

    Amanda W. J. Demopoulos

  4. Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies, Coastal Ecology Institute, School of the Coast, and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Brian Fry

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Correspondence to Amanda W. J. Demopoulos.

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Communicated by Tim Seastedt.

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Demopoulos, A.W.J., Fry, B. & Smith, C.R. Food web structure in exotic and native mangroves: a Hawaii–Puerto Rico comparison. Oecologia 153, 675–686 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-007-0751-x

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