Measuring Changes in Consumer Resource Availability to Riverine Pulsing in Breton Sound, Louisiana, USA

摘要: Resource pulses are thought to structure communities and food webs through the assembly of consumers. Aggregated consumers represent a high quality resource subsidy that becomes available for trophic transfer during after pulse. In estuarine systems, riverine flood deliver large quantities basal resources make habitat exploitation by These change in may be transfer. We quantified this increased consumer availability (nekton density, biomass, energy density) provided pulsing Breton Sound, Louisiana, USA. used water level differences between an area subject two experimental (inflow) reference not receiving inflow identify percentage nekton standing stock density attributable solely subsidy. Riverine accounted more than 60% resident (ind m−2), biomass (g (cal m−2) on flooded marsh surface pulse events 2005. Our results document potential from export subtidal habitats. Given predicted scale changes river discharge globally, approach could provide useful tool quantifying effects availability.