Piscivore stocking significantly suppresses small fish but does not facilitate a clear-water state in subtropical shallow mesocosms: A biomanipulation experiment

He H., Qian T., Shen R., Yu J., Li K., Liu Z., ...More

Science of the Total Environment, vol.842, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 842
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156967
  • Journal Name: Science of the Total Environment
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Analytical Abstracts, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, EMBASE, Environment Index, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Geobase, Greenfile, MEDLINE, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Public Affairs Index, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Keywords: Trophic cascade, Fish-induced sediment resuspension, Warm Lake restoration, Snakehead, Crucian carp, TOP-DOWN CONTROL, TROPHIC CASCADES, CARASSIUS-CARASSIUS, LAKE RESTORATION, BOTTOM-UP, FOOD, ZOOPLANKTON, PLANKTON, CLIMATE, GROWTH
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

© 2022Biomanipulation by piscivore stocking has been widely used to combat eutrophication in north temperate lakes, but its applicability in warm lakes has not yet been well elucidated. Here, we used experimental mesocosms to test the effects of a native benthi-piscivore (snakehead, Channa argus Cantor) on water clarity under subtropical conditions where small omni-benthivorous fish like crucian carp (Carassius carassius L.) prevail. Our results showed that, despite of a great reduction of crucian carp biomass, snakehead stocking did not create a strong trophic cascade as neither (herbivorous) zooplankton biomass nor their grazing pressure, indicated by biomass ratio of (herbivorous) zooplankton to phytoplankton, changed significantly. Moreover, snakehead stocking significantly increased water non-algal turbidity as well as nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations, suggesting that these benthi-piscivores also disturbed sediments like crucian carp did. Our study showed that biomanipulation by stocking of snakehead does not facilitate clear-water state in warm shallow lakes, even on the short-term.