Differential use of salmon by vertebrate consumers: implications for conservation

PeerJ
Taal LeviChristopher C Wilmers

Abstract

Salmon and other anadromous fish are consumed by vertebrates with distinct life history strategies to capitalize on this ephemeral pulse of resource availability. Depending on the timing of salmon arrival, this resource may be in surplus to the needs of vertebrate consumers if, for instance, their populations are limited by food availability during other times of year. However, the life history of some consumers enables more efficient exploitation of these ephemeral resources. Bears can deposit fat and then hibernate to avoid winter food scarcity, and highly mobile consumers such as eagles, gulls, and other birds can migrate to access asynchronous pulses of salmon availability. We used camera traps on pink, chum, and sockeye salmon spawning grounds with various run times and stream morphologies, and on individual salmon carcasses, to discern potentially different use patterns among consumers. Wildlife use of salmon was highly heterogeneous. Ravens were the only avian consumer that fed heavily on pink salmon in small streams. Eagles and gulls did not feed on early pink salmon runs in streams, and only moderately at early sockeye runs, but were the dominant consumers at late chum salmon runs, particularly on expansive river flats...Continue Reading

References

Oct 5, 2007·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·Christian L Cox, Stephen M Secor
Mar 31, 2010·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Layne G AdamsRobert O Rye
Apr 17, 2012·PLoS Biology·Taal LeviChristopher C Wilmers
May 1, 2001·Oecologia·S M GendeM F Willson

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Citations

Sep 25, 2018·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Amanda L Subalusky, David M Post
Dec 29, 2018·Molecular Ecology Resources·Taal LeviDouglas W Yu
Dec 22, 2019·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Alexandra E LincolnThomas P Quinn
Nov 24, 2018·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Nathan B FureyScott G Hinch

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