Food web controls on mercury fluxes and fate in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon

dc.contributor.authorWalters, David M.
dc.contributor.authorCross, Wyatt F.
dc.contributor.authorKennedy, Theodore A.
dc.contributor.authorBaxter, Colden V.
dc.contributor.authorHall, R. O. Jr.
dc.contributor.authorRosi, E. J.
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-15T20:26:14Z
dc.date.available2021-09-15T20:26:14Z
dc.date.issued2020-05
dc.description.abstractMercury (Hg) biomagnification in aquatic food webs is a global concern; yet, the ways species traits and interactions mediate these fluxes remain poorly understood. Few pathways dominated Hg flux in the Colorado River despite large spatial differences in food web complexity, and fluxes were mediated by one functional trait, predation resistance. New Zealand mudsnails are predator resistant and a trophic dead end for Hg in food webs we studied. Fishes preferred blackflies, which accounted for 56 to 80% of Hg flux to fishes, even where blackflies were rare. Food web properties, i.e., match/mismatch between insect production and fish consumption, governed amounts of Hg retained in the river versus exported to land. An experimental flood redistributed Hg fluxes in the simplified tailwater food web, but not in complex downstream food webs. Recognizing that species traits, species interactions, and disturbance mediate contaminant exposure can improve risk management of linked aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems.en_US
dc.identifier.citationWalters, D. M., W.F. Cross, T.A. Kennedy, C.V. Baxter, R.O. Hall, and E.J. Rosi. “Food Web Controls on Mercury Fluxes and Fate in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon.” Science Advances 6, no. 20 (May 2020): eaaz4880. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaz4880.en_US
dc.identifier.issn2375-2548
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/16440
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rights© This published version is made available under the CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0en_US
dc.titleFood web controls on mercury fluxes and fate in the Colorado River, Grand Canyonen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
mus.citation.extentfirstpageeaaz4880en_US
mus.citation.issue20en_US
mus.citation.journaltitleScience Advancesen_US
mus.citation.volume6en_US
mus.data.thumbpage4en_US
mus.identifier.doi10.1126/sciadv.aaz4880en_US
mus.relation.collegeCollege of Letters & Scienceen_US
mus.relation.departmentEcology.en_US
mus.relation.universityMontana State University - Bozemanen_US

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