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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Intra-lake stable isotope ratio variation in selected fish species and their possible carbon sources in Lake Kyoga (Uganda): Implications for aquatic food web studies
African Journal of Ecology, Volume 48, No. 3, Year 2010
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Description
The stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) provide powerful tools for quantifying trophic relationships and carbon flow to consumers in food webs; however, the isotopic signatures of organisms vary within a lake. Assessment of carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures in a suite of plants, invertebrates, and fishes in Lake Kyoga, indicated significant variation between two sites for δ13C (paired t = 6.305; df = 14, P < 0.001 and δ15N paired t = 1.292; df = 14; P < 0.05). The fish fauna in Bukungu was generally more 13C enriched (mean δ13C = -16.37 ± 1.64‰) than in Iyingo (mean δ13C = -20.80 ± 2.41‰) but more δ15N depleted (mean δ15N = 5.57 ± 0.71‰) than in Iyingo (mean δ15N = 6.92 ± 0.83‰). The simultaneous shifts in phytoplankton and consumer signatures confirmed phytoplankton as the major source of carbon for the food chain leading to fish. Limited sampling coverage within lakes may affect lake wide stable isotope signatures, and the same error is transferred into trophic position estimation. Consideration of potential intra-lake spatial variability in isotope ratios and size is essential in evaluating the spatial and trophic structure of fish assemblages. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Mbabazi, D.
Uganda, Jinja
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute
Makanga, Boniface
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Orach-Meza, F.
Uganda
Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project
Hecky, Robert E.
Canada, Waterloo
University of Waterloo
Balirwa, John Stephen
Uganda, Jinja
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute
Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard
Uganda, Jinja
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute
Verburg, Piet
United States, Athens
University of Georgia
Chapman, Lauren J.
Canada, Montreal
Université Mcgill
United States, New York
Wildlife Conservation Society
Muhumuza, Elias
Uganda, Jinja
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute
Statistics
Citations: 17
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1365-2028.2009.01163.x
ISSN:
01416707
e-ISSN:
13652028
Research Areas
Environmental
Food Security
Health System And Policy
Study Locations
Uganda