Food Webs and Communities

Aquatic ecosystems are undergoing rapid change as climate warming, species introductions, and other human disturbances alter the structure of communities worldwide. Understanding how biodiversity supports ecosystem stability and resilience requires linking species interactions to broader patterns of community organization.

Community assemblages in invaded lakes

Many native fishes, particularly smaller-bodied species like minnows, are vulnerable to sportfish introductions. Using spatial surveys, we are characterizing predator-sensitive and predator-tolerant species and the assemblages they form. By integrating environmental conditions and the biogeographical histories of these fishes, we aim to better understand how native species distribute across lakes.

Long-term responses to non-native predator removals

Removing non-native predators can reshape lake communities, but the long-term outcomes are not always straightforward. By tracking fish assemblages through time, we are examining how ecosystems respond to a two-decade smallmouth bass removal. This work provides insight into whether native species rebound, how food webs reorganize, and what these patterns reveal about restoring biodiversity in invaded lakes.

  • Related works
    • Detmer, T.M.*, Airey, M.E.*, Jirka, K.J., Randall, E.A., Zarri, L.J., McIntyre, P.B., Kraft, C.E. (2025). Community-wide transient dynamics of lake fish populations in response to two decades of suppressing an invasive predator. Journal of Applied Ecology. Check out our recent paper!
    • Zarri, L.J., Kraft, C.E., McIntyre, P.B., Baetscher, D.S., Jirka, K.J., Randall, E.A., Marcy-Quay, B , St. John, C.A., Sethi, S.A., Airey, M.E. , Detmer, T.M., Flecker, A.S., Therkildsen, N.O.. (2025). Rapid evolution impedes eradication of an introduced predator. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Check out a collaborator's evolutionary perspective on this predator removal!

Trophic ecology of native fishes

Fish species differ in how they use resources and share space within food webs. By examining trophic niches through stable isotope analysis, we can identify patterns of resource use, overlap, and specialization among species. Connecting these patterns with environmental gradients helps us understand how communities are structured and how fish interact within their ecosystems.