Energy sources and ecological role of crayfishes in an Ozark stream: insights from stable isotopes and gut analysis

Nous avons quantifie les sources d'energie des ecrevisses Orconectes luteus et O. punctimanus dans la riviere Jacks Fork (Missouri) a l'aide d'isotopes stables (δ 13 C et δ 15 N) et de l'analyse du contenu des intestins. Un modele mixte combinant les deux isotopes a fait ressortir que les deux tiers environ de la production des ecrevisses provenaient de sources allochtones de carbone, et que 30-50 % de cette production provenait de la consommation directe de matieres animales. Les jeunes de l'annee et les adultes d'O. luteus etaient plus carnivores que les adultes plus gros d'O. punctimanus. Les contributions des sources d'energie calculees a l'aide du modele combinant les isotopes stables etaient similaires aux resultats de l'analyse du contenu des intestins, apres correction pour l'assimilation differentielle des composantes alimentaires. Les proportions de la production des ecrevisses attribuees a la matiere animale selon ces deux methodes etaient quatre a cinq fois plus elevees que les estimations obtenues sans correction par l'analyse du contenu des intestins. Cette analyse sans correction surestimait le pourcentage de la production provenant de l'absorption directe des detritus. Les calculs des taux de consommation de la nourriture par les ecrevisses a partir de la production indiquaient que ces crustaces etaient les consommateurs dominants des invertebres benthiques, des detritus et des algues, et pourraient avoir une influence importante sur les niveaux trophiques inferieurs, la transformation de la matiere organique et le flux de l'energie dans ce systeme.

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