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Pacific Salmon Carcasses: Essential Contributions of Nutrients and Energy for Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems
Author(s) -
Cederholm C. Jeff,
Kunze Matt D.,
Murota Takeshi,
Sibatani Atuhiro
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1999)024<0006:psc>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - fish migration , habitat , ecosystem , nutrient , biota , fishery , aquatic ecosystem , terrestrial ecosystem , marine ecosystem , ecology , marine habitats , freshwater ecosystem , environmental science , biology
Pacific salmon and other anadromous salmonids represent a major vector for transporting marine nutrients across ecosystem boundaries (i.e., from marine to freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems). Salmon carcasses provide nutrients and energy to biota within aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through various pathways. In this paper we review and synthesize the growing number of studies documenting this process in different localities. We also discuss the implications for maintaining the nutrient feedback system. Our findings show that future management will need to view spawning salmon and their carcasses as important habitat components for sustaining the production of fish as well as other salmon‐dependent species within watersheds.