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Pacific salmon and the ecology of coastal ecosystems
Author(s) -
Schindler Daniel E.,
Scheuerell Mark D.,
Moore Jonathan W.,
Gende Scott M.,
Francis Tessa B.,
Palen Wendy J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/1540-9295(2003)001[0031:psateo]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - spawn (biology) , ecosystem , habitat , ecology , fishery , marine ecosystem , wildlife , aquatic ecosystem , freshwater ecosystem , range (aeronautics) , productivity , geography , environmental science , biology , materials science , macroeconomics , economics , composite material
One of the most spectacular phenomena in nature is the annual return of millions of salmon to spawn in their natal streams and lakes along the Pacific coast of North America. The salmon die after spawning, and the nutrients and energy in their bodies, derived almost entirely from marine sources, are deposited in the freshwater ecosystems. This represents a vital input to the ecosystems used as spawning grounds. Salmon‐derived nutrients make up a substantial fraction of the plants and animals in aquatic and terrestrial habitats associated with healthy salmon populations. The decline of salmon numbers throughout much of their southern range in North America has prompted concern that the elimination of this “conveyor belt” of nutrients and energy may fundamentally change the productivity of these coastal freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, and consequently their ability to support wildlife, including salmon. If progress is to be made towards understanding and conserving the connection between migratory salmon and coastal ecosystems, scientists and decision‐makers must explore and understand the vast temporal and spatial scales that characterize this relationship.