Kiselev Alexander D, Zalota Anna K
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences,117997 Moscow, Russia.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Sep 29;13(10):781. doi: 10.3390/biology13100781.
The introduction of a new species can lead to substantial changes in a new ecosystem. Local and introduced species' survival depends on their ability to adapt to the new environment. Studying such adaptations is often hindered by multiple factors affecting the ecosystem. The introduction of a large predatory snow crab, , into the Kara Sea, is a unique invasive species affecting an otherwise undisturbed ecosystem. The crab has caused drastic changes in the macro- and megabenthic taxonomic structure, abundance, and biomass of the most common species in an Arctic fjord, Blagopoluchiya Bay. Stomach content and stable isotope analysis were applied to study crabs' feeding habits. As the abundance of the most common prey items diminished, the crabs switched to other less accessible food. Prior to substantial changes in benthic communities, the diet of the snow crabs was similar to that of other invaded and native areas, where animal food predominates. However, with the degradation of the ecosystem, detritus contribution has substantially increased. The changes in prey items did not change the crab's trophic status, and they continued to feed within the same trophic niche. In the depleted benthic communities of Blagopoluchiya Bay, the snow crab is forced to use all available food sources.
新物种的引入会导致新生态系统发生重大变化。本地物种和引入物种的生存取决于它们适应新环境的能力。对这种适应性的研究常常受到影响生态系统的多种因素的阻碍。将大型掠食性雪蟹引入喀拉海，这是一种独特的入侵物种，影响着原本未受干扰的生态系统。这种螃蟹已经导致北极峡湾——布拉戈波卢奇亚湾中最常见物种的大型和巨型底栖生物的分类结构、丰度和生物量发生了巨大变化。通过胃内容物分析和稳定同位素分析来研究螃蟹的食性。随着最常见猎物的数量减少，螃蟹转而食用其他较难获取的食物。在底栖生物群落发生重大变化之前，雪蟹的饮食与其他受入侵地区和原生地区相似，以动物性食物为主。然而，随着生态系统的退化，碎屑的贡献大幅增加。猎物种类的变化并没有改变螃蟹的营养级地位，它们继续在相同的营养生态位内觅食。在布拉戈波卢奇亚湾枯竭的底栖生物群落中，雪蟹被迫利用所有可用的食物来源。
