• Energy Research
• 2021-2025close

Data and code necessary to replicate the findings from the manuscript titled "Hydrology and trophic flexibility structure alpine stream food webs in the Teton Range, Wyoming, USA". Abstract: Understanding biotic interactions and how they vary across habitats is important for assessing the vulnerability of communities to climate change. Receding glaciers in high mountain areas can lead to the hydrologic homogenization of streams and reduce habitat heterogeneity, which are predicted to drive declines in regional diversity and imperil endemic species. However, little is known about food web structure in alpine stream habitats, particularly among streams fed by different hydrologic sources (e.g., glaciers or snowfields). We used gut content and stable isotope analyses to characterize food web structure of alpine macroinvertebrate communities in streams fed by glaciers, subterranean ice, and seasonal snowpack in the Teton Range, Wyoming, USA. Specifically, we sought to: (1) assess community resource use among streams fed by different hydrologic sources; (2) explore how variability in resource use relates to feeding strategies; and (3) identify which environmental variables influenced resource use within communities. Average taxa diet differed among all hydrologic sources, and food webs in subterranean ice-fed streams were largely supported by the gold alga Hydrurus. This finding bolsters a hypothesis that streams fed by subterranean ice may provide key habitat for cold-water species under climate change by maintaining a longer growing season for this high-quality food resource. While a range of environmental variables associated with hydrologic source (e.g., stream temperature) were related to diet composition, hydrologic source categories explained the most variation in diet composition models. Less variable diets within versus among streams suggests high trophic flexibility, which was further supported by high levels of omnivory. This inherent trophic flexibility may bolster alpine stream communities against future changes in resource availability as the mountain cryosphere fades. Ultimately, our results expand understanding of the habitat requirements for imperiled alpine taxa while empowering predictions of their vulnerability under climate change.

AbstractAimTo quantify avian biodiversity and habitat preference and describe behavior in an enigmatic, understudied ecosystem: mountain glaciers and snowfields.LocationMountains in the Pacific Northwest of western North America: British Columbia (CA), Washington and Oregon (USA).TaxonBirds observed within our study area and focal habitat.MethodsWe used community science data from eBird—an online database of bird observations from around the world—to estimate bird biodiversity and abundance in glacier and snowfield ecosystems as well as nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. We used field notes from eBird users and breeding codes to extend our data set to include insight into habitat usage and behavior. Finally, we compared our community-science approach to previous studies that used traditional survey methods.ResultsWe identified considerable avian biodiversity in glacier and snowfield habitat (46 species) with four specialists that appeared to prefer glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitat. Combined with field notes by eBird users, our efforts increased the known global total of avian species associated with ice and snow habitats by 14%. When community science data was compared to traditional methods, we found similar species diversity but differences in abundance.Main conclusionsDespite the imminent threat of glacier and snowfield melt due to climate change, species living in these habitats remain poorly studied, likely due to the remoteness and ruggedness of their terrain. Glaciers and snowfields hold notable bird diversity, however, with a specialized set of species appearing to preferentially forage in these habitats. Our results show that community science data can provide a valuable starting point for studying difficult to access areas, but traditional surveys are still useful for more rigorous quantification of avian biodiversity.