Freshwater ponds are biodiversity hotspots, but they face threats from environmental change (e.g., climate, land use, non-native species). Many of these stressors could disrupt pond food webs, with the potential to destabilize species interactions and ecosystem properties. The Holgerson Lab has examined how different basal resources fuel food webs, how basal resources shift with land use, and how non-native species influence pond food webs. Check out some of our publications below.
Relevant publications:
Holgerson, M.A., M. Barnard†, B. Ahn†, M.P. Hayes, and A.L. Strecker. 2022. Non-native fishes and bullfrogs cause trophic niche shifts in native fishes and salamander larvae. Freshwater Science 41: 327-341. Link
Holgerson, M.A., M.R. Lambert, L.K. Freidenburg, and D.K. Skelly. 2018. Suburbanization alters small pond ecosystems: Shifts in nitrogen and food web dynamics. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 75: 641-652. Link
Holgerson, M.A., D.M. Post, and D.K. Skelly. 2016. Reconciling the role of terrestrial leaves in pond food webs: A whole-ecosystem experiment. Ecology 97: 1771-1782. Link