Mercury bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in the terrestrial food web of a montane forest.
We investigated mercury (Hg) concentrations in a terrestrial food web in high elevation forests in Vermont. Hg concentrations increased from autotrophic organisms to herbivores < detritivores < omnivores < carnivores. Within the carnivores studied, raptors had higher blood Hg concentrations than their songbird prey. The Hg concentration in the blood of the focal study species, Bicknell's thrush (Catharus bicknelli), varied over the course of the summer in response to a diet shift related to changing availability of arthropod prey. The Bicknell's thrush food web is more detrital-based (with higher Hg concentrations) in early summer and more foliage-based (with lower Hg concentrations) during late summer. There were significant year effects in different ecosystem compartments indicating a possible connection between atmospheric Hg deposition, detrital-layer Hg concentrations, arthropod Hg concentrations, and passerine blood Hg concentrations.
Rimmer
Christopher C
CC
Vermont Center for Ecostudies, P.O. Box 420, Norwich, VT 05055, USA. crimmer@vtecostudies.org
Miller
Eric K
EK
McFarland
Kent P
KP
Taylor
Robert J
RJ
Faccio
Steven D
SD
D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000378:metabolism; D044822:Biodiversity; D001822:Body Burden; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D020304:Raptors / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D020308:Songbirds / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014197:Trees; D014562:Caudata / Q000378:metabolism; D014707:Vermont
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants