Differential effects of freshwater browning across fish species : consequences for individual- to community-level fish traits in north temperate lakes
(2025) In Biological Reviews- Abstract
The browning of freshwater ecosystems is increasingly evident in temperate and northern regions, with widespread ramifications for lake physics, chemistry, and biology. Contrasting results on how freshwater browning may impact fish have been reported, but there has been no comprehensive examination of how browning may cause cascading effects on individual- to population- to community-level traits of freshwater fishes. We addressed this knowledge gap by summarizing the existing literature and conducting a series of original analyses to: (i) explore the effects of a brown water gradient on populations of eight economically important species of fish across 871 lakes; and (ii) examine how a brown water gradient may influence community trait... (More)
The browning of freshwater ecosystems is increasingly evident in temperate and northern regions, with widespread ramifications for lake physics, chemistry, and biology. Contrasting results on how freshwater browning may impact fish have been reported, but there has been no comprehensive examination of how browning may cause cascading effects on individual- to population- to community-level traits of freshwater fishes. We addressed this knowledge gap by summarizing the existing literature and conducting a series of original analyses to: (i) explore the effects of a brown water gradient on populations of eight economically important species of fish across 871 lakes; and (ii) examine how a brown water gradient may influence community trait compositions across 303 lakes. From our literature synthesis, we found that fish growth is often negatively associated with browner waters, despite browning generally showing no effect on fish foraging. We also demonstrated that browner waters had greater abundances of northern pike (Esox lucius) and walleye (Sander vitreus), but lower numbers of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). Moreover, we showed that fish communities were significantly more likely to contain species with larger eyes in browner lakes. Lastly, we examined relationships between various metrics of browning (i.e. dissolved organic carbon, Secchi transparency, water colour) and present a framework for how the effects of freshwater browning on fish may scale from individuals to populations to communities.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- community-level traits, dissolved organic carbon, fish, freshwater browning, individual-level traits, population-level traits, Secchi transparency, water colour
- in
- Biological Reviews
- publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105016807614
- pmid:40985508
- ISSN
- 1464-7931
- DOI
- 10.1111/brv.70074
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.
- id
- 12f90127-b6d0-4396-b0e5-67eaccee61b2
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-09 10:57:12
- date last changed
- 2025-12-10 08:49:15
@article{12f90127-b6d0-4396-b0e5-67eaccee61b2,
abstract = {{<p>The browning of freshwater ecosystems is increasingly evident in temperate and northern regions, with widespread ramifications for lake physics, chemistry, and biology. Contrasting results on how freshwater browning may impact fish have been reported, but there has been no comprehensive examination of how browning may cause cascading effects on individual- to population- to community-level traits of freshwater fishes. We addressed this knowledge gap by summarizing the existing literature and conducting a series of original analyses to: (i) explore the effects of a brown water gradient on populations of eight economically important species of fish across 871 lakes; and (ii) examine how a brown water gradient may influence community trait compositions across 303 lakes. From our literature synthesis, we found that fish growth is often negatively associated with browner waters, despite browning generally showing no effect on fish foraging. We also demonstrated that browner waters had greater abundances of northern pike (Esox lucius) and walleye (Sander vitreus), but lower numbers of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). Moreover, we showed that fish communities were significantly more likely to contain species with larger eyes in browner lakes. Lastly, we examined relationships between various metrics of browning (i.e. dissolved organic carbon, Secchi transparency, water colour) and present a framework for how the effects of freshwater browning on fish may scale from individuals to populations to communities.</p>}},
author = {{Roth, Allison M. and Fugère, Vincent and Rodríguez, Marco A. and Lapierre, Jean François and Schacht, Joe Sánchez and Sharma, Sapna and Aqdam, Mehdi M. and Fonvielle, Jeremy and Gros, Michelle and Tanentzap, Andrew J. and Andersson, Matilda L. and van Dorst, Renee M. and Karlsson, Jan and Solomon, Christopher T. and Brönmark, Christer and Eklöv, Peter and Scharnweber, Kristin and Huss, Magnus and Beisner, Beatrix E. and Chaguaceda, Fernando and Charette, Cristina and Derry, Alison M. and Fussmann, Gregor F. and Hendry, Andrew P. and Hulthén, Kaj and Klemet-N'Guessan, Sandra and Gregory-Eaves, Irene}},
issn = {{1464-7931}},
keywords = {{community-level traits; dissolved organic carbon; fish; freshwater browning; individual-level traits; population-level traits; Secchi transparency; water colour}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
series = {{Biological Reviews}},
title = {{Differential effects of freshwater browning across fish species : consequences for individual- to community-level fish traits in north temperate lakes}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.70074}},
doi = {{10.1111/brv.70074}},
year = {{2025}},
}