Aquatic insects play a minor role in dispersing salmon-derived nutrients into riparian forests in southwestern Alaska
Recent research has highlighted the importance of nutrients derived from Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) carcasses for coastal freshwater and riparian ecosystems. To investigate the role of emerging aquatic insects in dispersing salmon nutrients from spawning streams to riparian habitats, we quantified the emergence and return rates of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) on Pick Creek in southwestern Alaska and, using stable isotopes, estimated the associated flux of nutrients derived from sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to streamside forests. Between June and September of 2004, 7.6 mg·m–2 of salmon-derived nitrogen emerged from Pick Creek in the form of aquatic invertebrates, 6.7 mg·m–2 of which was transferred to the terrestrial ecosystem. Dispersal patterns on four area streams showed that the majority of stream-borne nutrients are deposited within 25 m of the stream. Aquatic insects represent a minor vector for salmon nutrients to terrestrial systems, dispersing less than 0.03% of total nitrogen imported to Pick Creek by spawning salmon. Nevertheless, emerging insects make available salmon-derived resources otherwise inaccessible to some terrestrial consumers.