Estuarine food webs are fueled by multiple different primary producers. However, identifying the relative importance of each producer to consumers is difficult, particularly for fishes that utilize multiple food sources due to both their mobility and their generally high trophic levels. Previous studies have documented broad spatial differences in the importance of primary producers to fishes within the Upper San Francisco Estuary, California, including separation between pelagic and littoral food webs. In this study, we evaluated the importance of primary producers to adult fishes in three closely spaced subregions that represented disparate habitat types (a tidal wetland channel, a turbid backwater channel, and a deep open-water channel), each a potential outcome of local restoration projects. Using stable isotope analysis coupled with a Bayesian mixing model, we identified significant differences in primary-producer contribution to fishes and invertebrates across habitats and seasons, especially in the relative contribution of submersed aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton. Most fishes utilized multiple primary producers and showed little segregation between pelagic and littoral food webs among habitats. Availability of primary producers differs seasonally and across multiple spatial scales, helping to buffer environmental variability and thus enhancing food web resilience. Ecosystem restoration may improve with emphasis on restoring a wide variety of primary producers to support consumers.

河口食物网由多个不同的初级生产者提供燃料。但是，很难确定每个生产者对消费者的相对重要性，尤其是对于利用多种食物来源的鱼类而言，由于它们的流动性和普遍的高营养水平而尤其困难。先前的研究表明，在加利福尼亚州上旧金山河口内，初级生产者对鱼类的重要性存在很大的空间差异，包括中上层食物网和沿海食物网之间的分离。在这项研究中，我们评估了代表三个不同生境区域（潮汐湿地河道，浑浊的回水河道和深水域的河道）的三个紧密间隔的次区域中初级生产者对成鱼的重要性，每个区域都是当地的潜在结果。恢复项目。使用稳定的同位素分析和贝叶斯混合模型，我们确定了跨生境和季节的初级生产者对鱼类和无脊椎动物的贡献存在显着差异，尤其是在淹没的水生植被和浮游植物的相对贡献中。大多数鱼类利用了多个初级生产者，并且在生境之间的中上层和沿海食物网之间几乎没有隔离。初级生产者的可利用性随季节和跨多个空间尺度而变化，从而有助于缓冲环境的变化，从而增强食物网的适应能力。生态系统的恢复可能会有所改善，重点是恢复各种初级生产者以支持消费者。尤其是在水下水生植被和浮游植物的相对贡献中。大多数鱼类利用了多个初级生产者，并且在生境之间的中上层和沿海食物网之间几乎没有隔离。初级生产者的可利用性随季节和跨多个空间尺度而变化，从而有助于缓冲环境的变化，从而增强食物网的适应能力。生态系统的恢复可能会有所改善，重点是恢复各种初级生产者以支持消费者。尤其是在水下水生植被和浮游植物的相对贡献中。大多数鱼类利用了多个初级生产者，并且在生境之间的中上层和沿海食物网之间几乎没有隔离。初级生产者的可利用性随季节和跨多个空间尺度而变化，从而有助于缓冲环境的变化，从而增强食物网的适应能力。生态系统的恢复可能会有所改善，重点是恢复各种初级生产者以支持消费者。帮助缓解环境变化，从而增强食物网的适应能力。生态系统的恢复可能会有所改善，重点是恢复各种初级生产者以支持消费者。帮助缓解环境变化，从而增强食物网的适应能力。生态系统的恢复可能会有所改善，重点是恢复各种初级生产者以支持消费者。