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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Biology Letters

Do herbivorous fish amplify the competitive dominance of floating-leaved plants over submerged plants?

  • Manli Xia1
  • Zhong-Ming Ye1
  • Guoqing Quan1,2
  • Wei Liu1,2
  • Hui Ma1,3
  • Wei Li4,5,6
  • Yu Cao1
6 affiliations
  1. 1Research Center of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
  2. 2College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, People's Republic of China
  3. 3College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
  4. 4Yani Wetland Ecosystem Positioning Observation and Research Station, Xizang University, Lhasa, Tibet, People's Republic of China
  5. 5Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Restoration, Shannan, People's Republic of China
  6. 6Nyingchi National Botanical Garden, Nyingchi, People's Republic of China
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Abstract

Growing interest in the relationship between herbivorous fish and aquatic plants has revealed multiple pathways by which fish can influence aquatic plant biomass and coverage. However, the impact of herbivorous fish on species competition and community assembly in aquatic plants remains poorly understood. Here, based on a mesocosm experiment with four aquatic plant species (two floating-leaved and two submerged) and one herbivorous fish, we quantified competition coefficients among plant species and fish effects using a modified Ricker model. Floating-leaved plants exhibited stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition, indicating competitive superiority over submerged species. Crucially, selective grazing by herbivorous fish on submerged plants indirectly facilitated the dominance of floating-leaved species, exacerbating competitive asymmetry. These results demonstrate that herbivory indirectly affects aquatic plant community structure, not simply by removing biomass but also via higher-order interactions. Our research extends herbivore–plant interaction theory to freshwater ecosystems and offers guidance for aquatic plant restoration and biological management.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{xia2026herbivorous,
  title = {{Do herbivorous fish amplify the competitive dominance of floating-leaved plants over submerged plants?}},
  author = {Manli Xia and Zhong-Ming Ye and Guoqing Quan and Wei Liu and Hui Ma and Wei Li and Yu Cao},
  journal = {Biology Letters},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2026.0343},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0343},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Do herbivorous fish amplify the competitive dominance of floating-leaved plants over submerged plants?
AU  - Manli Xia
AU  - Zhong-Ming Ye
AU  - Guoqing Quan
AU  - Wei Liu
AU  - Hui Ma
AU  - Wei Li
AU  - Yu Cao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Biology Letters
DO  - 10.1098/rsbl.2026.0343
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0343
AB  - Growing interest in the relationship between herbivorous fish and aquatic plants has revealed multiple pathways by which fish can influence aquatic plant biomass and coverage. However, the impact of herbivorous fish on species competition and community assembly in aquatic plants remains poorly understood. Here, based on a mesocosm experiment with four aquatic plant species (two floating-leaved and two submerged) and one herbivorous fish, we quantified competition coefficients among plant species and fish effects using a modified Ricker model. Floating-leaved plants exhibited stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition, indicating competitive superiority over submerged species. Crucially, selective grazing by herbivorous fish on submerged plants indirectly facilitated the dominance of floating-leaved species, exacerbating competitive asymmetry. These results demonstrate that herbivory indirectly affects aquatic plant community structure, not simply by removing biomass but also via higher-order interactions. Our research extends herbivore–plant interaction theory to freshwater ecosystems and offers guidance for aquatic plant restoration and biological management.
SN  - 1744-9561
SN  - 1744-957X
ER  -