Organic matter loading by hippopotami causes subsidy overload resulting in downstream hypoxia and fish kills

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 1951 - 10
• Main Authors: Dutton, Christopher L., Subalusky, Amanda L., Hamilton, Stephen K., Rosi, Emma J., Post, David M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 16.05.2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/158/2445; 704/158/2459; 704/286; Africa, Eastern; Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic mammals; Artiodactyla - growth & development; Artiodactyla - metabolism; Dissolved oxygen; Downstream effects; Ecological function; Ecosystem; Ecosystem structure; Environmental Monitoring; Eutrophication; Fish; Fish kill; Fishes - metabolism; High flow; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hypoxia; multidisciplinary; Nutrient loading; Organic Chemicals - metabolism; Organic matter; Oxygen - metabolism; Population Dynamics; River ecology; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Structure-function relationships; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Wildlife

Organic matter and nutrient loading into aquatic ecosystems affects ecosystem structure and function and can result in eutrophication and hypoxia. Hypoxia is often attributed to anthropogenic pollution and is not common in unpolluted rivers. Here we show that organic matter loading from hippopotami...