Page 15 - 2021PSF-ResilientCoastsForSalmon-NewLogo-Primer-Web

Photo by: Eiko Jones

Value in the Ecosystem

From the open ocean to their natal spawning rivers
to the forests beyond, salmon play a vital role in
these ecosystems . Pacific salmon are a critical food
source for resident killer whales, seals, terrestrial
animals like bears and wolves, as well as eagles and
other birds . In fact, over 137 species depend on
Pacific salmon for food (Wild Salmon Centre 2021) .
Salmon also feed the forests and the streams . When
salmon return to the freshwater streams they were
born in they bring nutrients from their years of
feeding at sea . Some of these nutrients are cycled
through the streams themselves as salmon die
after spawning and decompose in the water and
on the banks . This will be an important resource for
the next generation of salmon as the invertebrates
and microbes that feed upon the decaying salmon
end up as food for the hatchlings . Nutrients from
the salmon can also reach deep into the forest as
terrestrial animals carry their carcasses away or
leave droppings after eating salmon . This pulse of
additional nutrients supports our highly productive
forests, which, in turn, also support future salmon
populations with the shady cool clear water that
they need .

14