1
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Liu Z, Guo Z, Zhou J, Guo X, Chen Y. Biotic interactions and environmental modifications determine symbiotic microbial diversity and stability. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2717-2726. [PMID: 39040687 PMCID: PMC11260581 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Taking amphibians as island models, we examined the effects of interspecific interaction on the diversity and stability of microbial ecological. As skin area increased, the diversity and stability of skin microbes decreased, but the strength of negative interactions increased significantly. In contrast, as gut area increased, the diversity and stability of gut microbes increased, but the strength of interactions remained constant. These results indicate that microbial interactions are affected by habitat properties. When living in fluctuating environments without strong filtering, microorganisms can enhance their negative interactions with other taxa by changing the pH of their surroundings. In contrast, the pH of the gut is relatively stable, and colonized microorganisms cannot alter the gut pH and inhibit other colonizers. This study demonstrates that in the field of microbiology, diversity and stability are predominantly influenced by the intensity of interspecies interactions. The findings in this study deepen our understanding of microbial diversity and stability and provide a mechanistic link between species interactions, biodiversity, and stability in microbial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidong Liu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zeguang Guo
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuecheng Guo
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Youhua Chen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
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2
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Mola M, Kougias PG, Statiris E, Papadopoulou P, Malamis S, Monokrousos N. Short-term effect of reclaimed water irrigation on soil health, plant growth and the composition of soil microbial communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:175107. [PMID: 39084118 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
The scarcity of freshwater poses significant challenges to agriculture, often necessitating the use of alternative water sources such as reclaimed water. While reclaimed water offers a viable solution by providing water and nutrients to crops, its potential impacts on soil microbial communities remain a subject of investigation. In this investigation, we conducted a field experiment cultivating Maize (Zea mays) and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), employing irrigation with reclaimed water originating from domestic wastewater, while control samples were irrigated using freshwater. Utilizing high-throughput sequencing, we assessed the effect of reclaimed water on soil bacteria and fungi. Plant biomass exhibited a significant response to treated wastewater. Alpha diversity metrics of soil microbial communities did not reveal significant changes in soils irrigated with reclaimed water compared to control samples. Reclaimed water, however, demonstrated a selective influence on microorganisms associated with nutrient cycling. Co-occurrence network analysis unveiled that reclaimed water may alter soil microbial community structure and stability. Although our work presents overall positive outcomes, further investigation into the long-term implications of reclaimed water irrigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magkdi Mola
- University Center of International Programmes of Studies, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece; Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Dimitra, Thermi, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Panagiotis G Kougias
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Dimitra, Thermi, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Evangelos Statiris
- Sanitary Engineering Laboratory, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens 15780, Greece
| | - Penelope Papadopoulou
- Sanitary Engineering Laboratory, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens 15780, Greece
| | - Simos Malamis
- Sanitary Engineering Laboratory, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens 15780, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Monokrousos
- University Center of International Programmes of Studies, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece.
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3
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Gu S, Wu S, Zeng W, Deng Y, Luo G, Li P, Yang Y, Wang Z, Hu Q, Tan L. High-elevation-induced decrease in soil pH weakens ecosystem multifunctionality by influencing soil microbiomes. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119330. [PMID: 38830394 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Plant environmental stress response has become a global research hotspot, yet there is a lack of clear understanding regarding the mechanisms that maintain microbial diversity and their ecosystem services under environmental stress. In our research, we examined the effects of moderate elevation on the rhizosphere soil characteristics, microbial community composition, and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) within agricultural systems. Our findings revealed a notable negative correlation between EMF and elevation, indicating a decline in multifunctionality at higher elevations. Additionally, our analysis across bacterial and protistan communities showed a general decrease in microbial richness with increasing elevation. Using random forest models, pH was identified as the key environmental stressor influencing microbial communities. Furthermore, we found that microbial community diversity is negatively correlated with stability by mediating complexity. Interestingly, while pH was found to affect the complexity within bacterial networks, it did not significantly impact the ecosystem stability along the elevation gradients. Using a Binary-State Speciation and Extinction (BiSSE) model to explore the evolutionary dynamics, we found that Generalists had higher speciation rates and lower extinction rates compared to specialists, resulting in a skewed distribution towards higher net diversification for generalists under increasing environmental stress. Moreover, structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis highlighted a negative correlation between environmental stress and community diversity, but showed a positive correlation between environmental stress and degree of cooperation & competition. These interactions under environmental stress indirectly increased community stability and decreased multifunctionality. Our comprehensive study offers valuable insights into the intricate relationship among environmental factors, microbial communities, and ecosystem functions, especially in the context of varying elevation gradients. These findings contribute significantly to our understanding of how environmental stressors affect microbial diversity and ecosystem services, providing a foundation for future ecological research and management strategies in similar contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songsong Gu
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China; CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaolong Wu
- Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Weiai Zeng
- Changsha Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ye Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Gongwen Luo
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | | | | | - Qiulong Hu
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
| | - Lin Tan
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
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4
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Gutgesell M, McCann K, O'Connor R, Kc K, Fraser EDG, Moore JC, McMeans B, Donohue I, Bieg C, Ward C, Pauli B, Scott A, Gillam W, Gedalof Z, Hanner RH, Tunney T, Rooney N. The productivity-stability trade-off in global food systems. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02529-y. [PMID: 39227681 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02529-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Historically, humans have managed food systems to maximize productivity. This pursuit has drastically modified terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems globally by reducing species diversity and body size while creating very productive, yet homogenized, environments. Such changes alter the structure and function of ecosystems in ways that ultimately erode their stability. This productivity-stability trade-off has largely been ignored in discussions around global food security. Here, we synthesize empirical and theoretical literature to demonstrate the existence of the productivity-stability trade-off and argue the need for its explicit incorporation in the sustainable management of food systems. We first explore the history of human management of food systems, its impacts on average body size within and across species and food web stability. We then demonstrate how reductions in body size are symptomatic of a broader biotic homogenization and rewiring of food webs. We show how this biotic homogenization decompartmentalizes interactions among energy channels and increases energy flux within the food web in ways that threaten their stability. We end by synthesizing large-scale ecological studies to demonstrate the prevalence of the productivity-stability trade-off. We conclude that management strategies promoting landscape heterogeneity and maintenance of key food web structures are critical to sustainable food production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Krishna Kc
- University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - John C Moore
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Bailey McMeans
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Brett Pauli
- University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexa Scott
- University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Tyler Tunney
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Neil Rooney
- University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Li J, Wang S, Liu P, Peng J, Liu X, Sun Q, Zhou B, Lei K. Environmental DNA metabarcoding reveals the influence of environmental heterogeneity on microeukaryotic plankton in the offshore waters of East China Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 262:119921. [PMID: 39233035 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Microeukaryotic plankton are essential to marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles, with coastal seas playing a critical role in aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the diversity of microeukaryotic plankton, deciphering their community structure and succession patterns, and identifying the key factors influencing these dynamics remain central challenges in coastal ecology. In this study, we examine patterns of biodiversity, community structure, and co-occurrence using environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods. Our results show a linear correlation between α-diversity and distance from the shore, with nutrient-related factors, especially inorganic nitrogen, being the primary determinants of the spatial distribution of plankton communities. Alternation of coastal habitat have shifted the succession patterns of coastal eukaryotic plankton communities from stochastic to deterministic processes. Additionally, our observations indicate that the topology and structure of eukaryotic plankton symbiotic patterns and networks are significantly influenced by environmental heterogeneity such as nutrients, which increase the vulnerability and decrease the stability of offshore ecological networks. Overall, our study demonstrates that the distribution of microeukaryotic plankton communities is influenced by factors related to environmental heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangnan Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China; Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Shuping Wang
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Pengxia Liu
- Ecological Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Taihu Basin & East China Sea Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Shanghai, 200125, China
| | - Jiayu Peng
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Xinmei Liu
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Qianhang Sun
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China; Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Kun Lei
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China.
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6
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Dunham A, Iacarella JC, Hunter KL, Davies SC, Dudas S, Gale KSP, Rubidge E, Archer SK. Conserving ecosystem integrity: Ecological theory as a guide for marine protected area monitoring. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e3005. [PMID: 38923678 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Global policies increasingly focus on the importance of maintaining or improving the integrity of ecosystems, but defining, assessing, and monitoring integrity in marine protected areas (MPAs) remains a challenge. In this paper, we conceptualized ecological integrity along dimensions of heterogeneity and stability containing seven components: physical structure, diversity, function, persistence, resistance, resilience, and natural variability. Through a structured literature search, we identified indicators and metrics used for quantifying ecosystem status components in the marine environment, then reviewed MPA management plans worldwide for inclusion of these components. We evaluated 202 papers applying 83 ecological indicators built from 72 metrics. Ecosystem components were most comprehensively addressed by metrics of taxa presence, organisms count, and area occupied by benthic organisms, and community structure, biomass, and percent cover indicators. Of the 557 MPA management plans we reviewed globally, 93% used at least one ecosystem status term or its synonym in an ecologically relevant context, but 39% did not address any components of stability. In particular, resistance was mentioned in only 1% of management plans, but in some cases it may be inferred from indicators and metrics used to track the best addressed component in management plans, diversity. Plans for MPAs with both an ecological/biological purpose and a research and education purpose contained ecosystem status terms more frequently than other plans, suggesting that engagement with the scientific community may have improved the application of these terms. An improved understanding of how to operationalize and measure ecological integrity can help MPA monitoring and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya Dunham
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Josephine C Iacarella
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Karen L Hunter
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah C Davies
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah Dudas
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Katie S P Gale
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily Rubidge
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
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7
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Ghosh S, Matthews B. Temporal turnover in species' ranks can explain variation in Taylor's slope for ecological timeseries. Ecology 2024; 105:e4381. [PMID: 39046118 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
The scaling exponent relating the mean and variance of the density of individual organisms in space (i.e., Taylor's slope: zspace) is well studied in ecology, but the analogous scaling exponent for temporal datasets (ztime) is underdeveloped. Previous theory suggests the narrow distribution of ztime (e.g., typically 1-2) could be due to interspecific competition. Here, using 1694 communities time series, we show that ztime can exceed 2, and reaffirm how this can affect our inference about the stabilizing effect of biodiversity. We also develop a new theory, based on temporal change in the ranks of species abundances, to help account for the observed ztime distribution. Specifically, we find that communities with minimal turnover in species' rank abundances are more likely to have higher ztime. Our analysis shows how species-level variability affects our inference about the stability of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamolina Ghosh
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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8
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Mougi A. Ecosystem engineering and food web stability. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19400. [PMID: 39169231 PMCID: PMC11339392 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70626-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem engineering, which involves organism-triggered physical modification of the environment, is a widespread phenomenon. Despite this, the role of engineering in ecological communities remains poorly understood. This study employs a food web model to uncover the key roles of ecosystem engineering in maintaining food webs. While engineers facilitating population growth and suppressing consumers' foraging activity can help maintain complex communities with diverse species, engineering effects that suppress population growth and facilitate consumers' foraging activity can largely destabilize community dynamics. Furthermore, in the middle levels of engineering-related species within a community, an increase in species richness can increase community stability, contrary to classical ecological prediction. The study findings suggest that ecosystem engineering can explain biodiversity persistence in nature, but it depends on the proportion of engineering-related species and how engineering affects organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, 690-8504, Japan.
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9
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Saito VS, Kratina P, Barbosa G, Ferreira FC, Leal JB, Zemelka G, Sarmento H, Perkins DM. Untangling the complex food webs of tropical rainforest streams. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:1022-1035. [PMID: 38847240 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Food webs depict the tangled web of trophic interactions associated with the functioning of an ecosystem. Understanding the mechanisms providing stability to these food webs is therefore vital for conservation efforts and the management of natural systems. Here, we first characterised a tropical stream meta-food web and five individual food webs using a Bayesian Hierarchical approach unifying three sources of information (gut content analysis, literature compilation and stable isotope data). With data on population-level biomass and individually measured body mass, we applied a bioenergetic model and assessed food web stability using a Lotka-Volterra system of equations. We then assessed the resilience of the system to individual species extinctions using simulations and investigated the network patterns associated with systems with higher stability. The model resulted in a stable meta-food web with 307 links among the 61 components. At the regional scale, 70% of the total energy flow occurred through a set of 10 taxa with large variation in body masses. The remaining 30% of total energy flow relied on 48 different taxa, supporting a significant dependency on a diverse community. The meta-food web was stable against individual species extinctions, with a higher resilience in food webs harbouring omnivorous fish species able to connect multiple food web compartments via weak, non-specialised interactions. Moreover, these fish species contributed largely to the spatial variation among individual food webs, suggesting that these species could operate as mobile predators connecting different streams and stabilising variability at the regional scale. Our results outline two key mechanisms of food web stability operating in tropical streams: (i) the diversity of species and body masses buffering against random and size-dependent disturbances and (ii) high regional diversity and weak omnivorous interactions of predators buffering against local stochastic variation in species composition. These mechanisms rely on high local and regional biodiversity in tropical streams, which is known to be strongly affected by human impacts. Therefore, an urgent challenge is to understand how the ongoing systematic loss of diversity jeopardises the stability of stream food webs in human-impacted landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S Saito
- Environmental Sciences Department, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Pavel Kratina
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Gedimar Barbosa
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio Cop Ferreira
- Marine Sciences Department, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jean Barbosa Leal
- Undergraduate Course in Environmental Analysis and Management, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Zemelka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Geography, Environment and Planning, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Hugo Sarmento
- Hydrobiology Department, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel M Perkins
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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10
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Li Z, Wei J, Zhou X, Tian Q, He W, Cao X. Dynamic restoration mechanism of plant community in the burned area of northeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1368814. [PMID: 39119492 PMCID: PMC11306190 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1368814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Forest fires play a pivotal role in influencing ecosystem evolution, exerting a profound impact on plant diversity and community stability. Understanding post-fire recovery strategies holds significant scientific importance for the ecological succession and restoration of forest ecosystems. This study utilized Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) to investigate dynamic relationships among plant species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, soil properties, and community stability during various recovery stages (5-year, 15-year, and 23-year) following wildfires on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The findings revealed: (1) Over time, species richness significantly decreased (p< 0.05 or p< 0.01), while species diversity and dominance increased, resulting in uniform species distribution. Community stability progressively improved, with increased species compositional similarity. (2) Throughout succession, phylogenetic diversity (PD) significantly decreased (p< 0.01), accompanied by rising Mean Pairwise Distance (MPD) and Mean Nearest Taxon Distance (MNTD). Net Relatedness Index (NRI) shifted from positive to negative, indicating an increasing aggregation and dominance of plants with similar evolutionary traits in burned areas. Early succession witnessed simultaneous environmental filtering and competitive exclusion, shifting predominantly to competitive exclusion in later stages. (3) PLS-PM revealed that in the early recovery stage, soil properties mainly affected community stability, while species diversity metamorphosed into the primary factor in the mid-to-late stages. In summary, this study showed that plant diversity and phylogenetic variation were successful in revealing changes in community structure during the succession process. Soil characteristics functioned as selective barriers for plant communities during succession, and community stability underwent a multi-faceted and dynamic process. The soil-plant dynamic feedback continuously enhanced soil conditions and community vegetation structure thereby augmenting stability. Post-fire vegetation gradually transitioned towards the original native state, demonstrating inherent ecological self-recovery capabilities in the absence of secondary disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhen Li
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jia Wei
- Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhou
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qing Tian
- Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wanpeng He
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xueping Cao
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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11
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Xie G, Sun C, Gong Y, Luo W, Tang X. Beyond the Bloom: Unraveling the Diversity, Overlap, and Stability of Free-Living and Particle-Attached Bacterial Communities in a Cyanobacteria-Dominated Hypereutrophic Lake. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:96. [PMID: 39046558 PMCID: PMC11269507 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02410-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
In aquatic ecosystems with low nutrient levels, organic aggregates (OAs) act as nutrient hotspots, hosting a diverse range of microbial species compared to those in the water column. Lake eutrophication, marked by intensified and prolonged cyanobacterial blooms, significantly impacts material and energy cycling processes, potentially altering the ecological traits of both free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) bacteria. However, the extent to which observed patterns of FL and PA bacterial diversity, community assembly, and stability extend to hypereutrophic lakes remains understudied. To address this gap, we investigated bacterial diversity, composition, assembly processes, and stability within hypereutrophic Lake Xingyun. Our results revealed that FL bacterial communities exhibited higher α-diversity than PA counterparts, coupled with discernible taxonomic compositions. Both bacterial communities showed distinct seasonality, influenced by cyanobacterial bloom intensity. Environmental factors accounted for 71.1% and 54.2% of the variation among FL and PA bacteria, respectively. The assembly of the PA bacterial community was predominantly stochastic, while FL assembly was more deterministic. The FL network demonstrated greater stability, complexity, and negative interactions, indicative of competitive relationships, while the PA network showed a prevalence of positive correlations, suggesting mutualistic interactions. Importantly, these findings differ from observations in oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the interplay among bacterial fractions, enhancing our understanding of nutrient status and cyanobacterial blooms in shaping bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guijuan Xie
- College of Biology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Lu'an, 237012, China
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Chuanbo Sun
- College of Biology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Lu'an, 237012, China
| | - Yi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Wenlei Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- The Fuxianhu Station of Plateau Deep Lake Field Scientific Observation and Research, Yuxi, 653100, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiangming Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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12
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Dopson M, Emary C. The persistence of bipartite ecological communities with Lotka-Volterra dynamics. J Math Biol 2024; 89:24. [PMID: 38955850 PMCID: PMC11219392 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The assembly and persistence of ecological communities can be understood as the result of the interaction and migration of species. Here we study a single community subject to migration from a species pool in which inter-specific interactions are organised according to a bipartite network. Considering the dynamics of species abundances to be governed by generalised Lotka-Volterra equations, we extend work on unipartite networks to we derive exact results for the phase diagram of this model. Focusing on antagonistic interactions, we describe factors that influence the persistence of the two guilds, locate transitions to multiple-attractor and unbounded phases, as well as identifying a region of parameter space in which consumers are essentially absent in the local community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Dopson
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Clive Emary
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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13
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Srednick G, Swearer SE. Understanding diversity-synchrony-stability relationships in multitrophic communities. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1259-1269. [PMID: 38839850 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02419-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how species loss impacts ecosystem stability is critical given contemporary declines in global biodiversity. Despite decades of research on biodiversity-stability relationships, most studies are performed within a trophic level, overlooking the multitrophic complexity structuring natural communities. Here, in a global analysis of diversity-synchrony-stability (DSS) studies (n = 420), we found that 74% were monotrophic and biased towards terrestrial plant communities, with 91% describing stabilizing effects of asynchrony. Multitrophic studies (26%) were representative of all biomes and showed that synchrony had mixed effects on stability. To explore potential mechanisms, we applied a multitrophic framework adapted from DSS theory to investigate DSS relationships in algae-herbivore assemblages across five long-term tropical and temperate marine system datasets. Both algal and herbivore species diversity reduced within-group synchrony in both systems but had different interactive effects on species synchrony between systems. Herbivore synchrony was positively and negatively influenced by algal diversity in tropical versus temperate systems, respectively, and algal synchrony was positively influenced by herbivore diversity in temperate systems. While herbivore synchrony reduced multitrophic stability in both systems, algal synchrony only reduced stability in tropical systems. These results highlight the complexity of DSS relationships at the multitrophic level and emphasize why more multitrophic assessments are needed to better understand how biodiversity influences community stability in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin Srednick
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Stephen E Swearer
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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14
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Liu X, Liu M, Zhao D, Xiao R, Sun Y. Control of ecological networks: Abundance control or ecological regulation? CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2024; 34:073115. [PMID: 38980382 DOI: 10.1063/5.0189874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Complex ecosystems often exhibit a tipping point around which a small perturbation can lead to the loss of the basic functionality of ecosystems. It is challenging to develop a control strategy to bring ecosystems to the desired stable states. Typically, two methods are employed to restore the functionality of ecosystems: abundance control and ecological regulation. Abundance control involves directly managing species abundance through methods such as trapping, shooting, or poisoning. On the other hand, ecological regulation is a strategy for ecosystems to self-regulate through environment improvement. To enhance the effectiveness of ecosystem recovery, we propose adaptive regulation by combining the two control strategies from mathematical and network science perspectives. Criteria for controlling ecosystems to reach equilibrium with or without noise perturbation are established. The time and energy costs of restoring an ecosystem to equilibrium often determine the choice of control strategy, thus, we estimate the control costs. Furthermore, we observe that the regulation parameter in adaptive regulation affects both time and energy costs, with a trade-off existing between them. By optimizing the regulation parameter based on a performance index with fixed weights for time and energy costs, we can minimize the total cost. Moreover, we discuss the impact of the complexity of ecological networks on control costs, where the more complex the networks, the higher the costs. We provide corresponding theoretical analyses for random networks, predator-prey networks, and mixture networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoting Liu
- School of Mathematics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, People's Republic of China
| | - Maoxing Liu
- School of Science, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, People's Republic of China
| | - Donghua Zhao
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Research Center for Nonlinear Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Xiao
- School of Mathematics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongzheng Sun
- School of Mathematics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, People's Republic of China
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15
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Lampo A, Palazzi MJ, Borge-Holthoefer J, Solé-Ribalta A. Structural dynamics of plant-pollinator mutualistic networks. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae209. [PMID: 38881844 PMCID: PMC11177885 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The discourse surrounding the structural organization of mutualistic interactions mostly revolves around modularity and nestedness. The former is known to enhance the stability of communities, while the latter is related to their feasibility, albeit compromising the stability. However, it has recently been shown that the joint emergence of these structures poses challenges that can eventually lead to limitations in the dynamic properties of mutualistic communities. We hypothesize that considering compound arrangements-modules with internal nested organization-can offer valuable insights in this debate. We analyze the temporal structural dynamics of 20 plant-pollinator interaction networks and observe large structural variability throughout the year. Compound structures are particularly prevalent during the peak of the pollination season, often coexisting with nested and modular arrangements in varying degrees. Motivated by these empirical findings, we synthetically investigate the dynamics of the structural patterns across two control parameters-community size and connectance levels-mimicking the progression of the pollination season. Our analysis reveals contrasting impacts on the stability and feasibility of these mutualistic communities. We characterize the consistent relationship between network structure and stability, which follows a monotonic pattern. But, in terms of feasibility, we observe nonlinear relationships. Compound structures exhibit a favorable balance between stability and feasibility, particularly in mid-sized ecological communities, suggesting they may effectively navigate the simultaneous requirements of stability and feasibility. These findings may indicate that the assembly process of mutualistic communities is driven by a delicate balance among multiple properties, rather than the dominance of a single one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniello Lampo
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Av. Universidad, 30 (edificio Sabatini), 28911 Leganés (Madrid), Spain
| | - María J Palazzi
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Javier Borge-Holthoefer
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Albert Solé-Ribalta
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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16
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Magrach A, Montoya D. Stability in plant-pollinator communities across organizational levels: present, gaps, and future. AOB PLANTS 2024; 16:plae026. [PMID: 38840783 PMCID: PMC11151922 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Abstract. The study of ecological stability continues to fill the pages of scientific journals almost seven decades after the first ecologists initiated this line of research. The many advances in this field have focused on understanding the stability of populations, communities or functions within single guilds or trophic levels, with less research conducted across multiple trophic levels and considering the different interactions that relate species to each other. Here, we review the recent literature on the multiple dimensions of ecological stability specifically within plant-pollinator communities. We then focus on one of stability´s dimensions, temporal invariability, and adapt an existing partitioning framework that bridges invariability and synchrony measures across spatial scales and organizational levels to accommodate interactions between plants and their pollinators. Finally, we use this framework to analyse temporal invariability in plant reproductive success, partitioning it on invariability and synchrony components across plant and pollinator populations and communities, as well as their interactions, using a well-resolved dataset that encompasses data for two years. Our review of the literature points to several significant gaps in our current knowledge, with simulation studies clearly overrepresented in the literature as opposed to experimental or empirical approaches. Our quantitative approach to partitioning invariability shows similar patterns of decreasing temporal invariability across increasing organizational levels driven by asynchronous dynamics amongst populations and communities, which overall stabilize ecosystem functioning (plant reproductive success). This study represents a first step towards a better comprehension of temporal invariability in ecosystem functions defined by interactions between species and provides a blueprint for the type of spatially replicated multi-year data that needs to be collected in the future to further our understanding of ecological stability within multi-trophic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Magrach
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Daniel Montoya
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
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17
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Samadder A, Chattopadhyay A, Sau A, Bhattacharya S. Interconnection between density-regulation and stability in competitive ecological network. Theor Popul Biol 2024; 157:33-46. [PMID: 38521098 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
In natural ecosystems, species can be characterized by the nonlinear density-dependent self-regulation of their growth profile. Species of many taxa show a substantial density-dependent reduction for low population size. Nevertheless, many show the opposite trend; density regulation is minimal for small populations and increases significantly when the population size is near the carrying capacity. The theta-logistic growth equation can portray the intraspecific density regulation in the growth profile, theta being the density regulation parameter. In this study, we examine the role of these different growth profiles on the stability of a competitive ecological community with the help of a mathematical model of competitive species interactions. This manuscript deals with the random matrix theory to understand the stability of the classical theta-logistic models of competitive interactions. Our results suggest that having more species with strong density dependence, which self-regulate at low densities, leads to more stable communities. With this, stability also depends on the complexity of the ecological network. Species network connectance (link density) shows a consistent trend of increasing stability, whereas community size (species richness) shows a context-dependent effect. We also interpret our results from the aspect of two different life history strategies: r and K-selection. Our results show that the stability of a competitive network increases with the fraction of r-selected species in the community. Our result is robust, irrespective of different network architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Samadder
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T Road, Kolkata 700108, India.
| | - Arnab Chattopadhyay
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T Road, Kolkata 700108, India.
| | - Anurag Sau
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T Road, Kolkata 700108, India; Odum School of Ecology, Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia USA.
| | - Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T Road, Kolkata 700108, India.
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18
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Srednick G, Swearer SE. Effects of protection and temperature variation on temporal stability in a marine reserve network. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14220. [PMID: 37937466 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of ecosystem stability has been a key focus of modern ecology as the impacts of the Anthropocene become more prevalent and extreme. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are tools used globally to promote biodiversity and mediate anthropogenic impacts. However, assessing the stability of natural ecosystems and responses to management actions is inherently challenging due to the complex dynamics of communities with many interdependent taxa. Using a 12-year time series of subtidal community structure in an MPA network in the Channel Islands (United States), we estimated species interaction strength (competition and predation), prey species synchrony, and temporal stability in trophic networks, as well as temporal variation in sea surface temperature to explore the causal drivers of temporal stability at community and metacommunity scales. At the community scale, only trophic networks in MPAs at Santa Rosa Island showed greater temporal stability than reference sites, likely driven by reduced prey synchrony. Across islands, competition was sometimes greater and predation always greater in MPAs compared with reference sites. Increases in interaction strength resulted in lower temporal stability of trophic networks. Although MPAs reduced prey synchrony at the metacommunity scale, reductions were insufficient to stabilize trophic networks. In contrast, temporal variation in sea surface temperature had strong positive direct effects on stability at the regional scale and indirect effects at the local scale through reductions in species interaction strength. Although MPAs can be effective management strategies for protecting certain species or locations, our findings for this MPA network suggest that temperature variation has a stronger influence on metacommunity temporal stability by mediating species interactions and promoting a mosaic of spatiotemporal variation in community structure of trophic networks. By capturing the full spectrum of environmental variation in network planning, MPAs will have the greatest capacity to promote ecosystem stability in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin Srednick
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen E Swearer
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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19
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Sporta Caputi S, Kabala JP, Rossi L, Careddu G, Calizza E, Ventura M, Costantini ML. Individual diet variability shapes the architecture of Antarctic benthic food webs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12333. [PMID: 38811641 PMCID: PMC11137039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62644-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Antarctic biodiversity is affected by seasonal sea-ice dynamics driving basal resource availability. To (1) determine the role of intraspecific dietary variability in structuring benthic food webs sustaining Antarctic biodiversity, and (2) understand how food webs and the position of topologically central species vary with sea-ice cover, single benthic individuals' diets were studied by isotopic analysis before sea-ice breakup and afterwards. Isotopic trophospecies (or Isotopic Trophic Units) were investigated and food webs reconstructed using Bayesian Mixing Models. As nodes, these webs used either ITUs regardless of their taxonomic membership (ITU-webs) or ITUs assigned to species (population-webs). Both were compared to taxonomic-webs based on taxa and their mean isotopic values. Higher resource availability after sea-ice breakup led to simpler community structure, with lower connectance and linkage density. Intra-population diet variability and compartmentalisation were crucial in determining community structure, showing population-webs to be more complex, stable and robust to biodiversity loss than taxonomic-webs. The core web, representing the minimal community 'skeleton' that expands opportunistically while maintaining web stability with changing resource availability, was also identified. Central nodes included the sea-urchin Sterechinus neumayeri and the bivalve Adamussium colbecki, whose diet is described in unprecedented detail. The core web, compartmentalisation and topologically central nodes represent crucial factors underlying Antarctica's rich benthic food web persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sporta Caputi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Jerzy Piotr Kabala
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Costantini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
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20
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Jiang W, Yan Z, Chen Z, Gu L, Bao H, Cao Y, Liu L, Yan B. Investigating oral microbiome profiles in patients with cleft lip and palate compared with the healthy control. BMC Oral Health 2024; 24:623. [PMID: 38807164 PMCID: PMC11134767 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04387-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) have an oronasal communication differed from the closed state in healthy individuals, leading to a unique oral microbiome. This study aimed to determine if variances in the oral microbiota persist among CLP patients who have received treatments for the closure of these fistulas compared to the microbiota of healthy individuals. METHODS Saliva samples were collected from a cohort comprising 28 CLP patients (CLP group) and 30 healthy controls (HC group). Utilizing 16S rRNA sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq platform, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and composition of the oral microbiota. RESULTS The analysis of the microbiota in the saliva samples revealed a total of 23 microbial phyla, 38 classes, 111 orders, 184 families, 327 genera and 612 species. The alpha diversity with microbial abundance and evenness indicated the significant difference between the CLP and HC groups. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and the ADONIS test further supported the presence of distinct microorganisms between the two groups. The CLP group displayed elevated abundances of Neisseria, Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, and Granulicatella, as indicated by LefSe analysis. Conversely, Rothia, Veillonella, and Pauljensenia exhibited significant reductions in abundance in the CLP group. The results of the PICRUSt analysis indicated significant differences in the relative abundance of 25 KEGG pathways within the CLP group. Through Spearman correlation analysis, strong associations between Rothia, Veillonella, and Pauljensenia and 25 functional pathways linked to CLP were identified. CONCLUSION Findings of this study offer a thorough comprehension of the microbiome profiles of CLP patients after the restoration of oronasal structure and are anticipated to present innovative concepts for the treatment of CLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Jiang
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Zixin Yan
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Zhenwei Chen
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Lanxin Gu
- Department of Prosthodontics, National Center of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices & Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Han Bao
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Ye Cao
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Luwei Liu
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
| | - Bin Yan
- Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Research, Prevention and Treatment for Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
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21
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Liang M, Lamy T, Reuman DC, Wang S, Bell TW, Cavanaugh KC, Castorani MCN. A marine heatwave changes the stabilizing effects of biodiversity in kelp forests. Ecology 2024; 105:e4288. [PMID: 38522859 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Biodiversity can stabilize ecological communities through biological insurance, but climate and other environmental changes may disrupt this process via simultaneous ecosystem destabilization and biodiversity loss. While changes to diversity-stability relationships (DSRs) and the underlying mechanisms have been extensively explored in terrestrial plant communities, this topic remains largely unexplored in benthic marine ecosystems that comprise diverse assemblages of producers and consumers. By analyzing two decades of kelp forest biodiversity survey data, we discovered changes in diversity, stability, and their relationships at multiple scales (biological organizational levels, spatial scales, and functional groups) that were linked with the most severe marine heatwave ever documented in the North Pacific Ocean. Moreover, changes in the strength of DSRs during/after the heatwave were more apparent among functional groups than both biological organizational levels (population vs. ecosystem levels) and spatial scales (local vs. broad scales). Specifically, the strength of DSRs decreased for fishes, increased for mobile invertebrates and understory algae, and were unchanged for sessile invertebrates during/after the heatwave. Our findings suggest that biodiversity plays a key role in stabilizing marine ecosystems, but the resilience of DSRs to adverse climate impacts primarily depends on the functional identities of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maowei Liang
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, University of Minnesota, East Bethel, Minnesota, USA
| | - Thomas Lamy
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniel C Reuman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tom W Bell
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kyle C Cavanaugh
- Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Max C N Castorani
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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22
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Cicero L, Chavarín-Gómez LE, Pérez-Ascencio D, Barreto-Barriga O, Guevara R, Desneux N, Ramírez-Romero R. Influence of Alternative Prey on the Functional Response of a Predator in Two Contexts: With and without Intraguild Predation. INSECTS 2024; 15:315. [PMID: 38786871 PMCID: PMC11122098 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In biological control, joint releases of predators and parasitoids are standard. However, intraguild predation (IGP) can occur when a predator attacks a parasitoid, potentially affecting pest control dynamics. In addition to the focal prey (FP), Trialeurodes vaporariorum, the intraguild predator (IG-predator) Geocoris punctipes can consume the parasitoid Eretmocerus eremicus (IG-prey). In this IGP context with multiple prey, an alternative prey (AP), like the aphid Myzus persicae, may influence interactions. Theory predicts that, in simple interactions, a predator's functional response (FR) to the FP changes with the presence of an AP. However, whether this holds in an IGP context is unknown. In this study, we empirically tested that prediction. Our results show that without IGP, G. punctipes exhibits a generalized FR with and without AP. Nevertheless, with IGP, the predator exhibited a Type II FR at low and high AP densities, increasing pressure on the FP and potentially favoring short-term biological control strategies. However, when 25 AP were offered, the predator's response shifted, underscoring the importance of monitoring AP densities to prevent potential disruptions in FP control. In both contexts, the increase in AP produced a handling time increase and a decrease in consumption rate. These results indicate that the theoretical prediction of the effect of AP on the FR is met only under specific conditions, and the complexity of multitrophic interactions must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizette Cicero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Aplicada al Control Biológico (ECOBI), Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Mexico City 04010, Mexico;
| | - Luis Enrique Chavarín-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico (LabCB-AIFEN), Departamento de Producción Agrícola, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44100, Mexico; (L.E.C.-G.); (D.P.-A.); (O.B.-B.)
| | - Daniela Pérez-Ascencio
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico (LabCB-AIFEN), Departamento de Producción Agrícola, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44100, Mexico; (L.E.C.-G.); (D.P.-A.); (O.B.-B.)
| | - Ornella Barreto-Barriga
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico (LabCB-AIFEN), Departamento de Producción Agrícola, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44100, Mexico; (L.E.C.-G.); (D.P.-A.); (O.B.-B.)
| | - Roger Guevara
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa 91070, Mexico;
| | - Nicolas Desneux
- Université Côte d’Azur, INRAE, CNRS, 06903 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Ricardo Ramírez-Romero
- Laboratorio de Control Biológico (LabCB-AIFEN), Departamento de Producción Agrícola, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44100, Mexico; (L.E.C.-G.); (D.P.-A.); (O.B.-B.)
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23
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Aguadé-Gorgorió G, Anderson AR, Solé R. Modeling tumors as species-rich ecological communities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590504. [PMID: 38712062 PMCID: PMC11071393 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Many advanced cancers resist therapeutic intervention. This process is fundamentally related to intra-tumor heterogeneity: multiple cell populations, each with different mutational and phenotypic signatures, coexist within a tumor and its metastatic nodes. Like species in an ecosystem, many cancer cell populations are intertwined in a complex network of ecological interactions. Most mathematical models of tumor ecology, however, cannot account for such phenotypic diversity nor are able to predict its consequences. Here we propose that the Generalized Lotka-Volterra model (GLV), a standard tool to describe complex, species-rich ecological communities, provides a suitable framework to describe the ecology of heterogeneous tumors. We develop a GLV model of tumor growth and discuss how its emerging properties, such as outgrowth and multistability, provide a new understanding of the disease. Additionally, we discuss potential extensions of the model and their application to three active areas of cancer research, namely phenotypic plasticity, the cancer-immune interplay and the resistance of metastatic tumors to treatment. Our work outlines a set of questions and a tentative road map for further research in cancer ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander R.A. Anderson
- Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, USA
| | - Ricard Solé
- ICREA-Complex Systems Lab, UPF-PRBB, Dr. Aiguader 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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24
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Schoonakker MP, van Peet PG, van den Burg EL, Numans ME, Ducarmon QR, Pijl H, Wiese M. Impact of dietary carbohydrate, fat or protein restriction on the human gut microbiome: a systematic review. Nutr Res Rev 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38602133 DOI: 10.1017/s0954422424000131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Restriction of dietary carbohydrates, fat and/or protein is often used to reduce body weight and/or treat (metabolic) diseases. Since diet is a key modulator of the human gut microbiome, which plays an important role in health and disease, this review aims to provide an overview of current knowledge of the effects of macronutrient-restricted diets on gut microbial composition and metabolites. A structured search strategy was performed in several databases. After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, thirty-six articles could be included. Data are included in the results only when supported by at least three independent studies to enhance the reliability of our conclusions. Low-carbohydrate (<30 energy%) diets tended to induce a decrease in the relative abundance of several health-promoting bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, as well as a reduction in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in faeces. In contrast, low-fat diets (<30 energy%) increased alpha diversity, faecal SCFA levels and abundance of some beneficial bacteria, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. There were insufficient data to draw conclusions concerning the effects of low-protein (<10 energy%) diets on gut microbiota. Although the data of included studies unveil possible benefits of low-fat and potential drawbacks of low-carbohydrate diets for human gut microbiota, the diversity in study designs made it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Using a more uniform methodology in design, sample processing and sharing raw sequence data could foster our understanding of the effects of macronutrient restriction on gut microbiota composition and metabolic dynamics relevant to health. This systematic review was registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero as CRD42020156929.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein P Schoonakker
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Petra G van Peet
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Elske L van den Burg
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mattijs E Numans
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Quinten R Ducarmon
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hanno Pijl
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Wiese
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Microbiology and Systems Biology, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, The Netherlands
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25
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Zhang L, Gao J, Zhao R, Wang J, Hao L, Wang M. Forb stability, dwarf shrub stability and species asynchrony regulate ecosystem stability along an experimental precipitation gradient in a semi-arid desert grassland. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:378-389. [PMID: 38442014 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Precipitation pattern changes may affect plant biodiversity, which could impact ecosystem stability. However, the effects of changes in precipitation regime on ecosystem stability and their potential mechanisms are still unclear. We conducted a 3-year field manipulation experiment with five precipitation treatments (-40%, -20%, 0% (CK), +20% and +40% of ambient growing season precipitation) in a semi-arid desert grassland to examine the effects of precipitation alterations on functional group stability, species asynchrony, and diversity, and the underlying mchanisms of ecosystem stability using structural equation modelling. Alterations in precipitation had different effects on community biomass and functional group biomass. Moreover, ecosystem stability was mainly driven by forb stability (path coefficient = 0.79). Changes in precipitation had significant effects on soil dissolved inorganic N (P < 0.01) further affecting ecosystem stability through species asynchrony (path coefficient = 0.25). Dwarf shrubs had a stabilizing effect on ecosystem stability (path coefficient = 0.32), mainly via deep roots. Ecosystem stability tended to be lower in the -40% (4.72) and +40% (2.74) precipitation treatments. The common reduction in species asynchrony and stability of forb and dwarf shrub functional groups resulted in lower ecosystem stability under the -40% treatment. The lower stability under the +40% treatment might be ascribed to unimproved dwarf shrub stability. Higher dwarf shrub and forb stability contributed to higher ecosystem stability under normal precipitation changes (±20% treatments) and CK. Species diversity was not a crucial driver of ecosystem stability. Our results indicate that precipitation alteration can regulate ecosystem stability via functional group stability (e.g. forb stability, dwarf shrub stability) and species asynchrony in a semiarid desert grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Zhang
- College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - J Gao
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - R Zhao
- College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - J Wang
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, China
| | - L Hao
- School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - M Wang
- College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
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Luo Q, Li S, Kinouchi T, Wu N, Fu X, Ling C, Cai Q, Chiu MC, Resh VH. Existing levels of biodiversity and river location may determine changes from small hydropower developments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 357:120697. [PMID: 38565031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Global ecosystems are facing anthropogenic threats that affect their ecological functions and biodiversity. However, we still lack an understanding of how biodiversity can mediate the responses of ecosystems or communities to human disturbance across spatial gradients. Here, we examined how existing, spatial patterns of biodiversity influence the ecological effects of small hydropower plants (SHPs) on macroinvertebrates in river ecosystems. This study found that levels of biodiversity (e.g., number of species) can influence the degrees of its alterations by SHPs occurring along elevational gradients. The results of the study reveal that the construction of SHPs has various effects on biodiversity. For example, low-altitude areas with low biodiversity (species richness less than 12) showed a small increase in biodiversity compared to high-altitude areas (species richness more than 12) under SHP disturbances. The increases in the effective habitat area of the river segment could be a driver of the enhanced biodiversity in response to SHP effects. Changes in the numerically dominant species contributed to the overall level of community variation from disturbances. Location-specific strategies may mitigate the effects of SHPs and perhaps other disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430061, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China; Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Shuyin Li
- Yangtze River Basin Ecological Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Yangtze River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Wuhan, 430010, China; Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Tsuyoshi Kinouchi
- Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Naicheng Wu
- Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
| | - Xiaocheng Fu
- Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute Co., LTD., Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Chang Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430061, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Qinghua Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430061, China.
| | - Ming-Chih Chiu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430061, China.
| | - Vincent H Resh
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720, USA.
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Qin X, Hou Q, Zhao H, Wang P, Yang S, Liao N, Huang J, Li X, He Q, Nethmini RT, Jiang G, He S, Chen Q, Dong K, Li N. Resource diversity disturbs marine Vibrio diversity and community stability, but loss of Vibrio diversity enhances community stability. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11234. [PMID: 38646003 PMCID: PMC11027015 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Vibrio is a salt-tolerant heterotrophic bacterium that occupies an important ecological niche in marine environments. However, little is known about the contribution of resource diversity to the marine Vibrio diversity and community stability. In this study, we investigated the association among resource diversity, taxonomic diversity, phylogenetic diversity, and community stability of marine Vibrio in the Beibu Gulf. V. campbellii and V. hangzhouensis were the dominant groups in seawater and sediments, respectively, in the Beibu Gulf. Higher alpha diversity was observed in the sediments than in the seawater. Marine Vibrio community assembly was dominated by deterministic processes. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that nitrite (NO 2 - -N), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), ammonium (NH 4 + -N), and pH were the main factors affecting marine Vibrio community stability in the surface, middle, and bottom layers of seawater and sediment, respectively. Partial least-squares path models (PLS-PM) demonstrated that resource diversity, water properties, nutrients, and geographical distance had important impacts on phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity. Regression analysis revealed that the impact of resource diversity on marine Vibrio diversity and community stability varied across different habitats, but loss of Vibrio diversity increases community stability. Overall, this study provided insights into the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of Vibrio diversity and community stability in marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Qin
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of EducationNanning Normal UniversityNanningChina
| | - Qinghua Hou
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Huaxian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of EducationNanning Normal UniversityNanningChina
| | - Pengbin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of OceanographyMinistry of Natural Re‐SourcesHangzhouChina
| | - Shu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of EducationNanning Normal UniversityNanningChina
| | - Nengjian Liao
- College of Environmental Science and EngineeringGuilin University of TechnologyGuilinChina
| | | | - Xiaoli Li
- School of AgricultureLudong UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Qing He
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Rajapakshalage Thashikala Nethmini
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Gonglingxia Jiang
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Shiying He
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of EducationNanning Normal UniversityNanningChina
| | - Qingxiang Chen
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Ke Dong
- Department of Biological SciencesKyonggi UniversitySuwon‐siGyeonggi‐doSouth Korea
| | - Nan Li
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and MeteorologyGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
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28
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Hatton IA, Mazzarisi O, Altieri A, Smerlak M. Diversity begets stability: Sublinear growth and competitive coexistence across ecosystems. Science 2024; 383:eadg8488. [PMID: 38484074 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg8488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The worldwide loss of species diversity brings urgency to understanding how diverse ecosystems maintain stability. Whereas early ecological ideas and classic observations suggested that stability increases with diversity, ecological theory makes the opposite prediction, leading to the long-standing "diversity-stability debate." Here, we show that this puzzle can be resolved if growth scales as a sublinear power law with biomass (exponent <1), exhibiting a form of population self-regulation analogous to models of individual ontogeny. We show that competitive interactions among populations with sublinear growth do not lead to exclusion, as occurs with logistic growth, but instead promote stability at higher diversity. Our model realigns theory with classic observations and predicts large-scale macroecological patterns. However, it makes an unsettling prediction: Biodiversity loss may accelerate the destabilization of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Hatton
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E8, Canada
| | - Onofrio Mazzarisi
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), 34014 Trieste, Italy
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), 34014 Trieste, Italy
| | - Ada Altieri
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), Université Paris Cité CNRS, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Matteo Smerlak
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Laboratoire de Biophysique et Evolution, UMR 8231 CBI, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
- Capital Fund Management, 75007 Paris, France
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29
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Moisset de Espanés P, Ramos-Jiliberto R. Both local stability and dispersal contribute to metacommunity sensitivity to asynchronous habitat availability. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6273. [PMID: 38491098 PMCID: PMC10943024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56632-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The stability of isolated communities depends on the complexity of their foodwebs. However, it remains unclear how local stability interacts with dispersal in multitrophic metacommunities to shape biodiversity patterns. This lack of understanding is deeper in the more realistic frame of landscapes that exhibit non-trivial and time-varying structures. Therefore, in this study, we aim to evaluate the influence of local stabilizing factors versus dispersal in determining the sensitivity of metacommunity biodiversity to increasing asynchrony of site availability. Additionally, we assess the role of foodweb complexity and landscape structure as modulating factors. To accomplish our goals we developed a model based on random matrices for local communities, which are linked by stochastic dispersal over explicit dynamic landscapes. We ran numerical simulations and computed the effect sizes of foodweb temperature, self-limitation, dispersal ability, and all pairwise combinations, on the sensitivity of biodiversity to landscape asynchrony. In our experiments we explored gradients of species richness, foodweb connectance, number of sites, and landscape modularity. Our results showed that asynchrony among site availability periods reduced α -diversity and increased β -diversity. Asynchrony increased γ -diversity at high dispersal rates. Both local and regional stabilizing factors determined the sensitivity of metacommunities to landscape asynchrony. Local factors were more influential in landscapes with fewer sites and lower modularity, as well as in metacommunities composed of complex foodwebs. This research offers insights into the dynamics of metacommunities in dynamic landscapes, providing valuable knowledge about the interplay between local and regional factors in shaping ecological stability and species persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Moisset de Espanés
- Centro de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Universidad de Chile, Av. Beaucheff 851, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Ramos-Jiliberto
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile.
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30
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Goyal A, Rocks JW, Mehta P. A universal niche geometry governs the response of ecosystems to environmental perturbations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.02.583107. [PMID: 38496409 PMCID: PMC10942395 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.02.583107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
How ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations is a fundamental question in ecology, made especially challenging due to the strong coupling between species and their environment. Here, we introduce a theoretical framework for calculating the linear response of ecosystems to environmental perturbations in generalized consumer-resource models. Our construction is applicable to a wide class of systems, including models with non-reciprocal interactions, cross-feeding, and non-linear growth/consumption rates. Within our framework, all ecological variables are embedded into four distinct vector spaces and ecological interactions are represented by geometric transformations between these spaces. We show that near a steady state, such geometric transformations directly map environmental perturbations - in resource availability and mortality rates - to shifts in niche structure. We illustrate these ideas in a variety of settings including a minimal model for pH-induced toxicity in bacterial denitrification.
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31
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Ponciano JM, Gómez JP, Ravel J, Forney LJ. Inferring stability and persistence in the vaginal microbiome: A stochastic model of ecological dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.02.581600. [PMID: 38464272 PMCID: PMC10925280 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.02.581600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The interplay of stochastic and ecological processes that govern the establishment and persistence of host-associated microbial communities is not well understood. Here we illustrate the conceptual and practical advantages of fitting stochastic population dynamics models to multi-species bacterial time series data. We show how the stability properties, fluctuation regimes and persistence probabilities of human vaginal microbial communities can be better understood by explicitly accommodating three sources of variability in ecological stochastic models of multi-species abundances: 1) stochastic biotic and abiotic forces, 2) ecological feedback and 3) sampling error. Rooting our modeling tool in stochastic population dynamics modeling theory was key to apply standardized measures of a community's reaction to environmental variation that ultimately depends on the nature and intensity of the intra-specific and inter-specific interaction strengths. Using estimates of model parameters, we developed a Risk Prediction Monitoring (RPM) tool that estimates temporal changes in persistence probabilities for any bacterial group of interest. This method mirrors approaches that are often used in conservation biology in which a measure of extinction risks is periodically updated with any change in a population or community. Additionally, we show how to use estimates of interaction strengths and persistence probabilities to formulate hypotheses regarding the molecular mechanisms and genetic composition that underpin different types of interactions. Instead of seeking a definition of "dysbiosis" we propose to translate concepts of theoretical ecology and conservation biology methods into practical approaches for the management of human-associated bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan P. Gómez
- Departamento de Química y Biología, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Larry J. Forney
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
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32
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Toju H, Suzuki SS, Baba YG. Interaction network rewiring and species' contributions to community-scale flexibility. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae047. [PMID: 38444600 PMCID: PMC10914369 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The architecture of species interaction networks is a key factor determining the stability of ecological communities. However, the fact that ecological network architecture can change through time is often overlooked in discussions on community-level processes, despite its theoretical importance. By compiling a time-series community dataset involving 50 spider species and 974 Hexapoda prey species/strains, we quantified the extent to which the architecture of predator-prey interaction networks could shift across time points. We then developed a framework for finding species that could increase the flexibility of the interaction network architecture. Those "network coordinator" species are expected to promote the persistence of species-rich ecological communities by buffering perturbations in communities. Although spiders are often considered as generalist predators, their contributions to network flexibility vary greatly among species. We also found that detritivorous prey species can be cores of interaction rewiring, dynamically interlinking below-ground and above-ground community dynamics. We further found that the predator-prey interactions between those network coordinators differed from those highlighted in the standard network-analytical framework assuming static topology. Analyses of network coordinators will add a new dimension to our understanding of species coexistence mechanisms and provide platforms for systematically prioritizing species in terms of their potential contributions in ecosystem conservation and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Toju
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
- Laboratory of Ecosystems and Coevolution, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Center for Living Systems Information Science (CeLiSIS), Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Sayaka S Suzuki
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
| | - Yuki G Baba
- Biodiversity Division, Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, Japan
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33
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Mougi A. Dual species interaction and ecological community stability. Ecology 2024; 105:e4251. [PMID: 38272678 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
How diverse species coexist in nature remains a challenging issue that is not yet resolved in ecology. The traditional approach to tackling this problem uses an ecological community network comprising various biological interaction links between species, such as predator-prey, mutualism, and competition. However, in nature, the interaction between any species pair is not limited to a singular interaction; instead, various interactions occur mostly in two ways, such as competition/facilitation in plants, mutualism/antagonism in consumer-resource mutualisms, and reciprocal predation. Here, using an ecological community model, I show that such so-called dual interactions play a key role in stabilizing ecological communities. Theory predicts that dual interactions can stabilize ecological communities through the balance of positive and negative effects, which behave as if the interactions disappear. Communities with dual interactions are inherently more stable than a classical random community with multiple types of singular interactions, suggesting that dual interactions are more widespread than expected in nature and help to maintain ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
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34
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Beneduce L, Piergiacomo F, Limoni PP, Zuffianò LE, Polemio M. Microbial, chemical, and isotopic monitoring integrated approach to assess potential leachate contamination of groundwater in a karstic aquifer (Apulia, Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:312. [PMID: 38413499 PMCID: PMC10899417 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Landfill sites are subjected to long-term risks of accidental spill of leachate through the soil and consequential contamination of the groundwater. Wide areas surrounding the landfill can seriously be threatened with possible consequences to human health and the environment. Given the potential impact of different coexisting anthropic pollution sources (i.e., agriculture and cattle farming) on the same site, the perturbation of the groundwater quality may be due to multiple factors. Therefore, it is a challenging issue to correctly establish the pollution source of an aquifer where the landfill is not isolated from other anthropic land uses, especially in the case of a karstic coastal aquifer. The present study is aimed at setting in place an integrated environmental monitoring system that included microbiological, chemical, and isotope methods to evaluate potential groundwater pollution in a landfill district in the south of Italy located in Murgia karstic aquifer. Conventional (microbial plate count and physical-chemical analyses) and advanced methods (PCR-ARISA, isotope analysis of δ18O, δ2H, 3H, δ 13C, δ 15N-NO3-, and δ 18O-NO3-) were included in the study. Through data integration, it was possible to reconstruct a scenario in which agriculture and other human activities along with seawater intrusion in the karst aquifer were the main drivers of groundwater pollution at the monitored site. The microbiological, chemical, and isotope results confirmed the absence of leachate effects on groundwater quality, showing the decisive role of fertilizers as potential nitrate sources. The next goal will be to extend long-term integrated monitoring to other landfill districts, with different geological and hydrogeological characteristics and including different sources of pollution, to support the ecological restoration of landfills.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Beneduce
- Department of the Science of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 25 -71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - F Piergiacomo
- Present address: Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, Piazza Università 1, 39100, Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
| | - P P Limoni
- CNR-IRPI, National Research Council, Research Institute for Hydrogeological Protection, Via Amendola 122/I, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - L E Zuffianò
- CNR-IRPI, National Research Council, Research Institute for Hydrogeological Protection, Via Amendola 122/I, 70126, Bari, Italy.
| | - M Polemio
- CNR-IRPI, National Research Council, Research Institute for Hydrogeological Protection, Via Amendola 122/I, 70126, Bari, Italy
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Galiana N, Arnoldi JF, Mestre F, Rozenfeld A, Araújo MB. Power laws in species' biotic interaction networks can be inferred from co-occurrence data. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:209-217. [PMID: 38012361 PMCID: PMC11263125 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02254-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Inferring biotic interactions from species co-occurrence patterns has long intrigued ecologists. Yet recent research revealed that co-occurrences may not reliably represent pairwise biotic interactions. We propose that examining network-level co-occurrence patterns can provide valuable insights into community structure and assembly. Analysing ten bipartite networks of empirically sampled biotic interactions and associated species spatial distribution, we find that approximately 20% of co-occurrences correspond to actual interactions. Moreover, the degree distribution shifts from exponential in co-occurrence networks to power laws in networks of biotic interactions. This shift results from a strong interplay between species' biotic (their interacting partners) and abiotic (their environmental requirements) niches, and is accurately predicted by considering co-occurrence frequencies. Our work offers a mechanistic understanding of the assembly of ecological communities and suggests simple ways to infer fundamental biotic interaction network characteristics from co-occurrence data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Galiana
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jean-François Arnoldi
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Experimental and Theoretical Ecology Station, Moulis, France
| | - Frederico Mestre
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Rozenfeld
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- INTELYMEC Group, Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires - Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Olavarría, Argentina
| | - Miguel B Araújo
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
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36
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Tye SP, Fey SB, Gibert JP, Siepielski AM. Predator mass mortality events restructure food webs through trophic decoupling. Nature 2024; 626:335-340. [PMID: 38233526 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06931-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Predators have a key role in structuring ecosystems1-4. However, predator loss is accelerating globally4-6, and predator mass-mortality events7 (MMEs)-rapid large-scale die-offs-are now emblematic of the Anthropocene epoch6. Owing to their rare and unpredictable nature7, we lack an understanding of how MMEs immediately impact ecosystems. Past predator-removal studies2,3 may be insufficient to understand the ecological consequences of MMEs because, in nature, dead predators decompose in situ and generate a resource pulse8, which could alter ensuing ecosystem dynamics by temporarily enhancing productivity. Here we experimentally induce MMEs in tritrophic, freshwater lake food webs and report ecological dynamics that are distinct from predator losses2,3 or resource pulses9 alone, but that can be predicted from theory8. MMEs led to the proliferation of diverse consumer and producer communities resulting from weakened top-down predator control1-3 and stronger bottom-up effects through predator decomposition8. In contrast to predator removals alone, enhanced primary production after MMEs dampened the consumer community response. As a consequence, MMEs generated biomass dynamics that were most similar to those of undisturbed systems, indicating that they may be cryptic disturbances in nature. These biomass dynamics led to trophic decoupling, whereby the indirect beneficial effects of predators on primary producers are lost and later materialize as direct bottom-up effects that stimulate primary production amid intensified herbivory. These results reveal ecological signatures of MMEs and demonstrate the feasibility of forecasting novel ecological dynamics arising with intensifying global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Tye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Samuel B Fey
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jean P Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
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Dosi A, Meziti A, Tounta E, Koemtzopoulos K, Komnenou A, Dendrinos P, Kormas K. Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0280523. [PMID: 38084980 PMCID: PMC10783143 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02805-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study showed that during the rehabilitation of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups (Monachus monachus), the skin and fecal bacterial communities showed similar succession patterns between the two individuals. This finding means that co-housed pups share their microbiomes, and this needs to be considered in cases of infection outbreaks and their treatment. The housing conditions, along with the feeding scheme and care protocols, including the admission of antibiotics as prophylaxis, probiotics, and essential food supplements, resulted in bacterial communities with no apparent pathogenic bacteria. This is the first contribution to the microbiome of the protected seal species of M. monachus and contributes to the animal's conservation practices through its microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aggeliki Dosi
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Alexandra Meziti
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Eleni Tounta
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Kimon Koemtzopoulos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Komnenou
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Kormas
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
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38
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Zelnik YR, Galiana N, Barbier M, Loreau M, Galbraith E, Arnoldi JF. How collectively integrated are ecological communities? Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14358. [PMID: 38288867 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Beyond abiotic conditions, do population dynamics mostly depend on a species' direct predators, preys and conspecifics? Or can indirect feedback that ripples across the whole community be equally important? Determining where ecological communities sit on the spectrum between these two characterizations requires a metric able to capture the difference between them. Here we show that the spectral radius of a community's interaction matrix provides such a metric, thus a measure of ecological collectivity, which is accessible from imperfect knowledge of biotic interactions and related to observable signatures. This measure of collectivity integrates existing approaches to complexity, interaction structure and indirect interactions. Our work thus provides an original perspective on the question of to what degree communities are more than loose collections of species or simple interaction motifs and explains when pragmatic reductionist approaches ought to suffice or fail when applied to ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval R Zelnik
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nuria Galiana
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthieu Barbier
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, Montpellier, France
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Loreau
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS Moulis, Moulis, France
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Eric Galbraith
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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39
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Saether BE, Engen S, Solbu EB. Assessing the sensitivity and resistance of communities in a changing environment. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:8-20. [PMID: 37740526 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
We propose that the ecological resilience of communities to permanent changes of the environment can be based on how variation in the overall abundance of individuals affects the number of species. Community sensitivity is defined as the ratio between the rate of change in the log expected number of species and the rate of change in the log expected number of individuals in the community. High community sensitivity means that small changes in the total abundance strongly impact the number of species. Community resistance is the proportional reduction in expected number of individuals that the community can sustain before expecting to lose one species. A small value of community resistance means that the community can only endure a small reduction in abundance before it is expected to lose one species. Based on long-term studies of four bird communities in European deciduous forests at different latitudes large differences were found in the resilience to environmental perturbations. Estimating the variance components of the species abundance distribution revealed how different processes contributed to the community sensitivity and resistance. Species heterogeneity in the population dynamics was the largest component, but its proportion varied among communities. Species-specific response to environmental fluctuations was the second major component of the variation in abundance. Estimates of community sensitivity and resistance based on data only from a single year were in general larger than those based on estimates from longer time series. Thus, our approach can provide rapid and conservative assessment of the resilience of communities to environmental changes also including only short-term data. This study shows that a general ecological mechanism, caused by increased strength of density dependence due to reduction in resource availability, can provide an intuitive measure of community resilience to environmental variation. Our analyses also illustrate the importance of including specific assumptions about how different processes affect community dynamics. For example, if stochastic fluctuations in the environment affect all species in a similar way, the sensitivity and resistance of the community to environmental changes will be different from communities in which all species show independent responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernt-Erik Saether
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Steinar Engen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erik Blystad Solbu
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Trondheim, Norway
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40
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Hutt A, Trotter D, Pariz A, Valiante TA, Lefebvre J. Diversity-induced trivialization and resilience of neural dynamics. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2024; 34:013147. [PMID: 38285722 DOI: 10.1063/5.0165773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Heterogeneity is omnipresent across all living systems. Diversity enriches the dynamical repertoire of these systems but remains challenging to reconcile with their manifest robustness and dynamical persistence over time, a fundamental feature called resilience. To better understand the mechanism underlying resilience in neural circuits, we considered a nonlinear network model, extracting the relationship between excitability heterogeneity and resilience. To measure resilience, we quantified the number of stationary states of this network, and how they are affected by various control parameters. We analyzed both analytically and numerically gradient and non-gradient systems modeled as non-linear sparse neural networks evolving over long time scales. Our analysis shows that neuronal heterogeneity quenches the number of stationary states while decreasing the susceptibility to bifurcations: a phenomenon known as trivialization. Heterogeneity was found to implement a homeostatic control mechanism enhancing network resilience to changes in network size and connection probability by quenching the system's dynamic volatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Hutt
- MLMS, MIMESIS, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inria, ICube, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Daniel Trotter
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Aref Pariz
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Taufik A Valiante
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Medical Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, CRANIA (Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application), Max Planck-University of Toronto Center for Neural Science and Technology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Jérémie Lefebvre
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E4, Canada
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41
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Zeng Y, Li J, Zhao Y, Yang W. Community ecological response to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Baiyangdian Lake based on an ecological model. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:34-46. [PMID: 38182933 PMCID: PMC10830818 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02722-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The dynamic response of a single population to chemicals can be represented by a Weibull function. However, it is unclear whether the overall response can still be represented in this manner when scaled up to the community level. In this study, we investigated the responses of biological communities to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by using an ecological model of Baiyangdian Lake in northern China. The community dynamics process was divided into the following three stages. In the first stage, toxicity, played a dominant role and strong, medium, and weak species responses were observed according to the toxicity sensitivity. In the second stage, the dynamic process was dominated by the interaction strength with three alternative dynamic pathways comprising of direct response, no response, or inverse response. In the third stage, the toxicity was again dominant, and the biomasses of all species decreased to extinction. The toxicological dynamics were far more complex at the community level than those at the single species level and they were also influenced by the interaction strength as well as toxicity. The toxicological dynamic process in the community was constantly driven by the competing effects of these two forces. In addition to the total biomass, the interaction strength was identified as a suitable community-level signal because it exhibited good indicator properties regarding ecosystem steady-state transitions. However, we found that food web stability indicators were not suitable for use as community-level signals because they were not sensitive to changes in the ecosystem state. Some ecological management suggestions have been proposed, including medium to long-term monitoring, and reduction of external pollution loads and bioindicators. The results obtained in this study increase our understanding of how chemicals interfere with community dynamics, and the interaction strength and total biomass were identified as useful holistic indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, College of Chemical Engineering and Environment, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China.
| | - Jiaxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, College of Chemical Engineering and Environment, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
| | - Yanwei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Wei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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42
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Wu L, Ren C, Jiang H, Zhang W, Chen N, Zhao X, Wei G, Shu D. Land abandonment transforms soil microbiome stability and functional profiles in apple orchards of the Chinese Losses Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167556. [PMID: 37804979 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Land abandonment is considered an effective strategy for ecological restoration on a global scale. However, few studies have focused on how environmental heterogeneity associated with the age of land abandonment affects the assembly and potential functions of the soil microbial community. In the present study, we investigated the community assembly of soil bacteria and fungi as well as the stability of soil networks and their potential functions in the chronosequence of abandoned apple orchards. We elucidated that the Shannon diversity of bacteria and the richness of fungi increased as land abandonment progressed. In addition, land abandonment destabilized the microbial network stability but increased network complexity. Soil available nitrogen, total carbon, and moisture are the potentially important factors in shaping the soil microbial assembly. Importantly, we showed that the microbial community diversity and functional diversity presented a synchronization effect in response to the different stages of land abandonment. Furthermore, specific bacterial taxa related to carbon fixation, dissimilatory nitrate reduction, and organic phosphorus mineralization were significantly enriched during the early abandonment stage. Collectively, these results indicate that land abandonment significantly transformed soil microbiome assembly and functional adaptation during the restoration process. These findings provide valuable insights into the influence of ecological restoration on soil microbiome and ecosystem functions in arable areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chengyao Ren
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Hai Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ni Chen
- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Xining Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Duntao Shu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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43
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Hayashi I, Fujita H, Toju H. Deterministic and stochastic processes generating alternative states of microbiomes. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae007. [PMID: 38415200 PMCID: PMC10897905 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The structure of microbiomes is often classified into discrete or semi-discrete types potentially differing in community-scale functional profiles. Elucidating the mechanisms that generate such "alternative states" of microbiome compositions has been one of the major challenges in ecology and microbiology. In a time-series analysis of experimental microbiomes, we here show that both deterministic and stochastic ecological processes drive divergence of alternative microbiome states. We introduced species-rich soil-derived microbiomes into eight types of culture media with 48 replicates, monitoring shifts in community compositions at six time points (8 media × 48 replicates × 6 time points = 2304 community samples). We then confirmed that microbial community structure diverged into a few state types in each of the eight medium conditions as predicted in the presence of both deterministic and stochastic community processes. In other words, microbiome structure was differentiated into a small number of reproducible compositions under the same environment. This fact indicates not only the presence of selective forces leading to specific equilibria of community-scale resource use but also the influence of demographic drift (fluctuations) on the microbiome assembly. A reference-genome-based analysis further suggested that the observed alternative states differed in ecosystem-level functions. These findings will help us examine how microbiome structure and functions can be controlled by changing the "stability landscapes" of ecological community compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibuki Hayashi
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Fujita
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Toju
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
- Center for Living Systems Information Science (CeLiSIS), Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Laboratory of Ecosystems and Coevolution, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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44
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Weisberg SJ, Pershing AJ, Grigoratou M, Mills KE, Fenwick IF, Frisk MG, McBride R, Lucey SM, Kemberling A, Beltz B, Nye JA. Merging trait-based ecology and regime shift theory to anticipate community responses to warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17065. [PMID: 38273564 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic warming is altering species abundance, distribution, physiology, and more. How changes observed at the species level alter emergent community properties is an active and urgent area of research. Trait-based ecology and regime shift theory provide complementary ways to understand climate change impacts on communities, but these two bodies of work are only rarely integrated. Lack of integration handicaps our ability to understand community responses to warming, at a time when such understanding is critical. Therefore, we advocate for merging trait-based ecology with regime shift theory. We propose a general set of principles to guide this merger and apply these principles to research on marine communities in the rapidly warming North Atlantic. In our example, combining trait distribution and regime shift analyses at the community level yields greater insight than either alone. Looking forward, we identify a clear need for expanding quantitative approaches to collecting and merging trait-based and resilience metrics in order to advance our understanding of climate-driven community change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Weisberg
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | - Maria Grigoratou
- Mercator Ocean International, Toulouse, France
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, Maine, USA
| | | | - Ileana F Fenwick
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael G Frisk
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Richard McBride
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sean M Lucey
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Brandon Beltz
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Janet A Nye
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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45
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Ambat A, Antony L, Maji A, Ghimire S, Mattiello S, Kashyap PC, More S, Sebastian V, Scaria J. Enhancing recovery from gut microbiome dysbiosis and alleviating DSS-induced colitis in mice with a consortium of rare short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2382324. [PMID: 39069899 PMCID: PMC11290756 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2382324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiota is a complex community comprising hundreds of species, with a few present in high abundance and the vast majority in low abundance. The biological functions and effects of these low-abundant species on their hosts are not yet fully understood. In this study, we assembled a bacterial consortium (SC-4) consisting of B. paravirosa, C. comes, M. indica, and A. butyriciproducens, which are low-abundant, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria isolated from healthy human gut, and tested its effect on host health using germ-free and human microbiota-associated colitis mouse models. The selection also favored these four bacteria being reduced in abundance in either Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) metagenome samples. Our findings demonstrate that SC-4 can colonize germ-free (GF) mice, increasing mucin thickness by activating MUC-1 and MUC-2 genes, thereby protecting GF mice from Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Moreover, SC-4 aided in the recovery of human microbiota-associated mice from DSS-induced colitis, and intriguingly, its administration enhanced the alpha diversity of the gut microbiome, shifting the community composition closer to control levels. The results showed enhanced phenotypes across all measures when the mice were supplemented with inulin as a dietary fiber source alongside SC-4 administration. We also showed a functional redundancy existing in the gut microbiome, resulting in the low abundant SCFA producers acting as a form of insurance, which in turn accelerates recovery from the dysbiotic state upon the administration of SC-4. SC-4 colonization also upregulated iNOS gene expression, further supporting its ability to produce an increasing number of goblet cells. Collectively, our results provide evidence that low-abundant SCFA-producing species in the gut may offer a novel therapeutic approach to IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achuthan Ambat
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Linto Antony
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Abhijit Maji
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Sudeep Ghimire
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Samara Mattiello
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Purna C. Kashyap
- Enteric Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine and Physiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sunil More
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Vanessa Sebastian
- Department of Pathology, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, India
| | - Joy Scaria
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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46
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White HJ, Bailey JJ, Bogdan C, Ross SRPJ. Response trait diversity and species asynchrony underlie the diversity-stability relationship in Romanian bird communities. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2309-2322. [PMID: 37859560 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity-stability relationships have frequently been studied in ecology, with the recent integration of traits to explain community stability over time. Classical theory underlying the biodiversity-stability relationship posits that different species' responses to the environment should stabilise community-level properties (e.g. biomass or abundance) through compensatory dynamics. However, functional response traits, which aim to predict how species respond to environmental change, are still rarely integrated into studies of ecological stability. Such traits should mechanistically drive community stability, both in terms of community abundance (functional variability) and composition (compositional variability). In turn, whether and how functional or compositional stability scales to affect temporal variation in functional effect traits (a proxy for ecosystem functioning) remains largely unknown, but is key to consistent ecosystem functioning under environmental change. Here, we explore the diversity-stability relationship in bird communities using annual survey data across 98 sites in central Romania, in combination with global trait databases and structural equation models. We show that higher response trait diversity promotes compositional variability directly, and functional variability indirectly via species asynchrony. In turn, functional variability impacts the temporal stability of effect trait diversity. Multiple facets of diversity and community stability differ between natural forests and agricultural or human-dominated survey sites, and the relationship between response diversity and functional variability is mediated by land cover. Further integration of response-and-effect trait frameworks into studies of community stability will enhance understanding of the drivers of biodiversity change, allowing targeted conservation decision-making with a focus on stable ecosystem functioning in the face of global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J White
- School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joseph J Bailey
- School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
- Operation Wallacea, Lincolnshire, UK
| | - Ciortan Bogdan
- Operation Wallacea, Lincolnshire, UK
- Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR), Bucharest, Romania
| | - Samuel R P-J Ross
- Integrative Community Ecology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
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Mohammadi F, Ahmadi A, Toranjzar H, Shams-Esfandabad B, Mokhtarpour M. The effects of environmental factors on plant diversity of Darab natural ecosystems in Fars province, Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1555. [PMID: 38036716 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
This research quantitatively evaluated the diversity of plants to protect vulnerable species. To measure vegetation information, the appropriate sampling plot size was determined based on the canopy cover of the dominant species of the study area (1 m2). Then, in each unit, sampling was done along 3 transects of 100 m. Along each transect, 10 plots with dimensions of one square meter were placed at a distance of 10 m from each other. In each plot, the type, life forms, frequency of plant species, and species density were recorded. Species diversity indices were calculated using Ecological Methodology software. The values obtained from these indicators were analyzed in SPSS 24 statistical software and using the F test. The results of the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the highest values of the species diversity indices are in the middle altitudes (ecotone) class. ANOVA of the richness, evenness, and heterogeneity indices in different altitude classes showed that the values of the richness indices were not significant, but among the indices related to the heterogeneity, the Hill index and all the evenness indices were significant. Comparing the numerical indices of our communities enables us to determine the impact of environmental stress in a single community to choose the best habitat among a similar group for conservation. A community that has high diversity and richness is important for conservation. Therefore, the authorities must prevent the destruction of the vegetation of the study area in connection with the implementation of principled and correct management by the potential of the region, but also to reduce the pressure of livestock grazing and carry out corrective and restoration operations, to turn these rangelands towards rich diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Mohammadi
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
| | - Abbas Ahmadi
- Food Security Research Centre, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.
| | - Hamid Toranjzar
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
| | - Bahman Shams-Esfandabad
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mokhtarpour
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Durodola B, Blumenstein K, Akinbobola A, Kolehmainen A, Chano V, Gailing O, Terhonen E. Beyond the surface: exploring the mycobiome of Norway spruce under drought stress and with Heterobasidion parviporum. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:350. [PMID: 37978432 PMCID: PMC10655427 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03099-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The mycobiome, comprising fungi inhabiting plants, potentially plays a crucial role in tree health and survival amidst environmental stressors like climate change and pathogenic fungi. Understanding the intricate relationships between trees and their microbial communities is essential for developing effective strategies to bolster the resilience and well-being of forest ecosystems as we adopt more sustainable forest management practices. The mycobiome can be considered an integral aspect of a tree's biology, closely linked to its genotype. To explore the influence of host genetics and environmental factors on fungal composition, we examined the mycobiome associated with phloem and roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) cuttings under varying watering conditions. To test the "mycobiome-associated-fitness" hypothesis, we compared seedlings artificially inoculated with Heterobasidion parviporum and control plants to evaluate mycobiome interaction on necrosis development. We aimed to 1) identify specific mycobiome species for the Norway spruce genotypes/families within the phloem and root tissues and their interactions with H. parviporum and 2) assess stability in the mycobiome species composition under abiotic disturbances (reduced water availability). The mycobiome was analyzed by sequencing the ribosomal ITS2 region. Our results revealed significant variations in the diversity and prevalence of the phloem mycobiome among different Norway spruce genotypes, highlighting the considerable impact of genetic variation on the composition and diversity of the phloem mycobiome. Additionally, specific mycobiome genera in the phloem showed variations in response to water availability, indicating the influence of environmental conditions on the relative proportion of certain fungal genera in Norway spruce trees. In the root mycobiome, key fungi such as Phialocephala fortinii and Paraphaeosphaeria neglecta were identified as conferring inhibitory effects against H. parviporum growth in Norway spruce genotypes. Furthermore, certain endophytes demonstrated greater stability in root ecosystems under low water conditions than ectomycorrhizal fungi. This knowledge can contribute to developing sustainable forest management practices that enhance the well-being of trees and their ecosystems, ultimately bolstering forest resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blessing Durodola
- Forest Pathology Research Group, Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Blumenstein
- Forest Pathology Research Group, Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Chair of Pathology of Trees, Institute of Forestry, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Bertoldstr. 17, 79098, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adedolapo Akinbobola
- Forest Pathology Research Group, Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna Kolehmainen
- Forest Pathology Research Group, Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Victor Chano
- Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eeva Terhonen
- Forest Pathology Research Group, Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Forest Health and Biodiversity, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
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Fischer FM, de Bello F. On the uniqueness of functional redundancy. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2023; 2:23. [PMID: 39242903 PMCID: PMC11331988 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-023-00029-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Felícia M Fischer
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GVA), Valencia, Spain.
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GVA), Valencia, Spain
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Koziol A, Odriozola I, Leonard A, Eisenhofer R, San José C, Aizpurua O, Alberdi A. Mammals show distinct functional gut microbiome dynamics to identical series of environmental stressors. mBio 2023; 14:e0160623. [PMID: 37650630 PMCID: PMC10653949 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01606-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In our manuscript, we report the first interspecific comparative study about the plasticity of the gut microbiota. We conducted a captivity experiment that exposed wild-captured mammals to a series of environmental challenges over 45 days. We characterized their gut microbial communities using genome-resolved metagenomics and modeled how the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional microbial dynamics varied across a series of disturbances in both species. Our results indicate that the intrinsic properties (e.g., diversity and functional redundancy) of microbial communities coupled with physiological attributes (e.g., thermal plasticity) of hosts shape the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional response of gut microbiomes to environmental stressors, which might influence their contribution to the acclimation and adaptation capacity of animal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Koziol
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Iñaki Odriozola
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Aoife Leonard
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raphael Eisenhofer
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos San José
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ostaizka Aizpurua
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Antton Alberdi
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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