1
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Angst G, Potapov A, Joly FX, Angst Š, Frouz J, Ganault P, Eisenhauer N. Conceptualizing soil fauna effects on labile and stabilized soil organic matter. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5005. [PMID: 38886372 PMCID: PMC11183196 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49240-x] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Fauna is highly abundant and diverse in soils worldwide, but surprisingly little is known about how it affects soil organic matter stabilization. Here, we review how the ecological strategies of a multitude of soil faunal taxa can affect the formation and persistence of labile (particulate organic matter, POM) and stabilized soil organic matter (mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM). We propose three major mechanisms - transformation, translocation, and grazing on microorganisms - by which soil fauna alters factors deemed essential in the formation of POM and MAOM, including the quantity and decomposability of organic matter, soil mineralogy, and the abundance, location, and composition of the microbial community. Determining the relevance of these mechanisms to POM and MAOM formation in cross-disciplinary studies that cover individual taxa and more complex faunal communities, and employ physical fractionation, isotopic, and microbiological approaches is essential to advance concepts, models, and policies focused on soil organic matter and effectively manage soils as carbon sinks, nutrient stores, and providers of food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Angst
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology & Biogeochemistry, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Benátská 2, Praha 2, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Anton Potapov
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz, Postfach 300 154, 02806, Görlitz, Germany
| | - François-Xavier Joly
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Šárka Angst
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Frouz
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology & Biogeochemistry, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Benátská 2, Praha 2, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Ganault
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Laboratoire ECODIV USC INRAE 1499, Université de Rouen Normandie, FR CNRS 3730 SCALE, Rouen, France
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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2
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Muelbaier H, Arthen F, Collins G, Hickler T, Hohberg K, Lehmitz R, Pauchet Y, Pfenninger M, Potapov A, Romahn J, Schaefer I, Scheu S, Schneider C, Ebersberger I, Bálint M. Genomic evidence for the widespread presence of GH45 cellulases among soil invertebrates. Mol Ecol 2024:e17351. [PMID: 38712904 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Lignocellulose is a major component of vascular plant biomass. Its decomposition is crucial for the terrestrial carbon cycle. Microorganisms are considered primary decomposers, but evidence increases that some invertebrates may also decompose lignocellulose. We investigated the taxonomic distribution and evolutionary origins of GH45 hydrolases, important enzymes for the decomposition of cellulose and hemicellulose, in a collection of soil invertebrate genomes. We found that these genes are common in springtails and oribatid mites. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that cellulase genes were acquired early in the evolutionary history of these groups. Domain architectures and predicted 3D enzyme structures indicate that these cellulases are functional. Patterns of presence and absence of these genes across different lineages prompt further investigation into their evolutionary and ecological benefits. The ubiquity of cellulase genes suggests that soil invertebrates may play a role in lignocellulose decomposition, independently or in synergy with microorganisms. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary implications might be crucial for understanding soil food webs and the carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Muelbaier
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Inst. of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Freya Arthen
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Inst. of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gemma Collins
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas Hickler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Karin Hohberg
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Ricarda Lehmitz
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Yannick Pauchet
- Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Molecular and Organismic Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anton Potapov
- Senckenberg Museum for Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- International Institute Zittau, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Zittau, Germany
| | - Juliane Romahn
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Animal Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Clément Schneider
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Inst. of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Miklós Bálint
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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3
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Lux J, Xie Z, Sun X, Wu D, Scheu S. Trophic niches of Collembola communities change with elevation, but also with body size and life form. Oecologia 2024; 204:491-504. [PMID: 38265599 PMCID: PMC10980659 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05506-7] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Climate change will likely increase habitat loss of endemic tree species and drives forest conversion in mountainous forests. Elevation gradients provide the opportunity to predict possible consequences of such changes. While species compositions of various taxa have been investigated along elevation gradients, data on trophic changes in soil-dwelling organisms are scarce. Here, we investigated trophic changes of the Collembola communities along the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, China. We sampled Collembola in primary forests at seven elevations (800-1700 m asl). We measured individual body lengths and bulk stable isotopes on species level. We further categorized Collembola species into life forms. The community-weighted means of Δ15N and Δ13C values as well as minimum Δ15N values and isotopic uniqueness of Collembola communities increased with increasing elevation, while the range of Δ15N values decreased. Maximum and minimum of Δ13C values differed between elevations but showed no linear trend. Further, Δ15N values of Collembola species occurring across all elevations increased with elevation. Changes in Δ15N values with elevation were most pronounced in hemiedaphic species, while Δ13C values increased strongest with elevation in euedaphic species. Δ15N values increased with decreasing body size in hemiedaphic and euedaphic species. Overall, the results suggest that Collembola species functioning as primary decomposers at lower elevations shift towards functioning as secondary decomposers or even predators or scavengers at higher elevation forests. The results further indicate that access to alternative food resources depends on Collembola life form as well as body size and varies between ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Lux
- J.-F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Tierökologie, 37073, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.
| | - Zhijing Xie
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Donghui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.-F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Tierökologie, 37073, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Robinson AL, Elliott Smith EA, Besser AC, Newsome SD. Tissue-specific carbon isotope patterns of amino acids in southern sea otters. Oecologia 2024; 204:13-24. [PMID: 38227253 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05505-8] [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: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The measurement of stable isotope values of individual compounds, such as amino acids (AAs), has become a powerful tool in animal ecology and ecophysiology. As with any emerging technique, questions remain regarding the capabilities and limitations of this approach, including how metabolism and tissue synthesis impact the isotopic values of individual AAs and subsequent multivariate patterns. We measured carbon isotope (δ13C) values of essential (AAESS) and nonessential (AANESS) AAs in bone collagen, whisker, muscle, and liver from ten southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) that stranded in Monterey Bay, California. Sea otters in this population exhibit high degrees of individual dietary specialization, making this an excellent dataset to explore differences in AA δ13C values among tissues in a wild population. We found the δ13C values of the AANESS glutamic acid, proline, serine, and glycine and the AAESS threonine differed significantly among tissues, indicating possible isotopic discrimination during tissue synthesis. Threonine δ13C values were higher in liver relative to bone collagen and muscle, which may indicate catabolism of threonine for gluconeogenesis, an interpretation further supported by correlations between the δ13C values of threonine and its gluconeogenic products glycine and serine in liver. This intraindividual isotopic variation yielded different ecological interpretations among tissues; for 6/10 of the sea otter individuals analyzed, at least one tissue indicated reliance on a different primary producer source than the other tissues. Our results highlight the importance of gluconeogenesis in a carnivorous marine mammal and indicate that metabolic processes influence AAESS and AANESS δ13C values and multivariate AA δ13C patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana L Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
| | - Emma A Elliott Smith
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Alexi C Besser
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Seth D Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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5
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Lu J, Cordes PH, Maraun M, Scheu S. High consistency of trophic niches in generalist arthropod species (Oribatida, Acari) across soil depth and forest type. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9572. [PMCID: PMC9745105 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jing‐Zhong Lu
- Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Peter Hans Cordes
- Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Center of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
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6
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Yun HY, Larsen T, Choi B, Won E, Shin K. Amino acid nitrogen and carbon isotope data: Potential and implications for ecological studies. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8929. [PMID: 35784034 PMCID: PMC9163675 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Explaining food web dynamics, stability, and functioning depend substantially on understanding of feeding relations within a community. Bulk stable isotope ratios (SIRs) in natural abundance are well-established tools to express direct and indirect feeding relations as continuous variables across time and space. Along with bulk SIRs, the SIRs of individual amino acids (AAs) are now emerging as a promising and complementary method to characterize the flow and transformation of resources across a diversity of organisms, from microbial domains to macroscopic consumers. This significant AA-SIR capacity is based on empirical evidence that a consumer's SIR, specific to an individual AA, reflects its diet SIR coupled with a certain degree of isotopic differences between the consumer and its diet. However, many empirical ecologists are still unfamiliar with the scope of applicability and the interpretative power of AA-SIR. To fill these knowledge gaps, we here describe a comprehensive approach to both carbon and nitrogen AA-SIR assessment focusing on two key topics: pattern in AA-isotope composition across spatial and temporal scales, and a certain variability of AA-specific isotope differences between the diet and the consumer. On this basis we review the versatile applicability of AA-SIR to improve our understanding of physiological processes as well as food web functioning, allowing us to reconstruct dominant basal dietary sources and trace their trophic transfers at the specimen and community levels. Given the insightful and opportunities of AA-SIR, we suggest future applications for the dual use of carbon and nitrogen AA-SIR to study more realistic food web structures and robust consumer niches, which are often very difficult to explain in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Young Yun
- Deparment of Marine Science and Convergent TechnologyHanyang UniversityAnsanKorea
| | - Thomas Larsen
- Department of ArchaeologyMax Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryJenaGermany
| | - Bohyung Choi
- Deparment of Marine Science and Convergent TechnologyHanyang UniversityAnsanKorea
- Inland Fisheries Research InstituteNational Institute of Fisheries ScienceGeumsan‐gunKorea
| | - Eun‐Ji Won
- Deparment of Marine Science and Convergent TechnologyHanyang UniversityAnsanKorea
| | - Kyung‐Hoon Shin
- Deparment of Marine Science and Convergent TechnologyHanyang UniversityAnsanKorea
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7
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Potapov AM, Beaulieu F, Birkhofer K, Bluhm SL, Degtyarev MI, Devetter M, Goncharov AA, Gongalsky KB, Klarner B, Korobushkin DI, Liebke DF, Maraun M, Mc Donnell RJ, Pollierer MM, Schaefer I, Shrubovych J, Semenyuk II, Sendra A, Tuma J, Tůmová M, Vassilieva AB, Chen T, Geisen S, Schmidt O, Tiunov AV, Scheu S. Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1057-1117. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Frédéric Beaulieu
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Karl‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - Sarah L. Bluhm
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Maxim I. Degtyarev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Miloslav Devetter
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anton A. Goncharov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin B. Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Bernhard Klarner
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniil I. Korobushkin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Dana F. Liebke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Rory J. Mc Donnell
- Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Melanie M. Pollierer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Julia Shrubovych
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS Slawkowska 17 Pl 31‐016 Krakow Poland
- State Museum Natural History of NAS of Ukraine Teatralna 18 79008 Lviv Ukraine
| | - Irina I. Semenyuk
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian‐Vietnamese Tropical Center №3 Street 3 Thang 2, Q10 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Colecciones Entomológicas Torres‐Sala, Servei de Patrimoni Històric, Ajuntament de València València Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Cièncias Experimentals i Socials, Facultat de Magisteri Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 1160/31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Michala Tůmová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna B. Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Ting‐Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Nematology Wageningen University & Research 6700ES Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Büsgenweg 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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8
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Meyer S, Kundel D, Birkhofer K, Fliessbach A, Scheu S. Trophic niche but not abundance of Collembola and Oribatida changes with drought and farming system. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12777. [PMID: 35070508 PMCID: PMC8761369 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher frequencies of summer droughts are predicted to change soil conditions in the future affecting soil fauna communities and their biotic interactions. In agroecosystems drought effects on soil biota may be modulated by different management practices that alter the availability of different food resources. Recent studies on the effect of drought on soil microarthropods focused on measures of abundance and diversity. We here additionally investigated shifts in trophic niches of Collembola and Oribatida as indicated by stable isotope analysis (13C and 15N). We simulated short-term summer drought by excluding 65% of the ambient precipitation in conventionally and organically managed winter wheat fields on the DOK trial in Switzerland. Stable isotope values suggest that plant litter and root exudates were the most important resources for Collembola (Isotoma caerulea, Isotomurus maculatus and Orchesella villosa) and older plant material and microorganisms for Oribatida (Scheloribates laevigatus and Tectocepheus sarekensis). Drought treatment and farming systems did not affect abundances of the studied species. However, isotope values of some species increased in organically managed fields indicating a higher proportion of microorganisms in their diet. Trophic niche size, a measure of both isotope values combined, decreased with drought and under organic farming in some species presumably due to favored use of plants as basal resource instead of algae and microorganisms. Overall, our results suggest that the flexible usage of resources may buffer effects of drought and management practices on the abundance of microarthropods in agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Meyer
- Animal Ecology, J.F. Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominika Kundel
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany,Department of Soil Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Andreas Fliessbach
- Department of Soil Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Scheu
- Animal Ecology, J.F. Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany,Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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9
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Malloch B, Kernaghan G, Walker AK. Temporal diversity patterns for fungi and mites associated with decaying Sporobolus pumilus ( Spartina patens) in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia. Facets (Ott) 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal salt marshes provide many ecosystem services; however, little is known of the biology of decomposer taxa in these systems. This study employed aboveground and belowground litterbags to characterize the fungal and mite communities associated with the dominant salt marsh grass, Sporobolus pumilus, in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia. Decomposition rates of aboveground and belowground tissues and environmental variables were quantified to contextualize temporal patterns in community composition. Aboveground litterbag mass loss peaked in July and decreased consistently over succeeding months, which positively correlated with fungal richness. Fungal and mite richness displayed inverse relationships over time, with mites gradually increasing in diversity before peaking in November, suggesting the presence of a complex detrital network where mites and fungi respond to different and possibly unrelated environmental cues. This study offers a first look at temporal community dynamics of two neglected groups of decomposers associated with S. pumilus in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Malloch
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Gavin Kernaghan
- Department of Biology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS B3M 2J6, Canada
| | - Allison K. Walker
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
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10
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Jochum M, Barnes AD, Brose U, Gauzens B, Sünnemann M, Amyntas A, Eisenhauer N. For flux's sake: General considerations for energy-flux calculations in ecological communities. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12948-12969. [PMID: 34646445 PMCID: PMC8495806 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Global change alters ecological communities with consequences for ecosystem processes. Such processes and functions are a central aspect of ecological research and vital to understanding and mitigating the consequences of global change, but also those of other drivers of change in organism communities. In this context, the concept of energy flux through trophic networks integrates food-web theory and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning theory and connects biodiversity to multitrophic ecosystem functioning. As such, the energy-flux approach is a strikingly effective tool to answer central questions in ecology and global-change research. This might seem straight forward, given that the theoretical background and software to efficiently calculate energy flux are readily available. However, the implementation of such calculations is not always straight forward, especially for those who are new to the topic and not familiar with concepts central to this line of research, such as food-web theory or metabolic theory. To facilitate wider use of energy flux in ecological research, we thus provide a guide to adopting energy-flux calculations for people new to the method, struggling with its implementation, or simply looking for background reading, important resources, and standard solutions to the problems everyone faces when starting to quantify energy fluxes for their community data. First, we introduce energy flux and its use in community and ecosystem ecology. Then, we provide a comprehensive explanation of the single steps towards calculating energy flux for community data. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges and exciting research frontiers for future energy-flux research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Jochum
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityUniversity of JenaJenaGermany
| | - Benoit Gauzens
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityUniversity of JenaJenaGermany
| | - Marie Sünnemann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Angelos Amyntas
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityUniversity of JenaJenaGermany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
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