1
|
Piccoli GCDO, Antiqueira PAP, Srivastava DS, Romero GQ. Trophic cascades within and across ecosystems: The role of anti-predatory defences, predator type and detritus quality. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:755-768. [PMID: 38404168 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14063] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Species in one ecosystem can indirectly affect multiple biodiversity components and ecosystem functions of adjacent ecosystems. The magnitude of these cross-ecosystem effects depends on the attributes of the organisms involved in the interactions, including traits of the predator, prey and basal resource. However, it is unclear how predators with cross-ecosystem habitat interact with predators with single-ecosystem habitat to affect their shared ecosystem. Also, unknown is how such complex top-down effects may be mediated by the anti-predatory traits of prey and quality of the basal resource. We used the aquatic invertebrate food webs in tank bromeliads as a model system to investigate these questions. We manipulated the presence of a strictly aquatic predator (damselfly larvae) and a predator with both terrestrial and aquatic habitats (spider), and examined effects on survival of prey (detritivores grouped by anti-predator defence), detrital decomposition (of two plant species differing in litter quality), nitrogen flux and host plant growth. To evaluate the direct and indirect effects each predator type on multiple detritivore groups and ultimately on multiple ecosystem processes, we used piecewise structural equation models. For each response variable, we isolated the contribution of different detritivore groups to overall effects by comparing alternate model formulations. Alone, damselfly larvae and spiders each directly decreased survival of detritivores and caused multiple indirect negative effects on detritus decomposition, nutrient cycling and host plant growth. However, when predators co-occurred, the spider caused a negative non-consumptive effect on the damselfly larva, diminishing the net direct and indirect top-down effects on the aquatic detritivore community and ecosystem functioning. Both detritivore traits and detritus quality modulated the strength and mechanism of these trophic cascades. Predator interference was mediated by undefended or partially defended detritivores as detritivores with anti-predatory defences evaded consumption by damselfly larvae but not spiders. Predators and detritivores affected ecosystem decomposition and nutrient cycling only in the presence of high-quality detritus, as the low-quality detritus was consumed more by microbes than invertebrates. The complex responses of this system to predators from both recipient and adjacent ecosystems highlight the critical role of maintaining biodiversity components across multiple ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Cauê de O Piccoli
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Pablo Augusto P Antiqueira
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Diane S Srivastava
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gustavo Q Romero
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
de Oliveira Souza MC, Foerster SÍA, Salomão RP, Souza-Alves JP, de Moura GJB, Lira AFDA, Ferreira RB. The role of bromeliad structural complexity on the presence, spatial distribution and predator avoidance in Tityus neglectus (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11522. [PMID: 38835519 PMCID: PMC11148394 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The spatial arrangement of organisms is significantly influenced by the structure of vegetation. Bromeliads, characterized by a remarkable architectural design featuring rosette-like leaf arrangements for rainwater storage, act as habitats for various organisms. These organisms use bromeliads for shelter, foraging, reproduction and the supply of nutrients and moisture. This study investigated how specific aspects of bromeliad structure, such as the number, width and length of leaves, impact the behaviour and distribution patterns of the bromelicolous scorpion Tityus neglectus. In the examination of 110 sampled bromeliads, 33 scorpions were recorded, resulting in an occupancy rate of 30%. The likelihood of scorpion occurrence was associated with the plant's structure. The length and coefficient of variation in the width of leaves appeared as the main predictors, positively influencing scorpion presence while the number of leaves exhibited a negative relation with scorpion occurrence. The distribution of scorpions was uniform across the spatial design of bromeliads. Furthermore, T. neglectus demonstrated the ability to utilize water accumulated in the bromeliad to evade potential predators, submerging itself for, on mean, almost 8 min. We concluded that bromeliad structure is essential in shaping the distribution patterns and anti-predatory behaviour of T. neglectus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Renato Portela Salomão
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Tlalnepantla de Baz Mexico
| | - João Pedro Souza-Alves
- Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife Brazil
| | | | - André Felipe de Araujo Lira
- Colección Nacional de Arácnidos Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Barbosa Ferreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo Vitória Espírito Santo Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tuo B, García-Palacios P, Guo C, Yan ER, Berg MP, Cornelissen JHC. Meta-analysis reveals that vertebrates enhance plant litter decomposition at the global scale. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:411-422. [PMID: 38195996 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Evidence is mounting that vertebrate defaunation greatly impacts global biogeochemical cycling. Yet, there is no comprehensive assessment of the potential vertebrate influence over plant decomposition, despite litter decay being one of the largest global carbon fluxes. We therefore conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate vertebrate effects on litter mass loss and associated element release across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Here we show that vertebrates affected litter decomposition by various direct and indirect pathways, increasing litter mass loss by 6.7% on average, and up to 34.4% via physical breakdown. This positive vertebrate impact on litter mass loss was consistent across contrasting litter types (woody and non-woody), climatic regions (boreal, temperate and tropical), ecosystem types (aquatic and terrestrial) and vertebrate taxa, but disappeared when evaluating litter nitrogen and phosphorus release. Moreover, we found evidence of interactive effects between vertebrates and non-vertebrate decomposers on litter mass loss, and a larger influence of vertebrates at mid-to-late decomposition stages, contrasting with the invertebrate effect known to be strongest at early decomposition stage. Our synthesis demonstrates a global vertebrate control over litter mass loss, and further stresses the need to account for vertebrates when assessing the impacts of biodiversity loss on biogeochemical cycles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Tuo
- A-LIFE, Systems Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pablo García-Palacios
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chao Guo
- Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Tharandt, Germany.
| | - En-Rong Yan
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, and Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China
| | - Matty P Berg
- A-LIFE, Ecology & Evolution, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- GELIFES, Conservation and Community Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Antiqueira PAP, Petchey OL, Rezende F, Machado Velho LF, Rodrigues LC, Romero GQ. Warming and top predator loss drive direct and indirect effects on multiple trophic groups within and across ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:428-442. [PMID: 34808001 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The interspecific interactions within and between adjacent ecosystems strongly depend on the changes in their abiotic and biotic components. However, little is known about how climate change and biodiversity loss in a specific ecosystem can impact the multiple trophic interactions of different biological groups within and across ecosystems. We used natural microecosystems (tank-bromeliads) as a model system to investigate the main and interactive effects of aquatic warming and aquatic top predator loss (i.e. trophic downgrading) on trophic relationships in three integrated food web compartments: (a) aquatic micro-organisms, (b) aquatic macro-organisms and (c) terrestrial predators (i.e. via cross-ecosystem effects). The aquatic top predator loss substantially impacted the three food web compartments. In the aquatic macrofauna compartment, trophic downgrading increased the filter feeder richness and abundance directly and indirectly via an increase in detritivore richness, likely through a facilitative interaction. For the microbiota compartment, aquatic top predator loss had a negative effect on algae richness, probably via decreasing the input of nutrients from predator biological activities. Furthermore, the more active terrestrial predators responded more to aquatic top predator loss, via an increase in some components of aquatic macrofauna, than more stationary terrestrial predators. The aquatic trophic downgrading indirectly altered the richness and abundance of cursorial terrestrial predators, but these effects had different direction according to the aquatic functional group, filter feeder or other detritivores. The web-building predators were indirectly affected by aquatic trophic downgrading due to increased filter feeder richness. Aquatic warming did not affect the aquatic micro- or macro-organisms but did positively affect the abundance of web-building terrestrial predators. These results allow us to raise a predictive framework of how different anthropogenic changes predicted for the next decades, such as aquatic warming and top predator loss, could differentially affect multiple biological groups through interactions within and across ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Augusto P Antiqueira
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Owen L Petchey
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felipe Rezende
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Luiz Felipe Machado Velho
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (NUPELIA)/PEA/CCB, Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Maringá, Brazil.,Instituto Cesumar de Ciência e Tecnolgia - ICETI. Universidade Cesumar - UniCesumar- PPGTL, Maringá, Brazil
| | - Luzia Cleide Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (NUPELIA)/PEA/CCB, Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Maringá, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Quevedo Romero
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Breviglieri CPB, Romero GQ, Mega ACG, Silva FR. Are
Cecropia
trees ecosystem engineers? The effect of decomposing
Cecropia
leaves on arthropod communities. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Crasso Paulo B. Breviglieri
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Augusto César G. Mega
- Laboratório de Ecologia Teórica: Integrando Tempo Biologia e Espaço (LET.IT.BE) Departamento de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Federal de São Carlos ‐ UFSCar Sorocaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Fernando R. Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia Teórica: Integrando Tempo Biologia e Espaço (LET.IT.BE) Departamento de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Federal de São Carlos ‐ UFSCar Sorocaba São Paulo Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Twining JP, Montgomery I, Fitzpatrick V, Marks N, Scantlebury DM, Tosh DG. Seasonal, geographical, and habitat effects on the diet of a recovering predator population: the European pine marten (Martes martes) in Ireland. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1289-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
7
|
Consumptive effects and mismatch in predator-prey turnover rates cause inversion of biomass pyramids. Oecologia 2019; 190:159-168. [PMID: 30923907 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04394-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The mismatch between the turnover rates of predators and prey is one of the oldest explanations for the existence of inverted trophic pyramids. To date, the hypotheses regarding trophic pyramids have all been based on consumptive trophic links between predators and prey, and the relative contribution of non-consumptive effects is still unknown. In this study, we investigated if the inversion of pyramids in bromeliad ecosystems is driven by (i) a rapid colonization of organisms having short cohort interval production (CPI), and (ii) the prevalence of consumptive or non-consumptive effects of top predators. We used a manipulative experiment to investigate the patterns of prey colonization and to partition the net effects of the dominant predator (damselfly larvae) on biomass pyramids into consumptive (uncaged damselfly larvae) and non-consumptive effects (caged damselfly larvae). Consumptive effects of damselflies strengthened the inversion of trophic pyramids. Non-consumptive effects, however, did not affect the shape of biomass pyramids. Instead, the rapid colonization of organisms with predominantly short CPI sustained the large biomass of top predators found in natural bromeliad ecosystems. Prey colonized bromeliads rapidly, but this high production was never visible as standing stock because damselflies reduce prey densities by more than a magnitude through direct consumption. Our study adds to the growing evidence that there are a variety of possible ways that biomass can be trophically structured. Moreover, we suggest that the strength of biomass pyramids inversion may change with the time of ecological succession as prey communities become more equitable.
Collapse
|
8
|
Hite JL, Hughey MC, Warkentin KM, Vonesh JR. Cross‐ecosystem effects of terrestrial predators link treefrogs, zooplankton, and aquatic primary production. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Hite
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia 23284 USA
| | - Myra C. Hughey
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts 02215 USA
| | - Karen M. Warkentin
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts 02215 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843–03092 Panamá Panamá
| | - James R. Vonesh
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia 23284 USA
| |
Collapse
|