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Allen DC, Larson J, Murphy CA, Garcia EA, Anderson KE, Busch MH, Argerich A, Belskis AM, Higgins KT, Penaluna BE, Saenz V, Jones J, Whiles MR. Global patterns of allochthony in stream-riparian meta-ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14401. [PMID: 38468439 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14401] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystems that are coupled by reciprocal flows of energy and nutrient subsidies can be viewed as a single "meta-ecosystem." Despite these connections, the reciprocal flow of subsidies is greatly asymmetrical and seasonally pulsed. Here, we synthesize existing literature on stream-riparian meta-ecosystems to quantify global patterns of the amount of subsidy consumption by organisms, known as "allochthony." These resource flows are important since they can comprise a large portion of consumer diets, but can be disrupted by human modification of streams and riparian zones. Despite asymmetrical subsidy flows, we found stream and riparian consumer allochthony to be equivalent. Although both fish and stream invertebrates rely on seasonally pulsed allochthonous resources, we find allochthony varies seasonally only for fish, being nearly three times greater during the summer and fall than during the winter and spring. We also find that consumer allochthony varies with feeding traits for aquatic invertebrates, fish, and terrestrial arthropods, but not for terrestrial vertebrates. Finally, we find that allochthony varies by climate for aquatic invertebrates, being nearly twice as great in arid climates than in tropical climates, but not for fish. These findings are critical to understanding the consequences of global change, as ecosystem connections are being increasingly disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Allen
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James Larson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christina A Murphy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Erica A Garcia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northwest Territories, Australia
| | - Kurt E Anderson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Michelle H Busch
- Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Alba Argerich
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Alice M Belskis
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kierstyn T Higgins
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Veronica Saenz
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jay Jones
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Matt R Whiles
- Soil, Water, and Ecosystems Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Adams MM, Baxter CV, Delehanty DJ. Emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly and responses by birds in Idaho river networks. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.804143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergence of adult aquatic insects from rivers is strongly influenced by water temperature, and emergence timing helps to determine the availability of this ephemeral food resource for birds and other terrestrial insectivores. It is poorly understood how spatial heterogeneity in riverine habitat mediates the timing of emergence. Such spatiotemporal variation may have consequences for terrestrial insectivores that rely on aquatic-derived prey resources. We investigated emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica, at three spatial scales in two Idaho river networks. We examined the influence of tributary confluences on salmonfly emergence timing and associated insectivorous bird responses. Salmonfly emergence timing was highly variable at the basin-scale during the period we sampled (May–June). Within sub-drainage pathways not punctuated by major tributaries, emergence followed a downstream-to-upstream pattern. At the scale of reaches, abrupt changes in thermal regimes created by 10 major tributary confluences created asynchrony in emergence of 1–6 days among the 20 reaches bracketing the confluences. We observed 10 bird species capturing emerged salmonflies, including 5 species typically associated with upland habitats (e.g., American robin, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel) but that likely aggregated along rivers to take advantage of emerging salmonflies. Some birds (e.g., Lewis’s woodpecker, western tanager, American dipper) captured large numbers of salmonflies, and some of these fed salmonflies to nestlings. Emergence asynchrony created by tributaries was associated with shifts in bird abundance and richness which both nearly doubled, on average, during salmonfly emergence. Thermal heterogeneity in river networks created asynchrony in aquatic insect phenology which prolonged the availability of this pulsed prey resource for insectivorous birds during key breeding times. Such interactions between spatial and temporal heterogeneity and organism phenology may be critical to understanding the consequences of fluxes of resources that link water and land. Shifts in phenology or curtailment of life history diversity in organisms like salmonflies may have implications for these organisms, but could also contribute to mismatches or constrain availability of pulsed resources to dependent consumers. These could be unforeseen consequences, for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, of human-driven alteration and homogenization of riverscapes.
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Allen WJ, Bufford JL, Barnes AD, Barratt BIP, Deslippe JR, Dickie IA, Goldson SL, Howlett BG, Hulme PE, Lavorel S, O'Brien SA, Waller LP, Tylianakis JM. A network perspective for sustainable agroecosystems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:769-780. [PMID: 35501260 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nature-based management aims to improve sustainable agroecosystem production, but its efficacy has been variable. We argue that nature-based agroecosystem management could be significantly improved by explicitly considering and manipulating the underlying networks of species interactions. A network perspective can link species interactions to ecosystem functioning and stability, identify influential species and interactions, and suggest optimal management approaches. Recent advances in predicting the network roles of species from their functional traits could allow direct manipulation of network architecture through additions or removals of species with targeted traits. Combined with improved understanding of the structure and dynamics of networks across spatial and temporal scales and interaction types, including social-ecological, applying these tools to nature-based management can contribute to sustainable agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warwick J Allen
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
| | - Jennifer L Bufford
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Andrew D Barnes
- Te Aka Mātuatua - School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand
| | - Barbara I P Barratt
- AgResearch, Invermay Research Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand; Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Julie R Deslippe
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology and School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Ian A Dickie
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Stephen L Goldson
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand; AgResearch, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Brad G Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Philip E Hulme
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand; Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes CNRS, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie A O'Brien
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Lauren P Waller
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bio-Protection Research Centre/Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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Abstract
AbstractTrophic transfer efficiency (TTE) is usually calculated as the ratio of production rates between two consecutive trophic levels. Although seemingly simple, TTE estimates from lakes are rare. In our review, we explore the processes and structures that must be understood for a proper lake TTE estimate. We briefly discuss measurements of production rates and trophic positions and mention how ecological efficiencies, nutrients (N, P) and other compounds (fatty acids) affect energy transfer between trophic levels and hence TTE. Furthermore, we elucidate how TTE estimates are linked with size-based approaches according to the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, and how food-web models can be applied to study TTE in lakes. Subsequently, we explore temporal and spatial heterogeneity of production and TTE in lakes, with a particular focus on the links between benthic and pelagic habitats and between the lake and the terrestrial environment. We provide an overview of TTE estimates from lakes found in the published literature. Finally, we present two alternative approaches to estimating TTE. First, TTE can be seen as a mechanistic quantity informing about the energy and matter flow between producer and consumer groups. This approach is informative with respect to food-web structure, but requires enormous amounts of data. The greatest uncertainty comes from the proper consideration of basal production to estimate TTE of omnivorous organisms. An alternative approach is estimating food-chain and food-web efficiencies, by comparing the heterotrophic production of single consumer levels or the total sum of all heterotrophic production including that of heterotrophic bacteria to the total sum of primary production. We close the review by pointing to a few research questions that would benefit from more frequent and standardized estimates of TTE in lakes.
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Alp M, Cucherousset J. Food webs speak of human impact: Using stable isotope-based tools to measure ecological consequences of environmental change. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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