1
|
Ho HC, Brodersen J, Gossner MM, Graham CH, Kaeser S, Reji Chacko M, Seehausen O, Zimmermann NE, Pellissier L, Altermatt F. Blue and green food webs respond differently to elevation and land use. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6415. [PMID: 36302854 PMCID: PMC9613893 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34132-9] [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: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
While aquatic (blue) and terrestrial (green) food webs are parts of the same landscape, it remains unclear whether they respond similarly to shared environmental gradients. We use empirical community data from hundreds of sites across Switzerland and a synthesis of interaction information in the form of a metaweb to show that inferred blue and green food webs have different structural and ecological properties along elevation and among various land-use types. Specifically, in green food webs, their modular structure increases with elevation and the overlap of consumers' diet niche decreases, while the opposite pattern is observed in blue food webs. Such differences between blue and green food webs are particularly pronounced in farmland-dominated habitats, indicating that anthropogenic habitat modification modulates the climatic effects on food webs but differently in blue versus green systems. These findings indicate general structural differences between blue and green food webs and suggest their potential divergent future alterations through land-use or climatic changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsi-Cheng Ho
- grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jakob Brodersen
- grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Martin M. Gossner
- grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ,grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Catherine H. Graham
- grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Silvana Kaeser
- grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Merin Reji Chacko
- grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ,grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland ,grid.5734.50000 0001 0726 5157Division Aquatic Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Niklaus E. Zimmermann
- grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ,grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ,grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Altermatt
- grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland ,grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Braun J, Lortie CJ. Drivers of plant individual-based pollinator visitation network topology in an arid ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2022.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
3
|
Mérillet L, Robert M, Hernvann PY, Pecuchet L, Pavoine S, Mouchet M, Primicerio R, Kopp D. Effects of life-history traits and network topological characteristics on the robustness of marine food webs. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
|
4
|
Woodward G, Morris O, Barquín J, Belgrano A, Bull C, de Eyto E, Friberg N, Guðbergsson G, Layer-Dobra K, Lauridsen RB, Lewis HM, McGinnity P, Pawar S, Rosindell J, O’Gorman EJ. Using Food Webs and Metabolic Theory to Monitor, Model, and Manage Atlantic Salmon—A Keystone Species Under Threat. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.675261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations of Atlantic salmon are crashing across most of its natural range: understanding the underlying causes and predicting these collapses in time to intervene effectively are urgent ecological and socioeconomic priorities. Current management techniques rely on phenomenological analyses of demographic population time-series and thus lack a mechanistic understanding of how and why populations may be declining. New multidisciplinary approaches are thus needed to capitalize on the long-term, large-scale population data that are currently scattered across various repositories in multiple countries, as well as marshaling additional data to understand the constraints on the life cycle and how salmon operate within the wider food web. Here, we explore how we might combine data and theory to develop the mechanistic models that we need to predict and manage responses to future change. Although we focus on Atlantic salmon—given the huge data resources that already exist for this species—the general principles developed here could be applied and extended to many other species and ecosystems.
Collapse
|
5
|
Pinto‐Coelho D, Martins M, Guimarães Junior PR. Network analyses reveal the role of large snakes in connecting feeding guilds in a species-rich Amazonian snake community. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6558-6568. [PMID: 34141240 PMCID: PMC8207408 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In ecological communities, interactions between consumers and resources lead to the emergence of ecological networks and a fundamental problem to solve is to understand which factors shape network structure. Empirical and theoretical studies on ecological networks suggest predator body size is a key factor structuring patterns of interaction. Because larger predators consume a wider resource range, including the prey consumed by smaller predators, we hypothesized that variation in body size favors the rise of nestedness. In contrast, if resource consumption requires specific adaptations, predators are expected to consume distinct sets of resources, thus favoring modularity. We investigate these predictions by characterizing the trophic network of a species-rich Amazonian snake community (62 species). Our results revealed an intricate network pattern resulting from larger species feeding on higher diversity of prey and therefore promoting nestedness, whereas snakes with specific lifestyles and feeding on distinct resources, promoting modularity. Species removal simulations indicated that the nested structure is favored mainly by the presence of five species of the family Boidae, which because of their body size and generalist lifestyles connect modules in the network. Our study highlights the particular ways traits affect the structure of interactions among consumers and resources at the community level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pinto‐Coelho
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Marcio Martins
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Vagnon C, Cattanéo F, Goulon C, Grimardias D, Guillard J, Frossard V. An allometric niche model for species interactions in temperate freshwater ecosystems. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Vagnon
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐Blanc INRAE, CARRTEL Thonon‐les‐Bains74200France
| | | | - Chloé Goulon
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐Blanc INRAE, CARRTEL Thonon‐les‐Bains74200France
| | | | - Jean Guillard
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐Blanc INRAE, CARRTEL Thonon‐les‐Bains74200France
| | - Victor Frossard
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐Blanc INRAE, CARRTEL Thonon‐les‐Bains74200France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gray C, Ma A, McLaughlin O, Petit S, Woodward G, Bohan DA. Ecological plasticity governs ecosystem services in multilayer networks. Commun Biol 2021; 4:75. [PMID: 33462363 PMCID: PMC7813848 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01547-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Agriculture is under pressure to achieve sustainable development goals for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Services in agro-ecosystems are typically driven by key species, and changes in the community composition and species abundance can have multifaceted effects. Assessment of individual services overlooks co-variance between different, but related, services coupled by a common group of species. This partial view ignores how effects propagate through an ecosystem. We conduct an analysis of 374 agricultural multilayer networks of two related services of weed seed regulation and gastropod mollusc predation delivered by carabid beetles. We found that weed seed regulation increased with the herbivore predation interaction frequency, computed from the network of trophic links between carabids and weed seeds in the herbivore layer. Weed seed regulation and herbivore interaction frequencies declined as the interaction frequencies between carabids and molluscs in the carnivore layer increased. This suggests that carabids can switch to gastropod predation with community change, and that link turnover rewires the herbivore and carnivore network layers affecting seed regulation. Our study reveals that ecosystem services are governed by ecological plasticity in structurally complex, multi-layer networks. Sustainable management therefore needs to go beyond the autecological approaches to ecosystem services that predominate, particularly in agriculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Gray
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Athen Ma
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Orla McLaughlin
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAe, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Sandrine Petit
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAe, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Guy Woodward
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - David A Bohan
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAe, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Barile J, Vega R, De Los Ríos-Escalante P. First report the role of benthic macroinvertebrates as preys for native fish in Toltén river (38° S, Araucania region Chile). BRAZ J BIOL 2020; 81:845-853. [PMID: 32965340 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.232661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Toltén river is located in the 137 years old Araucania region, Chile (38° S), and is characterized by low alterations through human interference due agriculture and towns in its surrounding basin, the presence of native fishes and salmonids, and by its lake effluent regime originated from Villarrica lake. The aim of the present study was to make a review of ecological role of the benthic inland water macroinvertebrates as preys for native fishes of the River Toltén, in order to understand their importance in the ecosystem of the river. The literature revealed that the main prey for native fishes are Chironomidae larvae, nevertheless there are not specific reports for Tolten river. The exposed results are similar with similar native species for Patagonia, and these native species would have prey for introduced salmonids, or these species would have prey competition with introduced salmonids in according to the literature descriptions for Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Barile
- Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuicolas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Temuco, Chile
| | - R Vega
- Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuicolas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Temuco, Chile
| | - P De Los Ríos-Escalante
- Universidad Católica de Temuco- UCTemuco, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Temuco, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Thompson MSA, Pontalier H, Spence MA, Pinnegar JK, Greenstreet SPR, Moriarty M, Hélaouët P, Lynam CP. A feeding guild indicator to assess environmental change impacts on marine ecosystem structure and functioning. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Murray S. A. Thompson
- Lowestoft Laboratory Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft Suffolk UK
| | - Hugo Pontalier
- Lowestoft Laboratory Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft Suffolk UK
| | - Michael A. Spence
- Lowestoft Laboratory Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft Suffolk UK
| | - John K. Pinnegar
- Lowestoft Laboratory Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft Suffolk UK
| | | | - Meadhbh Moriarty
- Marine Scotland Science Aberdeen UK
- Environmental Sciences Research Institute Ulster University Coleraine UK
| | | | - Christopher P. Lynam
- Lowestoft Laboratory Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft Suffolk UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pomeranz JPF, Wesner JS, Harding JS. Changes in stream food‐web structure across a gradient of acid mine drainage increase local community stability. Ecology 2020; 101:e03102. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin P. F. Pomeranz
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Jeff S. Wesner
- Department of Biology University of South Dakota 414 E. Clark Street Vermillion South Dakota 57069 USA
| | - Jon S. Harding
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ríos-Escalante PDL, Esse C, Santander-Massa R, Saavedra P, Encina-Montoya F. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities in sites with native forest presence and absence in north Patagonia. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The benthic fauna in northern Patagonian streams is characterized by presence of water quality indicator species. The aim of the present study was characterized the benthic communities in streams associated to sites with presence of Nothofagus forests and with human intervention without Nothofagus forests using null models in ecology, unified neutral theory of biodiversity (UNTB) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). The results of species co-occurrence null model revealed that species associations are random, whereas the results of niche overlap null models revealed the presence of niche overlap. The UNTB results revealed low species number. The results of UPGMA revealed that species composition is specific for each site existing marked differences. The exposed results agree with results observed for central and northern Patagonian Chilean rivers, where the species composition is variable in according to surrounding basin properties and seasonal conditions.
Collapse
|
12
|
Vega R, Ríos PDL, Encina F, Norambuena JA, Barile J, Mardones A. First report of inventory and role of macroinvertebrates and fish in Cautín river (38° S, Araucania region Chile). BRAZ J BIOL 2019; 80:215-228. [PMID: 31066767 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.203511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cautin river is located in the 137 years old Araucania region, Chile (38°S), and is characterized by alterations through human interference due agriculture and towns in its surrounding basin, the presence of salmonids, and by its mixed regime, originated from snow melting in summer and rains in winter. The aim of the present study was to make a review of the inventory and ecological role of the benthic inland water macroinvertebrates of the River Cautin, in order to understand their importance in the ecosystem of the river. The fauna of this river includes a fauna composed of endemic and introduced fish, which has, however, been only poorly studied until now. The literature revealed the presence of abundant populations of Diptera, Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera larval stages, and few crustaceans specifically amphipods and freshwater crabs along the river's course. Many of these macroinvertebrates are prey for both introduced salmonids and native fishes. Similar results have been reported for other southern Argentinean and Chilean Patagonian rivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Vega
- Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuicolas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile.,Núcleo de Producción Alimentaria, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Temuco, Chile
| | - P De Los Ríos
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile.,Núcleo de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Temuco, Chile
| | - F Encina
- Núcleo de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Temuco, Chile.,Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile
| | - J A Norambuena
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile
| | - J Barile
- Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuicolas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile
| | - A Mardones
- Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuicolas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco, Chile.,Núcleo de Producción Alimentaria, Universidad Católica de Temuco - UCTemuco, Temuco, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Belharet M, Charmasson S, Tsumune D, Arnaud M, Estournel C. Numerical modelling of 137Cs content in the pelagic species of the Japanese Pacific coast following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident using a size-structured food-web model. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212616. [PMID: 30865647 PMCID: PMC6415814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As result of the great east Japan earthquake on March 2011 and the damages of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), huge amount of radionuclides, especially 137Cs, were released to the Japanese Pacific coast. By consequence, several marine species have been contaminated by direct uptake of radionuclides from seawater or through feeding on contaminated preys. In the present study we propose a novel radioecological modelling approach aiming to simulate the radionuclides transfer to pelagic marine species by giving to the organism body-size a key role in the model. We applied the model to estimate the 137Cs content in 14 commercially important species of the North-Western Pacific Ocean after the FDNPP accident. Firstly, we validated the model and evaluated its performance using various observed field data, and we demonstrated the importance of using such modelling approach in radioecological studies. Afterwards, we estimated some radioecological metrics, such as the maximum activity concentration, its corresponding time and the ecological half-life, which are important in assessment of the previous, current and future contamination levels of the studied species. Finally, we estimated the time duration required for each species to reach the pre-accident 137Cs activity concentrations. The results showed that the contamination levels in the planktivorous species have generally reached the pre-accident levels since about 5 years after the accident (since 2016). While in the case of the higher trophic level species, although the activity concentrations are much lower than the regulatory limit for radiocesium in seafood in Japan (100 Bq kg-1), these species still require another 6–14 years (2018–2026) to reach the pre-accident levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mokrane Belharet
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE, Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Transferts de radionucléides dans les écosystèmes Aquatiques (LRTA), Saint-Paul Lez Durance, France
- Laboratoire d’Aérologie (LA), UMR 5560, CNRS–Université de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Sabine Charmasson
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE, Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Transferts de radionucléides dans les écosystèmes Aquatiques (LRTA), Saint-Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Daisuke Tsumune
- Environmental Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Abiko, Japan
| | - Mireille Arnaud
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE, Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Transferts de radionucléides dans les écosystèmes Aquatiques (LRTA), Saint-Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Claude Estournel
- Laboratoire d’Aérologie (LA), UMR 5560, CNRS–Université de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rumeu B, Sheath DJ, Hawes JE, Ings TC. Zooming into plant-flower visitor networks: an individual trait-based approach. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5618. [PMID: 30245938 PMCID: PMC6147118 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how ecological communities are structured is a major goal in ecology. Ecological networks representing interaction patterns among species have become a powerful tool to capture the mechanisms underlying plant-animal assemblages. However, these networks largely do not account for inter-individual variability and thus may be limiting our development of a clear mechanistic understanding of community structure. In this study, we develop a new individual-trait based approach to examine the importance of individual plant and pollinator functional size traits (pollinator thorax width and plant nectar holder depth) in mutualistic networks. We performed hierarchical cluster analyses to group interacting individuals into classes, according to their similarity in functional size. We then compared the structure of bee-flower networks where nodes represented either species identity or trait sets. The individual trait-based network was almost twice as nested as its species-based equivalent and it had a more symmetric linkage pattern resulting from of a high degree of size-matching. In conclusion, we show that by constructing individual trait-based networks we can reveal important patterns otherwise difficult to observe in species-based networks and thus improve our understanding of community structure. We therefore recommend using both trait-based and species-based approaches together to develop a clearer understanding of the properties of ecological networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Rumeu
- Applied Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Terrestrial Ecology Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Danny J Sheath
- Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph E Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas C Ings
- Applied Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Marina TI, Saravia LA, Cordone G, Salinas V, Doyle SR, Momo FR. Architecture of marine food webs: To be or not be a 'small-world'. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198217. [PMID: 29813120 PMCID: PMC5973612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for general properties in network structure has been a central issue for food web studies in recent years. One such property is the small-world topology that combines a high clustering and a small distance between nodes of the network. This property may increase food web resilience but make them more sensitive to the extinction of connected species. Food web theory has been developed principally from freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, largely omitting marine habitats. If theory needs to be modified to accommodate observations from marine ecosystems, based on major differences in several topological characteristics is still on debate. Here we investigated if the small-world topology is a common structural pattern in marine food webs. We developed a novel, simple and statistically rigorous method to examine the largest set of complex marine food webs to date. More than half of the analyzed marine networks exhibited a similar or lower characteristic path length than the random expectation, whereas 39% of the webs presented a significantly higher clustering than its random counterpart. Our method proved that 5 out of 28 networks fulfilled both features of the small-world topology: short path length and high clustering. This work represents the first rigorous analysis of the small-world topology and its associated features in high-quality marine networks. We conclude that such topology is a structural pattern that is not maximized in marine food webs; thus it is probably not an effective model to study robustness, stability and feasibility of marine ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Ignacio Marina
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Leonardo A. Saravia
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
| | - Georgina Cordone
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- Centro Para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR), Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Vanesa Salinas
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
| | - Santiago R. Doyle
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
| | - Fernando R. Momo
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gordon TAC, Neto-Cerejeira J, Furey PC, O'Gorman EJ. Changes in feeding selectivity of freshwater invertebrates across a natural thermal gradient. Curr Zool 2018; 64:231-242. [PMID: 30402064 PMCID: PMC5905579 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental warming places physiological constraints on organisms, which may be mitigated by their feeding behavior. Theory predicts that consumers should increase their feeding selectivity for more energetically valuable resources in warmer environments to offset the disproportionate increase in metabolic demand relative to ingestion rate. This may also result in a change in feeding strategy or a shift towards a more specialist diet. This study used a natural warming experiment to investigate temperature effects on the feeding selectivity of three freshwater invertebrate grazers: the snail Radix balthica, the blackfly larva Simulium aureum, and the midgefly larva Eukiefferiella minor. Chesson’s Selectivity Index was used to compare the proportional abundance of diatom species in the guts of each invertebrate species with corresponding rock biofilms sampled from streams of different temperature. The snails became more selective in warmer streams, choosing high profile epilithic diatoms over other guilds and feeding on a lower diversity of diatom species. The blackfly larvae appeared to switch from active collector gathering of sessile high profile diatoms to more passive filter feeding of motile diatoms in warmer streams. No changes in selectivity were observed for the midgefly larvae, whose diet was representative of resource availability in the environment. These results suggest that key primary consumers in freshwater streams, which constitute a major portion of invertebrate biomass, can change their feeding behavior in warmer waters in a range of different ways. These patterns could potentially lead to fundamental changes in the flow of energy through freshwater food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A C Gordon
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.,Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Joana Neto-Cerejeira
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Paula C Furey
- Department of Biology, Saint Catherine University, St Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Eoin J O'Gorman
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bohan DA, Vacher C, Tamaddoni-Nezhad A, Raybould A, Dumbrell AJ, Woodward G. Next-Generation Global Biomonitoring: Large-scale, Automated Reconstruction of Ecological Networks. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:477-487. [PMID: 28359573 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We foresee a new global-scale, ecological approach to biomonitoring emerging within the next decade that can detect ecosystem change accurately, cheaply, and generically. Next-generation sequencing of DNA sampled from the Earth's environments would provide data for the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units or ecological functions. Machine-learning methods would then be used to reconstruct the ecological networks of interactions implicit in the raw NGS data. Ultimately, we envision the development of autonomous samplers that would sample nucleic acids and upload NGS sequence data to the cloud for network reconstruction. Large numbers of these samplers, in a global array, would allow sensitive automated biomonitoring of the Earth's major ecosystems at high spatial and temporal resolution, revolutionising our understanding of ecosystem change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David A Bohan
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France.
| | - Corinne Vacher
- BIOGECO, INRA, University of Bordeaux, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Alireza Tamaddoni-Nezhad
- Computational Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alan Raybould
- Syngenta Crop Protection AG, PO Box 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alex J Dumbrell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rodríguez‐Lozano P, Verkaik I, Maceda‐Veiga A, Monroy M, de Sostoa A, Rieradevall M, Prat N. A trait-based approach reveals the feeding selectivity of a small endangered Mediterranean fish. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3299-310. [PMID: 27252834 PMCID: PMC4870214 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are growing in popularity in modern ecology, but feeding studies remain primarily rooted in a taxonomic-based perspective. However, consumers do not have any reason to select their prey using a taxonomic criterion, and prey assemblages are variable in space and time, which makes taxon-based studies assemblage-specific. To illustrate the benefits of the trait-based approach to assessing food choice, we studied the feeding ecology of the endangered freshwater fish Barbus meridionalis. We hypothesized that B. meridionalis is a selective predator which food choice depends on several prey morphological and behavioral traits, and thus, its top-down pressure may lead to changes in the functional composition of in-stream macroinvertebrate communities. Feeding selectivity was inferred by comparing taxonomic and functional composition (13 traits) between ingested and free-living potential prey using the Jacob's electivity index. Our results showed that the fish diet was influenced by 10 of the 13 traits tested. Barbus meridionalis preferred prey with a potential size of 5-10 mm, with a medium-high drift tendency, and that drift during daylight. Potential prey with no body flexibility, conical shape, concealment traits (presence of nets and/or cases, or patterned coloration), and high aggregation tendency had a low predation risk. Similarly, surface swimmers and interstitial taxa were low vulnerable to predation. Feeding selectivity altered the functional composition of the macroinvertebrate communities. Fish absence favored taxa with weak aggregation tendency, weak flexibility, and a relatively large size (10-20 mm of potential size). Besides, predatory invertebrates may increase in fish absence. In conclusion, our study shows that the incorporation of the trait-based approach in diet studies is a promising avenue to improve our mechanistic understanding of predator-prey interactions and to help predict the ecological outcomes of predator invasions and extinctions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Rodríguez‐Lozano
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (F.E.M.) Research GroupDepartament d'EcologiaFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaAvda. Diagonal, 643E‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| | - Iraima Verkaik
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (F.E.M.) Research GroupDepartament d'EcologiaFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaAvda. Diagonal, 643E‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| | - Alberto Maceda‐Veiga
- Departament of Integrative EcologyEstación Biológica de DoñanaAvda. Américo Vespucio, s/nE‐41092SevillaSpain
- Institut de Recerca de Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaE‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| | - Mario Monroy
- Institut de Recerca de Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaE‐08028BarcelonaSpain
- Departamento de Biología AmbientalUniversidad Jorge Tadeo LozanoBogotáColombia
| | - Adolf de Sostoa
- Institut de Recerca de Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaE‐08028BarcelonaSpain
- Departament de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats)Facultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaAvda. Diagonal, 643E‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| | - Maria Rieradevall
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (F.E.M.) Research GroupDepartament d'EcologiaFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaAvda. Diagonal, 643E‐08028BarcelonaSpain
- Institut de Recerca de Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaE‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| | - Narcís Prat
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (F.E.M.) Research GroupDepartament d'EcologiaFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaAvda. Diagonal, 643E‐08028BarcelonaSpain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Jakob L, Axenov‐Gribanov DV, Gurkov AN, Ginzburg M, Bedulina DS, Timofeyev MA, Luckenbach T, Lucassen M, Sartoris FJ, Pörtner H. Lake Baikal amphipods under climate change: thermal constraints and ecological consequences. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Jakob
- Department of Integrative EcophysiologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Handelshafen 12 27570 Bremerhaven Germany
- Department of Biology and ChemistryUniversity of Bremen Leobener Straße 28359 Bremen Germany
| | | | - Anton N. Gurkov
- Institute of BiologyIrkutsk State University Karl Marx str. 1 664003 Irkutsk Russia
| | - Michael Ginzburg
- Department of Integrative EcophysiologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Handelshafen 12 27570 Bremerhaven Germany
| | - Daria S. Bedulina
- Institute of BiologyIrkutsk State University Karl Marx str. 1 664003 Irkutsk Russia
| | - Maxim A. Timofeyev
- Institute of BiologyIrkutsk State University Karl Marx str. 1 664003 Irkutsk Russia
| | - Till Luckenbach
- Department of Bioanalytical EcotoxicologyUFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Permoserstr. 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Magnus Lucassen
- Department of Integrative EcophysiologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Handelshafen 12 27570 Bremerhaven Germany
| | - Franz J. Sartoris
- Department of Integrative EcophysiologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Handelshafen 12 27570 Bremerhaven Germany
| | - Hans‐O. Pörtner
- Department of Integrative EcophysiologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Handelshafen 12 27570 Bremerhaven Germany
- Department of Biology and ChemistryUniversity of Bremen Leobener Straße 28359 Bremen Germany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
McMeans BC, McCann KS, Tunney TD, Fisk AT, Muir AM, Lester N, Shuter B, Rooney N. The adaptive capacity of lake food webs: from individuals to ecosystems. ECOL MONOGR 2016. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0288.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bailey C. McMeans
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Kevin S. McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Tyler D. Tunney
- Center for Limnology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Aaron T. Fisk
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Andrew M. Muir
- Great Lakes Fisheries Commission; Ann Arbor Michigan 48105 USA
| | - Nigel Lester
- Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research; Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Brian Shuter
- Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research; Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Neil Rooney
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Genetic specificity of a plant-insect food web: Implications for linking genetic variation to network complexity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:2128-33. [PMID: 26858398 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1513633113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that intraspecific genetic variation can increase the complexity of an ecological network. To date, however, we are lacking empirical knowledge of the extent to which genetic variation determines the assembly of ecological networks, as well as how the gain or loss of genetic variation will affect network structure. To address this knowledge gap, we used a common garden experiment to quantify the extent to which heritable trait variation in a host plant determines the assembly of its associated insect food web (network of trophic interactions). We then used a resampling procedure to simulate the additive effects of genetic variation on overall food-web complexity. We found that trait variation among host-plant genotypes was associated with resistance to insect herbivores, which indirectly affected interactions between herbivores and their insect parasitoids. Direct and indirect genetic effects resulted in distinct compositions of trophic interactions associated with each host-plant genotype. Moreover, our simulations suggest that food-web complexity would increase by 20% over the range of genetic variation in the experimental population of host plants. Taken together, our results indicate that intraspecific genetic variation can play a key role in structuring ecological networks, which may in turn affect network persistence.
Collapse
|
22
|
Romero-Romero S, Molina-Ramírez A, Höfer J, Acuña JL. Body size-based trophic structure of a deep marine ecosystem. Ecology 2016; 97:171-81. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0234.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Romero-Romero
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - Axayacatl Molina-Ramírez
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - Juan Höfer
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - José Luis Acuña
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gray C, Hildrew A, Lu X, Ma A, McElroy D, Monteith D, O’Gorman E, Shilland E, Woodward G. Recovery and Nonrecovery of Freshwater Food Webs from the Effects of Acidification. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
|
24
|
Joining the dots: An automated method for constructing food webs from compendia of published interactions. FOOD WEBS 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
25
|
Gilljam D, Curtsdotter A, Ebenman B. Adaptive rewiring aggravates the effects of species loss in ecosystems. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8412. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
|
26
|
|
27
|
Klecka J. Modelling size structured food webs using a modified niche model with two predator traits. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99355. [PMID: 25119999 PMCID: PMC4137999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of food webs is frequently described using phenomenological stochastic models. A prominent example, the niche model, was found to produce artificial food webs resembling real food webs according to a range of summary statistics. However, the size structure of food webs generated by the niche model and real food webs has not yet been rigorously compared. To fill this void, I use a body mass based version of the niche model and compare prey-predator body mass allometry and predator-prey body mass ratios predicted by the model to empirical data. The results show that the model predicts weaker size structure than observed in many real food webs. I introduce a modified version of the niche model which allows to control the strength of size-dependence of predator-prey links. In this model, optimal prey body mass depends allometrically on predator body mass and on a second trait, such as foraging mode. These empirically motivated extensions of the model allow to represent size structure of real food webs realistically and can be used to generate artificial food webs varying in several aspects of size structure in a controlled way. Hence, by explicitly including the role of species traits, this model provides new opportunities for simulating the consequences of size structure for food web dynamics and stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Klecka
- Departmemt of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Theoretical Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecosystems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gray C, Baird DJ, Baumgartner S, Jacob U, Jenkins GB, O'Gorman EJ, Lu X, Ma A, Pocock MJO, Schuwirth N, Thompson M, Woodward G. FORUM: Ecological networks: the missing links in biomonitoring science. J Appl Ecol 2014; 51:1444-1449. [PMID: 25558087 PMCID: PMC4278451 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring anthropogenic impacts is essential for managing and conserving ecosystems, yet current biomonitoring approaches lack the tools required to deal with the effects of stressors on species and their interactions in complex natural systems. Ecological networks (trophic or mutualistic) can offer new insights into ecosystem degradation, adding value to current taxonomically constrained schemes. We highlight some examples to show how new network approaches can be used to interpret ecological responses. Synthesis and applications. Augmenting routine biomonitoring data with interaction data derived from the literature, complemented with ground‐truthed data from direct observations where feasible, allows us to begin to characterise large numbers of ecological networks across environmental gradients. This process can be accelerated by adopting emerging technologies and novel analytical approaches, enabling biomonitoring to move beyond simple pass/fail schemes and to address the many ecological responses that can only be understood from a network‐based perspective.
Augmenting routine biomonitoring data with interaction data derived from the literature, complemented with ground‐truthed data from direct observations where feasible, allows us to begin to characterise large numbers of ecological networks across environmental gradients. This process can be accelerated by adopting emerging technologies and novel analytical approaches, enabling biomonitoring to move beyond simple pass/fail schemes and to address the many ecological responses that can only be understood from a network‐based perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Gray
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK ; Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Donald J Baird
- Department of Biology, Environment Canada @ Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick 10 Bailey Drive, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Simone Baumgartner
- Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Ute Jacob
- Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg Grosse Elbstrasse 133, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gareth B Jenkins
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Eoin J O'Gorman
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Xueke Lu
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Athen Ma
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Michael J O Pocock
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Nele Schuwirth
- Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Murray Thompson
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Size matters: implications of the loss of large individuals for ecosystem function. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2646. [PMID: 24025973 PMCID: PMC6505624 DOI: 10.1038/srep02646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Size is a fundamental organismal trait and an important driver of ecosystem functions. Although large individuals may dominate some functions and provide important habitat structuring effects, intra-specific body size effects are rarely investigated in the context of BEF relationships. We used an in situ density manipulation experiment to explore the contribution of large, deep-burrowing bivalves to oxygen and nutrient fluxes across the sediment-water interface. By manipulating bivalve size structure through the removal of large individuals, we held species identity constant, but altered the trait characteristics of the community. The number of large bivalves was the best predictor of ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight that (a) accounting for body size provides important insights into the mechanisms underpinning biodiversity effects on ecosystem function, and (b) if local disturbances are recurrent, preventing individuals from reaching large sizes, the contribution of large adults may be lost, with largely unknown implications for ecosystem functionality.
Collapse
|
30
|
Wells K, Feldhaar H, O’Hara RB. Population fluctuations affect inference in ecological networks of multi-species interactions. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
31
|
Melián CJ, Baldó F, Matthews B, Vilas C, González-Ortegón E, Drake P, Williams RJ. Individual Trait Variation and Diversity in Food Webs. ADV ECOL RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801374-8.00006-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
32
|
Nakazawa T, Ohba SY, Ushio M. Predator-prey body size relationships when predators can consume prey larger than themselves. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20121193. [PMID: 23536441 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.1193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As predator-prey interactions are inherently size-dependent, predator and prey body sizes are key to understanding their feeding relationships. To describe predator-prey size relationships (PPSRs) when predators can consume prey larger than themselves, we conducted field observations targeting three aquatic hemipteran bugs, and assessed their body masses and those of their prey for each hunting event. The data revealed that their PPSR varied with predator size and species identity, although the use of the averaged sizes masked these effects. Specifically, two predators had slightly decreased predator-prey mass ratios (PPMRs) during growth, whereas the other predator specialized on particular sizes of prey, thereby showing a clear positive size-PPMR relationship. We discussed how these patterns could be different from fish predators swallowing smaller prey whole.
Collapse
|
33
|
Bohan DA, Raybould A, Mulder C, Woodward G, Tamaddoni-Nezhad A, Bluthgen N, Pocock MJ, Muggleton S, Evans DM, Astegiano J, Massol F, Loeuille N, Petit S, Macfadyen S. Networking Agroecology. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00001-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
34
|
|
35
|
Traugott M, Kamenova S, Ruess L, Seeber J, Plantegenest M. Empirically Characterising Trophic Networks. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
|
36
|
Hudson LN, Emerson R, Jenkins GB, Layer K, Ledger ME, Pichler DE, Thompson MSA, O'Gorman EJ, Woodward G, Reuman DC. Cheddar: analysis and visualisation of ecological communities in R. Methods Ecol Evol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence N. Hudson
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Imperial College London Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road Ascot BerkshireSL5 7PYUK
| | - Rob Emerson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Gareth B. Jenkins
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Katrin Layer
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Mark E. Ledger
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Birmingham Edgbaston BirminghamB15 2TTUK
| | - Doris E. Pichler
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Murray S. A. Thompson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
- Natural History Museum Entomology Department London SW7 5BDUK
| | - Eoin J. O'Gorman
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Guy Woodward
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NSUK
| | - Daniel C. Reuman
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Imperial College London Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road Ascot BerkshireSL5 7PYUK
- Laboratory of Populations Rockefeller University 1230 York Ave New York NY10065USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Jacob U, Woodward G. Preface. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.09986-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
38
|
|
39
|
Preface. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-398315-2.09986-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
40
|
Hagen M, Kissling WD, Rasmussen C, De Aguiar MA, Brown LE, Carstensen DW, Alves-Dos-Santos I, Dupont YL, Edwards FK, Genini J, Guimarães PR, Jenkins GB, Jordano P, Kaiser-Bunbury CN, Ledger ME, Maia KP, Marquitti FMD, Mclaughlin Ó, Morellato LPC, O'Gorman EJ, Trøjelsgaard K, Tylianakis JM, Vidal MM, Woodward G, Olesen JM. Biodiversity, Species Interactions and Ecological Networks in a Fragmented World. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.00002-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
|
41
|
Rossberg AG. A Complete Analytic Theory for Structure and Dynamics of Populations and Communities Spanning Wide Ranges in Body Size. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.00008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
42
|
Mulder C, Boit A, Mori S, Vonk JA, Dyer SD, Faggiano L, Geisen S, González AL, Kaspari M, Lavorel S, Marquet PA, Rossberg AG, Sterner RW, Voigt W, Wall DH. Distributional (In)Congruence of Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
43
|
|
44
|
Moya-Laraño J, Verdeny-Vilalta O, Rowntree J, Melguizo-Ruiz N, Montserrat M, Laiolo P. Climate Change and Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in Food Webs. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-398315-2.00001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
45
|
Forster J, Hirst AG, Woodward G. Growth and development rates have different thermal responses. Am Nat 2011; 178:668-78. [PMID: 22030735 DOI: 10.1086/662174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Growth and development rates are fundamental to all living organisms. In a warming world, it is important to determine how these rates will respond to increasing temperatures. It is often assumed that the thermal responses of physiological rates are coupled to metabolic rate and thus have the same temperature dependence. However, the existence of the temperature-size rule suggests that intraspecific growth and development are decoupled. Decoupling of these rates would have important consequences for individual species and ecosystems, yet this has not been tested systematically across a range of species. We conducted an analysis on growth and development rate data compiled from the literature for a well-studied group, marine pelagic copepods, and use an information-theoretic approach to test which equations best describe these rates. Growth and development rates were best characterized by models with significantly different parameters: development has stronger temperature dependence than does growth across all life stages. As such, it is incorrect to assume that these rates have the same temperature dependence. We used the best-fit models for these rates to predict changes in organism mass in response to temperature. These predictions follow a concave relationship, which complicates attempts to model the impacts of increasing global temperatures on species body size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Forster
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Reiss J, Bailey RA, Perkins DM, Pluchinotta A, Woodward G. Testing effects of consumer richness, evenness and body size on ecosystem functioning. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:1145-54. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01857.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
47
|
Brown LE, Edwards FK, Milner AM, Woodward G, Ledger ME. Food web complexity and allometric scaling relationships in stream mesocosms: implications for experimentation. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:884-95. [PMID: 21418207 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01814.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
1. Mesocosms are used extensively by ecologists to gain a mechanistic understanding of ecosystems based on the often untested assumption that these systems can replicate the key attributes of natural assemblages. 2. Previous investigations of stream mesocosm utility have explored community composition, but here for the first time, we extend the approach to consider the replicability and realism of food webs in four outdoor channels (4 m(2)). 3. The four food webs were similarly complex, consisting of diverse assemblages (61-71 taxa) with dense feeding interactions (directed connectance 0.09-0.11). Mesocosm food web structural attributes were within the range reported for 82 well-characterized food webs from natural streams and rivers. When compared with 112 additional food webs from standing freshwater, marine, estuarine and terrestrial environments, stream food webs (including mesocosms) had similar characteristic path lengths, but typically lower mean food chain length and exponents for the species-link relationship. 4. Body size (M) abundance (N) allometric scaling coefficients for trivariate taxonomic mesocosm food webs (-0.53 to -0.49) and individual size distributions (-0.60 to -0.58) were consistent and similar to those from natural systems, suggesting that patterns of energy flux between mesocosm consumers and resources were realistic approximations. 5. These results suggest that stream mesocosms of this scale can support replicate food webs with a degree of biocomplexity that is comparable to 'natural' streams. The findings highlight the potential value of mesocosms as model systems for performing experimental manipulations to test ecological theories, at spatiotemporal scales of relevance to natural ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee E Brown
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Stouffer DB, Rezende EL, Amaral LAN. The role of body mass in diet contiguity and food-web structure. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:632-9. [PMID: 21401590 PMCID: PMC3792558 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01812.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. The idea that species occupy distinct niches is a fundamental concept in ecology. Classically, the niche was described as an n-dimensional hypervolume where each dimension represents a biotic or abiotic characteristic. More recently, it has been hypothesised that a single dimension may be sufficient to explain the system-level organization of trophic interactions observed between species in a community. 2. Here, we test the hypothesis that species body mass is that single dimension. Specifically, we determine how the intervality of food webs ordered by body size compares to that of randomly ordered food webs. We also extend this analysis beyond the community level to the effect of body mass in explaining the diets of individual species. 3. We conclude that body mass significantly explains the ordering of species and the contiguity of diets in empirical communities. 4. At the species-specific level, we find that the degree to which body mass is a significant explanatory variable depends strongly on the phylogenetic history, suggesting that other evolutionarily conserved traits partly account for species' roles in the food web. 5. Our investigation of the role of body mass in food webs thus helps us to better understand the important features of community food-web structure and the evolutionary forces that have led us to the communities we observe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Stouffer
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
|
50
|
|