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Beringue A, Queffelec J, Le Lann C, Sulmon C. Sublethal pesticide exposure in non-target terrestrial ecosystems: From known effects on individuals to potential consequences on trophic interactions and network functioning. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 260:119620. [PMID: 39032619 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Over the last decades, the intensification of agriculture has resulted in an increasing use of pesticides, which has led to widespread contamination of non-target ecosystems in agricultural landscapes. Plants and arthropods inhabiting these systems are therefore chronically exposed to, at least, low levels of pesticides through direct pesticide drift, but also through the contamination of their nutrient sources (e.g. soil water or host/prey tissues). Pesticides (herbicides, acaricides/insecticides and fungicides) are chemical substances used to control pests, such as weeds, phytophagous arthropods and pathogenic microorganisms. These molecules are designed to disturb specific physiological mechanisms and induce mortality in targeted organisms. However, under sublethal exposure, pesticides also affect biological processes including metabolism, development, reproduction or inter-specific interactions even in organisms that do not possess the molecular target of the pesticide. Despite the broad current knowledge on sublethal effects of pesticides on organisms, their adverse effects on trophic interactions are less investigated, especially within terrestrial trophic networks. In this review, we provide an overview of the effects, both target and non-target, of sublethal exposures to pesticides on traits involved in trophic interactions between plants, phytophagous insects and their natural enemies. We also discuss how these effects may impact ecosystem functioning by analyzing studies investigating the responses of Plant-Phytophage-Natural enemy trophic networks to pesticides. Finally, we highlight the current challenges and research prospects in the understanding of the effects of pesticides on trophic interactions and networks in non-target terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Beringue
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution)], UMR, 6553, Rennes, France
| | | | - Cécile Le Lann
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution)], UMR, 6553, Rennes, France
| | - Cécile Sulmon
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution)], UMR, 6553, Rennes, France.
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2
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LaBarge LR, Krofel M, Allen ML, Hill RA, Welch AJ, Allan ATL. Keystone individuals - linking predator traits to community ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00166-6. [PMID: 39068138 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.07.001] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Individual behavioral plasticity enables animals to adjust to different scenarios. Yet, personality traits limit this flexibility, leading to consistent interindividual differences in behavior. These individual behavioral traits have the potential to govern community interactions, although testing this is difficult in complex natural systems. For large predators who often exert strong effects on ecosystem functioning, this behavioral diversity may be especially important and lead to individualized ecosystem roles. We present a framework for quantifying individual behavioral plasticity and personality traits of large wild predators, revealing the extent to which certain natural behaviors are governed by these latent traits. The outcomes will reveal how the innate characteristics of wildlife can scale up to affect community interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R LaBarge
- Comparative Socioecology Group, Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Miha Krofel
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maximilian L Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Russell A Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
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3
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Klümper U, Gionchetta G, Catão E, Bellanger X, Dielacher I, Elena AX, Fang P, Galazka S, Goryluk-Salmonowicz A, Kneis D, Okoroafor U, Radu E, Szadziul M, Szekeres E, Teban-Man A, Coman C, Kreuzinger N, Popowska M, Vierheilig J, Walsh F, Woegerbauer M, Bürgmann H, Merlin C, Berendonk TU. Environmental microbiome diversity and stability is a barrier to antimicrobial resistance gene accumulation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:706. [PMID: 38851788 PMCID: PMC11162449 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06338-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
When antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) reach novel habitats, they can become part of the habitat's microbiome in the long term if they are able to overcome the habitat's biotic resilience towards immigration. This process should become more difficult with increasing biodiversity, as exploitable niches in a given habitat are reduced for immigrants when more diverse competitors are present. Consequently, microbial diversity could provide a natural barrier towards antimicrobial resistance by reducing the persistence time of immigrating ARB and ARG. To test this hypothesis, a pan-European sampling campaign was performed for structured forest soil and dynamic riverbed environments of low anthropogenic impact. In soils, higher diversity, evenness and richness were significantly negatively correlated with relative abundance of >85% of ARGs. Furthermore, the number of detected ARGs per sample were inversely correlated with diversity. However, no such effects were present in the more dynamic riverbeds. Hence, microbiome diversity can serve as a barrier towards antimicrobial resistance dissemination in stationary, structured environments, where long-term, diversity-based resilience against immigration can evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Klümper
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Giulia Gionchetta
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Surface Waters - Research and Management, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Elisa Catão
- Université de Lorraine, Villers-lès-Nancy, France
- Université de Toulon, Toulon, France
| | | | - Irina Dielacher
- TU Wien, Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alan Xavier Elena
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peiju Fang
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sonia Galazka
- AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Department for Integrative Risk Assessment, Division for Risk Assessment, Data and Statistics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Agata Goryluk-Salmonowicz
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Bacterial Physiology, Warsaw, Poland
- Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Kneis
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Uchechi Okoroafor
- Maynooth University, Department of Biology, Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Elena Radu
- TU Wien, Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna, Austria
- Romanian Academy of Science, Institute of Virology Stefan S. Nicolau, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mateusz Szadziul
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Bacterial Physiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Edina Szekeres
- NIRDBS, Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adela Teban-Man
- NIRDBS, Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristian Coman
- NIRDBS, Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- TU Wien, Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Popowska
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Bacterial Physiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Julia Vierheilig
- TU Wien, Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna, Austria
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fiona Walsh
- Maynooth University, Department of Biology, Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Markus Woegerbauer
- AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Department for Integrative Risk Assessment, Division for Risk Assessment, Data and Statistics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Bürgmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Surface Waters - Research and Management, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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4
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Pérez-Botello AM, Dáttilo W, Simões N. Geographic range size and species morphology determines the organization of sponge host-guest interaction networks across tropical coral reefs. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16381. [PMID: 38025729 PMCID: PMC10680448 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sponges are widely spread organisms in the tropical reefs of the American Northwest-Atlantic Ocean, they structure ecosystems and provide services such as shelter, protection from predators, and food sources to a wide diversity of both vertebrates and invertebrates species. The high diversity of sponge-associated fauna can generate complex networks of species interactions over small and large spatial-temporal gradients. One way to start uncovering the organization of the sponge host-guest complex networks is to understand how the accumulated geographic area, the sponge morphology and, sponge taxonomy contributes to the connectivity of sponge species within such networks. This study is a meta-analysis based on previous sponge host-guest literature obtained in 65 scientific publications, yielding a total of 745 host-guest interactions between sponges and their associated fauna across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. We analyzed the sponge species contribution to network organization in the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs by using the combination of seven complementary species-level descriptors and related this importance with three main traits, sponge-accumulated geographic area, functional sponge morphology, and sponges' taxonomy bias. In general, we observed that sponges with a widespread distribution and a higher accumulated geographic area had a greater network structural contribution. Similarly, we also found that Cup-like and Massive functional morphologies trend to be shapes with a greater contribution to the interaction network organization compared to the Erect and Crust-like morphos. Lastly, we did not detect a taxonomy bias between interaction network organization and sponges' orders. These results highlight the importance of a specific combination of sponge traits to promote the diversity of association between reef sponges and their guest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antar Mijail Pérez-Botello
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Nuno Simões
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, Mexico
- Laboratorio Nacional de Resilencia Costera (LANRESC, CONACYT), Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico
- International Chair for Coastal and Marine Studies in Mexico, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX, United States of America
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5
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Sommer NR, Alshwairikh YA, Arietta AZA, Skelly DK, Buchkowski RW. Prey metabolic responses to predators depend on predator hunting mode and prey antipredator defenses. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie R. Sommer
- Yale School of the Environment, Greeley Memorial Laboratory New Haven CT USA
| | - Yara A. Alshwairikh
- Yale School of the Environment, Greeley Memorial Laboratory New Haven CT USA
| | - A. Z. Andis Arietta
- Yale School of the Environment, Greeley Memorial Laboratory New Haven CT USA
| | - David K. Skelly
- Yale School of the Environment, Greeley Memorial Laboratory New Haven CT USA
| | - Robert W. Buchkowski
- Yale School of the Environment, Greeley Memorial Laboratory New Haven CT USA
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Western Ontario, Biological and Geological Sciences Building London ON Canada
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6
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Schleuning M, García D, Tobias JA. Animal functional traits: Towards a trait‐based ecology for whole ecosystems. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Daniel García
- Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas (Universidad de Oviedo) and Instituto Mixto de Investigación en Biodiversidad (Universidad de Oviedo‐CSIC‐Principado de Asturias) Oviedo Spain
| | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park Ascot UK
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7
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Deng J, Taylor W, Saavedra S. Understanding the impact of third-party species on pairwise coexistence. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010630. [PMID: 36279302 PMCID: PMC9632822 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistence of virtually every single species depends on both the presence of other species and the specific environmental conditions in a given location. Because in natural settings many of these conditions are unknown, research has been centered on finding the fraction of possible conditions (probability) leading to species coexistence. The focus has been on the persistence probability of an entire multispecies community (formed of either two or more species). However, the methodological and philosophical question has always been whether we can observe the entire community and, if not, what the conditions are under which an observed subset of the community can persist as part of a larger multispecies system. Here, we derive long-term (using analytical calculations) and short-term (using simulations and experimental data) system-level indicators of the effect of third-party species on the coexistence probability of a pair (or subset) of species under unknown environmental conditions. We demonstrate that the fraction of conditions incompatible with the possible coexistence of a pair of species tends to become vanishingly small within systems of increasing numbers of species. Yet, the probability of pairwise coexistence in isolation remains approximately the expected probability of pairwise coexistence in more diverse assemblages. In addition, we found that when third-party species tend to reduce (resp. increase) the coexistence probability of a pair, they tend to exhibit slower (resp. faster) rates of competitive exclusion. Long-term and short-term effects of the remaining third-party species on all possible specific pairs in a system are not equally distributed, but these differences can be mapped and anticipated under environmental uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Deng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Washington Taylor
- Center for Theoretical Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Serguei Saavedra
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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8
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The role of evolutionary modes for trait-based cascades in mutualistic networks. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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9
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Dong Y, García Molinos J, Larson ER, Lin Q, Liu X, Sarà G, Cai Q, Zhang Z, Helmuth B, Bates A. Biological traits, geographic distributions, and species conservation in aquatic ecosystems. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yun‐Wei Dong
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College Ocean University of China Qingdao China
| | | | - Eric R. Larson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Qiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio‐resources and Ecology South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Laboratory of Ecology, Earth and Marine Sciences Department University of Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - Qing‐Hua Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio‐resources and Ecology South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
| | - Brian Helmuth
- Coastal Sustainability Institute Northeastern University Nahant Massachusetts USA
| | - Amanda Bates
- Department of Biology University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
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10
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Zhang J, Hedin LO, Li M, Xu L, Yan P, Dai G, He N. Leaf N:P ratio does not predict productivity trends across natural terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology 2022; 103:e3789. [PMID: 35718750 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are crucial nutrients for regulating plant growth. The classic growth rate hypothesis (GRH) proposes that fast-growing organisms have lower N:P ratios, and it is promising to predict net primary productivity (NPP) using the leaf N:P ratio at the community level (N:PCom ). However, whether leaf N:P ratio can predict NPP in natural ecosystems on a large scale remains nebulous. Here, we systematically calculated leaf N:PCom (community biomass-weighted mean and species-arithmetic mean) using the consistently measured data of 2,192 plant species-site combinations and productivity (biomass-based aboveground NPP and flux-based NPP) in 66 natural ecosystems in China. Unexpectedly, leaf N:PCom hardly predicted productivity in natural ecosystems due to their weak correlation, although significantly negative or positive relationships across different ecosystems were observed. The ambiguous relationship between leaf N:P and species dominance reflected a luxury consumption of N and P in turnover and structure in natural communities, unlike what GRH suggests. Climate, soil, and leaf nutrients (rather than N:P) influenced productivity, which highlighted the importance of external environment and nutrient constrains. Our findings pose a major challenge for leaf N:PCom as a direct parameter in productivity models and further question the direct application of classic hypotheses in short-term experiments or model species to long-term and complex natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lars O Hedin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guanhua Dai
- Research Station of Changbai Mountain Forest Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Antu, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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11
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Qi W, Kang X, Knops JMH, Jiang J, Abuman A, Du G. The Complex Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships for the Qinghai-Tibetan Grassland Community. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:772503. [PMID: 35154174 PMCID: PMC8829388 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.772503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the long history of the study of the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship, uncertainty remains about the relationship of natural grassland ecosystems under stressful conditions. Recently, trait- and phylogenetic-based tests provide a powerful way to detect the relationship in different spaces but have seldom been applied to stressful zones on a large spatial scale. We selected Qinghai-Tibetan as the study area and collected a grassland community database involving 581 communities. We calculated biomass and species', functional, and phylogenetic diversity of each community and examined their relationships by using linear and non-linear regression models. Results showed an overall positive biodiversity-productivity relationship in species', functional and phylogenetic space. The relationship, however, was non-linear, in which biodiversity explained better the variation in community biomass when species diversity was more than a threshold, showing a weak effect of biodiversity on ecosystem function in low species diversity communities. We also found a filled triangle for the limit of the relationship between species and functional diversity, implying that functional diversity differs significantly among communities when their species diversity is low but finally converges to be a constant with increasing communities' species diversity. Our study suggests that multiple niche processes may structure the grassland communities, and their forces tend to balance in high-biodiversity communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaomei Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Johannes M. H. Knops
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiachang Jiang
- Gansu Provincial Extension Station of Grassland Techniques, Lanzhou, China
| | - A. Abuman
- Gansu Provincial Extension Station of Grassland Techniques, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guozhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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12
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MacKay RN, Wood TC, Moore PA. Running away or running to? Do prey make decisions solely based on the landscape of fear or do they also include stimuli from a landscape of safety? J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272127. [PMID: 34515298 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are a key part of ecosystem function, and non-consumptive effects fall under the landscape of fear theory. Under the landscape of fear, the antipredator responses of prey are based on the spatial and temporal distribution of predatory cues in the environment. However, the aversive stimuli (fear) are not the only stimuli prey can utilize when making behavioral decisions. Prey might also be using attractive stimuli that represent safety to guide decision making. Using a novel, orthogonal design, we were able to spatially separate aversive and attractive stimuli to determine whether prey are utilizing safety cues to navigate their environment. Crayfish Faxonius rusticus were placed in the center of a behavioral arena. Aversive stimuli of either predatory bass Micropterus salmoides cues or conspecific alarm cues increased along the x-axis of the behavioral arena. Safety cues (shelters) increased along the y-axis by decreasing the number of shelter openings in this direction. Crayfish were allowed two phases to explore the arena: one without the fearful stimuli and one with the stimuli. Linear mixed models were conducted to determine whether movement behaviors and habitat utilization were affected by the phase of the trial and the type of aversive stimuli. Crayfish responded more strongly to alarm cues than to fear cues, with only alarm cues significantly impacting habitat utilization. When responding to alarm cues, crayfish used safety cues as well as fear cues to relocate themselves within the arena. Based on these results, we argue that crayfish utilize a landscape of safety in conjunction with a landscape of fear when navigating their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca N MacKay
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| | - Tyler C Wood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
| | - Paul A Moore
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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Jere A, Jere WWL, Mtethiwa A, Kassam D. Impact of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pisces: Cichlidae) invasion on taxonomic and functional diversity of native fish species in the upper Kabompo River, northwest of Zambia. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12845-12857. [PMID: 34594543 PMCID: PMC8462144 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive alien species have been revealed to drastically alter the structure of native communities; however, there is scarce information on whether taxonomic and functional spaces occupied by native species are equally filled by exotic species. We investigated the diversity of native species to understand the impact of exotic Oreochromis niloticus in the upper Kabompo River, northwest of Zambia using taxonomic and functional diversity indices. To achieve this, two tests were performed (Test 1, compared natives in invaded and uninvaded sections; Test 2, compared natives in invaded section). A total of 17 species were collected for functional diversity computation, out of which fourteen (14) functional trait measurements linked to feeding, locomotion, and life history strategy were taken. Findings revealed that taxonomic and functional diversity values changed with invasion in both tests. Taxonomic diversity was 15% more in invaded than uninvaded sections in Test 1 and was not consistent across sampling points of invaded section in Test 2. Invaded areas were taxonomically less diverse, but functionally diverse in both tests. The analysis of similarity and nonmetric multidimensional scaling revealed no difference in Bray-Curtis similarity assemblages in both tests. Our findings revealed that exotic species more often occupy unfilled gaps in the communities often occupied by the native species; this is achieved by occupying functional spaces. Overall, changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of native species documented here partially confirmed impacts of O. niloticus invasion. Therefore, we recommend a multifaceted approach to assess cumulative impacts of invasion on native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthertone Jere
- Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceAfrica Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish ACE)Faculty of Natural ResourcesLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweMalawi
- Department of Fisheries, Extension servicesMinistry of Fisheries and LivestockSolweziZambia
| | - Wilson W. L. Jere
- Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceAfrica Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish ACE)Faculty of Natural ResourcesLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweMalawi
| | - Austin Mtethiwa
- Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceAfrica Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish ACE)Faculty of Natural ResourcesLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweMalawi
| | - Daud Kassam
- Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceAfrica Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish ACE)Faculty of Natural ResourcesLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweMalawi
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McCary MA, Schmitz OJ. Invertebrate functional traits and terrestrial nutrient cycling: Insights from a global meta-analysis. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1714-1726. [PMID: 33782983 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are useful for characterizing variation in community and ecosystem dynamics. Most advances in trait-based ecology to date centre on plant functional traits, although there is an increasing recognition that animal traits are also key contributors to processes operating at the community or ecosystem scale. Terrestrial invertebrates are incredibly diverse and ubiquitous animals with important roles in nutrient cycling. Despite their widespread influence on ecosystem processes, we currently lack a synthetic understanding of how invertebrate functional traits affect terrestrial nutrient cycling. We present a meta-analysis of 511 paired observations from 122 papers that examined how invertebrate functional traits affected litter decomposition rates, nitrogen pools and litter C:N ratios. Based on the available data, we specifically assessed the effects of feeding mode (bioturbation, detritus shredding, detritus grazing, leaf chewing, leaf piercing, ambush predators, active hunting predators) and body size (macro- and micro-invertebrates) on nutrient cycling. The effects of invertebrates on terrestrial nutrient cycling varied according to functional trait. The inclusion of both macro- (≥2 mm) and micro-invertebrates (<2 mm) increased litter decomposition by 20% and 19%, respectively. All detritivorous feeding modes enhanced litter decomposition rates, with bioturbators, detritus shredders and detritus grazers increasing decomposition by 28%, 22% and 15%, respectively. Neither herbivore feeding mode (e.g. leaf chewers and leaf piercers) nor predator hunting mode (ambush and active hunting) affected decomposition. We also revealed that bioturbators and detritus grazers increased soil nitrogen availability by 99% and 70%, respectively, and that leaf-chewing herbivores had a weak effect on litterfall stoichiometry via reducing C:N ratios by 11%. Although functional traits might be useful predictors of ecosystem processes, our findings suggest context-dependent effects of invertebrate traits on terrestrial nutrient cycling. Detritivore functional traits (i.e. bioturbators, detritus shredders and detritus grazers) are more consistent with increased rates of nutrient cycling, whereas our currently characterized predator and herbivore traits are less predictive. Future research is needed to identify, standardize and deliberately study the impacts of invertebrate functional traits on nutrient cycling in hopes of revealing the key functional traits governing ecosystem functioning worldwide.
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15
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Schmitz OJ, Leroux SJ. Food Webs and Ecosystems: Linking Species Interactions to the Carbon Cycle. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-104730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
All species within ecosystems contribute to regulating carbon cycling because of their functional integration into food webs. Yet carbon modeling and accounting still assumes that only plants, microbes, and invertebrate decomposer species are relevant to the carbon cycle. Our multifaceted review develops a case for considering a wider range of species, especially herbivorous and carnivorous wild animals. Animal control over carbon cycling is shaped by the animals’ stoichiometric needs and functional traits in relation to the stoichiometry and functional traits of their resources. Quantitative synthesis reveals that failing to consider these mechanisms can lead to serious inaccuracies in the carbon budget. Newer carbon-cycle models that consider food-web structure based on organismal functional traits and stoichiometry can offer mechanistically informed predictions about the magnitudes of animal effects that will help guide new empirical research aimed at developing a coherent understanding of the interactions and importance of all species within food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
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16
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Ostandie N, Muneret L, Giffard B, Thiéry D, Rusch A. The shape of the predator biomass distribution affects biological pest control services in agricultural landscapes. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13684] [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)
- Noémie Ostandie
- INRAE ISVV UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble Villenave d'Ornon France
| | - Lucile Muneret
- INRAE ISVV UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble Villenave d'Ornon France
- INRAE UMR 1347 Agroécologie Agro Sup Dijon Université Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - Brice Giffard
- INRAE ISVV UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble Villenave d'Ornon France
| | - Denis Thiéry
- INRAE ISVV UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble Villenave d'Ornon France
| | - Adrien Rusch
- INRAE ISVV UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble Villenave d'Ornon France
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17
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Sommer NR, Schmitz OJ. Differences in prey personality mediate trophic cascades. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9538-9551. [PMID: 32953082 PMCID: PMC7487229 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait approaches in ecology chiefly assume the mean trait value of a population adequately predicts the outcome of species interactions. Yet this assumption ignores substantial trait variation among individuals within a population, which can have a profound effect on community structure and function. We explored individual trait variation through the lens of animal personality to test whether among-individual variation in prey behavior mediates trophic interactions. We quantified the structure of personalities within a population of generalist grasshoppers and examined, through a number of field and laboratory-based experiments, how personality types could impact tri-trophic interactions in a food chain. Unlike other studies of this nature, we used spatial habitat domains to evaluate how personality types mechanistically map to behaviors relevant in predator-prey dynamics and found shy and bold individuals differed in both their habitat use and foraging strategy under predation risk by a sit-and-wait spider predator. In the field-based mesocosm portion of our study, we found experimental populations of personality types differed in their trophic impact, demonstrating that prey personality can mediate trophic cascades. We found no differences in respiration rates or body size between personality types used in the mesocosm experiment, indicating relative differences in trophic impact were not due to variation in prey physiology but rather variation in behavioral strategies. Our work demonstrates how embracing the complexity of individual trait variation can offer mechanistically richer understanding of the processes underlying trophic interactions.
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18
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Meng X, Chen J, Li Z, Liu Z, Jiang X, Ge Y, Cooper KM, Xie Z. Degraded functional structure of macroinvertebrates caused by commercial sand dredging practices in a flood plain lake. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114415. [PMID: 32229376 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In parts of developing countries, the over-exploitation of sands from inland waters has led to serious environmental concerns. However, understanding of the impacts of commercial sand dredging on inland water ecosystem functions remains limited. Herein, we assess the effects of this activity on the functional structure of the macroinvertebrate community and its recovery processes based on a 4-year survey, in the South Dongting Lake in China. Our result showed a simplified macroinvertebrate functional structures within the dredged area, as evidenced by a loss of certain trait categories (e.g., oval and conical body form) and a significant reduction in trait values due to the direct removal of macroinvertebrates and indirect alternations to physical environmental conditions (e.g., water depth and %Medium sand). Moreover, clear increases were observed in certain trait categories (e.g., small body size and swimmer) resulting from the dredging-related disturbance (e.g., increased turbidity) within the adjacent area. Furthermore, one year after the cessation of dredging, a marked recovery in the taxonomic and functional structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages was observed with most lost trait categories returning and an increase in the trait values of eight categories (e.g., body size 1.00-3.00 cm and oval body form) within the dredged and adjacent area. In addition, dispersal processes and sediment composition were the main driver for the structuring of the macroinvertebrate taxonomic and functional assemblages during the dredging stages, whilst water environmental conditions dominated the taxonomic structure and dispersal processes determined the functional structure during the recovery stage. Implications of our results for monitoring and management of this activity in inland waters are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingliang Meng
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Juanjuan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhengfei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Zhenyuan Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuankong Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yihao Ge
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Keith M Cooper
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, NR330HT, United Kingdom
| | - Zhicai Xie
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei, 430072, China.
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19
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Guiliano SM, Karr CM, Sommer NR, Buchkowski RW. Woodlice change the habitat use of spiders in a different food chain. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9184. [PMID: 32547862 PMCID: PMC7271883 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In old field systems, the common woodlouse may have an indirect effect on a nursery web spider. Woodlice and nursery web spiders feed in different food chains, yet previous work demonstrated that the presence of woodlice is correlated with higher predation success by nursery web spiders upon their grasshopper prey. This finding suggested a new hypothesis which links two seemingly disparate food chains: when woodlice are present, the spider predator or the grasshopper prey changes their location in the vegetative canopy in a way that increases their spatial overlap and therefore predation rate. However, warming temperatures may complicate this phenomenon. The spider cannot tolerate thermal stress, meaning warming temperatures may cause the spider to move downwards in the vegetative canopy or otherwise alter its response to woodlice. Therefore, we would expect warming and woodlice presence to have an interactive effect on predation rate. Methods We conducted behavioral experiments in 2015, 2017, and 2018 to track habitat domains-the use of the vegetative canopy space by grasshoppers and spiders-in experimental cages. Then, we used three models of spider movement to try to explain the response of spiders to woodlice: expected net energy gain, signal detection theory, and individual-based modelling. Results Habitat domain observations revealed that spiders shift upward in the canopy when woodlice are present, but the corresponding effect on grasshopper prey survival was variable over the different years of study. Under warming conditions, spiders remained lower in the canopy regardless of the presence of woodlice, suggesting that thermal stress is more important than the effect of woodlice. Our modelling results suggest that spiders do not need to move away from woodlice to maximize net energy gain (expected net energy gain and signal detection theory models). Instead spider behavior is consistent with the null hypothesis that they move away from unsuccessful encounters with woodlice (individual-based simulation). We conclude that mapping how predator behavior changes across biotic (e.g. woodlouse presence) and abiotic conditions (e.g. temperature) may be critical to anticipate changes in ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cerina M Karr
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Nathalie R Sommer
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Robert W Buchkowski
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America.,Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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20
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Karakoç C, Clark AT, Chatzinotas A. Diversity and coexistence are influenced by time-dependent species interactions in a predator-prey system. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:983-993. [PMID: 32243074 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies show that communities are jointly influenced by predation and competitive interactions, few have resolved how temporal variability in these interactions influences community assembly and stability. Here, we addressed this challenge in experimental microbial microcosms by employing empirical dynamic modelling tools to: (1) detect causal interactions between prey species in the absence and presence of a predator; (2) quantify the time-varying strength of these interactions and (3) explore stability in the resulting communities. Our findings show that predators boost the number of causal interactions among community members, and lead to reduced dynamic stability, but higher coexistence among prey species. These results correspond to time-varying changes in species interactions, including emergence of morphological characteristics that appeared to reduce predation, and indirectly facilitate growth of predator-susceptible species. Jointly, our findings suggest that careful consideration of both context and time may be necessary to predict and explain outcomes in multi-trophic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canan Karakoç
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Thomas Clark
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences (sDiv), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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21
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Wang X, Li FY, Tang K, Wang Y, Suri G, Bai Z, Baoyin T. Land use alters relationships of grassland productivity with plant and arthropod diversity in Inner Mongolian grassland. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02052. [PMID: 31837065 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The threats of land-use intensification to biodiversity have motivated considerable research directed toward understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF). Functional diversity is deemed a better indicator than species diversity to clarify the BEF relationships. However, most tests of the BEF relationship have been conducted in highly controlled plant communities, with terrestrial animal communities largely unexplored. Additionally, most BEF studies examined the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions, with the effects of ecosystem functioning strength on biodiversity hardly considered. Based on a 6-yr grassland experiment in the typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia, we examined the variation of taxonomic diversity (TD) and functional diversity (FD) of both plant and arthropod communities, and their relations with grassland productivity, across three land management types (moderate grazing, mowing, and enclosure). We aimed to clarify the interrelations among plant FD, arthropod FD, grassland productivity, and soil factors. We found the following: (1) Grassland under mowing performed best in terms of sustaining a high TD and FD of plants and arthropods compared to that under grazing and enclosure. (2) The relationships between plant and arthropod diversity and productivity varied with management types. Plant TD and FD were negatively related, whereas arthropod FD was positively related with productivity under enclosure; plant FD, but not arthropod FD, was positively related with productivity under grazing; arthropod FD, but not plant FD, was negatively related with productivity under mowing. (3) Grassland productivity was positively interrelated with plant FD, but not plant TD; and was negatively interrelated with arthropod TD, but not arthropod FD across different management types. The respective positive vs. negative bidirectional relationships of productivity with plant diversity vs. arthropod diversity, were majorly a consequence of divergent grazing/mowing effects on plant vs. arthropod diversity. The results indicate that grazing increases plant diversity, but decreases arthropod diversity, whereas fall mowing provides a management strategy for conservation of both trophic levels. These results also provide new insights into the effects of land-use changes on biodiversity and ecosystem processes, and indicate the importance of incorporating the functional interrelations among different trophic groups in sustainable grassland management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Frank Yonghong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Kuanyan Tang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Guga Suri
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Zheng Bai
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Taogetao Baoyin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
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22
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Fontana S, Berg MP, Moretti M. Intraspecific niche partitioning in macrodetritivores enhances mixed leaf litter decomposition. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fontana
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Matty P. Berg
- Animal Ecology Group Department of Ecological Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Community and Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Science University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
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23
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Avolio ML, Forrestel EJ, Chang CC, La Pierre KJ, Burghardt KT, Smith MD. Demystifying dominant species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1106-1126. [PMID: 30868589 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The pattern of a few abundant species and many rarer species is a defining characteristic of communities worldwide. These abundant species are often referred to as dominant species. Yet, despite their importance, the term dominant species is poorly defined and often used to convey different information by different authors. Based on a review of historical and contemporary definitions we develop a synthetic definition of dominant species. This definition incorporates the relative local abundance of a species, its ubiquity across the landscape, and its impact on community and ecosystem properties. A meta-analysis of removal studies shows that the loss of species identified as dominant by authors can significantly impact ecosystem functioning and community structure. We recommend two metrics that can be used jointly to identify dominant species in a given community and provide a roadmap for future avenues of research on dominant species. In our review, we make the case that the identity and effects of dominant species on their environments are key to linking patterns of diversity to ecosystem function, including predicting impacts of species loss and other aspects of global change on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
| | - Elisabeth J Forrestel
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Cynthia C Chang
- Division of Biology, University of Washington Bothell, 18807 Beardslee Blvd, Bothell, WA, 98011, USA
| | - Kimberly J La Pierre
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Karin T Burghardt
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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24
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AlAdwani M, Saavedra S. Is the addition of higher-order interactions in ecological models increasing the understanding of ecological dynamics? Math Biosci 2019; 315:108222. [PMID: 31260670 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2019.108222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that higher-order terms in population dynamics models can increase the stability, promote the diversity, and better explain the dynamics of ecological systems. While it is known that these perceived benefits come from an increasing number of alternative solutions given by the nature of multivariate polynomials, this mathematical advantage has not been formally quantified. Here, we develop a general method to quantify the mathematical advantage of adding higher-order interactions in ecological models based on the number of free-equilibrium points that can emerge in a system (i.e., equilibria that can be feasible or unfeasible as a function of model parameters). We apply this method to calculate the number of free-equilibrium points in Lotka-Volterra dynamics. While it is known that Lotka-Volterra models without higher-order interactions only have one free-equilibrium point regardless of the number of parameters, we find that by adding higher-order terms this number increases exponentially with the dimension of the system. Hence, the number of free-equilibrium points can be used to compare more fairly between ecological models. Our results suggest that while adding higher-order interactions in ecological models may be good for prediction purposes, they cannot provide additional explanatory power of ecological dynamics if model parameters are not ecologically restricted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad AlAdwani
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
| | - Serguei Saavedra
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA.
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25
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Wong MKL, Guénard B, Lewis OT. Trait-based ecology of terrestrial arthropods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:999-1022. [PMID: 30548743 PMCID: PMC6849530 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In focusing on how organisms' generalizable functional properties (traits) interact mechanistically with environments across spatial scales and levels of biological organization, trait-based approaches provide a powerful framework for attaining synthesis, generality and prediction. Trait-based research has considerably improved understanding of the assembly, structure and functioning of plant communities. Further advances in ecology may be achieved by exploring the trait-environment relationships of non-sessile, heterotrophic organisms such as terrestrial arthropods, which are geographically ubiquitous, ecologically diverse, and often important functional components of ecosystems. Trait-based studies and trait databases have recently been compiled for groups such as ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, spiders and many others; however, the explicit justification, conceptual framework, and primary-evidence base for the burgeoning field of 'terrestrial arthropod trait-based ecology' have not been well established. Consequently, there is some confusion over the scope and relevance of this field, as well as a tendency for studies to overlook important assumptions of the trait-based approach. Here we aim to provide a broad and accessible overview of the trait-based ecology of terrestrial arthropods. We first define and illustrate foundational concepts in trait-based ecology with respect to terrestrial arthropods, and justify the application of trait-based approaches to the study of their ecology. Next, we review studies in community ecology where trait-based approaches have been used to elucidate how assembly processes for terrestrial arthropod communities are influenced by niche filtering along environmental gradients (e.g. climatic, structural, and land-use gradients) and by abiotic and biotic disturbances (e.g. fire, floods, and biological invasions). We also review studies in ecosystem ecology where trait-based approaches have been used to investigate biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships: how the functional diversity of arthropod communities relates to a host of ecosystem functions and services that they mediate, such as decomposition, pollination and predation. We then suggest how future work can address fundamental assumptions and limitations by investigating trait functionality and the effects of intraspecific variation, assessing the potential for sampling methods to bias the traits and trait values observed, and enhancing the quality and consolidation of trait information in databases. A roadmap to guide observational trait-based studies is also presented. Lastly, we highlight new areas where trait-based studies on terrestrial arthropods are well positioned to advance ecological understanding and application. These include examining the roles of competitive, non-competitive and (multi-)trophic interactions in shaping coexistence, and macro-scaling trait-environment relationships to explain and predict patterns in biodiversity and ecosystem functions across space and time. We hope this review will spur and guide future applications of the trait-based framework to advance ecological insights from the most diverse eukaryotic organisms on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. L. Wong
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxford, OX1 3PSU.K.
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences BuildingHong KongSARChina
| | - Owen T. Lewis
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxford, OX1 3PSU.K.
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26
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Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:369-383. [PMID: 30857757 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Arguments for the need to conserve aquatic predator (AP) populations often focus on the ecological and socioeconomic roles they play. Here, we summarize the diverse ecosystem functions and services connected to APs, including regulating food webs, cycling nutrients, engineering habitats, transmitting diseases/parasites, mediating ecological invasions, affecting climate, supporting fisheries, generating tourism, and providing bioinspiration. In some cases, human-driven declines and increases in AP populations have altered these ecosystem functions and services. We present a social ecological framework for supporting adaptive management decisions involving APs in response to social and environmental change. We also identify outstanding questions to guide future research on the ecological functions and ecosystem services of APs in a changing world.
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27
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Salmon M, Mott CR, Bresette MJ. Biphasic allometric growth in juvenile green turtles Chelonia mydas. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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28
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Assainar SK, Abbott LK, Mickan BS, Whiteley AS, Siddique KHM, Solaiman ZM. Response of Wheat to a Multiple Species Microbial Inoculant Compared to Fertilizer Application. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1601. [PMID: 30483282 PMCID: PMC6243077 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbial inoculants, including those formed from multiple species, may have dual functions as biostimulants and/or biocontrol agents, and claimed agricultural benefits are instrumental for regulatory categorisation. Biostimulants include commercial products containing substances or microorganisms that stimulate plant growth. Biostimulant microbes can be involved in a range of processes that affect N and P transformations in soil and thus influence nutrient availability, and N and P fertilizers can influence soil microbial diversity and function. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a multiple species microbial inoculant relative to a rock-based mineral fertilizer and a chemical fertilizer on wheat growth and yield, and on microbial diversity in the rhizosphere. The microbial inoculant was compared to the mineral fertilizer (equivalent to 5.6 kg N ha-1 and 5.6 kg P ha-1), and to the chemical fertilizer applied at three rates equivalent to: (i) 7.3 kg N ha-1 and 8.4 kg P ha-1 as recommended for on-farm use, (ii) 5.6 kg N ha-1 and 6.5 kg P ha-1 which matched the N in the mineral fertilizer, and (iii) 4.9 kg N ha-1 and 5.6 kg P ha-1 which matched P content in the mineral fertilizer. Despite an early reduction in plant growth, the microbial inoculant treatment increased shoot growth at maturity compared to the control. Similarly, grain yield was higher after application of the microbial inoculant when compared to control, and it was similar to that of plants receiving the fertilizer treatments. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, the microbial inoculant and fertilizer treatments were shown to influence the diversity of rhizosphere bacteria. The microbial inoculant increased the relative abundance of the phylum Actinobacteria. At tillering, the proportion of roots colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi increased with the microbial inoculant and mineral fertilizer treatments, but decreased with the chemical fertilizer treatments. At maturity, there were no treatment effects on the proportion of wheat roots colonized by AM fungi. Overall, the multiple species microbial inoculant had beneficial effects in terms of wheat yield relative to the commercial mineral and chemical fertilizers applied at the level recommended for on-farm use in south-western Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salmabi K. Assainar
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Lynette K. Abbott
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Bede S. Mickan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Richgro Garden Products, Jandakot, WA, Australia
| | - Andrew S. Whiteley
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Kadambot H. M. Siddique
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Zakaria M. Solaiman
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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29
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Coq S, Nahmani J, Resmond R, Segrestin J, David J, Schevin P, Kazakou E. Intraspecific variation in litter palatability to macroarthropods in response to grazing and soil fertility. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Coq
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Johanne Nahmani
- CEFE, CNRS Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Rémi Resmond
- INRA‐Agrocampus‐Ouest UMR PEGASE St Gilles France
| | - Jules Segrestin
- CEFE, CNRS Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Jean‐François David
- CEFE, CNRS Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Patrick Schevin
- CEFE, CNRS Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Elena Kazakou
- Montpellier Supagro and CEFE, CNRS Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE Montpellier France
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Abstract
Ecosystem ecologists explore how different kinds of species fit together to drive ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling and productivity. This research is motivated by theories that assume that the suite of traits that characterize a species' form determines its function, that these traits have become fixed over evolutionary time, and that ensuing ecosystem process are not resilient to environmental change. Here, I explore new research that re-evaluates this theory. Recent results suggest that functional traits are malleable, enabling species to rapidly respond and adapt to each other as environmental conditions change with predictable effects on ecosystem processes. These basic research findings suggest that species adaptations may impart in ecosystems an inherent capacity to weather environmental changes, thereby offering deeper understanding about which biological attributes protect ecological functions and which are needed to restore damaged ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Schmitz O. Predator and prey functional traits: understanding the adaptive machinery driving predator-prey interactions. F1000Res 2017; 6:1767. [PMID: 29043073 PMCID: PMC5621104 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.11813.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator–prey relationships are a central component of community dynamics. Classic approaches have tried to understand and predict these relationships in terms of consumptive interactions between predator and prey species, but characterizing the interaction this way is insufficient to predict the complexity and context dependency inherent in predator–prey relationships. Recent approaches have begun to explore predator–prey relationships in terms of an evolutionary-ecological game in which predator and prey adapt to each other through reciprocal interactions involving context-dependent expression of functional traits that influence their biomechanics. Functional traits are defined as any morphological, behavioral, or physiological trait of an organism associated with a biotic interaction. Such traits include predator and prey body size, predator and prey personality, predator hunting mode, prey mobility, prey anti-predator behavior, and prey physiological stress. Here, I discuss recent advances in this functional trait approach. Evidence shows that the nature and strength of many interactions are dependent upon the relative magnitude of predator and prey functional traits. Moreover, trait responses can be triggered by non-consumptive predator–prey interactions elicited by responses of prey to risk of predation. These interactions in turn can have dynamic feedbacks that can change the context of the predator–prey interaction, causing predator and prey to adapt their traits—through phenotypically plastic or rapid evolutionary responses—and the nature of their interaction. Research shows that examining predator–prey interactions through the lens of an adaptive evolutionary-ecological game offers a foundation to explain variety in the nature and strength of predator–prey interactions observed in different ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06515, USA
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32
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El-Sabaawi RW. How Fishes Can Help Us Answer Important Questions about the Ecological Consequences of Evolution. COPEIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-16-530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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33
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MacLean SA, Beissinger SR. Species' traits as predictors of range shifts under contemporary climate change: A review and meta-analysis. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4094-4105. [PMID: 28449200 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of literature seeks to explain variation in range shifts using species' ecological and life-history traits, with expectations that shifts should be greater in species with greater dispersal ability, reproductive potential, and ecological generalization. Despite strong theoretical support for species' traits as predictors of range shifts, empirical evidence from contemporary range shift studies remains limited in extent and consensus. We conducted the first comprehensive review of species' traits as predictors of range shifts, collecting results from 51 studies across multiple taxa encompassing over 11,000 species' responses for 54 assemblages of taxonomically related species occurring together in space. We used studies of assemblages that directly compared geographic distributions sampled in the 20th century prior to climate change with resurveys of distributions after contemporary climate change and then tested whether species traits accounted for heterogeneity in range shifts. We performed a formal meta-analysis on study-level effects of body size, fecundity, diet breadth, habitat breadth, and historic range limit as predictors of range shifts for a subset of 21 studies of 26 assemblages with sufficient data. Range shifts were consistent with predictions based on habitat breadth and historic range limit. However, body size, fecundity, and diet breadth showed no significant effect on range shifts across studies, and multiple studies reported significant relationships that contradicted predictions. Current understanding of species' traits as predictors of range shifts is limited, and standardized study is needed for traits to be valid indicators of vulnerability in assessments of climate change impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A MacLean
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Steven R Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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34
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Bastazini VAG, Ferreira PMA, Azambuja BO, Casas G, Debastiani VJ, Guimarães PR, Pillar VD. Untangling the Tangled Bank: A Novel Method for Partitioning the Effects of Phylogenies and Traits on Ecological Networks. Evol Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-017-9409-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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35
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Abstract
Plant-herbivore interactions shape community dynamics across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. From amphipods to elephants and from algae to trees, plant-herbivore relationships are the crucial link generating animal biomass (and human societies) from mere sunlight. These interactions are, thus, pivotal to understanding the ecology and evolution of virtually any ecosystem. Here, we briefly highlight recent advances in four areas of plant-herbivore interactions: (1) plant defense theory, (2) herbivore diversity and ecosystem function, (3) predation risk aversion and herbivory, and (4) how a changing climate impacts plant-herbivore interactions. Recent advances in plant defense theory, for example, highlight how plant life history and defense traits affect and are affected by multiple drivers, including enemy pressure, resource availability, and the local plant neighborhood, resulting in trait-mediated feedback loops linking trophic interactions with ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Similarly, although the positive effect of consumer diversity on ecosystem function has long been recognized, recent advances using DNA barcoding to elucidate diet, and Global Positioning System/remote sensing to determine habitat selection and impact, have shown that herbivore communities are probably even more functionally diverse than currently realized. Moreover, although most diversity-function studies continue to emphasize plant diversity, herbivore diversity may have even stronger impacts on ecosystem multifunctionality. Recent studies also highlight the role of risk in plant-herbivore interactions, and risk-driven trophic cascades have emerged as landscape-scale patterns in a variety of ecosystems. Perhaps not surprisingly, many plant-herbivore interactions are currently being altered by climate change, which affects plant growth rates and resource allocation, expression of chemical defenses, plant phenology, and herbivore metabolism and behavior. Finally, we conclude by noting that although the field is advancing rapidly, the world is changing even more rapidly, challenging our ability to manage these pivotal links in the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deron E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - John D. Parker
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
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36
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Schmitz OJ, Trussell GC. Multiple stressors, state-dependence and predation risk — foraging trade-offs: toward a modern concept of trait-mediated indirect effects in communities and ecosystems. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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37
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Moretti M, Dias ATC, Bello F, Altermatt F, Chown SL, Azcárate FM, Bell JR, Fournier B, Hedde M, Hortal J, Ibanez S, Öckinger E, Sousa JP, Ellers J, Berg MP. Handbook of protocols for standardized measurement of terrestrial invertebrate functional traits. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Zürcherstrasse 111 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - André T. C. Dias
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Maracanã Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Francesco Bello
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Dukelska 135 379 82 Třeboň Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sciences University of South Bohemia Na Zlate Stoce 1 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Steven L. Chown
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria3800 Australia
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG) Department of Ecology Universidad Autónoma de Madrid C/Darwin 2 28049 Madrid Spain
| | - James R. Bell
- Rothamsted Research West Common Harpenden HertfordshireAL5 2JQ UK
| | - Bertrand Fournier
- Laboratoire Chrono‐Environnement UMR 6249 CNRS Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray 25030 Besançon Cedex France
| | - Mickaël Hedde
- INRA AgroParisTech Université Paris‐Saclay UMR 1402 Ecosys Route de Saint‐Cyr RD 10 78026 Versailles Cedex France
| | - Joaquín Hortal
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) C/Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (Ce3C) Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL) Ed. C2, Campo Grande 1749‐06 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Sébastien Ibanez
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine CNRS UMR 5553 Université Savoie Mont Blanc 73376 Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 7044 750 07 Uppsala Sweden
| | - José Paulo Sousa
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences University of Coimbra 3000‐456 Coimbra Portugal
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Matty P. Berg
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Postbox 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
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38
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Donihue CM. Aegean wall lizards switch foraging modes, diet, and morphology in a human-built environment. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7433-7442. [PMID: 28725410 PMCID: PMC5513264 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Foraging mode is a functional trait with cascading impacts on ecological communities. The foraging syndrome hypothesis posits a suite of concurrent traits that vary with foraging mode; however, comparative studies testing this hypothesis are typically interspecific. While foraging modes are often considered typological for a species when predicting foraging‐related traits or mode‐specific cascading impacts, intraspecific mode switching has been documented in some lizards. Mode‐switching lizards provide an opportunity to test foraging syndromes and explore how intraspecific variability in foraging mode might affect local ecological communities.Because lizard natural history is intimately tied to habitat use and structure, I tested for mode switching between populations of the Aegean wall lizard, Podarcis erhardii, inhabiting undisturbed habitat and human‐built rock walls on the Greek island of Naxos. I observed foraging behavior among 10 populations and tested lizard morphological and performance predictions at each site. Furthermore, I investigated the diet of lizards at each site relative to the available invertebrate community.I found that lizards living on rock walls were significantly more sedentary—sit and wait—than lizards at nonwall sites. I also found that head width increased in females and the ratio of hindlimbs to forelimbs in both sexes increased as predicted. Diet also changed, with nonwall lizards consuming a higher proportion of sedentary prey. Lizard bite force also varied significantly between sites; however, the pattern observed was opposite to that predicted, suggesting that bite force in these lizards may more closely relate to intraspecific competition than to diet.This study demonstrates microgeographic variability in lizard foraging mode as a result of human land use. In addition, these results demonstrate that foraging mode syndromes can shift intraspecifically with potential cascading effects on local ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Donihue
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University New Haven CT USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
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39
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Chillo V, Ojeda RA, Capmourteres V, Anand M. Functional diversity loss with increasing livestock grazing intensity in drylands: the mechanisms and their consequences depend on the taxa. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Chillo
- Biodiversity Research Group; Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas (IADIZA); CONICET CCT-Mendoza; Mendoza CC507 Argentina
- Global Ecological Change Laboratory; School of Environmental Sciences; University of Guelph; Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Ricardo A. Ojeda
- Biodiversity Research Group; Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas (IADIZA); CONICET CCT-Mendoza; Mendoza CC507 Argentina
| | - Virginia Capmourteres
- Global Ecological Change Laboratory; School of Environmental Sciences; University of Guelph; Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Madhur Anand
- Global Ecological Change Laboratory; School of Environmental Sciences; University of Guelph; Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
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40
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Mindel BL, Neat FC, Trueman CN, Webb TJ, Blanchard JL. Functional, size and taxonomic diversity of fish along a depth gradient in the deep sea. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2387. [PMID: 27672494 PMCID: PMC5028789 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is well studied in ecology and the concept has been developed to include traits of species, rather than solely taxonomy, to better reflect the functional diversity of a system. The deep sea provides a natural environmental gradient within which to study changes in different diversity metrics, but traits of deep-sea fish are not widely known, hampering the application of functional diversity to this globally important system. We used morphological traits to determine the functional richness and functional divergence of demersal fish assemblages along the continental slope in the Northeast Atlantic, at depths of 300-2,000 m. We compared these metrics to size diversity based on individual body size and species richness. Functional richness and size diversity showed similar patterns, with the highest diversity at intermediate depths; functional divergence showed the opposite pattern, with the highest values at the shallowest and deepest parts of the study site. Species richness increased with depth. The functional implications of these patterns were deduced by examining depth-related changes in morphological traits and the dominance of feeding guilds as illustrated by stable isotope analyses. The patterns in diversity and the variation in certain morphological traits can potentially be explained by changes in the relative dominance of pelagic and benthic feeding guilds. All measures of diversity examined here suggest that the deep areas of the continental slope may be equally or more diverse than assemblages just beyond the continental shelf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth L. Mindel
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Francis C. Neat
- Marine Scotland, The Scottish Government, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Clive N. Trueman
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J. Webb
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Julia L. Blanchard
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin T. Burghardt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
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42
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Gravel D, Albouy C, Thuiller W. The meaning of functional trait composition of food webs for ecosystem functioning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150268. [PMID: 27114571 PMCID: PMC4843690 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in using trait-based approaches to characterize the functional structure of animal communities. Quantitative methods have been derived mostly for plant ecology, but it is now common to characterize the functional composition of various systems such as soils, coral reefs, pelagic food webs or terrestrial vertebrate communities. With the ever-increasing availability of distribution and trait data, a quantitative method to represent the different roles of animals in a community promise to find generalities that will facilitate cross-system comparisons. There is, however, currently no theory relating the functional composition of food webs to their dynamics and properties. The intuitive interpretation that more functional diversity leads to higher resource exploitation and better ecosystem functioning was brought from plant ecology and does not apply readily to food webs. Here we appraise whether there are interpretable metrics to describe the functional composition of food webs that could foster a better understanding of their structure and functioning. We first distinguish the various roles that traits have on food web topology, resource extraction (bottom-up effects), trophic regulation (top-down effects), and the ability to keep energy and materials within the community. We then discuss positive effects of functional trait diversity on food webs, such as niche construction and bottom-up effects. We follow with a discussion on the negative effects of functional diversity, such as enhanced competition (both exploitation and apparent) and top-down control. Our review reveals that most of our current understanding of the impact of functional trait diversity on food web properties and functioning comes from an over-simplistic representation of network structure with well-defined levels. We, therefore, conclude with propositions for new research avenues for both theoreticians and empiricists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1K 2R1 Québec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Camille Albouy
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), Université de Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France CNRS, Laboratoire d'écologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble 38000, France
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43
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Deraison H, Badenhausser I, Loeuille N, Scherber C, Gross N. Functional trait diversity across trophic levels determines herbivore impact on plant community biomass. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:1346-55. [PMID: 26439435 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of trophic interactions for ecosystem functioning is challenging, as contrasting effects of species and functional diversity can be expected across trophic levels. We experimentally manipulated functional identity and diversity of grassland insect herbivores and tested their impact on plant community biomass. Herbivore resource acquisition traits, i.e. mandible strength and the diversity of mandibular traits, had more important effects on plant biomass than body size. Higher herbivore functional diversity increased overall impact on plant biomass due to feeding niche complementarity. Higher plant functional diversity limited biomass pre-emption by herbivores. The functional diversity within and across trophic levels therefore regulates the impact of functionally contrasting consumers on primary producers. By experimentally manipulating the functional diversity across trophic levels, our study illustrates how trait-based approaches constitute a promising way to tackle existing links between trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Deraison
- UMR7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,USC1339, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, INRA, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,LTER, ZA Plaine & Val de Sèvre, CNRS, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Isabelle Badenhausser
- UMR7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,USC1339, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, INRA, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,LTER, ZA Plaine & Val de Sèvre, CNRS, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (UPMC-CNRS-IRD-INRA-UPEC-Paris Diderot), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, UMR 7618, 7 quai St Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Christoph Scherber
- DNPW, Agroecology, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nicolas Gross
- UMR7372, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,USC1339, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, INRA, Villiers en Bois, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France.,LTER, ZA Plaine & Val de Sèvre, CNRS, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
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44
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Donihue CM, Brock KM, Foufopoulos J, Herrel A. Feed or fight: testing the impact of food availability and intraspecific aggression on the functional ecology of an island lizard. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colin M. Donihue
- Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies 370 Prospect St New Haven Connecticut06511 USA
| | - Kinsey M. Brock
- School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Michigan 440 Church St. Ann Arbor Michigan48109 USA
| | - Johannes Foufopoulos
- School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Michigan 440 Church St. Ann Arbor Michigan48109 USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR7179 CNRS/MNHN 75005 Paris France
- Ghent University Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35 B‐9000 Gent Belgium
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