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Hermann M, Polazzo F, Cherta L, Crettaz-Minaglia M, García-Astillero A, Peeters ETHM, Rico A, Van den Brink PJ. Combined stress of an insecticide and heatwaves or elevated temperature induce community and food web effects in a Mediterranean freshwater ecosystem. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 260:121903. [PMID: 38875860 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Ongoing global climate change will shift nature towards Anthropocene's unprecedented conditions by increasing average temperatures and the frequency and severity of extreme events, such as heatwaves. While such climatic changes pose an increased threat for freshwater ecosystems, other stressors like pesticides may interact with warming and lead to unpredictable effects. Studies that examine the underpinned mechanisms of multiple stressor effects are scarce and often lack environmental realism. Here, we conducted a multiple stressors experiment using outdoor freshwater mesocosms with natural assemblages of macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and microbes. The effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid (1 µg/L) were investigated in combination with three temperature scenarios representing ambient, elevated temperatures (+4 °C), and heatwaves (+0 to 8 °C), the latter two having similar energy input. We found similar imidacloprid dissipation patterns for all temperature treatments with lowest average dissipation half-lives under both warming scenarios (DT50: 3 days) and highest under ambient temperatures (DT50: 4 days) throughout the experiment. Amongst all communities, only the zooplankton community was significantly affected by the combined treatments. This community demonstrated low chemical sensitivity with lagged and significant negative imidacloprid effects only for cyclopoids. Heatwaves caused early and long-lasting significant effects on the zooplankton community as compared to elevated temperatures, with Polyarthra, Daphnia longispina, Lecanidae, and cyclopoids being the most negatively affected taxa, whereas Ceriodaphnia and nauplii showed positive responses to temperature. Community recovery from imidacloprid stress was slower under heatwaves, suggesting temperature-enhanced toxicity. Finally, microbial and macrofauna litter degradation were significantly enhanced by temperature, whereas the latter was also negatively affected by imidacloprid. A structural equation model depicted cascading food web effects of both stressors with stronger relationships and significant negative stressor effects at higher than at lower trophic levels. Our study highlights the threat of a series of heatwaves compared to elevated temperatures for imidacloprid-stressed freshwaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Francesco Polazzo
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Cherta
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Melina Crettaz-Minaglia
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ariadna García-Astillero
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Hermann M, Peeters ETHM, Van den Brink PJ. Heatwaves, elevated temperatures, and a pesticide cause interactive effects on multi-trophic levels of a freshwater ecosystem. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 327:121498. [PMID: 36965684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121498] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Climate impacts of elevated temperatures and more severe and frequent weather extremes like heatwaves are globally becoming discernible on nature. While a mechanistic understanding is pivotal for ecosystem management, stressors like pesticides may interact with warming, leading to unpredictable effects on freshwater ecosystems. These multiple stressor studies are scarce and experimental designs often lack environmental realism. To investigate the multiple stressor effects, we conducted a microcosm experiment for 48 days comprising benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and microbes. The fungicide carbendazim (100 μg/L) was investigated combined with temperature scenarios representing elevated temperatures (+4 °C) or heatwaves (+0 to +8 °C), both applied with similar energy input on a daily fluctuating ambient temperature (18 °C ± 1.5 °C), which served as control. Measurements showed the highest carbendazim dissipation in water under heatwaves followed by elevated and ambient temperatures. Average carbendazim concentrations were about 50% in water and 16% in sediment of the nominal concentration. In both heated cosms, zooplankton community dynamics revealed an unexpected shift from Rotifera to Cladocera and Copepoda nauplii, indicating variations in their thermal sensitivity, tolerance and resilience. Notably, warming and heatwaves shaped community responses similarly, suggesting heat intensity rather than distribution patterns determined the community structure. Heatwaves led to significant early and longer-lasting adverse effects that were exacerbated over time with Cladocera and Copepoda being most sensitive likely due to significant carbendazim interactions. Finally, a structural equation model demonstrated significant relationships between zooplankton and macrophytes and significantly negative carbendazim effects on zooplankton, whereas positive on macroinvertebrate abundances. The relationship between macroinvertebrate feeding and abundance was masked by significantly temperature-affected microbial leaf litter decomposition. Despite the thermal tolerance of zooplankton communities, our study highlights an increased pesticide threat under temperature extremes. More intense heatwaves are thus likely to cause significant alterations in community assemblages which will adversely affect ecosystem's processes and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Polazzo F, Hermann M, Crettaz-Minaglia M, Rico A. Impacts of extreme climatic events on trophic network complexity and multidimensional stability. Ecology 2023; 104:e3951. [PMID: 36484732 PMCID: PMC10078413 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Untangling the relationship between network complexity and ecological stability under climate change is an arduous challenge for theoretical and empirical ecology. Even more so, when considering extreme climatic events. Here, we studied the effects of extreme climatic events (heatwaves) on the complexity of realistic freshwater ecosystems using topological and quantitative trophic network metrics. Next, we linked changes in network complexity with the investigation of four stability components (temporal stability, resistance, resilience, and recovery) of community's functional, compositional, and energy flux stability. We found reduction in topological network complexity to be correlated with reduction of functional and compositional resistance. However, temperature-driven increase in link-weighted network complexity increased functional and energy flux recovery and resilience, but at the cost of increased compositional instability. Overall, we propose an overarching approach to elucidate the effects of climate change on multidimensional stability through the lens of network complexity, providing helpful insights for preserving ecosystems stability under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Polazzo
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melina Crettaz-Minaglia
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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