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Schreiner VC, Liebmann L, Feckler A, Liess M, Link M, Schneeweiss A, Truchy A, von Tümpling W, Vormeier P, Weisner O, Schäfer RB, Bundschuh M. Standard Versus Natural: Assessing the Impact of Environmental Variables on Organic Matter Decomposition in Streams Using Three Substrates. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2007-2018. [PMID: 36718721 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5577] [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: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The decomposition of allochthonous organic matter, such as leaves, is a crucial ecosystem process in low-order streams. Microbial communities, including fungi and bacteria, colonize allochthonous organic material, break up large molecules, and increase the nutritional value for macroinvertebrates. Environmental variables are known to affect microbial as well as macroinvertebrate communities and alter their ability to decompose organic matter. Studying the relationship between environmental variables and decomposition has mainly been realized using leaves, with the drawbacks of differing substrate composition and consequently between-study variability. To overcome these drawbacks, artificial substrates have been developed, serving as standardizable surrogates. In the present study, we compared microbial and total decomposition of leaves with the standardized substrates of decotabs and, only for microbial decomposition, of cotton strips, across 70 stream sites in a Germany-wide study. Furthermore, we identified the most influential environmental variables for the decomposition of each substrate from a range of 26 variables, including pesticide toxicity, concentrations of nutrients, and trace elements, using stability selection. The microbial as well as total decomposition of the standardized substrates (i.e., cotton strips and decotabs) were weak or not associated with that of the natural substrate (i.e., leaves, r² < 0.01 to r² = 0.04). The decomposition of the two standardized substrates, however, showed a moderate association (r² = 0.21), which is probably driven by their similar composition, with both being made of cellulose. Different environmental variables were identified as the most influential for each of the substrates and the directions of these relationships contrasted between the substrates. Our results imply that these standardized substrates are unsuitable surrogates when investigating the decomposition of allochthonous organic matter in streams. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2007-2018. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena C Schreiner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Liana Liebmann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Department Evolutionary Ecology & Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alexander Feckler
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
- Eusserthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaisterslautern-Landau, Eusserthal, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Moritz Link
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Anke Schneeweiss
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Amélie Truchy
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- INRAE, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Philipp Vormeier
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Cornejo A, Pérez J, López-Rojo N, García G, Pérez E, Guerra A, Nieto C, Boyero L. Litter decomposition can be reduced by pesticide effects on detritivores and decomposers: Implications for tropical stream functioning. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117243. [PMID: 33962306 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding which factors affect the process of leaf litter decomposition is crucial if we are to predict changes in the functioning of stream ecosystems as a result of human activities. One major activity with known consequences on streams is agriculture, which is of particular concern in tropical regions, where forests are being rapidly replaced by crops. While pesticides are potential drivers of reduced decomposition rates observed in agricultural tropical streams, their specific effects on the performance of decomposers and detritivores are mostly unknown. We used a microcosm experiment to examine the individual and joint effects of an insecticide (chlorpyrifos) and a fungicide (chlorothalonil) on survival and growth of detritivores (Anchytarsus, Hyalella and Lepidostoma), aquatic hyphomycetes (AH) sporulation rate, taxon richness, assemblage structure, and leaf litter decomposition rates. Our results revealed detrimental effects on detritivore survival (which were mostly due to the insecticide and strongest for Hyalella), changes in AH assemblage structure, and reduced sporulation rate, taxon richness and microbial decomposition (mostly in response to the fungicide). Total decomposition was reduced especially when the pesticides were combined, suggesting that they operated differently and their effects were additive. Importantly, effects on decomposition were greater for single-species detritivore treatments than for the 3-species mixture, indicating that detritivore species loss may exacerbate the consequences of pesticides of stream ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydeé Cornejo
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama.
| | - Javier Pérez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Naiara López-Rojo
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Gabriela García
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Edgar Pérez
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Alisson Guerra
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Carlos Nieto
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Luz Boyero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Bilbao, Spain
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