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Naccari C, Ferrantelli V, Cammilleri G, Galluzzo FG, Macaluso A, Riolo P, Lo Dico GM, Bava R, Palma E. Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba) and Common Dolphins ( Delphinus delphis) Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2063. [PMID: 39061525 PMCID: PMC11274124 DOI: 10.3390/ani14142063] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Dolphins, top predators of the aquatic food chain, are used as sentinel species of marine pollution as they are sensitive to environmental changes and able to accumulate a large content of contaminants. Several EU directives promote study of marine mammalians as bio-indicators to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in environmental pollutants due to its geographic and geo-morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic and essential metals and metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se and Zn), through ICP-MS analysis, in organs/tissues (liver, muscle, lung, kidney and skin) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded along the Sicilian coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. The results confirm the exposure of dolphins to toxic metals and metalloids, with the highest Hg levels observed in skin and liver, although a low Metal Pollution Index (MPI) was found in all samples of both dolphin species. From a comparative analysis of trace metals and metalloids according to sex and state of development, the highest levels of Cd and As were found in females vs. males and adults vs. juveniles, except for Pb in both species, and significant differences were observed between the two species, size of specimens, and organs/tissues analyzed. The highest Hg levels were correlated to those of essential metals Se and Zn, expressed as molar ratios, to evaluate the potential synergic effect of these detoxifying elements against Hg toxicity. This study confirms the rule of Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis as valid sentinel species of the Mediterranean Sea, to verify the trend of metals pollution in this aquatic environment and, consequently, the health of these marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Naccari
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Vincenzo Ferrantelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Gaetano Cammilleri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Andrea Macaluso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Pietro Riolo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.); (F.G.G.); (A.M.); (P.R.); (G.M.L.D.)
| | - Roberto Bava
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Ernesto Palma
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.B.); (E.P.)
- Interdepartmental Service Center—Center for Pharmacological Research, Food Safety, High Tech and Health (CIS-IRC-FSH) University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
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Naccari C, Ferrantelli V, Cammilleri G, Ruga S, Castagna F, Bava R, Palma E. Trace Elements in Stenella coeruleoalba: Assessment of Marine Environmental Pollution and Dolphin Health Status. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1514. [PMID: 38891561 PMCID: PMC11171398 DOI: 10.3390/ani14111514] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals are environmental contaminants and can easily accumulate and biomagnify in various marine species (fishes and mammalians) at the top of the aquatic food chain. Among marine mammalians, the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most abundant cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be a sentinel species to monitor the environmental marine pollution. In this study, the contents of toxic metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, and As), micro-elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Se and Zn) and macro-elements (Na, Ca, K, Mg and P) were evaluated by ICP-MS analysis in several organs/tissues (lung, skin, muscle and liver) of Stenella coeruleoalba. The assessment of marine environmental pollution and dolphins health status was carried out through further analysis of the same specific parameters such as the metal pollution index (MPI) and coefficient of condition (K). Finally, the correlation between toxic metals and metalloids and essential micro-elements, expressed as molar ratios, was analyzed to evaluate the detoxifying ability (effectiveness) of Zn, Se and Cu. Data obtained showed the presence of toxic metals and metalloids analyzed in the Stenella coeruleoalba samples but the MPI values suggested a low environmental contamination of the Mediterranean Sea where dolphins lived. The content of micro- and macro-elements was found to be in a normal range for this species and predictive of dolphins good health status, as confirmed by the coefficient of condition K. However, the correlation between toxic and essential metals, expressed as molar ratios, showed that the following toxic metals cannot be detoxified by the essential metals: 66Zn/201Hg, 82Se/201Hg, 63Cu/201Hg and 66Zn/52Cr, 82Se/52Cr, 63Cu/52Cr. Therefore, this study highlights the key role of dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba to assess marine pollution and the importance of analyzing the complete mineral profile to evaluate the animal health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Naccari
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (S.R.); (F.C.); (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Vincenzo Ferrantelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.)
| | - Gaetano Cammilleri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (V.F.); (G.C.)
| | - Stefano Ruga
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (S.R.); (F.C.); (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Fabio Castagna
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (S.R.); (F.C.); (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Roberto Bava
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (S.R.); (F.C.); (R.B.); (E.P.)
| | - Ernesto Palma
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (S.R.); (F.C.); (R.B.); (E.P.)
- Interdepartmental Service Center—Center for Pharmacological Research, Food Safety, High Tech and Health (CIS-IRC–FSH) University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
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Stockin KA, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Palmer EI, Amiot C. Multidimensional trace metals and nutritional niche differ between sexually immature and mature common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 333:121935. [PMID: 37263561 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121935] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to understand the links between metals and nutrition for apex marine predators, which may be subject to different ecotoxicological effects at different life stages. We combined stomach content analyses (SCA), prey composition analysis (PCA), the Multidimensional Niche Framework (MNNF) with Bayesian multivariate ellipses, trace metal analysis and nicheROVER to investigate nutrition and trace metals across sex, age, and sexual maturity status in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand. A broader prey composition niche breadth (SEAc) was estimated for immature compared to mature conspecifics, showing a higher degree of prey and nutrient generalism driven by protein (P) intake. Cd and Zn niche similarities suggests these metals were incorporated through similar prey in both immature and mature dolphins, whereas Hg and Se niche divergence indicates uptake occurred via different prey. Our multidisciplinary assessment demonstrated how nutrients and metal interactions differ in common dolphins depending upon sexual maturity. This approach has relevance when considering how marine pollution, environmental fluctuations and climate change may affect nutritional and trace metal interactions during different reproductive stages within marine predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand; Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand; Nutri Lens, East Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Emily I Palmer
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Christophe Amiot
- UFR Science et Technologie, Nantes Université, 44000, Nantes, France; BiodivAG, Angers Université, Angers, 49000, France
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Fine DH, Schreiner H. Oral microbial interactions from an ecological perspective: a narrative review. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2023; 4:1229118. [PMID: 37771470 PMCID: PMC10527376 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2023.1229118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape ecology is a relatively new field of study within the sub-specialty of ecology that considers time and space in addition to structure and function. Landscape ecology contends that both the configuration (spatial pattern) and the composition (organisms both at the macro and or micro level) of an ecology can change over time. The oral cavity is an ideal place to study landscape ecology because of the variety of landscapes, the dynamic nature of plaque biofilm development, and the easy access to biofilm material. This review is intended to provide some specific clinical examples of how landscape ecology can influence the understanding of oral diseases and act as a supplement to diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this review is two-fold; (1) to illustrate how landscape ecology can be used to clarify the two most prominent microbiologically induced infections in the oral cavity, and (2) how studies of oral microbiology can be used to enhance the understanding of landscape ecology. The review will distinguish between "habitat" and "niche" in a landscape and extend the concept that a "patch", is the demarcating unit of a habitat within a landscape. The review will describe how; (1) an individual patch, defined by its shape, edges and internal components can have an influence on species within the patch, (2) spatial dynamics over time within a patch can lead to variations or diversities of species within that patch space, and (3) an unwelcoming environment can promote species extinction or departure/dispersion into a more favorable habitat. Understanding this dynamic in relationship to caries and periodontal disease is the focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H. Fine
- Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States
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Gong L, Gu H, Chang Y, Wang Z, Shi B, Lin A, Wu H, Feng J, Jiang T. Seasonal variation of population and individual dietary niche in the avivorous bat, Ia io. Oecologia 2023; 201:733-747. [PMID: 36929223 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
The variation in niche breadth can affect how species respond to environmental and resource changes. However, there is still no clear understanding of how seasonal variability in food resources impacts the variation of individual dietary diversity, thereby affecting the dynamics of a population's dietary niche breadth. Optimal foraging theory (OFT) and the niche variation hypothesis (NVH) predict that when food resources are limited, the population niche breadth will widen or narrow due to increased within-individual dietary diversity and individual specialization or reduced within-individual dietary diversity, respectively. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to examine the composition and seasonality of diets of the avivorous bat Ia io. Furthermore, we investigated how the dietary niches changed among seasons and how the population niche breadth changed when the availability of insect resources was reduced in autumn. We found that there was differentiation in dietary niches among seasons and a low degree of overlap, and the decrease of insect resource availability and the emergence of ecological opportunities of nocturnal migratory birds might drive dietary niche shifts toward birds in I. io. However, the population's dietary niche breadth did not broaden by increasing the within-individual dietary diversity or individual specialization, but rather became narrower by reducing dietary diversity via predation on bird resources that served as an ecological opportunity when insect resources were scarce in autumn. Our findings were consistent with the predictions of OFT, because birds as prey for bats provided extremely different resources from those of insects in size and nutritional value. Our work highlights the importance of size and quality of prey resources along with other factors (i.e., physiological, behavioral, and life-history traits) in dietary niche variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Hao Gu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Yang Chang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Biye Shi
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Aiqing Lin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Hui Wu
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China.
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China.
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun, 130118, China.
| | - Tinglei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China.
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China.
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Nawae W, Sonthirod C, Yoocha T, Waiyamitra P, Soisook P, Tangphatsornruang S, Pootakham W. Genome assembly of the Pendlebury's roundleaf bat, Hipposideros pendleburyi, revealed the expansion of Tc1/Mariner DNA transposons in Rhinolophoidea. DNA Res 2022; 29:6754705. [PMID: 36214371 PMCID: PMC9549598 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats (Chiroptera) constitute the second largest order of mammals and have several distinctive features, such as true self-powered flight and strong immunity. The Pendlebury's roundleaf bat, Hipposideros pendleburyi, is endemic to Thailand and listed as a vulnerable species. We employed the 10× Genomics linked-read technology to obtain a genome assembly of H. pendleburyi. The assembly size was 2.17 Gb with a scaffold N50 length of 15,398,518 bases. Our phylogenetic analysis placed H. pendleburyi within the rhinolophoid clade of the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. A synteny analysis showed that H. pendleburyi shared conserved chromosome segments (up to 105 Mb) with Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Phyllostomus discolor albeit having different chromosome numbers and belonging different families. We found positive selection signals in genes involved in inflammation, spermatogenesis and Wnt signalling. The analyses of transposable elements suggested the contraction of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and the accumulation of young mariner DNA transposons in the analysed hipposiderids. Distinct mariners were likely horizontally transferred to hipposiderid genomes over the evolution of this family. The lineage-specific profiles of SINEs and mariners might involve in the evolution of hipposiderids and be associated with the phylogenetic separations of these bats from other bat families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanapinun Nawae
- National Omics Center (NOC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chutima Sonthirod
- National Omics Center (NOC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Thippawan Yoocha
- National Omics Center (NOC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Pitchaporn Waiyamitra
- National Omics Center (NOC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Pipat Soisook
- Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
| | - Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang
- National Omics Center (NOC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wirulda Pootakham
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +66 2 5646700 Ext 71445. Fax: +66 2 5646707.
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Important marine areas for endangered African penguins before and after the crucial stage of moulting. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9489. [PMID: 35676286 PMCID: PMC9177839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12969-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The population of the Endangered African penguin Spheniscus demersus has decreased by > 65% in the last 20 years. A major driver of this decrease has been the reduced availability of their principal prey, sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. To date, conservation efforts to improve prey availability have focused on spatial management strategies to reduce resource competition with purse-seine fisheries during the breeding season. However, penguins also undergo an annual catastrophic moult when they are unable to feed for several weeks. Before moulting they must accumulate sufficient energy stores to survive this critical life-history stage. Using GPS tracking data collected between 2012 and 2019, we identify important foraging areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins at three of their major colonies in South Africa: Dassen Island and Stony Point (Western Cape) and Bird Island (Eastern Cape). The foraging ranges of pre- and post-moult adult African penguins (c. 600 km from colony) was far greater than that previously observed for breeding penguins (c. 50 km from colony) and varied considerably between sites, years and pre- and post-moult stages. Despite their more extensive range during the non-breeding season, waters within 20 and 50 km of their breeding colonies were used intensively and represent important foraging areas to pre- and post-moult penguins. Furthermore, penguins in the Western Cape travelled significantly further than those in the Eastern Cape which is likely a reflection of the poor prey availability along the west coast of South Africa. Our findings identify important marine areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins and support for the expansion of fisheries-related spatio-temporal management strategies to help conserve African penguins outside the breeding season.
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Nielsen SMB, Bilde T, Toft S. Macronutrient niches and field limitation in a woodland assemblage of harvestmen. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:593-603. [PMID: 34894154 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Description of animals' trophic niches helps us understand interactions between species in biological communities that are not easily observed. Analyses of macronutrient niches, that is, the range of macronutrient (protein:lipid:carbohydrate) ratios selected by generalist feeders, may be a useful alternative approach to inter-species comparisons of diets, especially within taxonomic assemblages of predators where species with similar nutritional requirements are likely to accept similar types of prey. Here we analysed the macronutritional niches of a woodland assemblage of seven harvestman species, all supposed to be predators with omnivorous tendencies. Five species (Mitopus morio, Leiobunum gracile, Oligolophus tridens, O. hanseni and Paroligolophus agrestis) were native and two species (Opilio canestrinii and Dicranopalpus ramosus) were recent invaders into the community. We compare the fundamental (FMN) and realized (RMN) macronutritional niche positions of the species using a 'double-test procedure', which provides information on whether the species were food limited in their natural habitat, and whether they were limited by specific macronutrients. All seven species were food limited and six species were non-protein limited in the field; of these, four species were carbohydrate limited, and in one species females were lipid limited and males were carbohydrate limited. These findings add to the notion that predators are mainly non-protein limited in the field. The FMN positions of the assemblage fell within 46%-50% protein, 29%-38% lipid and 16%-22% carbohydrate. The amount of carbohydrate in the self-selected diet combined with carbohydrate limitation confirms that the species are zoophytophagous. Two morphological clusters of species (large long-legged vs. small short-legged species) differed not only in microhabitat (upper vs. lower forest strata) but also in macronutrient selection, where large long-legged species selected higher proportion of carbohydrate than small short-legged species. Thus, morphologically similar species occupy the same habitat stratum and have similar macronutritional niches. We discuss the hypothesis that the invasive O. canestrinii might have an impact on native species as it allegedly had in urban environments previously. Two basic assumptions about interspecific resource competition were fulfilled, that is, high overlap of nutritional requirements and limitation by food and macronutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trine Bilde
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Søren Toft
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Sol D, Lapiedra O, González-Lagos C, de Cáceres M. Resource preferences and the emergence of individual niche specialization within populations. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Growing evidence that individuals of many generalist animals behave as resource specialists have attracted substantial research interest for its ecological and evolutionary implications. Variation in resource preferences is considered to be critical for developing a general theory of individual specialization. However, it remains to be shown whether diverging preferences can arise among individuals sharing a similar environment, and whether these preferences are sufficiently stable over time to be ecologically relevant. We addressed these issues by means of common garden experiments in feral pigeons (Columba livia), a species known to exhibit among-individual resource specialization in the wild. Food-choice experiments on wild-caught pigeons and their captive-bred cross-fostered descendants showed that short-term variation in food preferences can easily arise within a population, and that this variation may represent a substantial fraction of the population foraging niche. However, the experiments also showed that, rather than being limited by genetic or vertical cultural inheritance, food preferences exhibited high plasticity and tended to converge in the long-term. Although our results challenge the notion that variation in food preferences is a major driver of resource specialization, early differences in preferences could pave the way to specializations when combined with neophobic responses and/or positive feedbacks that reinforce niche conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sol
- CREAF, Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
- CSIC, Spanish National Research Council, CREAF-UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
| | - Oriol Lapiedra
- CREAF, Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
| | - Cesar González-Lagos
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Av. Viel 1497, Santiago 8370993, Chile
- Centre of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Av. Libertador Bernardo O´Higgins 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Miquel de Cáceres
- CREAF, Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
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Takahashi MQ, Rothman JM, Raubenheimer D, Cords M. Daily protein prioritization and long-term nutrient balancing in a dietary generalist, the blue monkey. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animals make dietary choices to achieve adequate nutrient intake; however, it is challenging to study such nutritional strategies in wild populations. We explored the nutritional strategy of a generalist social primate, the blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis). We hypothesized that females balance intake of nutrients, specifically non-protein energy and protein, both on a daily and long-term basis. When balancing was not possible, we expected subjects to prioritize constant protein intake, allowing non-protein energy to vary more. To understand the ecology of nutrient balancing, we examined how habitat use, food availability, diet composition, social dominance rank, and reproductive demand influenced nutrient intake. Over 9 months, we conducted 371 all-day focal follows on 24 subjects in Kakamega Forest, Kenya. Females exhibited short- and long-term nutritional strategies. Daily, they balanced non-protein energy to protein intake but when balancing was impossible, monkeys prioritized protein intake. Longer term, they balanced non-protein energy:protein intake in a 3.8:1 ratio. The ratio related positively to fruit in the diet and negatively to time in near-natural forest, but we found no evidence that it related to food availability, reproductive demand, or dominance rank. Lower-ranked females had broader daily diets, however, which may reflect behavioral feeding strategies to cope with social constraints. Overall, females prioritized daily protein, allowing less variation in protein intake than other aspects such as non-protein energy:protein ratio and non-protein energy intake. The emerging pattern in primates suggests that diverse dietary strategies evolved to allow adherence to a nutrient balance of non-protein energy:protein despite various social and environmental constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maressa Q Takahashi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- PhD Program in Anthropology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Johns Hopkins Drive, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Carpenter‐Kling T, Reisinger RR, Orgeret F, Connan M, Stevens KL, Ryan PG, Makhado A, Pistorius PA. Foraging in a dynamic environment: Response of four sympatric sub-Antarctic albatross species to interannual environmental variability. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11277-11295. [PMID: 33144964 PMCID: PMC7593157 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal and annual climate variations are linked to fluctuations in the abundance and distribution of resources, posing a significant challenge to animals that need to adjust their foraging behavior accordingly. Particularly during adverse conditions, and while energetically constrained when breeding, animals ideally need to be flexible in their foraging behavior. Such behavioral plasticity may separate "winners" from "losers" in light of rapid environmental changes due to climate change. Here, the foraging behavior of four sub-Antarctic albatross species was investigated from 2015/16 to 2017/18, a period characterized by pronounced environmental variability. Over three breeding seasons on Marion Island, Prince Edward Archipelago, incubating wandering (WA, Diomedea exulans; n = 45), grey-headed (GHA, Thalassarche chrysostoma; n = 26), sooty (SA, Phoebetria fusca; n = 23), and light-mantled (LMSA, P. palpebrata; n = 22) albatrosses were tracked with GPS loggers. The response of birds to environmental variability was investigated by quantifying interannual changes in their foraging behavior along two axes: spatial distribution, using kernel density analysis, and foraging habitat preference, using generalized additive mixed models and Bayesian mixed models. All four species were shown to respond behaviorally to environmental variability, but with substantial differences in their foraging strategies. WA was most general in its habitat use defined by sea surface height, eddy kinetic energy, wind speed, ocean floor slope, and sea-level anomaly, with individuals foraging in a range of habitats. In contrast, the three smaller albatrosses exploited two main foraging habitats, with habitat use varying between years. Generalist habitat use by WA and interannually variable use of habitats by GHA, SA, and LMSA would likely offer these species some resilience to predicted changes in climate such as warming seas and strengthening of westerly winds. However, future investigations need to consider other life-history stages coupled with demographic studies, to better understand the link between behavioral plasticity and population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan Carpenter‐Kling
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Ryan R. Reisinger
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- LOCEAN‐IPSLUMR 7159 CNRS‐IRD‐MNHNSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 du CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Maëlle Connan
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Kim L. Stevens
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Azwianewi Makhado
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
- Department of Environment, Forestry and FisheriesOceans and Coasts ResearchCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Pierre A. Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
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12
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Börger L, Bijleveld AI, Fayet AL, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Patrick SC, Street GM, Vander Wal E. Biologging Special Feature. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:6-15. [PMID: 32091640 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Allert I Bijleveld
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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13
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, von Haeften G, Romero MA, Rodríguez DH, Gerpe MS. Linking cadmium and mercury accumulation to nutritional intake in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Patagonia, Argentina. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114480. [PMID: 32283460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation of Hg and Cd from food is a complex ecological process that has been oversimplified in the past. Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) provide a powerful model to biomonitor metal concentrations in marine environments worldwide. We combined proportions-based nutritional geometry with metal analysis, stomach content analysis and the proximate composition of prey, to yield novel insights into the accumulation of Hg and Cd. Our analysis showed an age-related accumulation trend for Cd and Hg in kidney and liver, with highest concentrations found at 18 years of age. When viewed through the lens of nutritional ecology, Argentine anchovy (58.1 Mass %) and South American long-finned squid (22.7 Mass %), provided most of the dietary intake of protein (P) and lipids (L) (P:L ratio = 2.6:1.0) and also represented the main source for Cd and Hg levels accumulated in their bodies. This study presents unprecedented evidence on metal accumulation in relation to age and nutritional intake in a marine predator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Alejandra Romero
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos "Almirante Storni", Güemes 1030, San Antonio Oeste, 8520, Rio Negro, Argentina; Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Martín 247, San Antonio Oeste, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Diego H Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina; Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Marcela S Gerpe
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina; Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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14
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Moatt JP, Savola E, Regan JC, Nussey DH, Walling CA. Lifespan Extension Via Dietary Restriction: Time to Reconsider the Evolutionary Mechanisms? Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900241. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Moatt
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Eevi Savola
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Jennifer C. Regan
- Institute for Immunology and InfectionSchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
| | - Craig A. Walling
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH9 3FL UK
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15
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Shik JZ, Dussutour A. Nutritional Dimensions of Invasive Success. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:691-703. [PMID: 32668214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite mounting calls for predictive ecological approaches rooted in physiological performance currencies, the field of invasive species biology has lagged behind. For instance, successful invaders are often predicted to consume diverse foods, but the nutritional complexity of foods often leaves food-level analyses short of physiological mechanisms. The emerging field of nutritional geometry (NG) provides new theory and empirical tools to predict invasive potential based on fundamental and realized nutritional niches. We review recent advances and synthesize NG predictions about behavioral traits that favor invasive establishment, and evolutionary dynamics that promote invasive spread. We also provide practical advice for applying NG approaches, and discuss the power of nutrition to achieve a more predictive invasion biology that explicitly integrates physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Z Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.
| | - Audrey Dussutour
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Propre de Service (UPS), 31062, Toulouse, France.
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16
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Andrades R, Santos RG. Debris ingestion and nutritional niches in estuarine and reef green turtles. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 153:110943. [PMID: 32056851 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Little attention has been drawn toward the effects of marine debris ingestion in relation to nutrient acquisition and fitness consequences. We tested whether anthropogenic debris ingestion influence the nutritional niches of endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in estuarine and reef habitats on the Brazilian coast. Our results showed that estuarine turtles consumed diets with lower proportional wet mass composition of protein (P) and water (W) than their reef conspecifics. The amounts of debris, mostly plastics, retrieved from the digestive tracts of estuarine turtles were higher compared with those individuals from reefs. The realized nutritional niche from estuarine turtles was subject to the debris density in the environment, lack of benthic food resources available and the surface foraging behavior, likely preventing them from reaching their nutritional goals and resulting in lower fitness. The study provides critical information for the management and conservation of ecologically threatened individuals, populations, and their natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan Andrades
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, 29075-910 Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Robson Guimarães Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil
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17
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Raubenheimer D. The Nutritional Ecology of Marine Apex Predators. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2020; 12:361-387. [PMID: 31487471 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010318-095411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Apex predators play pivotal roles in marine ecosystems, mediated principally through diet and nutrition. Yet, compared with terrestrial animals, the nutritional ecology of marine predators is poorly understood. One reason is that the field has adhered to an approach that evaluates diet principally in terms of energy gain. Studies in terrestrial systems, by contrast, increasingly adopt a multidimensional approach, the nutritional geometry framework, that distinguishes specific nutrients and calories. We provide evidence that a nutritional approach is likewise relevant to marine apex predators, then demonstrate how nutritional geometry can characterize the nutrient and energy content of marine prey. Next, we show how this framework can be used to reconceptualize ecological interactions via the ecological niche concept, and close with a consideration of its application to problems in marine predator research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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18
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Disentangling the coexistence strategies of mud-daubing wasp species through trophic analysis in oases of Baja California peninsula. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225266. [PMID: 31751408 PMCID: PMC6872140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Species within the same trophic level show different strategies to avoid competition. Among these mechanisms, differences in body size, spatio-temporal segregation, and diet preference often leads to a niche partitioning. Nonetheless, little attention on coexisting predatory insects and their network interactions has been paid. In this study, we analyzed the strategies to avoid competition among three sympatric mud-daubing wasps of the genus Trypoxylon (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in oases and their surrounding xeric area from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We compared the prey richness, composition and proportion of spider guilds that were captured by the wasps. We tested whether the differences in wasp body size explained the niche breadth, niche overlap and the size of spider prey. We assessed the spider-wasp interactions through a network analysis. With the use of trap-nests, we collected 52 spider species captured by the wasps. Both the guild and species composition of preyed spiders was different between the three wasp species. Differential proportions in the capture of spider guilds and a little diet overlap were found among the wasp species. We found that the wasp body size was positively correlated with prey size, but it was not a proxy of niche breadth. Moreover, the largest wasp species was able to nest in both mesic and xeric habitats, while the two smaller species were restricted to the oases. This study reveals that the diversity of spiders in oases of Baja California peninsula is crucial to maintain highly specialized oasis-dependent wasp species. The niche partitioning between mud-daubing wasps can be shaped by their inherent body size limitations and hunting strategies through foraging specialization for specific spider guilds. Food selection and slight differences in body size reduce competition and allow the coexistence of sympatric wasps. Our study is the first approach exploring the interaction networks between mud-daubing wasps and their spider preys, highlighting new insights into the morphological and ecological factors that shape antagonistic interactions, and allow the coexistence of predators in deserts.
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Toft S, Cuende E, Olesen AL, Mathiesen A, Meisner Larsen M, Jensen K. Food and specific macronutrient limitation in an assemblage of predatory beetles. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Søren Toft
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
| | - Elsa Cuende
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
| | - Astrid Louise Olesen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Anne Mathiesen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Maria Meisner Larsen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Kim Jensen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Soil Fauna Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Aarhus Univ Silkeborg Denmark
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20
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Amiot C, Denuncio P, Grainger R, Raubenheimer D. A nutritional perspective on plastic ingestion in wildlife. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:789-796. [PMID: 30530148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the perils of plastics to living organisms including humans have been neglected for decades, they have recently been recognized as a major environmental problem worldwide. Little progress has been made on understanding the factors that drive species' and populations' susceptibilities to the ingestion of plastic. Here, we propose using nutritional ecology as a multidisciplinary framework for bridging the gaps that link nutrition, behavior, plastics, physiology and ecology. We show that nutritional niches are tightly linked to plastic ingestion, illustrating the application of our framework in the context of nutritional niche theory, habitat-specific foraging from species to populations, and transfer patterns in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christophe Amiot
- Université d'Angers, LETG-Angers, LEESA UMR 6554 CNRS, UFR Sciences, France
| | - Pablo Denuncio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata B7602AYL, Argentina
| | - Richard Grainger
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
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Rechsteiner EU, Watson JC, Tinker MT, Nichol LM, Morgan Henderson MJ, McMillan CJ, DeRoos M, Fournier MC, Salomon AK, Honka LD, Darimont CT. Sex and occupation time influence niche space of a recovering keystone predator. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3321-3334. [PMID: 30962895 PMCID: PMC6434543 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Predators exert strong effects on ecological communities, particularly when they re-occupy areas after decades of extirpation. Within species, such effects can vary over time and by sex and cascade across trophic levels. We used a space-for-time substitution to make foraging observations of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) across a gradient of reoccupation time (1-30 years), and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis to ask whether (a) sea otter niche space varies as a function of occupation time and (b) whether niche space varies by sex. We found that niche space varied among areas of different occupation times. Dietary niches at short occupation times were dominated by urchins (Mesocentrotus and Strongylocentrotus spp; >60% of diets) in open habitats at 10-40 m depths. At longer occupation times, niches were dominated by small clams (Veneroida; >30% diet), mussels (Mytilus spp; >20% diet), and crab (Decapoda; >10% diet) in shallow (<10 m) kelp habitats. Diet diversity was lowest (H' = 1.46) but energy rich (~37 kcal/min) at the earliest occupied area and highest, but energy poor (H' = 2.63, ~9 kcal/min) at the longest occupied area. A similar transition occurred through time at a recently occupied area. We found that niche space also differed between sexes, with bachelor males consuming large clams (>60%), and urchins (~25%) from deep waters (>40 m), and females and territorial males consuming smaller, varied prey from shallow waters (<10 m). Bachelor male diets were less diverse (H' = 2.21) but more energy rich (~27 kcal/min) than territorial males (H' = 2.54, ~13 kcal/min) and females (H' = 2.74, ~11 kcal/min). Given recovering predators require adequate food and space, and the ecological interactions they elicit, we emphasize the importance of investigating niche space over the duration of recovery and considering sex-based differences in these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin U. Rechsteiner
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jane C. Watson
- Vancouver Island UniversityNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - M. Tim Tinker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California at Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia
- Nhydra Ecological ConsultingSt. Margaret's BayNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Linda M. Nichol
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaPacific Biological StationNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | - Christie J. McMillan
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Marine Education and Research SocietyPort McNeillBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Mike DeRoos
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | - Anne K. Salomon
- School of Resource and Environmental ManagementSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Leah D. Honka
- Salmon Watersheds ProgramPacific Salmon FoundationVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Hakai InstituteHeriot BayBritish ColumbiaCanada
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