1
|
Cuff JP, Evans DM, Vaughan IP, Wilder SM, Tercel MPTG, Windsor FM. Networking nutrients: How nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:974-988. [PMID: 38946110 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14124] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Nutrients can shape ecological interactions but remain poorly integrated into ecological networks. Concepts such as nutrient-specific foraging nevertheless have the potential to expose the mechanisms structuring complex ecological systems. Nutrients also present an opportunity to predict dynamic processes, such as interaction rewiring and extinction cascades, and increase the accuracy of network analyses. Here, we propose the concept of nutritional networks. By integrating nutritional data into ecological networks, we envisage significant advances to our understanding of ecological processes from individual to ecosystem scales. We show that networks can be constructed with nutritional data to illuminate how nutrients structure ecological interactions in natural systems through an empirical example. Throughout, we identify fundamental ecological hypotheses that can be explored in a nutritional network context, alongside methods for resolving those networks. Nutrients influence the structure and complexity of ecological networks through mechanistic processes and concepts including nutritional niche differentiation, functional responses, landscape diversity, ecological invasions and ecosystem robustness. Future research on ecological networks should consider nutrients when investigating the drivers of network structure and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P Cuff
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Darren M Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ian P Vaughan
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Shawn M Wilder
- Department of Integrative Biology, 501 Life Sciences West, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Maximillian P T G Tercel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey
| | - Fredric M Windsor
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Frost PC, Caudle SL, Han S, O'Brien JMJ, Tobin SW. Rearing and Experimental Uses of Daphnia: Controlling Animal Nutrition and Assessing Lifespan and Life-History Traits. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1064. [PMID: 38837737 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Caloric restriction has been found to extend the lifespan of many organisms including mammals and other vertebrates. With lifespans exceeding months to years, age-related experiments involving fish and mammals can be overtly costly, both in terms of time and funding. The freshwater crustacean, Daphnia, has a relatively short lifespan (∼50 to 100 days), which makes it a cost-effective alternative animal model for longevity and aging studies. Besides age-specific mortality, there are a suite of physiological responses connected to "healthspan" that can be tracked as these animals age including growth, reproduction, and metabolic rates. These responses can be complemented by assessment of molecular and cellular processes connected to aging and health. Lifespan and metabolism of this model organism is responsive to long studied modulators of aging, such as rearing temperature and nutritional manipulation, but also pharmacological agents that target aging, e.g., rapamycin, which adds to its usefulness as a model organism. Here we describe how to culture Daphnia for aging experiments including maintaining laboratory populations of Daphnia mothers, growing algal food, and manipulating nutrition of these animals. In addition, we provide methods for tracking common physiological and longevity responses of Daphnia. This protocol provides researchers planning to use this model organism with methods to establish and maintain Daphnia populations and to standardize their experimental approaches. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Culturing algae for Daphnia food Basic Protocol 2: General methods for culturing Daphnia Basic Protocol 3: Standardizing and controlling nutrition for experimental Daphnia Basic Protocol 4: Monitoring Daphnia lifespan Basic Protocol 5: Evaluating Daphnia health: Heart rate and respiration, body mass and growth rates, and reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samatha L Caudle
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sen Han
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie W Tobin
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Prater C, Phan T, Elser JJ, Jeyasingh PD. Understanding stoichiometric constraints on growth using resource use efficiency imbalances. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319022121. [PMID: 38683986 PMCID: PMC11087777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319022121] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Growth is a function of the net accrual of resources by an organism. Energy and elemental contents of organisms are dynamically linked through their uptake and allocation to biomass production, yet we lack a full understanding of how these dynamics regulate growth rate. Here, we develop a multivariate imbalance framework, the growth efficiency hypothesis, linking organismal resource contents to growth and metabolic use efficiencies, and demonstrate its effectiveness in predicting consumer growth rates under elemental and food quantity limitation. The relative proportions of carbon (%C), nitrogen (%N), phosphorus (%P), and adenosine triphosphate (%ATP) in consumers differed markedly across resource limitation treatments. Differences in their resource composition were linked to systematic changes in stoichiometric use efficiencies, which served to maintain relatively consistent relationships between elemental and ATP content in consumer tissues and optimize biomass production. Overall, these adjustments were quantitatively linked to growth, enabling highly accurate predictions of consumer growth rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clay Prater
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Tin Phan
- T-6, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Research Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM87545
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT59860
- Ecology and Evolution Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT59812
| | - Punidan D. Jeyasingh
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Loayza E, Muñoz-Saravia A, De Troch M, Hendriks WH, Janssens GPJ. Detailed whole-body nutrient analysis identifies differences in feeding ecology between related fish species: The case of Orestias native Andean killifish in Lake Titicaca. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2023; 107:1302-1310. [PMID: 37203287 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13831] [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: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Body nutrient profiles in ecological studies allow for relating the nutritional status of consumers and their effects on the movement and retention of elements in ecosystems, as well as reflecting feeding conditions and habitat quality. This study compared the detailed whole-body nutrient composition (macronutrients, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids) of two omnivorous natives Orestias killifish from Lake Titicaca (Orestias agassizii and Orestias luteus, Valenciennes), the largest lake in the Andes, as an indirect tool to understand differences in their feeding ecology. Although both species are usually described as omnivorous fish, both have amphipods (Hyalella spp) as their main food source. Our results showed that both killifish had a comparable macronutrient composition, and the mineral concentrations of Mg, P and Ca (reflecting bony structures) differed between them. Many of the saturated fatty acids were significantly lower in O. luteus, and O. agassizii had higher concentrations of cis-vaccenic acid (18:1n11 (cis)), supporting the idea of a higher algal contribution to the diet of this fish. The lower histidine and higher taurine concentrations in O. agassizii compared with O. luteus (independent of body size) may reflect its ubiquitous behaviour and plasticity. This study shows how whole-body nutrient analysis can identify differences in feeding ecology and feeding behaviour between related species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erick Loayza
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
- Unidad de Ecología Acuática, Instituto de Ecología, Carrera de Biología-Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | | | - Marleen De Troch
- Biology Department, Marine Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter H Hendriks
- Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Geert P J Janssens
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jones CLC, Shafer ABA, Frost PC. Characterizing nutritional phenotypes using experimental nutrigenomics: Is there nutrient-specificity to different types of dietary stress? Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1073-1086. [PMID: 36528862 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ability to directly measure and monitor poor nutrition in individual animals and ecological communities is hampered by methodological limitations. In this study, we use nutrigenomics to identify nutritional biomarkers in a freshwater zooplankter, Daphnia pulex, a ubiquitous primary consumer in lakes and a sentinel of environmental change. We grew animals in six ecologically relevant nutritional treatments: nutrient replete, low carbon (food), low phosphorus, low nitrogen, low calcium and high Cyanobacteria. We extracted RNA for transcriptome sequencing to identify genes that were nutrient responsive and capable of predicting nutritional status with a high degree of accuracy. We selected a list of 125 candidate genes, which were subsequently pruned to 13 predictive potential biomarkers. Using a nearest-neighbour classification algorithm, we demonstrate that these potential biomarkers are capable of classifying our samples into the correct nutritional group with 100% accuracy. The functional annotation of the selected biomarkers revealed some specific nutritional pathways and supported our hypothesis that animal responses to poor nutrition are nutrient specific and not simply different presentations of slow growth or energy limitation. This is a key step in uncovering the causes and consequences of nutritional limitation in animal consumers and their responses to small- and large-scale changes in biogeochemical cycles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catriona L C Jones
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Feniova IY, Sakharova EG, Krylov AV. Transfer of Essential Substances from Phytoplankton to Zooplankton in Freshwater Ecosystems (Review). CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425522040059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
7
|
Danger M, Bec A, Spitz J, Perga M. Questioning the roles of resources nutritional quality in ecology. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Danger
- Univ. de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC Metz France
- GRET (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Trophique), GDR 3716 CNRS INEE INRA Aubière France
- Inst. Universitaire de France (IUF) Paris France
| | - Alexandre Bec
- GRET (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Trophique), GDR 3716 CNRS INEE INRA Aubière France
- Univ. Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LMGE Aubière France
| | - Jérôme Spitz
- GRET (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Trophique), GDR 3716 CNRS INEE INRA Aubière France
- Observatoire Pelagis, UAR 3462 La Rochelle Université/CNRS La Rochelle France
- CEBC, UMS 7372 La Rochelle Université/CNRS La Rochelle France
| | - Marie‐Elodie Perga
- GRET (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Trophique), GDR 3716 CNRS INEE INRA Aubière France
- Univ. of Lausanne, Inst. of Earth surface Dynamics Lausanne Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wagner ND, Simmons DBD, Prater C, Frost PC. Proteome changes in an aquatic invertebrate consumer in response to different nutritional stressors. Oecologia 2022; 199:329-341. [PMID: 35661252 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05198-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient imbalances in zooplankton are caused by the differences in elemental content of producers and the demand for elements in consumers, which alter the life-history traits in consumers. Changes in life-history traits are mediated through metabolic pathways that affect gene expression and the metabolome. However, less is known about proteomic changes to elemental-limitation in zooplankton. Here, we grew Daphnia pulex under high food quantity and quality (HF), low food quantity (LF), and phosphorus (P)-limited (PL) diets for six days and measured growth, elemental composition, and the proteome. Daphnids in both LF and PL diets grew less. Animals in LF diets had less carbon (C), while daphnids in PL diets had less P compared to HF fed animals. In total, we identified 1719 proteins that were used in a partial least squares regression discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Focusing on a subset of the proteome, the PLS-DA resulted in a clear separation between animals fed HF diets and PL and LF diets. Many proteome changes in nutrient-limited diets are associated with growth, reproduction, lipid metabolism, and nutrient assimilation. Regardless of the limiting nutrient, there were less hemoglobin and small subunit processome component proteins compared to HF fed animals. Daphnids fed LF diets had less vitellogenin fused superoxide dismutase and more lipid-droplet hydrolase, whereas Daphnia fed PL diets had higher abundances of cytochrome P450 and serine protease. Our proteome results compliment other "omic" studies that could be used to study Daphnia physiology in lakes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D Wagner
- Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.
| | | | - Clay Prater
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Tent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Richmond IC, Balluffi-Fry J, Vander Wal E, Leroux SJ, Rizzuto M, Heckford TR, Kennah JL, Riefesel GR, Wiersma YF. Individual snowshoe hares manage risk differently: integrating stoichiometric distribution models and foraging ecology. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Herbivores making space use decisions must consider the trade-off between perceived predation risk and forage quality. Herbivores, specifically snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), must constantly navigate landscapes that vary in predation risk and food quality, providing researchers with the opportunity to explore the factors that govern their foraging decisions. Herein, we tested predictions that intersect the risk allocation hypothesis (RAH) and optimal foraging theory (OFT) in a spatially explicit ecological stoichiometry framework to assess the trade-off between predation risk and forage quality. We used individual and population estimates of snowshoe hare (n = 29) space use derived from biotelemetry across three summers. We evaluated resource forage quality for lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), a common and readily available forage species within our system, using carbon:nitrogen and carbon:phosphorus ratios. We used habitat complexity to proxy perceived predation risk. We analyzed how forage quality of blueberry, perceived predation risk, and their interaction impact the intensity of herbivore space use. We used generalized mixed effects models, structured to enable us to make inferences at the population and individual home range level. We did not find support for RAH and OFT. However, variation in the individual-level reactions norms in our models showed that individual hares have unique responses to forage quality and perceived predation risk. Our finding of individual-level responses indicates that there is fine-scale decision-making by hares, although we did not identify the mechanism. Our approach illustrates spatially explicit empirical support for individual behavioral responses to the food quality–predation risk trade-off.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella C Richmond
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Travis R Heckford
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Joanie L Kennah
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Gabrielle R Riefesel
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Yolanda F Wiersma
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Balluffi-Fry J, Leroux SJ, Wiersma YF, Richmond IC, Heckford TR, Rizzuto M, Kennah JL, Vander Wal E. Integrating plant stoichiometry and feeding experiments: state-dependent forage choice and its implications on body mass. Oecologia 2021; 198:579-591. [PMID: 34743229 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05069-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific feeding choices comprise a large portion of herbivore foraging decisions. Plant resource quality is heterogeneously distributed, affected by nutrient availability and growing conditions. Herbivores navigate landscapes, foraging not only according to food qualities, but also energetic and nutritional demands. We test three non-exclusive foraging hypotheses using the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus): (1) herbivore feeding choices and body conditions respond to intraspecific plant quality variation; (2) high energetic demands mitigate feeding responses; and (3) feeding responses are inflated when nutritional demands are high. We measured black spruce (Picea mariana) nitrogen, phosphorus and terpene compositions, as indicators of quality, within a snowshoe hare trapping grid and found plant growing conditions to explain spruce quality variation (R2 < 0.36). We then offered two qualities of spruce (H1) from the trapping grid to hares in cafeteria-style experiments and measured their feeding and body condition responses (n = 75). We proxied energetic demands (H2) with ambient temperature and coat insulation (% white coat) and nutritional demands (H3) with the spruce quality (nitrogen and phosphorus content) in home ranges. Hares with the strongest preference for high-quality spruce lost on average 2.2% less weight than hares who ate the least high-quality spruce relative to low-quality spruce. The results supported our energetic predictions as follows: hares in colder temperatures and with less-insulative coats (lower % white) consumed more spruce and were less selective towards high-quality spruce. Collectively, we found variation in plant growing conditions within herbivore home ranges substantial enough to affect herbivore body conditions, but energetic stats mediate plant-herbivore interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Balluffi-Fry
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. .,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Yolanda F Wiersma
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Isabella C Richmond
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Travis R Heckford
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Joanie L Kennah
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bertram SM, Yaremchuk DD, Reifer ML, Villarreal A, Muzzatti MJ, Kolluru GR. Tests of the positive and functional allometry hypotheses for sexually selected traits in the Jamaican field cricket. Behav Processes 2021; 188:104413. [PMID: 33957236 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sexually selected traits, including threat signals, have been shown to scale steeply positively with body size because their exaggeration maximizes honest signalling. However, the functional allometry hypothesis makes the opposite prediction for some weapons: because the biomechanics of force applied in their use may favor relatively smaller size, sexually selected weapons may exhibit negative allometry. Tests of these ideas in insects have largely focused on holometabolous species, whose adult body size is entirely dependent on nutrients acquired during the larval stage. In contrast, hemimetabolous insects may exhibit different patterns of allometry development because they forage throughout development, between successive moults. Here, we tested complementary and competing predictions made by the positive and functional allometry hypotheses, regarding intrasexually selected trait allometry in a hemimetabolous insect, the Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis). As expected, head width (a dominance and/or combat trait) was more positively allometric than non-sexually selected traits. In contrast, and consistent with the functional allometry hypothesis, mouthparts (weapons) were either isometric or negatively allometric. We also tested whether trait allometry responded to rearing diet by raising males on either a high protein diet or a high carbohydrate diet; we predicted stronger positive allometry under the high protein diet. However, diet did not influence allometry in the predicted manner. Overall, our results support the functional allometry hypothesis regarding sexually selected trait allometry and raise intriguing possibilities for integrating these ideas with recent paradigms for classifying intrasexually selected traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Bertram
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Danya D Yaremchuk
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Mykell L Reifer
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Amy Villarreal
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Matthew J Muzzatti
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Gita R Kolluru
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Peace A, Frost PC, Wagner ND, Danger M, Accolla C, Antczak P, Brooks BW, Costello DM, Everett RA, Flores KB, Heggerud CM, Karimi R, Kang Y, Kuang Y, Larson JH, Mathews T, Mayer GD, Murdock JN, Murphy CA, Nisbet RM, Pecquerie L, Pollesch N, Rutter EM, Schulz KL, Scott JT, Stevenson L, Wang H. Stoichiometric Ecotoxicology for a Multisubstance World. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Nutritional and contaminant stressors influence organismal physiology, trophic interactions, community structure, and ecosystem-level processes; however, the interactions between toxicity and elemental imbalance in food resources have been examined in only a few ecotoxicity studies. Integrating well-developed ecological theories that cross all levels of biological organization can enhance our understanding of ecotoxicology. In the present article, we underline the opportunity to couple concepts and approaches used in the theory of ecological stoichiometry (ES) to ask ecotoxicological questions and introduce stoichiometric ecotoxicology, a subfield in ecology that examines how contaminant stress, nutrient supply, and elemental constraints interact throughout all levels of biological organization. This conceptual framework unifying ecotoxicology with ES offers potential for both empirical and theoretical studies to deepen our mechanistic understanding of the adverse outcomes of chemicals across ecological scales and improve the predictive powers of ecotoxicology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Peace
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
| | - Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole D Wagner
- Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | | | - Chiara Accolla
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | | | - Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | - David M Costello
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Rebecca A Everett
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Kevin B Flores
- Department of Mathematics and the Center for Research in Scientific Computation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
| | - Christopher M Heggerud
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Yun Kang
- Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, United States
| | - Yang Kuang
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - James H Larson
- US Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Teresa Mathews
- Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
| | - Gregory D Mayer
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
| | - Justin N Murdock
- Department of Biology, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Cheryl A Murphy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Roger M Nisbet
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Laure Pecquerie
- Université de Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, Plouzane, France
| | - Nathan Pollesch
- University of Wisconsin's Aquatic Sciences Center and with the US Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, United States
| | - Erica M Rutter
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, United States
| | - Kimberly L Schulz
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - J Thad Scott
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | - Louise Stevenson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California; and with the Department of Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jones CLC, Shafer ABA, Kim WD, Prater C, Wagner ND, Frost PC. The complexity of co-limitation: nutrigenomics reveal non-additive interactions of calcium and phosphorus on gene expression in Daphnia pulex. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202302. [PMID: 33352081 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lakes across Canada and northern Europe have experienced declines in ambient phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) supply for over 20 years. While these declines might create or exacerbate nutrient limitation in aquatic food webs, our ability to detect and quantify different types of nutrient stress on zooplankton remains rudimentary. Here, we used growth bioassay experiments and whole transcriptome RNAseq, collectively nutrigenomics, to examine the nutritional phenotypes produced by low supplies of P and Ca separately and together in the freshwater zooplankter Daphnia pulex. We found that daphniids in all three nutrient-deficient categories grew slower and differed in their elemental composition. Our RNAseq results show distinct responses in singly limited treatments (Ca or P) and largely a mix of these responses in animals under low Ca and P conditions. Deeper investigation of effect magnitude and gene functional annotations reveals this patchwork of responses to cumulatively represent a co-limited nutritional phenotype. Linear discriminant analysis identified a significant separation between nutritional treatments based upon gene expression patterns with the expression patterns of just five genes needed to predict animal nutritional status with 99% accuracy. These data reveal how nutritional phenotypes are altered by individual and co-limitation of two highly important nutritional elements (Ca and P) and provide evidence that aquatic consumers can respond to limitation by more than one nutrient at a time by differentially altering their metabolism. This use of nutrigenomics demonstrates its potential to address many of the inherent complexities in studying interactions between multiple nutritional stressors in ecology and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catriona L C Jones
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada K9K 0A7
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada K9K 0A7.,Department of Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - William D Kim
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada K9K 0A7
| | - Clay Prater
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Nicole D Wagner
- Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Francois CM, Simon L, Malard F, Lefébure T, Douady CJ, Mermillod‐Blondin F. Trophic selectivity in aquatic isopods increases with the availability of resources. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine M. Francois
- Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR5023 LEHNA F-69622Villeurbanne France
| | - Laurent Simon
- Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR5023 LEHNA F-69622Villeurbanne France
| | - Florian Malard
- Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR5023 LEHNA F-69622Villeurbanne France
| | - Tristan Lefébure
- Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR5023 LEHNA F-69622Villeurbanne France
| | - Christophe J. Douady
- Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR5023 LEHNA F-69622Villeurbanne France
- Institut Universitaire de France Paris France
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhou L, Declerck SAJ. Herbivore consumers face different challenges along opposite sides of the stoichiometric knife-edge. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:2018-2027. [PMID: 31512359 PMCID: PMC6900088 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have reshaped the relative supply rates of essential elements to organisms. Recent studies suggested that consumer performance is strongly reduced by food that is either very high or very low in relative phosphorus content. However, the generality of such 'stoichiometric knife-edge' and its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied the response of a planktonic rotifer to a 10-fold food carbon : phosphorus (C : P) gradient and confirmed the existence of the stoichiometric knife-edge. Interestingly, we observed a complete homeostatic breakdown associated with strong growth reductions at high food C : P. In contrast, at low food C : P, animals maintained homeostasis despite pronounced performance reductions. Our results suggest that the mechanisms underlying adverse effects of stoichiometric imbalance are determined by both the identity of elements that are limiting and those that are present in excess. Negative effects of excess P reveal an additional way of how eutrophication may affect consumers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Libin Zhou
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A J Declerck
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fujibayashi M, Sakamaki T, Nishimura O. Effect of sedimentary organic matter on species richness of deposit feeders in enclosed bay ecosystems: Insight from fatty acid nutritional indicators. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 149:1-6. [PMID: 31132526 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.05.011] [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: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
How nutritional quality of dietary resources affects species richness of consumer communities is poorly understood. We used fatty acids as indicators of nutritional quality of sedimentary organic matter to evaluate the effects of highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) content in sediments and fatty acid diversity in sedimentary organic matter on species richness of deposit feeders. We sampled benthic animals and sedimentary organic matter, a potential dietary source for deposit feeders, at 54 locations in two bay ecosystems. The species richness of deposit feeders ranged between 1 and 29 and had a parabolic relationship with the organic carbon content of sediments. At intermediate range of sedimentary organic carbon content, the species richness of deposit feeders was positively related to HUFA content and fatty acid diversity. These findings indicate that nutritional quality is one of the important factors determining species richness. In particular, HUFA content and fatty acid diversity are useful indicators of the nutritional quality of potential diets and good predictors of the occurrences of benthic invertebrates in marine habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megumu Fujibayashi
- School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aoba 6-6-06, Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8759, Japan; Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Kaidobata-Nishi 241-438, Simoshinjo Nakano, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, 010-0195, Japan.
| | - Takashi Sakamaki
- School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aoba 6-6-06, Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8759, Japan
| | - Osamu Nishimura
- School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aoba 6-6-06, Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8759, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wagner ND, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ. Sublethal metabolic responses to contaminant mixture toxicity in Daphnia magna. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:2448-2457. [PMID: 29920755 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activity is increasing the presence of contaminants that enter waterways through wastewater effluent and urban and/or agricultural runoff, generally in complex mixtures. Depending on the mode of action of the individual contaminant within the mixture, toxicity can occur due to contaminants having similar or dissimilar modes of action. However, it is unknown how the metabolome responds to sublethal contaminant mixtures in the keystone genus Daphnia. In the present study we examined D. magna metabolic responses to acute sublethal exposure of propranolol, carbamazepine, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as well as in binary (propranolol-carbamazepine, propranolol-PFOS, carbamazepine-PFOS) and tertiary mixtures (carbamazepine-propranolol-PFOS), all at 10% of the median lethal concentration of the population (LC50). The metabolome was measured using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and characterized using principal component analysis, regression analysis, and fold changes in metabolite relative to the unexposed (control) group. The averaged principal component analysis scores plots revealed that carbamazepine-PFOS and carbamazepine-propranolol-PFOS exposures were significantly different from the control treatment. After normalizing the toxicity of each contaminant, we found that some metabolites responded monotonically, whereas others displayed a nonmonotonic response with increasing toxicity units. The single contaminant exposures and 2 binary mixtures (propranolol-carbamazepine, and propranolol-PFOS) resulted in minimal changes in the identified metabolites, whereas the carbamazepine-PFOS and carbamazepine-propranolol-PFOS displayed increases in several amino acid metabolites and decreases in glucose. Overall, our results highlight the sensitivity of the metabolome to distinguish the composition of the contaminant mixtures, with some mixtures displaying heightened responses versus others. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2448-2457. © 2018 SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D Wagner
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
The threshold elemental ratio of carbon and phosphorus of Daphnia magna and its connection to animal growth. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9673. [PMID: 29946166 PMCID: PMC6018670 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27758-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth of animal consumers is affected by the balance of elements in their diet with the transition between limitation by one element to another known as the threshold elemental ratio (TER). Precise estimates of TERs with known levels of uncertainty have yet to be generated for most zooplankton consumers. We determined the TER for carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) in for a common lake zooplankter, Daphnia magna, using experimental measurements and theoretical considerations. Daphnia growth responses to food C:P ratios across a relatively narrow range (80–350) generated an empirical estimate of TERC:P of 155 ± 14. While this TER matched our modelled estimate of TERC:P (155 ± 16), it was lower than previous estimates of this dietary transition point. No threshold was found when we examined daphnid body C:N or C:P ratios in response to changing food C:P ratios, which indicates P-limitation at even lower food C:P ratios. Our results provide strong evidence that D. magna is likely to experience acute P-limitation when food C:P ratios exceed even relatively low ratios (~155). Our model further demonstrated that while physiological adjustments may reduce the likelihood of P-limitation or reduce its intensity, these changes in animal material processing would be accompanied by reduced maximum growth rates.
Collapse
|
19
|
Vadeboncoeur Y, Power ME. Attached Algae: The Cryptic Base of Inverted Trophic Pyramids in Freshwaters. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
It seems improbable that a thin veneer of attached algae coating submerged surfaces in lakes and rivers could be the foundation of many freshwater food webs, but increasing evidence from chemical tracers supports this view. Attached algae grow on any submerged surface that receives enough light for photosynthesis, but animals often graze attached algae down to thin, barely perceptible biofilms. Algae in general are more nutritious and digestible than terrestrial plants or detritus, and attached algae are particularly harvestable, being concentrated on surfaces. Diatoms, a major component of attached algal assemblages, are especially nutritious and tolerant of heavy grazing. Algivores can track attached algal productivity over a range of spatial scales and consume a high proportion of new attached algal growth in high-light, low-nutrient ecosystems. The subsequent efficient conversion of the algae into consumer production in freshwater food webs can lead to low-producer, high-consumer biomass, patterns that Elton (1927) described as inverted trophic pyramids. Human perturbations of nutrient, sediment, and carbon loading into freshwaters and of thermal and hydrologic regimes can weaken consumer control of algae and promote nuisance attached algal blooms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Vadeboncoeur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435
| | - Mary E. Power
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3140
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Physiological proteins in resource-limited herbivores experiencing a population die-off. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:68. [PMID: 28761976 PMCID: PMC5537310 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1490-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient availability is predicted to interact with herbivore population densities. Competition for low quality food at high density may reduce summer food intake, and in turn winter survival. Conversely, low population density may favor physiological recovery through better access to better quality spring forage. Here, we take advantage of the long-term study of the Soay sheep population of St. Kilda (Scotland) to measure plasma protein markers and immunity in two consecutive summers with contrasting population densities. We show that, following a winter die-off resulting in a shift to low population density, albumin and total proteins increased, but only in adult sheep. The effect was not solely attributable to selective disappearance of malnourished sheep. Similarly, the concentration of antibodies was higher following the die-off, potentially indicating recovery of immune function. Overall, our results are consistent with the physiological recovery of surviving individuals after a harsh winter.
Collapse
|
21
|
Garnier R, Cheung CK, Watt KA, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Graham AL. Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:175-183. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Christopher K. Cheung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nestel D, Papadopoulos NT, Pascacio-Villafán C, Righini N, Altuzar-Molina AR, Aluja M. Resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 95:78-88. [PMID: 27650504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We provide an extensive review on current knowledge and future research paths on the topic of resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects, emphasizing the role of resource management during development, and how compensatory mechanisms may be acting to remediate nutritional deficiencies carried over from earlier stages of development. We first review resource allocation in "open" and "closed" developmental stages and then move on to the topic of modelling resource allocation and its trade-offs. In doing so, we review novel methodological developments such as response-surface methods and mixture experiments as well as nutritional geometry. We also dwell on the fascinating topic of compensatory physiology and behavior. We finish by discussing future research paths, among them the emerging field of nutrigenomics and gut microbiome, which will shed light into the yet poorly understood role of the symbiotic microbiota in nutrient compensation or assimilation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Nestel
- Institute of Plant Protection, Dept. of Entomology, ARO, The Volcani Ctr., Beit Dagan 50250, Israel.
| | - Nikos T Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Dept. of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, N. Ionia, Volos, Greece
| | - Carlos Pascacio-Villafán
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Nicoletta Righini
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Alma R Altuzar-Molina
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Martín Aluja
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
França F, Barlow J, Araújo B, Louzada J. Does selective logging stress tropical forest invertebrates? Using fat stores to examine sublethal responses in dung beetles. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8526-8533. [PMID: 28031804 PMCID: PMC5167030 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The increased global demand for tropical timber has driven vast expanses of tropical forests to be selectively logged worldwide. While logging impacts on wildlife are predicted to change species distribution and abundance, the underlying physiological responses are poorly understood. Although there is a growing consensus that selective logging impacts on natural populations start with individual stress-induced sublethal responses, this literature is dominated by investigations conducted with vertebrates from temperate zones. Moreover, the sublethal effects of human-induced forest disturbance on tropical invertebrates have never been examined. To help address this knowledge gap, we examined the body fat content and relative abundance of three dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) with minimum abundance of 40 individuals within each examined treatment level. These were sampled across 34 plots in a before-after control-impact design (BACI) in a timber concession area of the Brazilian Amazon. For the first time, we present evidence of logging-induced physiological stress responses in tropical invertebrates. Selective logging increased the individual levels of fat storage and reduced the relative abundance of two dung beetle species. Given this qualitative similarity, we support the measurement of body fat content as reliable biomarker to assess stress-induced sublethal effects on dung beetles. Understanding how environmental modification impacts the wildlife has never been more important. Our novel approach provides new insights into the mechanisms through which forest disturbances impose population-level impacts on tropical invertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filipe França
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityBailriggLancasterUK
- Departamento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal de LavrasLavras‐MGBrazil
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityBailriggLancasterUK
- Departamento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal de LavrasLavras‐MGBrazil
- Museu Paraense Emilio GoeldiBelém‐PABrazil
| | - Bárbara Araújo
- Laboratório de plantas oleaginosas, óleos, gorduras e biodiesel, Departamento de AgriculturaUniversidade Federal de LavrasLavras‐MGBrazil
| | - Julio Louzada
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityBailriggLancasterUK
- Departamento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal de LavrasLavras‐MGBrazil
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Temperature-induced changes in fatty acid dynamics of the intertidal grazer Platychelipus littoralis (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida): Insights from a short-term feeding experiment. J Therm Biol 2016; 57:44-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
25
|
Sperfeld E, Raubenheimer D, Wacker A. Bridging factorial and gradient concepts of resource co-limitation: towards a general framework applied to consumers. Ecol Lett 2015; 19:201-215. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Sperfeld
- School of Biological Sciences and The Charles Perkins Centre; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- School of Biological Sciences and The Charles Perkins Centre; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Alexander Wacker
- Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology; University of Potsdam; Am Neuen Palais 10 Potsdam 14469 Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fuiman LA, Connelly TL, Lowerre-Barbieri SK, McClelland JW. Egg boons: central components of marine fatty acid food webs. Ecology 2015; 96:362-72. [PMID: 26240858 DOI: 10.1890/14-0571.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Food web relationships are traditionally defined in terms of the flow of key elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and their role in limiting production. There is growing recognition that availability of important biomolecules, such as fatty acids, may exert controls on secondary production that are not easily explained by traditional element-oriented models. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required by most organisms for proper physiological function but are manufactured almost entirely by primary producers. Therefore, the flow of EFAs, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (ARA), through aquatic food webs is critical for ecosystem functioning. A meta-analysis of data on the EFA content of marine organisms reveals that individual eggs of marine animals have exceptionally high concentrations of EFAs, and that superabundances of eggs released in temporally and spatially discrete patches create rich, but temporary, nutritional resources for egg predators, called "egg boons." Mortality rates of fish eggs are disproportionately higher than animals of similar size, and those eggs are consumed by predators, both larger and smaller than the adults that produce the eggs. Thus, egg boons are a major trophic pathway through which EFAs are repackaged and redistributed, and they are among the few pathways that run counter to the main direction of trophic flow. Egg boons can transport EFAs across ecosystems through advection of patches of eggs and spawning migrations of adults. Recognizing the significance of egg boons to aquatic food webs reveals linkages and feedbacks between organisms and environments that have important implications for understanding how food webs vary in time and space. Examples are given of top-down, bottom-up, and lateral control mechanisms that could significantly alter food webs through their effects on eggs. Our results suggest that trophodynamic food web models should include EFAs generally, and egg production and egg EFA content in particular.
Collapse
|
27
|
Galloway AWE, Winder M. Partitioning the Relative Importance of Phylogeny and Environmental Conditions on Phytoplankton Fatty Acids. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130053. [PMID: 26076015 PMCID: PMC4468072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Essential fatty acids (EFA), which are primarily generated by phytoplankton, limit growth and reproduction in diverse heterotrophs. The biochemical composition of phytoplankton is well-known to be governed both by phylogeny and environmental conditions. Nutrients, light, salinity, and temperature all affect both phytoplankton growth and fatty acid composition. However, the relative importance of taxonomy and environment on algal fatty acid content has yet to be comparatively quantified, thus inhibiting predictions of changes to phytoplankton food quality in response to global environmental change. We compiled 1145 published marine and freshwater phytoplankton fatty acid profiles, consisting of 208 species from six major taxonomic groups, cultured in a wide range of environmental conditions, and used a multivariate distance-based linear model to quantify the total variation explained by each variable. Our results show that taxonomic group accounts for 3-4 times more variation in phytoplankton fatty acids than the most important growth condition variables. The results underscore that environmental conditions clearly affect phytoplankton fatty acid profiles, but also show that conditions account for relatively low variation compared to phylogeny. This suggests that the underlying mechanism determining basal food quality in aquatic habitats is primarily phytoplankton community composition, and allows for prediction of environmental-scale EFA dynamics based on phytoplankton community data. We used the compiled dataset to calculate seasonal dynamics of long-chain EFA (LCEFA; ≥C20 ɷ-3 and ɷ-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid) concentrations and ɷ-3:ɷ-6 EFA ratios in Lake Washington using a multi-decadal phytoplankton community time series. These analyses quantify temporal dynamics of algal-derived LCEFA and food quality in a freshwater ecosystem that has undergone large community changes as a result of shifting resource management practices, highlighting diatoms, cryptophytes and dinoflagellates as key sources of LCEFA. Moreover, the analyses indicate that future shifts towards cyanobacteria-dominated communities will result in lower LCEFA content in aquatic ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron W. E. Galloway
- John Muir Institute of the Environment, Watershed Science Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Monika Winder
- John Muir Institute of the Environment, Watershed Science Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wilder SM, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ. Moving beyond body condition indices as an estimate of fitness in ecological and evolutionary studies. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M. Wilder
- School of Biological Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- Department of Integrative Biology Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - David Raubenheimer
- School of Biological Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- School of Biological Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Warne RW, Proudfoot GA, Crespi EJ. Biomarkers of animal health: integrating nutritional ecology, endocrine ecophysiology, ecoimmunology, and geospatial ecology. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:557-66. [PMID: 25691980 PMCID: PMC4328761 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse biomarkers including stable isotope, hormonal, and ecoimmunological assays are powerful tools to assess animal condition. However, an integrative approach is necessary to provide the context essential to understanding how biomarkers reveal animal health in varied ecological conditions. A barrier to such integration is a general lack of awareness of how shared extraction methods from across fields can provide material from the same animal tissues for diverse biomarker assays. In addition, the use of shared methods for extracting differing tissue fractions can also provide biomarkers for how animal health varies across time. Specifically, no study has explicitly illustrated the depth and breadth of spacial and temporal information that can be derived from coupled biomarker assessments on two easily collected tissues: blood and feathers or hair. This study used integrated measures of glucocorticoids, stable isotopes, and parasite loads in the feathers and blood of fall-migrating Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus) to illustrate the wealth of knowledge about animal health and ecology across both time and space. In feathers, we assayed deuterium (δD) isotope and corticosterone (CORT) profiles, while in blood we measured CORT and blood parasite levels. We found that while earlier migrating owls had elevated CORT levels relative to later migrating birds, there was also a disassociation between plasma and feather CORT, and blood parasite loads. These results demonstrate how these tissues integrate time periods from weeks to seasons and reflect energetic demands during differing life stages. Taken together, these findings illustrate the potential for integrating diverse biomarkers to assess interactions between environmental factors and animal health across varied time periods without the necessity of continually recapturing and tracking individuals. Combining biomarkers from diverse research fields into an integrated framework hold great promise for advancing our understanding of environmental effects on animal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin W Warne
- Department of Biology, Vassar College 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, New York, 12604
| | - Glenn A Proudfoot
- Department of Biology, Vassar College 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, New York, 12604
| | - Erica J Crespi
- Department of Biology, Vassar College 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, New York, 12604
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wagner ND, Lankadurai BP, Simpson MJ, Simpson AJ, Frost PC. Metabolomic differentiation of nutritional stress in an aquatic invertebrate. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 88:43-52. [PMID: 25590592 DOI: 10.1086/679637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Poor diet quality frequently constrains the growth and reproduction of primary consumers, altering their population dynamics, interactions in food webs, and contributions to ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling. The identification and measurement of an animal's nutritional state are thus central to studying the connections between diet and animal ecology. Here we show how the nutritional state of a freshwater invertebrate, Daphnia magna, can be determined by analyzing its endogenous metabolites using hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics. With a multivariate analysis, we observed the differentiation of the metabolite composition of animals grown under control conditions (good food and no environmental stress), raised on different diets (low quantity, nitrogen limited, and phosphorus limited), and exposed to two common environmental stressors (bacterial infection and salt stress). We identified 18 metabolites that were significantly different between control animals and at least one limiting food type or environmental stressor. The unique metabolite responses of animals caused by inadequate nutrition and environmental stress are reflective of dramatic and distinctive effects that each stressor has on animal metabolism. Our results suggest that dietary-specific induced changes in metabolite composition of animal consumers hold considerable promise as indicators of nutritional stress and will be invaluable to future studies of animal nutrition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D Wagner
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada; 2Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada; 3Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Barbieri RF, Grangier J, Lester PJ. Synergistic effects of temperature, diet and colony size on the competitive ability of two ant species. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael F. Barbieri
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
| | - Julien Grangier
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
- Laboratoire Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés; UMR CNRS 5023; Université Claude Bernard - Lyon I; Villeurbanne France
| | - Philip J. Lester
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kormas KA, Meziti A, Mente E, Frentzos A. Dietary differences are reflected on the gut prokaryotic community structure of wild and commercially reared sea bream (Sparus aurata). Microbiologyopen 2014; 3:718-28. [PMID: 25066034 PMCID: PMC4234263 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We compared the gut prokaryotic communities in wild, organically-, and conventionally reared sea bream (Sparus aurata) individuals. Gut microbial communities were identified using tag pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. There were distinct prokaryotic communities in the three different fish nutritional treatments, with the bacteria dominating over the Archaea. Most of the Bacteria belonged to the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The number of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was reduced from the wild to the conventionally reared fish, implying a response of the gut microorganisms to the supplied food and possibly alterations in food assimilation. The dominant bacterial OTU in all examined fish was closely related to the genus Diaphorobacter. This is the first time that a member of the β-Proteobacteria, which dominate in freshwaters, are so important in a marine fish gut. In total the majority of the few Archaea OTUs found, were related to methane metabolism. The inferred physiological roles of the dominant prokaryotes are related to the metabolism of carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds. This study showed the responsive feature of the sea bream gut prokaryotic communities to their diets and also the differences of the conventional in comparison to the organic and wild sea bream gut microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos A Kormas
- Department of Ichthyology & Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, 384 46 Volos, Greece
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Warne RW. The Micro and Macro of Nutrients across Biological Scales. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:864-72. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
34
|
Frost PC, Song K, Wagner ND. A beginner's guide to nutritional profiling in physiology and ecology. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:873-9. [PMID: 24876193 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nutritional history of an organism is often difficult to ascertain. Nonetheless, this information on past diet can be particularly important when explaining the role of nutrition in physiological responses and ecological dynamics. One approach to infer the past dietary history of an individual is through characterization of its nutritional phenotype, an interrelated set of molecular and physiological properties that are sensitive to dietary stress. Comparisons of nutritional phenotypes between a study organism and reference phenotypes have the potential to provide insight into the type and intensity of past dietary constraints. Here, we describe this process of nutritional profiling for ecophysiological research in which a suite of molecular and physiological responses are cataloged for animals experiencing known types and intensities of dietary stress and are quantitatively compared with those of unknown individuals. We supplement this delineation of the process of nutritional profiling with a first-order analysis of its sensitivity to the number of response variables in the reference database, their responsiveness to diet, and the size of reference populations. In doing so, we demonstrate the considerable promise this approach has to transform future studies of nutrition by its ability to provide more and better information on responses to dietary stress in animals and their populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Frost
- *Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada; Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Keunyea Song
- *Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada; Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Nicole D Wagner
- *Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada; Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lukas M, Wacker A. Daphnia's dilemma of adjusting carbon budgets when facing limitations by food quantity and the essential organic compound cholesterol. J Exp Biol 2013; 217:1079-86. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.094151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Summary
We studied the carbon metabolism in Daphnia when the amount of carbon (food quantity) and/or the content of biochemical nutrients (food quality) are limiting. Growth performances and carbon (C) budgets of Daphnia magna (assimilation, faeces egestion, excretion and respiration measured by [14C]-tracing) were analysed when animals were raised on different food quantities and concentrations of cholesterol, an essential biochemical food compound. Cholesterol is of special interest because it not only acts as limiting nutrient but also contributes to the overall carbon pool of the animals. As the tissue cholesterol concentration in Daphnia is quite low, we hypothesized the selective exclusion of cholesterol from carbon budgeting and tested this by using radiolabelled cholesterol. Somatic growth rates of D. magna were highest at high quantity and quality and were reduced to a moderate value if either the food quantity or the cholesterol concentration was low. Growth was lowest at low food quantity and quality. The measurements of C budgets revealed high regulative response to low food quality at high food quantity only. Here, low dietary cholesterol caused that bulk carbon assimilation efficiency (AE) decreased and that assimilated (excess) carbon was increasingly respired. Additionally, Daphnia enhanced efficient adjustment of C budgets when facing cholesterol limitation by (i) increasing the AE of the cholesterol itself and (ii) not changing cholesterol respiration which was still not detectable. In contrast, at low food quantity Daphnia has the dilemma to be unable to adjust for low food quality emphasizing that food quantity limitation could overrule food quality effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Lukas
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexander Wacker
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|