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Balik JA, Greig HS, Taylor BW, Wissinger SA. Consequences of climate-induced range expansions on multiple ecosystem functions. Commun Biol 2023; 6:390. [PMID: 37037978 PMCID: PMC10085988 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate-driven species range shifts and expansions are changing community composition, yet the functional consequences in natural systems are mostly unknown. By combining a 30-year survey of subalpine pond larval caddisfly assemblages with species-specific functional traits (nitrogen and phosphorus excretion, and detritus processing rates), we tested how three upslope range expansions affected species' relative contributions to caddisfly-driven nutrient supply and detritus processing. A subdominant resident species (Ag. deflata) consistently made large relative contributions to caddisfly-driven nitrogen supply throughout all range expansions, thus "regulating" the caddisfly-driven nitrogen supply. Whereas, phosphorus supply and detritus processing were regulated by the dominant resident species (L. externus) until the third range expansion (by N. hostilis). Since the third range expansion, N. hostilis's relative contribution to caddisfly-driven phosphorus supply increased, displacing L. externus's role in regulating caddisfly-driven phosphorus supply. Meanwhile, detritus processing contributions became similar among the dominant resident, subdominant residents, and range expanding species. Total ecosystem process rates did not change throughout any of the range expansions. Thus, shifts in species' relative functional roles may occur before shifts in total ecosystem process rates, and changes in species' functional roles may stabilize processes in ecosystems undergoing change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared A Balik
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA.
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, 16335, USA.
| | - Hamish S Greig
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Brad W Taylor
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, 16335, USA
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2
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Rantala HM, Branstrator DK, Hirsch JK, Jones TS, Montz G. Simultaneous invasion decouples zebra mussels and water clarity. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1405. [PMID: 36550286 PMCID: PMC9780222 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04355-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Species invasions are a leading threat to ecosystems globally, but our understanding of interactions among multiple invasive species and their outcomes on ecosystem properties is undeveloped despite their significance to conservation and management. Here we studied a large lake in Minnesota, USA, that experienced a simultaneous surge in invasive zebra mussel and spiny water flea populations. A long-term (2000-2018) dataset offered a rare opportunity to assess whole-ecosystem shifts following the co-invasion. Within two years, the native crustacean zooplankton community declined abruptly in density and productivity (-93% and -91%, respectively). Summer phytoplankton abundance and water clarity remained stable across the time series, an unexpected outcome given the high density of zebra mussels in the lake. Observational data and modeling indicate that removal of native herbivorous zooplankton by the predatory spiny water flea reduced zooplankton grazing pressure enough to compensate new grazing losses due to zebra mussels, resulting in a zero net effect on phytoplankton abundance and water clarity despite a wholesale shift in secondary production from the pelagic to the benthic food web. This study reveals the extent of direct and indirect effects of two aquatic invaders on food-web processes that cancel shifts in water clarity, a highly valued ecosystem service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M. Rantala
- grid.448381.20000 0004 0628 1499Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Donn K. Branstrator
- grid.266744.50000 0000 9540 9781Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN USA
| | - Jodene K. Hirsch
- grid.448381.20000 0004 0628 1499Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Thomas S. Jones
- grid.448381.20000 0004 0628 1499Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Gary Montz
- grid.448381.20000 0004 0628 1499Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN USA
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3
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Species-specific traits predict whole-assemblage detritus processing by pond invertebrates. Oecologia 2022; 199:951-963. [PMID: 35980489 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Functional trait diversity determines if ecosystem processes are sensitive to shifts in species abundances or composition. For example, trait variation suggests detritivores process detritus at different rates and make different contributions to whole-assemblage processing, which could be sensitive to compositional shifts. Here, we used a series of microcosm experiments to quantify species-specific coarse and fine particulate organic matter (CPOM and FPOM) processing for ten larval caddisfly species and three non-caddisfly species in high-elevation wetlands. We then compared trait-based models including life history, dietary, and extrinsic traits to determine which traits explained interspecific variation in detritus processing. Finally, we compared processing by mixed caddisfly assemblages in microcosms and natural ponds to additive predictions based on species-specific processing to determine if single-species effects are additive in multi-species assemblages. We found considerable interspecific variation in biomass-specific CPOM (13-fold differences) and FPOM (8-fold differences) processing. Furthermore, on a mass-specific basis, amphipods, chironomids, and caddisflies processed similar amounts of detritus, suggesting non-shredder taxa could process more than previously recognized. Trait models including dietary percent detritus, development rate, body size, and wetland hydroperiod explained 81 and 57% of interspecific variation in CPOM and FPOM processing, respectively. Finally, species-specific additive predictions were strikingly similar to mixed-assemblage processing in microcosms and natural ponds, with the largest difference being a 15% overestimate. Thus, additivity of species-specific processing suggests single-species rates may be useful for understanding functional consequences of shifting assemblages, and a trait-based approach to predicting species-specific processing could support generating additive predictions of whole-assemblage processing.
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4
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Rennick M, DiFiore BP, Curtis J, Reed DC, Stier AC. Detrital supply suppresses deforestation to maintain healthy kelp forest ecosystems. Ecology 2022; 103:e3673. [PMID: 35233769 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Herbivores can reach extraordinary abundances in many ecosystems. When herbivore abundance is high, heavy grazing can severely defoliate primary producers and, in some cases, even drive ecosystem to undergo regime shifts from a high productivity state to a denuded, low productivity state. While the phenomenon of herbivore-driven regime shifts is well documented, we only partially understand the mechanisms underlying these events. Here, we combine herbivory experiments with 21 years of long-term monitoring data of kelp forest ecosystems to test the hypothesis that herbivores drive regime shifts when herbivory exceeds primary production. To test this hypothesis, we quantified how the foraging habits of an important group of marine herbivores-sea urchins-change with increases in sea urchin biomass and trigger regime shifts to a foundation species, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). Using experiments, we quantified how the grazing capacity of urchins increases as urchin biomass increases, then we combined these estimates of urchin grazing capacity with estimates of kelp production to predict when and where urchin grazing capacity exceeded kelp production. When grazing capacity exceeded kelp production, sea urchins caused a 50-fold reduction in giant kelp biomass. Our findings support the hypothesis that the balance between herbivory and production underlies herbivore-driven regime shifts in Southern California kelp forests and provides insight into when and where urchins are likely to force regime shifts in kelp forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mae Rennick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Bartholomew P DiFiore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Joseph Curtis
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Daniel C Reed
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Adrian C Stier
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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5
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McIntosh AR, Greig HS, Howard S. Regulation of open populations of a stream insect through larval density-dependence. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1582-1595. [PMID: 35362147 PMCID: PMC9541859 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13696] [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: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In organisms with complex life cycles, the various stages occupy different habitats creating demographically open populations. The dynamics of these populations will depend on the occurrence and timing of stochastic influences relative to demographic density dependence, but understanding of these fundamentals, especially in the face of climate warming, has been hampered by the difficulty of empirical studies. Using a logically feasible organism, we conducted a replicated density‐perturbation experiment to manipulate late‐instar larvae of nine populations of a stream caddisfly, Zelandopsyche ingens, and measured the resulting abundance over 2 years covering the complete life cycle of one cohort to evaluate influences on dynamics. Negative density feedback occurred in the larval stage, and was sufficiently strong to counteract variation in abundance due to manipulation of larval density, adult caddis dispersal in the terrestrial environment as well as downstream drift of newly hatched and older larvae in the current. This supports theory indicating regulation of open populations must involve density dependence in local populations sufficient to offset variability associated with dispersal, especially during recruitment, and pinpoints the occurrence to late in the larval life cycle and driven by food resource abundance. There were large variations in adult, egg mass and early instar abundance that were not related to abundance in the previous stage, or the manipulation, pointing to large stochastic influences. Thus, the results also highlight the complementary nature of stochastic and deterministic influences on open populations. Such density dependence will enhance population persistence in situations where variable dispersal and transitioning between life stages frequently creates mismatches between abundance and the local availability of resources, such as might become more common with climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus R McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Hamish S Greig
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.,Present address: School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, ME, USA
| | - Simon Howard
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
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6
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Shepard ID, Wissinger SA, Wood ZT, Greig HS. Predators balance consequences of climate-change-induced habitat shifts for range-shifting and resident species. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:334-344. [PMID: 34743321 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13631] [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: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While many species distributions are shifting poleward or up in elevation in response to a changing climate, others are shifting their habitats along localized gradients in environmental conditions as abiotic conditions become more stressful. Whether species are moving across regional or local environmental gradients in response to climate change, range-shifting species become embedded in established communities of competitors and predators. The consequences of these shifts for both resident and shifting species are often unknown, as it can be difficult to isolate the effects of multiple species interactions. Using a model system of insects in high-elevation ponds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, we sought to disentangle the effects of predation and intraguild interactions on the survival and development of a semi-permanent pond resident caddisfly Limnephilus externus and the habitat-shifting caddis Asynarchus nigriculus that is being forced into semi-permanent ponds as temporary ponds dry too quickly to complete development. We conducted a manipulative in-situ pond cage experiment in which L. externus and A. nigriculus caddisfly larvae in single-species treatments and together were exposed to the presence/absence of predatory Dytiscus diving beetle larvae. This approach allowed us to isolate the effects of intraguild interactions and predation on the survival and development of both the resident and habitat-shifting species. We found that intraguild interactions had strong negative effects on the resident and habitat-shifting species. Intraguild interactions reduced the survival of the resident L. externus and increased the variation in survival of the shifting A. nigriculus. However, Dytiscus predators reduced these negative effects, stabilizing the community by increasing L. externus survival and reducing variation in A. nigriculus survival. We also found that intraguild interactions reduced L. externus biomass but resulted in increased A. nigriculus development. A. nigriculus development was also increased by predation. Our results show that strong intraguild interactions between resident and shifting species are likely to have negative consequences for both species. However, the presence of predators reduces these negative consequences of the habitat shift on both the resident and the shifting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac D Shepard
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Biology and Environmental Sciences Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA
| | - Zachary T Wood
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Hamish S Greig
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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7
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Emery KA, Dugan JE, Bailey RA, Miller RJ. Species identity drives ecosystem function in a subsidy-dependent coastal ecosystem. Oecologia 2021; 196:1195-1206. [PMID: 34324077 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05002-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Declines in species diversity carry profound implications for ecosystem functioning. Communities of primary producers and consumers interact on evolutionary as well as ecological time scales, shaping complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In subsidized ecosystems, resource inputs are independent of consumer actions, offering a simplified view of the relationship between species diversity and function for higher trophic levels. With food webs supported by substantial but variable inputs of detritus from adjacent marine ecosystems, sandy beaches are classic examples of subsidized ecosystems. We investigated effects of consumer species diversity and identity on a key ecological function, consumption of kelp wrack from nearshore giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests. We assessed effects of species richness on kelp consumption by experimentally manipulating richness of six common species of invertebrate detritivores in laboratory mesocosms and conducting field assays of kelp consumption on beaches. Consumer richness had no effect on kelp consumption in the field and a slight negative effect in laboratory experiments. Kelp consumption was most strongly affected by the species composition of the detritivore community. Species identity and body size of intertidal detritivores drove variation in kelp consumption rates in both experiments and field assays. Our results provide further evidence that species traits, rather than richness per se, influence ecosystem function most, particularly in detrital-based food webs with high functional redundancy across species. On sandy beaches, where biodiversity is threatened by rising sea levels and expanding development, our findings suggest that loss of large-bodied consumer species could disproportionally impact ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Emery
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Jenifer E Dugan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - R A Bailey
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, Fife, UK
| | - Robert J Miller
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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8
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Affiliation(s)
- André Frainer
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Fram Centre Tromsø Norway
| | - Brendan G. McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
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9
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Shepard ID, Wissinger SA, Greig HS. Elevation alters outcome of competition between resident and range-shifting species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:270-281. [PMID: 33064868 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species' geographic range shifts toward higher latitudes and elevations are among the most frequently reported consequences of climate change. However, the role of species interactions in setting range margins remains poorly understood. We used cage experiments in ponds to test competing hypotheses about the role of abiotic and biotic mechanisms for structuring range boundaries of an upslope range-shifting caddisfly Limnephilus picturatus. We found that competition with a ubiquitous species Limnephilus externus significantly decreased L. picturatus survival and emergence at subalpine elevations supporting the notion that species interactions play a critical role in determining upslope range limits. However, without competitors, L. picturatus survival was greater at high-elevation than low-elevation sites. This was contrary to decreases in body mass (a proxy for fecundity) with elevation regardless of the presence of competitors. We ultimately show that species interactions can be important for setting upslope range margins. Yet, our results also highlight the complications in defining what may be abiotically stressful for this species and the importance of considering multiple demographic variables. Understanding how species ranges will respond in a changing climate will require quantifying species interactions and how they are influenced by the abiotic context in which they play out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac D Shepard
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
- Biology and Environmental Science Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA
| | - Hamish S Greig
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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10
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Little CJ, Fronhofer EA, Altermatt F. Nonlinear Effects of Intraspecific Competition Alter Landscape-Wide Scaling Up of Ecosystem Function. Am Nat 2020; 195:432-444. [DOI: 10.1086/707018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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11
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Yan J, Cui B, Huang H, O'Flynn S, Bai J, Ysebaert T. Functional consumers regulate the effect of availability of subsidy on trophic cascades in the Yellow River Delta, China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 140:157-164. [PMID: 30803629 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.045] [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: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the environmental context where heterogeneous ecological processes affect biotic interactions is a key aim of ecological research. However, mechanisms underlying spatial variation in trophic interactions linked to resource availability across ecosystem gradients remains unclear. We experimentally manipulated the interactive effects of predator fish and quantitative gradient of leaf detritus on macroinvertebrates and benthic algae. We found that non-linear changes in the strength of trophic cascades were strongly linked to the retention rates of experimental leaf detritus and also determined by predatory consumers. Retention rate of leaf detritus influenced the recruitment of predatory invertebrates and foraging preference of predators, accounting for largely the variations in shift of strengthening and weakening trophic cascades. Our results highlight the importance to identify joint processes of recruitment and foraging responses of functional consumer in understanding the impacts of both anthropogenic and natural alterations in subsidy on trophic interaction of coastal food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaguo Yan
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands
| | - Baoshan Cui
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Honghui Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Sarah O'Flynn
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands
| | - Junhong Bai
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Tom Ysebaert
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands
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12
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Balik JA, Taylor BW, Washko SE, Wissinger SA. High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jared A. Balik
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
| | - Brad W. Taylor
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
| | - Susan E. Washko
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
- Department of Watershed Sciences Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
| | - Scott A. Wissinger
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
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13
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Limberger R, Birtel J, Farias DDS, Matthews B. Ecosystem flux and biotic modification as drivers of metaecosystem dynamics. Ecology 2017; 98:1082-1092. [PMID: 28112404 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Revised: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The fluxes of energy, matter, and organisms are important structuring forces of metaecosystems. Such ecosystem fluxes likely interact with environmental heterogeneity and differentially affect the diversity of multiple communities. In an aquatic mesocosm experiment, we tested how ecosystem flux and patch heterogeneity affected the diversity of bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton metacommunities, and the structure and functioning of metaecosystems. We built metaecosystems consisting of three mesocosms that were either connected by flux of living organisms, organic material, and nutrients (alive ecosystem flux) or only by flux of organic material and nutrients (dead ecosystem flux). The three patches of each metaecosystem were either homogeneous or heterogeneous in nutrient loading. We found that the three groups of organisms responded differently to our treatments: flux of living organisms increased bacterial diversity irrespective of nutrient heterogeneity, while flux effects on phytoplankton diversity depended on nutrient heterogeneity, potentially indicating source-sink effects. Although zooplankton diversity was largely unaffected by our manipulations, subtle changes of community composition in response to ecosystem flux had strong effects on lower trophic levels, highlighting the importance of indirect flux effects via alterations in trophic interactions. Furthermore, differential effects of communities on the mean and spatial variability of local abiotic environments influenced the development of metaecosystem heterogeneity through time. Despite identical nutrient loading at the scale of the metaecosystem, abiotic conditions diverged between homogeneous and heterogeneous metaecosystems. For example, concentrations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were higher in homogeneous than heterogeneous metaecosystems, possibly because of differential responses of the algal community to local environmental conditions. Similarly, we found that flux effects on organisms translated into effects on DOC concentrations at the patch level, suggesting that flux-mediated changes in abundances of species can alter abiotic conditions. Our study shows that the dynamics of biotic and abiotic compartments of spatially structured ecosystems are intricately linked, highlighting the importance of integrating metacommunity and metaecosystem perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Limberger
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Kastanienbaum, 6047 Switzerland
| | - Julia Birtel
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Kastanienbaum, 6047 Switzerland
| | - Daniel D S Farias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biodiversidade Neotropical), Universidade Federal do Estado Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-240 Brazil
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Kastanienbaum, 6047 Switzerland
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14
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Collins SM, Thomas SA, Heatherly T, MacNeill KL, Leduc AOHC, López-Sepulcre A, Lamphere BA, El-Sabaawi RW, Reznick DN, Pringle CM, Flecker AS. Fish introductions and light modulate food web fluxes in tropical streams: a whole-ecosystem experimental approach. Ecology 2016; 97:3154-3166. [PMID: 27870030 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Decades of ecological study have demonstrated the importance of top-down and bottom-up controls on food webs, yet few studies within this context have quantified the magnitude of energy and material fluxes at the whole-ecosystem scale. We examined top-down and bottom-up effects on food web fluxes using a field experiment that manipulated the presence of a consumer, the Trinidadian guppy Poecilia reticulata, and the production of basal resources by thinning the riparian forest canopy to increase incident light. To gauge the effects of these reach-scale manipulations on food web fluxes, we used a nitrogen (15 N) stable isotope tracer to compare basal resource treatments (thinned canopy vs. control) and consumer treatments (guppy introduction vs. control). The thinned canopy stream had higher primary production than the natural canopy control, leading to increased N fluxes to invertebrates that feed on benthic biofilms (grazers), fine benthic organic matter (collector-gatherers), and organic particles suspended in the water column (filter feeders). Stream reaches with guppies also had higher primary productivity and higher N fluxes to grazers and filter feeders. In contrast, N fluxes to collector-gatherers were reduced in guppy introduction reaches relative to upstream controls. N fluxes to leaf-shredding invertebrates, predatory invertebrates, and the other fish species present (Hart's killifish, Anablepsoides hartii) did not differ across light or guppy treatments, suggesting that effects on detritus-based linkages and upper trophic levels were not as strong. Effect sizes of guppy and canopy treatments on N flux rates were similar for most taxa, though guppy effects were the strongest for filter feeding invertebrates while canopy effects were the strongest for collector-gatherer invertebrates. Combined, these results extend previous knowledge about top-down and bottom-up controls on ecosystems by providing experimental, reach-scale evidence that both pathways can act simultaneously and have equally strong influence on nutrient fluxes from inorganic pools through primary consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Collins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 13 Natural Resources, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - Steven A Thomas
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hardin Hall Room 403, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583, USA
| | - Thomas Heatherly
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hardin Hall Room 403, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583, USA.,Department of Ecology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, 524 Rua São Francisco Xavier, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Keeley L MacNeill
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Antoine O H C Leduc
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Ondina Campus, Rua Barão de Geremoabo, 147, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-290, Brazil
| | - Andrés López-Sepulcre
- CNRS UMR 7618, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Paris (iEES), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 Quai Saint Bernard, Paris, 75252, France.,Deptartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - Bradley A Lamphere
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23187, USA
| | - Rana W El-Sabaawi
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - David N Reznick
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, 209 University Laboratory Building, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | | | - Alexander S Flecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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15
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Holgerson MA, Post DM, Skelly DK. Reconciling the role of terrestrial leaves in pond food webs: a whole‐ecosystem experiment. Ecology 2016; 97:1771-1782. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1848.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A. Holgerson
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 370 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
| | - David M. Post
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
| | - David K. Skelly
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 370 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
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16
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Sugiura S, Masuya H. Keratin subsidies promote feather decomposition via an increase in keratin-consuming arthropods and microorganisms in bird breeding colonies. Naturwissenschaften 2015; 102:25. [PMID: 25903424 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-015-1275-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Resource subsidies are well known to increase population densities of consumers. The decomposition process of these subsidised resources can be influenced by increasing consumer abundance. However, few studies have assessed whether resource subsidies can promote resource decomposition via a population increase in consumers. Here, we examined the effects of keratin subsidies on feather decomposition in egret and heron breeding colonies. Egrets and herons (Ardeidae) frequently breed in inland forests and provide large amounts of keratin materials to the forest floor in the form of feathers of chicks (that die). We compared the decrease in the weights of egret and heron feathers (experimentally placed on the forest floor) over a 12-month period among egret/heron breeding colonies (five sites) and areas outside of colonies (five sites) in central Japan. Of the feathers placed experimentally on forest floors, 92-97 % and 99-100 % in colonies and 47-50 % and 71-90 % in non-colony areas were decomposed after 4 and 12 months, respectively. Then, decomposition rates of feathers were faster in colonies than in areas outside of colonies, suggesting that keratin subsidies can promote feather decomposition in colonies. Field observations and laboratory experiments indicated that keratin-feeding arthropods and keratinophilic fungi played important roles in feather decomposition. Therefore, scavenging arthropods and keratinophilic fungi, which dramatically increased in egret and heron breeding colonies, could accelerate the decomposition of feathers supplied to the forest floor of colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Sugiura
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan,
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17
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Atkins RL, Griffin JN, Angelini C, O'Connor MI, Silliman BR. Consumer-plant interaction strength: importance of body size, density and metabolic biomass. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Atkins
- Dept of Biology; 220 Bartram Hall PO Box 118525, Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - John N. Griffin
- Dept of Biology; 220 Bartram Hall PO Box 118525, Gainesville FL 32611 USA
- Dept of Biosciences; Swansea Univ., Singleton Park; Swansea SA2 8PP UK
| | - Christine Angelini
- Dept of Environmental Engineering Sciences; Univ. of Florida; PO Box 116580, Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Dept of Zoology; Univ. of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Brian R. Silliman
- Dept of Biology; 220 Bartram Hall PO Box 118525, Gainesville FL 32611 USA
- Duke Univ. Marine Lab; 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd. Beaufort NC 28516-9721 USA
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18
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Shifts in the Diversity and Composition of Consumer Traits Constrain the Effects of Land Use on Stream Ecosystem Functioning. ADV ECOL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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19
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CHATTERJEE ANAL, PAL SAMARES. COEXISTENCE OF PLANKTON MODEL WITH ESSENTIAL MULTIPLE NUTRIENT IN CHEMOSTAT. INT J BIOMATH 2013. [DOI: 10.1142/s1793524513500423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We consider a phytoplankton–zooplankton interaction model which depends on two complementary nutrients. For a realistic representation in chemostat plankton ecosystem, we have incorporated various natural phenomena such as dissolved limiting nutrients with nutrient uptake functions and yield constants. For the model with two different constant nutrient inputs with same constant washout rate, existence and stability of non-negative equilibria as well as persistence are given. We analyze the behavior of solution of model in order to answer the biological question and seek to determine the limiting behavior of the surviving organisms and the nutrients. It is observed that the constant nutrient inputs of two complementary nutrients play an important role to change steady state behavior of the system. Further it is observed that if the dilution rate of chemostat crosses certain critical value, the system enters into Hopf-bifurcation. Finally, we have derived the explicit algorithm which determines the direction of Hopf-bifurcation. Computer simulations have been carried out to illustrate different analytical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- ANAL CHATTERJEE
- Department of Mathematics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, India
| | - SAMARES PAL
- Department of Mathematics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, India
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20
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Abstract
The magnitude and direction of biological effects of environmental disturbances can vary considerably, especially among studies that use presence/absence manipulations. Because nonlinearities (e.g., humped relationships) are common in biological systems, this heterogeneity in effects may arise if systems are similar in their responses but specific studies use few (e.g., two) levels, or a narrow range, of a factor. To test whether nonlinearity can explain heterogeneous responses to a common environmental disturbance, I examined the effect of nutrient enrichment on coral growth, which has been previously shown using simple (e.g., two-level) manipulations to yield positive, negative, or neutral responses. I subjected corals (Porites) to a nutrient gradient in situ for 28 days. Coral growth rate increased (2.4-fold) then decreased (2.7-fold) with enrichment, returning to near-ambient values at the highest nutrient levels. This unimodal response could explain disparities among past findings and provides a compelling case for using regression designs to understand heterogeneity within ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Gil
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-8525, USA.
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21
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Frainer A, McKie BG, Malmqvist B. When does diversity matter? Species functional diversity and ecosystem functioning across habitats and seasons in a field experiment. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:460-9. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Frainer
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
| | - Brendan G. McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala SE 750 07 Sweden
| | - Björn Malmqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
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22
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Klemmer AJ, Richardson JS. Quantitative gradient of subsidies reveals a threshold in community-level trophic cascades. Ecology 2013; 94:1920-6. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1444.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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23
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Gessner MO, Hines J. Stress as a modifier of biodiversity effects on ecosystem processes? J Anim Ecol 2013; 81:1143-1145. [PMID: 23106912 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Does stress, defined as a reduction in growth by external constraints, modify biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning? That is, are diversity effects stronger under stressful, as opposed to favourable conditions? The study by Fugère et al. (2012) in this issue borrows the stress-gradient hypothesis from plant ecology to explore this issue in an aquatic detritus-detritivore system. Although they find weak support for their hypothesis, the study opens the door for future experimental and theoretical investigations into the role of stress in modifying the relationship between the diversity of animal communities and ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark O Gessner
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775, Stechlin, Germany.,Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jes Hines
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775, Stechlin, Germany
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