1
|
Koskinen JS, Abrego N, Vesterinen EJ, Schulz T, Roslin T, Nyman T. Imprints of latitude, host taxon, and decay stage on fungus‐associated arthropod communities. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janne S. Koskinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland
- Department of Agricultural Sciences University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Nerea Abrego
- Department of Agricultural Sciences University of Helsinki Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Finland
| | | | - Torsti Schulz
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Agricultural Sciences University of Helsinki Finland
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research Svanvik Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Changes in Biomass and Diversity of Soil Macrofauna along a Climatic Gradient in European Boreal Forests. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13010094. [PMID: 35055937 PMCID: PMC8779977 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary We used a 1000 km long latitudinal gradient in north-western Russia to study the potential impacts of a changing climate on soil invertebrates visible by a naked eye (insects, spiders, earthworms etc.). We extracted these animals from soil, weighed them and identified them to the species level. We found that the diversity of soil invertebrates decreased towards the north, whereas the latitudinal pattern in biomass depended on the animal’s feeding habit. The biomass of species feeding on live plant roots and fungal mycelia decreased towards the north, whereas the biomass of species feeding on dead plant tissues and live invertebrates showed no significant latitudinal changes. The discovery of this variation in latitudinal biomass patterns suggests that soil invertebrates from different feeding guilds may respond differently to climate change. As a result, the biomass ratio between consumers and their food resources (e.g., herbivores and plants, predators and prey) may change. We poorly understood how this change will affect the future structure and functions of boreal forest ecosystems. Abstract Latitudinal gradients allow insights into the factors that shape ecosystem structure and delimit ecosystem processes, particularly climate. We asked whether the biomass and diversity of soil macrofauna in boreal forests change systematically along a latitudinal gradient spanning from 60° N to 69° N. Invertebrates (3697 individuals) were extracted from 400 soil samples (20 × 20 cm, 30 cm depth) collected at ten sites in 2015–2016 and then weighed and identified. We discovered 265 species living in soil and on the soil surface; their average density was 0.486 g d·w·m−2. The species-level diversity decreased from low to high latitudes. The biomass of soil macrofauna showed no latitudinal changes in early summer but decreased towards the north in late summer. This variation among study sites was associated with the decrease in mean annual temperature by ca 5 °C and with variation in fine root biomass. The biomass of herbivores and fungivores decreased towards the north, whereas the biomass of detritivores and predators showed no significant latitudinal changes. This variation in latitudinal biomass patterns among the soil macrofauna feeding guilds suggests that these guilds may respond differently to climate change, with poorly understood consequences for ecosystem structure and functions.
Collapse
|
3
|
Smith VR, Vink CJ, Fountain ED, Cruickshank RH, Paterson AM. Niche modelling identifies low rainfall, but not soil type, as an important habitat requirement of the fossorial Australasian trapdoor spider genus
Cantuaria
(Hogg, 1902). AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cor J. Vink
- Canterbury Museum ChristchurchNew Zealand
- Department of Pest‐management and Conservation Lincoln University Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Emily D. Fountain
- Peery Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Lab Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Robert H. Cruickshank
- Department of Pest‐management and Conservation Lincoln University Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Adrian M. Paterson
- Department of Pest‐management and Conservation Lincoln University Christchurch New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Privet K, Pétillon J. Comparative patterns in taxonomic and functional spider diversities between tropical vs. temperate forests. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13165-13172. [PMID: 33304526 PMCID: PMC7713944 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
High diversity in tropical compared to temperate regions has long intrigued ecologists, especially for highly speciose taxa like terrestrial arthropods in tropical rainforests. Previous studies showed that arthropod herbivores account for much tropical diversity, yet differences in the diversity of predatory arthropods between tropical and temperate systems have not been properly quantified. Here, we present the first standardized tropical-temperate forest quantification of spider diversities, a dominant and mega-diverse taxon of generalist predators. Spider assemblages were collected using a spatially replicated protocol including two standardized sampling methods (vegetation sweep netting and beating). Fieldwork took place between 2010 and 2015 in metropolitan (Brittany) and overseas (French Guiana) French territories. We found no significant difference in functional diversity based on hunting guilds between temperate and tropical forests, while species richness was 13-82 times higher in tropical versus temperate forests. Evenness was also higher, with tropical assemblages up to 55 times more even than assemblages in temperate forests. These differences in diversity far surpass previous estimates and exceed tropical-temperate ratios for herbivorous taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaïna Privet
- G‐Tube (Géoarchitecture: territoires, urbanisation, biodiversité, environnement) ‐ EA 7462Univ RennesRennesFrance
- CNRSEcobio (Écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution) – UMR 6553Univ RennesRennesFrance
| | - Julien Pétillon
- G‐Tube (Géoarchitecture: territoires, urbanisation, biodiversité, environnement) ‐ EA 7462Univ RennesRennesFrance
- CNRSEcobio (Écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution) – UMR 6553Univ RennesRennesFrance
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mottl O, Fibich P, Klimes P, Volf M, Tropek R, Anderson-Teixeira K, Auga J, Blair T, Butterill P, Carscallen G, Gonzalez-Akre E, Goodman A, Kaman O, Lamarre GPA, Libra M, Losada ME, Manumbor M, Miller SE, Molem K, Nichols G, Plowman NS, Redmond C, Seifert CL, Vrana J, Weiblen GD, Novotny V. Spatial covariance of herbivorous and predatory guilds of forest canopy arthropods along a latitudinal gradient. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1499-1510. [PMID: 32808457 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In arthropod community ecology, species richness studies tend to be prioritised over those investigating patterns of abundance. Consequently, the biotic and abiotic drivers of arboreal arthropod abundance are still relatively poorly known. In this cross-continental study, we employ a theoretical framework in order to examine patterns of covariance among herbivorous and predatory arthropod guilds. Leaf-chewing and leaf-mining herbivores, and predatory ants and spiders, were censused on > 1000 trees in nine 0.1 ha forest plots. After controlling for tree size and season, we found no negative pairwise correlations between guild abundances per plot, suggestive of weak signals of both inter-guild competition and top-down regulation of herbivores by predators. Inter-guild interaction strengths did not vary with mean annual temperature, thus opposing the hypothesis that biotic interactions intensify towards the equator. We find evidence for the bottom-up limitation of arthropod abundances via resources and abiotic factors, rather than for competition and predation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Mottl
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Pavel Fibich
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Klimes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Volf
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, DE, Germany
| | - Robert Tropek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Kristina Anderson-Teixeira
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA.,Center for Tropical Forest Science- Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - John Auga
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Center, P.O. Box 604, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Thomas Blair
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Phil Butterill
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Grace Carscallen
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Erika Gonzalez-Akre
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Aaron Goodman
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Ondrej Kaman
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Greg P A Lamarre
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Center for Tropical Forest Science- Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Martin Libra
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Maria E Losada
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Markus Manumbor
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Center, P.O. Box 604, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Scott E Miller
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kenneth Molem
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Center, P.O. Box 604, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Geoffrey Nichols
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Nichola S Plowman
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Conor Redmond
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Carlo L Seifert
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vrana
- The Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - George D Weiblen
- Bell Museum and Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 1160/31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 1760, 370 05, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Welti EAR, Prather RM, Sanders NJ, de Beurs KM, Kaspari M. Bottom-up when it is not top-down: Predators and plants control biomass of grassland arthropods. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1286-1294. [PMID: 32115723 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigate where bottom-up and top-down control regulates ecological communities as a mechanism linking ecological gradients to the geography of consumer abundance and biomass. We use standardized surveys of 54 North American grasslands to test alternate hypotheses predicting 100-fold shifts in the biomass of four common grassland arthropod taxa-Auchenorrhyncha, sucking herbivores, Acrididae, chewing herbivores, Tettigoniidae, omnivores, and Araneae, predators. Bottom-up models predict that consumer biomass tracks plant quantity (e.g. productivity and standing biomass) and quality (nutrient content) and that ectotherm access to food increases with temperature. Each of the focal trophic groups responded differently to these drivers: the biomass of sucking herbivores and omnivores increased with plant biomass; that of chewing herbivores tracked plant quality; and predator biomass did not depend on plant quality, plant quantity or temperature. The Exploitation Ecosystem Hypothesis is a top-down hypothesis that predicts a shift from resource limitation of herbivores when plant production is low, to predator limitation when plant production is high. In grasslands where spider biomass was low, herbivore biomass increased with plant biomass, whereas bottom-up structuring was not evident when spiders were abundant. Furthermore, neither predator biomass nor trophic position (via stable isotope analysis) increased with plant biomass, suggesting predators themselves are top-down limited. Stable isotope analysis revealed that trophic position of the chewing herbivore and omnivore increased significantly with plant biomass, suggesting these groups increased scavenging and meat consumption in grasslands with higher carbohydrate availability. Taken together, our snapshot sampling documents gradients of food web structure across 54 grasslands, consistent with multiple hypotheses of bottom-up and top-down regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen A R Welti
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Rebecca M Prather
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- The Environmental Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Kirsten M de Beurs
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Michael Kaspari
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
McGeoch MA, Latombe G, Andrew NR, Nakagawa S, Nipperess DA, Roigé M, Marzinelli EM, Campbell AH, Vergés A, Thomas T, Steinberg PD, Selwood KE, Henriksen MV, Hui C. Measuring continuous compositional change using decline and decay in zeta diversity. Ecology 2019; 100:e02832. [PMID: 31323117 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Incidence, or compositional, matrices are generated for a broad range of research applications in biology. Zeta diversity provides a common currency and conceptual framework that links incidence-based metrics with multiple patterns of interest in biology, ecology, and biodiversity science. It quantifies the variation in species (or OTU) composition of multiple assemblages (or cases) in space or time, to capture the contribution of the full suite of narrow, intermediate, and wide-ranging species to biotic heterogeneity. Here we provide a conceptual framework for the application and interpretation of patterns of continuous change in compositional diversity using zeta diversity. This includes consideration of the survey design context, and the multiple ways in which zeta diversity decline and decay can be used to examine and test turnover in the identity of elements across space and time. We introduce the zeta ratio-based retention rate curve to quantify rates of compositional change. We illustrate these applications using 11 empirical data sets from a broad range of taxa, scales, and levels of biological organization-from DNA molecules and microbes to communities and interaction networks-including one of the original data sets used to express compositional change and distance decay in ecology. We show (1) how different sample selection schemes used during the calculation of compositional change are appropriate for different data types and questions, (2) how higher orders of zeta may in some cases better detect shifts and transitions, and (3) the relative roles of rare vs. common species in driving patterns of compositional change. By exploring the application of zeta diversity decline and decay, including the retention rate, across this broad range of contexts, we demonstrate its application for understanding continuous turnover in biological systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melodie A McGeoch
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Nigel R Andrew
- Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.,Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
| | - David A Nipperess
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Mariona Roigé
- National Centre for Advanced Bio-Protection Technologies, Lincoln University, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
| | - Ezequiel M Marzinelli
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, New South Wales, 2088, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Alexandra H Campbell
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, New South Wales, 2088, Australia
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, New South Wales, 2088, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter D Steinberg
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, New South Wales, 2088, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Katherine E Selwood
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Wildlife and Conservation Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Marie V Henriksen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.,African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lira AF, Salomão RP, Albuquerque CM. Pattern of scorpion diversity across a bioclimatic dry-wet gradient in Neotropical forests. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
9
|
Maia LF, Nascimento AR, Faria LDB. Four years host–parasitoid food web: testing sampling effort on trophic levels. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2018.1428042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laís F. Maia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | - André R. Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas D. B. Faria
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
- Setor de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Farji-Brener AG, Werenkraut V. The effects of ant nests on soil fertility and plant performance: a meta-analysis. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:866-877. [PMID: 28369906 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ants are recognized as one of the major sources of soil disturbance world-wide. However, this view is largely based on isolated studies and qualitative reviews. Here, for the first time, we quantitatively determined whether ant nests affect soil fertility and plant performance, and identified the possible sources of variation of these effects. Using Bayesian mixed-models meta-analysis, we tested the hypotheses that ant effects on soil fertility and plant performance depend on the substrate sampled, ant feeding type, latitude, habitat and the plant response variable measured. Ant nests showed higher nutrient and cation content than adjacent non-nest soil samples, but similar pH. Nutrient content was higher in ant refuse materials than in nest soils. The fertilizer effect of ant nests was also higher in dry habitats than in grasslands or savannas. Cation content was higher in nests of plant-feeding ants than in nests of omnivorous species, and lower in nests from agro-ecosystems than in nests from any other habitat. Plants showed higher green/root biomass and fitness on ant nests soils than in adjacent, non-nest sites; but plant density and diversity were unaffected by the presence of ant nests. Root growth was particularly higher in refuse materials than in ant nest soils, in leaf-cutting ant nests and in deserts habitats. Our results confirm the major role of ant nests in influencing soil fertility and vegetation patterns and provide information about the factors that mediate these effects. First, ant nests improve soil fertility mainly through the accumulation of refuse materials. Thus, different refuse dump locations (external or in underground nest chambers) could benefit different vegetation life-forms. Second, ant nests could increase plant diversity at larger spatial scales only if the identity of favoured plants changes along environmental gradients (i.e. enhancing β-diversity). Third, ant species that feed on plants play a relevant role fertilizing soils, which may balance their known influence as primary consumers. Fourth, the effects of ant nests as fertility islands are larger in arid lands, possibly because fertility is intrinsically lower in these habitats. Overall, this study provide novel and quantitative evidence confirming that ant nests are key soil modifiers, emphasizing their role as ecological engineers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro G Farji-Brener
- Laboratorio Ecotono, CRUB, INIBIOMA, Conicet-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutierrez 1125, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Victoria Werenkraut
- Laboratorio Ecotono, CRUB, INIBIOMA, Conicet-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutierrez 1125, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bowden JJ, Buddle CM. Determinants of ground-dwelling spider assemblages at a regional scale in the Yukon Territory, Canada. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/17-3-3308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
12
|
Hironaka Y, Koike F. Guild structure in the food web of grassland arthropod communities along an urban—rural landscape gradient. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/20-2-3575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
13
|
Crutsinger GM, Gonzalez AL, Crawford KM, Sanders NJ. Local and latitudinal variation in abundance: the mechanisms shaping the distribution of an ecosystem engineer. PeerJ 2013; 1:e100. [PMID: 23862102 PMCID: PMC3709108 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological processes that determine the abundance of species within ecological communities vary across space and time. These scale-dependent processes are especially important when they affect key members of a community, such as ecosystem engineers that create shelter and food resources for other species. Yet, few studies have examined the suite of processes that shape the abundance of ecosystem engineers. Here, we evaluated the relative influence of temporal variation, local processes, and latitude on the abundance of an engineering insect-a rosette-galling midge, Rhopalomyia solidaginis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Over a period of 3-5 years, we studied the density and size of galls across a suite of local experiments that manipulated genetic variation, soil nutrient availability, and the removal of other insects from the host plant, Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod). We also surveyed gall density within a single growing season across a 2,300 km latitudinal transect of goldenrod populations in the eastern United States. At the local scale, we found that host-plant genotypic variation was the best predictor of rosette gall density and size within a single year. We found that the removal of other insect herbivores resulted in an increase in gall density and size. The amendment of soil nutrients for four years had no effect on gall density, but galls were smaller in carbon-added plots compared to control and nitrogen additions. Finally, we observed that gall density varied several fold across years. At the biogeographic scale, we observed that the density of rosette gallers peaked at mid-latitudes. Using meta-analytic approaches, we found that the effect size of time, followed by host-plant genetic variation and latitude were the best predictors of gall density. Taken together, our study provides a unique comparison of multiple factors across different spatial and temporal scales that govern engineering insect herbivore density.
Collapse
|
14
|
Schuldt A, Assmann T, Schaefer M. Scale-dependent diversity patterns affect spider assemblages of two contrasting forest ecosystems. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
15
|
Andrew NR, Hill SJ, Binns M, Bahar MH, Ridley EV, Jung MP, Fyfe C, Yates M, Khusro M. Assessing insect responses to climate change: What are we testing for? Where should we be heading? PeerJ 2013; 1:e11. [PMID: 23638345 PMCID: PMC3628384 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand how researchers are tackling globally important issues, it is crucial to identify whether current research is comprehensive enough to make substantive predictions about general responses. We examined how research on climate change affecting insects is being assessed, what factors are being tested and the localities of studies, from 1703 papers published between 1985 and August 2012. Most published research (64%) is generated from Europe and North America and being dedicated to core data analysis, with 29% of the studies analysed dedicated to Lepidoptera and 22% Diptera: which are well above their contribution to the currently identified insect species richness (estimated at 13% and 17% respectively). Research publications on Coleoptera fall well short of their proportional contribution (19% of publications but 39% of insect species identified), and to a lesser extent so do Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera. Species specific responses to changes in temperature by assessing distribution/range shifts or changes in abundance were the most commonly used methods of assessing the impact of climate change on insects. Research on insects and climate change to date is dominated by manuscripts assessing butterflies in Europe, insects of economic and/or environmental concern in forestry, agriculture, and model organisms. The research on understanding how insects will respond to a rapidly changing climate is still in its infancy, but the current trends of publications give a good basis for how we are attempting to assess insect responses. In particular, there is a crucial need for broader studies of ecological, behavioural, physiological and life history responses to be addressed across a greater range of geographic locations, particularly Asia, Africa and Australasia, and in areas of high human population growth and habitat modification. It is still too early in our understanding of taxa responses to climate change to know if charismatic taxa, such as butterflies, or disease vectors, including Diptera, can be used as keystone taxa to generalise other insect responses to climate change. This is critical as the basic biology of most species is still poorly known, and dominant, well studied taxa may show variable responses to climate change across their distribution due to regional biotic and abiotic influences. Indeed identifying if insect responses to climate change can be generalised using phylogeny, functional traits, or functional groups, or will populations and species exhibit idiosyncratic responses, should be a key priority for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel R Andrew
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia ; School of Environmental and Rural Sciences , University of New England , Armidale , Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
de Sassi C, Tylianakis JM. Climate change disproportionately increases herbivore over plant or parasitoid biomass. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40557. [PMID: 22815763 PMCID: PMC3399892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
All living organisms are linked through trophic relationships with resources and consumers, the balance of which determines overall ecosystem stability and functioning. Ecological research has identified a multitude of mechanisms that contribute to this balance, but ecologists are now challenged with predicting responses to global environmental changes. Despite a wealth of studies highlighting likely outcomes for specific mechanisms and subsets of a system (e.g., plants, plant-herbivore or predator-prey interactions), studies comparing overall effects of changes at multiple trophic levels are rare. We used a combination of experiments in a grassland system to test how biomass at the plant, herbivore and natural enemy (parasitoid) levels responds to the interactive effects of two key global change drivers: warming and nitrogen deposition. We found that higher temperatures and elevated nitrogen generated a multitrophic community that was increasingly dominated by herbivores. Moreover, we found synergistic effects of the drivers on biomass, which differed across trophic levels. Both absolute and relative biomass of herbivores increased disproportionately to that of plants and, in particular, parasitoids, which did not show any significant response to the treatments. Reduced parasitism rates mirrored the profound biomass changes in the system. These findings carry important implications for the response of biota to environmental changes; reduced top-down regulation is likely to coincide with an increase in herbivory, which in turn is likely to cascade to other fundamental ecosystem processes. Our findings also provide multitrophic data to support the general concern of increasing herbivore pest outbreaks in a warmer world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio de Sassi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Levin K, Petersen B. Tradeoffs in the Policy Process in Advancing Climate Change Adaptation: The Case of Australia's Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/19390459.2011.557879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
18
|
Nally RM, De Vries L, Thomson JR. Are Replanted Floodplain Forests in Southeastern Australia Providing Bird Biodiversity Benefits? Restor Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2008.00430.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
19
|
WHITEHOUSE MARYEA, HARDWICK SCOTT, SCHOLZ BRADCG, ANNELLS AMANDAJ, WARD ANDREW, GRUNDY PAULR, HARDEN STEVEN. Evidence of a latitudinal gradient in spider diversity in Australian cotton. AUSTRAL ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01874.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
20
|
Riedel R, Marinoni R, Martins-Op N. Spatio-Temporal Trends of Insect Communities in Southern Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.3923/je.2008.369.380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
21
|
ANDREW NIGELR, HUGHES LESLEY. Abundance–body mass relationships among insects along a latitudinal gradient. AUSTRAL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2007.01804.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|