1
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Gross CP, Stachowicz JJ. Extending trait dispersion across trophic levels: Predator assemblages act as top-down filters on prey communities. Ecology 2024; 105:e4320. [PMID: 38768562 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Studies of community assembly typically focus on the effects of abiotic environmental filters and stabilizing competition on functional trait dispersion within single trophic levels. Predation is a well-known driver of community diversity and composition, yet the role of functionally diverse predator communities in filtering prey community traits has received less attention. We examined functionally diverse communities of predators (fishes) and prey (epifaunal crustaceans) in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds in two northern California estuaries to evaluate the filtering effects of predator traits on community assembly and how filters acting on predators influence their ability to mediate prey community assembly. Fish traits related to bottom orientation were correlated with more clustered epifauna communities, and epifauna were generally overdispersed while fishes were clustered, suggesting prey may be pushed to disparate areas of trait space to avoid capture by benthic sit-and-wait predators. We also found correlations between the trait dispersions of predator and prey communities that strengthened after accounting for the effects of habitat filters on predator dispersion, suggesting that habitat filtering effects on predator species pools may hinder their ability to affect prey community assembly. Our results present compelling observational evidence that specific predator traits have measurable impacts on the community assembly of prey, inviting experimental tests of predator trait means on community assembly and explicit comparisons of how the relative effects of habitat filters and intraguild competition on predators impact their ability to affect prey community assembly. Integrating our understanding of traits at multiple trophic levels can help us better predict the impacts of community composition on food web dynamics as regional species pools shift with climate change and anthropogenic introductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - John J Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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2
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Cereghetti E, Altermatt F. Spatiotemporal dynamics in freshwater amphipod assemblages are associated with surrounding terrestrial land use type. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Cereghetti
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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3
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Gross CP, Duffy JE, Hovel KA, Kardish MR, Reynolds PL, Boström C, Boyer KE, Cusson M, Eklöf J, Engelen AH, Eriksson BK, Fodrie FJ, Griffin JN, Hereu CM, Hori M, Hughes AR, Ivanov MV, Jorgensen P, Kruschel C, Lee KS, Lefcheck J, McGlathery K, Moksnes PO, Nakaoka M, O'Connor MI, O'Connor NE, Olsen JL, Orth RJ, Peterson BJ, Reiss H, Rossi F, Ruesink J, Sotka EE, Thormar J, Tomas F, Unsworth R, Voigt EP, Whalen MA, Ziegler SL, Stachowicz JJ. The biogeography of community assembly: latitude and predation drive variation in community trait distribution in a guild of epifaunal crustaceans. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211762. [PMID: 35193403 PMCID: PMC8864368 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While considerable evidence exists of biogeographic patterns in the intensity of species interactions, the influence of these patterns on variation in community structure is less clear. Studying how the distributions of traits in communities vary along global gradients can inform how variation in interactions and other factors contribute to the process of community assembly. Using a model selection approach on measures of trait dispersion in crustaceans associated with eelgrass (Zostera marina) spanning 30° of latitude in two oceans, we found that dispersion strongly increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude. Ocean and epiphyte load appeared as secondary predictors; Pacific communities were more overdispersed while Atlantic communities were more clustered, and increasing epiphytes were associated with increased clustering. By examining how species interactions and environmental filters influence community structure across biogeographic regions, we demonstrate how both latitudinal variation in species interactions and historical contingency shape these responses. Community trait distributions have implications for ecosystem stability and functioning, and integrating large-scale observations of environmental filters, species interactions and traits can help us predict how communities may respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P. Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Kevin A. Hovel
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Melissa R. Kardish
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pamela L. Reynolds
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christoffer Boström
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Sciences fondamentales and Québec Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johan Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC, USA
| | | | - Clara M. Hereu
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja CA, Mexico
| | - Masakazu Hori
- Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - A. Randall Hughes
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
| | - Mikhail V. Ivanov
- Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pablo Jorgensen
- Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Argentina
| | | | - Kun-Seop Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jonathan Lefcheck
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Karen McGlathery
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Per-Olav Moksnes
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden
| | | | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nessa E. O'Connor
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Robert J. Orth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA
| | - Bradley J. Peterson
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Francesca Rossi
- Centre National de la Récherche Scientifique, ECOSEAS Laboratory, Université de Cote d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Jennifer Ruesink
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Erik E. Sotka
- Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Fiona Tomas
- IMEDEAS (CSIC), Esporles, Islas Baleares, Spain
| | | | - Erin P. Voigt
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Whalen
- Hakai Institute, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - John J. Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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4
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DuBois K, Williams SL, Stachowicz JJ. Previous exposure mediates the response of eelgrass to future warming via clonal transgenerational plasticity. Ecology 2020; 101:e03169. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine DuBois
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California One Shields Avenue Davis California95616USA
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis Bodega Bay California94923USA
| | - Susan L. Williams
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California One Shields Avenue Davis California95616USA
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis Bodega Bay California94923USA
| | - John J. Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California One Shields Avenue Davis California95616USA
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis Bodega Bay California94923USA
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5
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Best RJ. The evolution of community assembly in marine foundation species. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13659] [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)
- Rebecca J. Best
- School of Earth & Sustainability Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
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6
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The Ecological Importance of Amphipod–Parasite Associations for Aquatic Ecosystems. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12092429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Amphipods are a key component of aquatic ecosystems due to their distribution, abundance and ecological role. They also serve as hosts for many micro- and macro-parasites. The importance of parasites and the necessity to include them in ecological studies has been increasingly recognized in the last two decades by ecologists and conservation biologists. Parasites are able to alter survival, growth, feeding, mobility, mating, fecundity and stressors’ response of their amphipod hosts. In addition to their modulating effects on host population size and dynamics, parasites affect community structure and food webs in different ways: by increasing the susceptibility of amphipods to predation, by quantitatively and qualitatively changing the host diet, and by modifying competitive interactions. Human-induced stressors such as climate change, pollution and species introduction that affect host–parasite equilibrium, may enhance or reduce the infection effects on hosts and ecosystems. The present review illustrates the importance of parasites for ecosystem processes using examples from aquatic environments and amphipods as a host group. As seen from the literature, amphipod–parasite systems are likely a key component of ecological processes, but more quantitative data from natural populations and field evidence are necessary to support the results obtained by experimental research.
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7
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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
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8
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Copilaş-Ciocianu D, Borko Š, Fišer C. The late blooming amphipods: Global change promoted post-Jurassic ecological radiation despite Palaeozoic origin. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 143:106664. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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9
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Bojko J, Ovcharenko M. Pathogens and other symbionts of the Amphipoda: taxonomic diversity and pathological significance. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 136:3-36. [PMID: 31575832 DOI: 10.3354/dao03321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
With over 10000 species of Amphipoda currently described, this order is one of the most diverse groups of freshwater and marine Crustacea. Members of this group are globally distributed, and many are keystone species and ecosystem engineers within their respective ecologies. As with most organisms, disease is a key factor that can alter population size, behaviour, survival, invasion potential and physiology of amphipod hosts. This review explores symbiont diversity and pathology in amphipods by coalescing a range of current and historical literature to provide the first full review of our understanding of amphipod disease. The review is broken into 2 parts. The first half explores amphipod microparasites, which include data pertaining to viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, microsporidians, dinoflagellates, myxozoans, ascetosporeans, mesomycetozoeans, apicomplexans and ciliophorans. The second half reports the metazoan macroparasites of Amphipoda, including rotifers, trematodes, acanthocephalans, nematodes, cestodes and parasitic Crustacea. In all cases we have endeavoured to provide a complete list of known species that cause disease in amphipods, while also exploring the effects of parasitism. Although our understanding of disease in amphipods requires greater research efforts to better define taxonomic diversity and host effects of amphipod symbionts, research to date has made huge progress in cataloguing and experimentally determining the effects of disease upon amphipods. For the future, we suggest a greater focus on developing model systems that use readily available amphipods and diseases, which can be comparable to the diseases in other Crustacea that are endangered, economically important or difficult to house.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Bojko
- University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Aquatic Pathobiology Laboratory, 2173 Mowry Road, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
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10
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Whippo R, Knight NS, Prentice C, Cristiani J, Siegle MR, O'Connor MI. Epifaunal diversity patterns within and among seagrass meadows suggest landscape‐scale biodiversity processes. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ross Whippo
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
- Smithsonian Institution Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - Nicole S. Knight
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
- Department of Biology McGill University 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Montreal Quebec H3A 1B1 Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Balboa 0843‐03092 Ancon Republic of Panama
| | - Carolyn Prentice
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
- School of Resource and Environmental Management Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - John Cristiani
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Matthew R. Siegle
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 2212 Main Mall Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
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11
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do Nascimento ER, Correia I, Ruiz-Esparza JM, Gouveia SF. Disentangling phylogenetic from non-phylogenetic functional structure of bird assemblages in a tropical dry forest. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Isadora Correia
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation; Federal Univ. of Sergipe; São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| | | | - Sidney F. Gouveia
- Dept of Ecology; Federal Univ. of Sergipe; São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
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12
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Fišer C, Robinson CT, Malard F. Cryptic species as a window into the paradigm shift of the species concept. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:613-635. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab; Department of Biology; Biotechnical Faculty; University of Ljubljana; Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Christopher T. Robinson
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Eawag; Dübendorf Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
| | - Florian Malard
- Université Lyon; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1; CNRS; ENTPE; UMR5023 LEHNA Villeurbanne France
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13
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Molecular characterization reveals the complexity of previously overlooked coral-exosymbiont interactions and the implications for coral-guild ecology. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44923. [PMID: 28358026 PMCID: PMC5372162 DOI: 10.1038/srep44923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several obligate associate crabs and shrimps species may co-occur and interact within a single coral host, leading to patterns of associations that can provide essential ecological services. However, knowledge of the dynamics of interactions in this system is limited, partly because identifying species involved in the network remains challenging. In this study, we assessed the diversity of the decapods involved in exosymbiotic assemblages for juvenile and adult Pocillopora damicornis types α and β on reefs of New Caledonia and Reunion Island. This approach revealed complex patterns of association at regional and local scales with a prevalence of assemblages involving crab-shrimp partnerships. Furthermore, the distinction of two lineages in the snapping shrimp Alpheus lottini complex, rarely recognized in ecological studies, reveals a key role for cryptic diversity in structuring communities of mutualists. The existence of partnerships between species that occurred more commonly than expected by chance suggests an increased advantage for the host or a better adaptation of associated species to local environmental conditions. The consideration of cryptic diversity helps to accurately describe the complexity of interaction webs for diverse systems such as coral reefs, as well as the functional roles of dominant associated species for the persistence of coral populations.
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14
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Weber MG, Wagner CE, Best RJ, Harmon LJ, Matthews B. Evolution in a Community Context: On Integrating Ecological Interactions and Macroevolution. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:291-304. [PMID: 28215448 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite a conceptual understanding that evolution and species interactions are inextricably linked, it remains challenging to study ecological and evolutionary dynamics together over long temporal scales. In this review, we argue that, despite inherent challenges associated with reconstructing historical processes, the interplay of ecology and evolution is central to our understanding of macroevolution and community coexistence, and cannot be safely ignored in community and comparative phylogenetic studies. We highlight new research avenues that foster greater consideration of both ecological and evolutionary dynamics as processes that occur along branches of phylogenetic trees. By promoting new ways forward using this perspective, we hope to inspire further integration that creatively co-utilizes phylogenies and ecological data to study eco-evolutionary dynamics over time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie G Weber
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
| | - Catherine E Wagner
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Rebecca J Best
- Eawag, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, 525 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Eawag, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Blake Matthews
- Eawag, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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15
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Sladecek FXJ, Segar ST, Lee C, Wall R, Konvicka M. Temporal Segregation between Dung-Inhabiting Beetle and Fly Species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170426. [PMID: 28107542 PMCID: PMC5249136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The coexistence of ecologically similar species (i.e. species utilizing the same resource) is a major topic in ecology. Communities are assembled either through the biotic interactions of ecologically similar species, e.g. competition, or by the abiotic separation of species along gradients of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated the temporal segregation, succession and seasonality of dung-inhabiting Coleoptera and Diptera that utilize an identical resource in exactly the same way. The data were collected from two temperate pastures, one in the United Kingdom and the second in the Czech Republic. There was no evident temporal separation between ecologically similar coleopterous or dipterous taxa during succession. In contrast, these two orders were almost perfectly separated seasonally in both combined and site-specific datasets. Flies were most abundant in the summer, and beetles were more abundant in the spring and autumn. Ecologically similar beetles and flies also displayed seasonal separation in both combined and site-specific data. Analyses within site-specific data sets revealed such a separation at both the order and species level. Season is therefore the main temporal axis separating ecologically similar species of dung-inhabiting insects in temperate habitats, while succession aggregates species that may have similar environmental tolerances (to e.g. dung moisture). This separation between ecologically similar taxa of beetles and flies may be attributable to either competition-based niche separation or to temperature tolerance-based habitat filtering, since flies have peak activity in warmer months while beetles have peak activity in cooler months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frantisek Xaver Jiri Sladecek
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Simon Tristram Segar
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Colin Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Wall
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Konvicka
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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16
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Lefcheck JS, Marion SR, Lombana AV, Orth RJ. Faunal Communities Are Invariant to Fragmentation in Experimental Seagrass Landscapes. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156550. [PMID: 27244652 PMCID: PMC4887026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-driven habitat fragmentation is cited as one of the most pressing threats facing many coastal ecosystems today. Many experiments have explored the consequences of fragmentation on fauna in one foundational habitat, seagrass beds, but have either surveyed along a gradient of existing patchiness, used artificial materials to mimic a natural bed, or sampled over short timescales. Here, we describe faunal responses to constructed fragmented landscapes varying from 4–400 m2 in two transplant garden experiments incorporating live eelgrass (Zostera marina L.). In experiments replicated within two subestuaries of the Chesapeake Bay, USA across multiple seasons and non-consecutive years, we comprehensively censused mesopredators and epifaunal communities using complementary quantitative methods. We found that community properties, including abundance, species richness, Simpson and functional diversity, and composition were generally unaffected by the number of patches and the size of the landscape, or the intensity of sampling. Additionally, an index of competition based on species co-occurrences revealed no trends with increasing patch size, contrary to theoretical predictions. We extend conclusions concerning the invariance of animal communities to habitat fragmentation from small-scale observational surveys and artificial experiments to experiments conducted with actual living plants and at more realistic scales. Our findings are likely a consequence of the rapid life histories and high mobility of the organisms common to eelgrass beds, and have implications for both conservation and restoration, suggesting that even small patches can rapidly promote abundant and diverse faunal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, United States of America
| | - Scott R Marion
- Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Marine Resources Program, Newport, Oregon, 97365, United States of America
| | - Alfonso V Lombana
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, United States of America
| | - Robert J Orth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, United States of America
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17
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Lürig MD, Best RJ, Stachowicz JJ. Microhabitat partitioning in seagrass mesograzers is driven by consistent species choices across multiple predator and competitor contexts. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Moritz D. Lürig
- Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag); Seestrasse 79 CH-6047 Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Adaption to a Changing Environment (ACE), Inst. of Integrative Biology; CH-8092 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Rebecca J. Best
- Swiss Federal Inst. of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag); Seestrasse 79 CH-6047 Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - John J. Stachowicz
- Dept of Evolution and Ecology and Bodega Marine Laboratory; Univ. of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
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Martínez-Crego B, Arteaga P, Ueber A, Engelen AH, Santos R, Molis M. Specificity in Mesograzer-Induced Defences in Seagrasses. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141219. [PMID: 26506103 PMCID: PMC4624237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Grazing-induced plant defences that reduce palatability to herbivores are widespread in terrestrial plants and seaweeds, but they have not yet been reported in seagrasses. We investigated the ability of two seagrass species to induce defences in response to direct grazing by three associated mesograzers. Specifically, we conducted feeding-assayed induction experiments to examine how mesograzer-specific grazing impact affects seagrass induction of defences within the context of the optimal defence theory. We found that the amphipod Gammarus insensibilis and the isopod Idotea chelipes exerted a low-intensity grazing on older blades of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, which reflects a weak grazing impact that may explain the lack of inducible defences. The isopod Synischia hectica exerted the strongest grazing impact on C. nodosa via high-intensity feeding on young blades with a higher fitness value. This isopod grazing induced defences in C. nodosa as indicated by a consistently lower consumption of blades previously grazed for 5, 12 and 16 days. The lower consumption was maintained when offered tissues with no plant structure (agar-reconstituted food), but showing a reduced size of the previous grazing effect. This indicates that structural traits act in combination with chemical traits to reduce seagrass palatability to the isopod. Increase in total phenolics but not in C:N ratio and total nitrogen of grazed C. nodosa suggests chemical defences rather than a modified nutritional quality as primarily induced chemical traits. We detected no induction of defences in Zostera noltei, which showed the ability to replace moderate losses of young biomass to mesograzers via compensatory growth. Our study provides the first experimental evidence of induction of defences against meso-herbivory that reduce further consumption in seagrasses. It also emphasizes the relevance of grazer identity in determining the level of grazing impact triggering resistance and compensatory responses of different seagrass species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rui Santos
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Faro, Portugal
| | - Markus Molis
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Section Functional Ecology, Bremerhaven, Germany
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Best RJ, Stone MN, Stachowicz JJ. Predicting consequences of climate change for ecosystem functioning: variation across trophic levels, species and individuals. DIVERS DISTRIB 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Best
- Bodega Marine Laboratory & Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - Michelle N. Stone
- Bodega Marine Laboratory & Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - John J. Stachowicz
- Bodega Marine Laboratory & Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
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Morphologically Cryptic Amphipod Species Are "Ecological Clones" at Regional but Not at Local Scale: A Case Study of Four Niphargus Species. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134384. [PMID: 26226375 PMCID: PMC4520478 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that morphologically cryptic species may be ecologically more different than would be predicted from their morphological similarity and phylogenetic relatedness. However, in biodiversity research it often remains unclear whether cryptic species should be treated as ecologically equivalent, or whether detected differences have ecological significance. In this study, we assessed the ecological equivalence of four morphologically cryptic species of the amphipod genus Niphargus. All species live in a small, isolated area on the Istrian Peninsula in the NW Balkans. The distributional ranges of the species are partially overlapping and all species are living in springs. We reconstructed their ecological niches using morphological traits related to feeding, bioclimatic niche envelope and species’ preference for epi-hypogean habitats. The ecological meaning of differences in niches was evaluated using distributional data and co-occurrence frequencies. We show that the species comprise two pairs of sister species. All species differ from each other and the degree of differentiation is not related to phylogenetic relatedness. Moreover, low co-occurrence frequencies in sympatric zones imply present or past interspecific competition. This pattern suggests that species are not differentiated enough to reduce interspecific competition, nor ecologically equivalent to co-exist via neutral dynamics. We tentatively conclude that the question of ecological equivalence relates to the scale of the study: at a fine scale, species’ differences may influence dynamics in a local community, whereas at the regional level these species likely play roughly similar ecological roles.
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