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Younger SE, Cannon JB, Brantley ST. Impacts of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) on long-term hydrology at the watershed scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:165999. [PMID: 37558074 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165999] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Threats from climate change and growing populations require innovative solutions for restoring streamflow in many regions. In the arid western U.S., attempts to increase streamflow (Q) through forest management have had mixed results, but these approaches may be more successful in the eastern U.S. where greater precipitation (P) and lower evapotranspiration (ET) offer greater potential to increase Q by reducing ET. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) (LLP) woodlands, once the dominant land cover in the southeastern United States, often have lower ET than other forest types but it is unclear how longleaf pine cover impacts watershed-scale hydrology. To address this question, we analyzed 21 gaged rural watersheds. We estimated annual water balance ET (ETwb) as the difference between precipitation (P) and streamflow (Q) between 1989 and 2021 and quantified low flow rates (7Q10) among watersheds with high and low LLP cover. To control for climate variability among watersheds, we compared variation in hydrology metrics with biotic and abiotic variables using the Budyko equation (ETBudyko) to understand the differences between the two ET estimates (∆ET). Watersheds with 15-72 % LLP cover had 17 % greater mean annual Q, 7 % lower annual ETwb, and 92 % greater 7Q10 low flow rates than watersheds with <3 % LLP. LLP cover decreased ET and increased Q by 2.4 mm or 0.15 % Q/P per 1 % of watershed area, but only when LLP was managed as open woodlands. Our results demonstrate that ecological forest restoration in these systems, which entails mechanical thinning and re-introduction of low-intensity prescribed fire to maintain open woodlands, and enhance understory diversity, can contribute to decreases in ET and increases in Q in eastern forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth E Younger
- The Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, GA, United States of America.
| | - Jeffery B Cannon
- The Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, GA, United States of America
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2
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Knowles S, Dennis M, McElwain A, Leis E, Richard J. Pathology and infectious agents of unionid mussels: A primer for pathologists in disease surveillance and investigation of mortality events. Vet Pathol 2023; 60:510-528. [PMID: 37226493 DOI: 10.1177/03009858231171666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of organisms in the world, and more than 30 species have gone extinct in the last century. While habitat alteration and destruction have contributed to the declines, the role of disease in mortality events is unclear. In an effort to involve veterinary pathologists in disease surveillance and the investigation of freshwater mussel mortality events, we provide information on the conservation status of unionids, sample collection and processing techniques, and unique and confounding anatomical and physiological differences. We review the published accounts of pathology and infectious agents described in freshwater mussels including neoplasms, viruses, bacteria, fungi, fungal-like agents, ciliated protists, Aspidogastrea, Digenea, Nematoda, Acari, Diptera, and Odonata. Of the identified infectious agents, a single viral disease, Hyriopsis cumingii plague disease, that occurs only in cultured mussels is known to cause high mortality. Parasites including ciliates, trematodes, nematodes, mites, and insects may decrease host fitness, but are not known to cause mortality. Many of the published reports identify infectious agents at the light or ultrastructural microscopy level with no lesion or molecular characterization. Although metagenomic analyses provide sequence information for infectious agents, studies often fail to link the agents to tissue changes at the light or ultrastructural level or confirm their role in disease. Pathologists can bridge this gap between identification of infectious agents and confirmation of disease, participate in disease surveillance to ensure successful propagation programs necessary to restore decimated populations, and investigate mussel mortality events to document pathology and identify causality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eric Leis
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Onalaska, WI
| | - Jordan Richard
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Abingdon, VA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
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3
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Martinski ME, Woolnough DA. Movement and surrounding community of the understudied and endangered Ligumia recta (Mollusca , Unionidae). HYDROBIOLOGIA 2023; 850:1091-1108. [PMID: 36742287 PMCID: PMC9888738 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-023-05145-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Native freshwater mussels (unionids) are indicators of water quality, with unique behaviors and movement patterns. Many of these species are endangered, yet basic movement and co-occurring community data are lacking for successful unionid conservation. In this study, movement, community, and habitat use among Ligumia recta, an endangered unionid in Michigan, were analyzed across four rivers in central Michigan. The effects of sex, community, substrate use, and other abiotic factors on the movement and occurrence of L. recta were quantified. 24 L. recta individuals were found with variable male:female ratios and were monitored bi-weekly. Over the recapture period, L. recta moved an average minimum convex polygon of 1.43 m2 per day but was variable among rivers. 19 unionid species were found occurring with L. recta; ~13 species in the same river reach as L. recta and ~5 species in closer proximity to L. recta. The tribe Lampsilini most often occurred in close proximity to L. recta. This study identified basic movement and occurrence patterns of L. recta and provides a better understanding of the status of L. recta in Michigan. Our study highlights useful methods in understanding imperiled unionids, expanding the knowledge of their movement, behavior, community assemblages, and habitat use. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-023-05145-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan E. Martinski
- Biology Department and Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI USA
- Honors Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI USA
- Present Address: Texas State University, San Marcos, TX USA
| | - Daelyn A. Woolnough
- Biology Department and Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI USA
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4
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Schwalb AN, Swearingen D, Robertson JJ, Locklin JL, Moore JS, McGarrity M. Living on the edge: thermal limitations of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Central Texas. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02950-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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5
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Rodgers TW, Tronstad LM, Gonzalez BR, Crawford M, Mock KE. Distribution of the Native Freshwater Mussels Anodonta nuttalliana and Margaritifera falcata in Utah and Western Wyoming Using Environmental DNA. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2022. [DOI: 10.3398/064.082.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Torrey W. Rodgers
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
| | - Lusha M. Tronstad
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071
| | - Bernardo R. Gonzalez
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
| | - Madison Crawford
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071
| | - Karen E. Mock
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
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Hopper GW, Buchanan JK, Sánchez González I, Kubala ME, Bucholz JR, Lodato MB, Lozier JD, Atkinson CL. Little clams with big potential: nutrient release by invasive Corbicula fluminea can exceed co-occurring freshwater mussel (Unionidae) assemblages. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02792-9] [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]
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7
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Orimoloye IR, Belle JA, Ololade OO. Drought disaster monitoring using MODIS derived index for drought years: A space-based information for ecosystems and environmental conservation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 284:112028. [PMID: 33540201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Drought disaster is one of the major factors restricting the development of vegetation across a wide variety of environments. Monitoring the temporal and spatial dynamics of drought episodes in the study area is crucial for environmental and ecosystem conservation. This study assesses drought disaster by utilising space-based data and R programming for drought years 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2019 in the Free State Province, South Africa. Results revealed that the study area witnessed drought events in the year 2003 where March, August, September, October, November and December were more affected by drought disaster events. It was further observed that February and March were affected by extreme drought conditions in the year 2007. In year 2012, January, October, November and December, there exist moderate to severe drought conditions in the study area where some regions were more affected than the other. Finally, year 2019 witnessed variations in drought event distributions across the months with January, October and November witnessing severe to extreme drought conditions from about 0 to 30% drought values. Overall, this study shows that the 16-day Terra-MODIS composite and EVI products are sensitive to stressors associated with drought. The Vegetation Condition Monitoring Index (VCI) based on MODIS is suited for monitoring drought disasters. The technique used in this study revealed the suitability of MODIS data for assessing drought conditions and their potential environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel R Orimoloye
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, South Africa; Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, South Africa; Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
| | - Johanes A Belle
- Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, South Africa
| | - Olusola O Ololade
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, South Africa
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8
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Long-Term Monitoring Reveals Differential Responses of Mussel and Host Fish Communities in a Biodiversity Hotspot. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13030122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity hotspots can serve as protected areas that aid in species conservation. Long-term monitoring of multiple taxonomic groups within biodiversity hotspots can offer insight into factors influencing their dynamics. Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) and fish are highly diverse and imperiled groups of organisms with contrasting life histories that should influence their response to ecological factors associated with local and global change. Here we use historical and contemporary fish and mussel survey data to assess fish and mussel community changes over a 33 year period (1986–2019) and relationships between mussel abundance and their host fish abundance in Bogue Chitto Creek, a tributary of the Alabama River and a biodiversity hotspot. Mussel abundance declined by ~80% and community composition shifted, with eight species previously recorded not found in 2019, and a single individual of the endangered Pleurobema decisum. Fish abundances increased and life history strategies in the community appeared stable and there was no apparent relationship between mussel declines and abundance of host fish. Temporal variation in the proportion of life history traits composing mussel assemblages was also indicative of the disturbances specifically affecting the mussel community. However, changes and declines in mussel assemblages in Bogue Chitto Creek cannot be firmly attributed to any specific factor or events because of gaps in historical environmental and biological data. We believe that mobility differences contributed to differential responses of fish and mussel communities to stressors including habitat degradation, recent droughts and invasive species. Overall, our work indicates that monitoring biodiversity hotspots using hydrological measurements, standardized survey methods and monitoring invasive species abundance would better identify the effects of multiple and interactive stressors that impact disparate taxonomic groups in freshwater ecosystems.
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9
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Wineland SM, Fovargue R, York B, Lynch AJ, Paukert CP, Neeson TM. Is there enough water? How bearish and bullish outlooks are linked to decision maker perspectives on environmental flows. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 280:111694. [PMID: 33248815 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Policies that mandate environmental flows (e-flows) can be powerful tools for freshwater conservation, but implementation of these policies faces many hurdles. To better understand these challenges, we explored two key questions: (1) What additional data are needed to implement e-flows? and (2) What are the major socio-political barriers to implementing e-flows? We surveyed water and natural resource decision makers in the semi-arid Red River basin, Texas-Oklahoma, USA, and used social network analysis to analyze their communication patterns. Most respondents agreed that e-flows can provide important benefits and identified the same data needs. However, respondents sharply in their beliefs on other issues, and a clustering analysis revealed two distinct groups of decision makers. One cluster of decision makers tended to be bearish, or pessimistic, and believed that: current flow conditions are not adequate, there are many serious socio-political barriers to implementation, water conflicts will likely increase in the future, and climate change is likely to exacerbate these issues. The other cluster of respondents was bullish, or optimistic: they foresaw fewer future water conflicts and fewer socio-political barriers to implementation. Despite these differences, both clusters largely identified the same data needs and barriers to e-flows implementation. Our social network analysis revealed that the frequency of communication between clusters was not significantly different than the frequency of communication within clusters. Overall, our results suggest that the different perspectives of decision-makers could complicate efforts to implement e-flows and proactively plan for climate change. However, there are opportunities for collaboration on addressing common data needs and barriers to implementation. Overall, our study provides a key socio-environmental perspective on e-flows implementation from a semi-arid and socio-politically complex river basin and contextualizes the many challenges facing e-flows implementation in river basins globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Wineland
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
| | - Rachel Fovargue
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Betsey York
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USA
| | - Abigail J Lynch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Climate Adaptation Science Center, USA
| | - Craig P Paukert
- U.S. Geological Survey, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, USA
| | - Thomas M Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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10
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Dezetter M, Le Galliard JF, Guiller G, Guillon M, Leroux-Coyau M, Meylan S, Brischoux F, Angelier F, Lourdais O. Water deprivation compromises maternal physiology and reproductive success in a cold and wet adapted snake Vipera berus. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab071. [PMID: 34512993 PMCID: PMC8415537 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Droughts are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. These extreme weather events can lead to mass mortality and reproduction failure, and therefore cause population declines. Understanding how the reproductive physiology of organisms is affected by water shortages will help clarify whether females can adjust their reproductive strategy to dry conditions or may fail to reproduce and survive. In this study, we investigated the consequences of a short period of water deprivation (2 weeks) during early pregnancy on the physiology and behaviour of a cold- and wet-adapted ectotherm (Vipera berus). We also examined water allocation to developing embryos and embryonic survival. Water-deprived females exhibited significant dehydration, physiological stress and loss of muscle mass. These effects of water deprivation on water balance and muscle loss were correlated with the number of developing embryos. While water-deprived females maintained water transfer to embryos at the expense of their own maintenance, water deprivation also led to embryonic mortality. Overall, water deprivation amplifies the reproductive costs of water allocation to support embryonic development. The deleterious impacts of water deprivation on female current reproductive performance and on potential survival and future reproduction could lead to severe population declines in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Dezetter
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Corresponding author: Centre d’Étude Biologique de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France. Tel: + 33 (0) 5 49 09 35 52. Fax: + 33 (0) 5 49 09 65 26.
| | - Jean François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Département de Biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de Recherche en Écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 11 Chemin de Busseau, 77140 Saint-Pierre lès-Nemours, France
| | | | - Michaël Guillon
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyau
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
- INSPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne, 10 rue Molitor, 75016 Paris, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fréderic Angelier
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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11
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Wineland SM, Fovargue R, Gill KC, Rezapour S, Neeson TM. Conservation planning in an uncertain climate: Identifying projects that remain valuable and feasible across future scenarios. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Wineland
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Rachel Fovargue
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Ken C. Gill
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Shabnam Rezapour
- Enterprise and Logistics Engineering Florida International University Miami FL USA
| | - Thomas M. Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
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12
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Selbach C, Barsøe M, Vogensen TK, Samsing AB, Mouritsen KN. Temperature-parasite interaction: do trematode infections protect against heat stress? Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:1189-1194. [PMID: 32866489 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are important ecosystem engineers along Atlantic coastlines, where they are regularly subjected to rapid changes in temperature during the transition between tides. Global climate change and more frequent extreme weather events are expected to intensify this thermal stress even further. These increases in temperatures will not only affect intertidal mussels directly but also increase transmission dynamics of their parasites. Together, the effects of rises in temperature and parasitism will likely result in higher pressure on M. edulis and their ability to perform vital ecosystem services. In a set of experiments, we tested the effects of infections with the trematode Himasthla elongata and high temperatures during low tide air-exposure. Overall, we hypothesised that temperature and parasite infection intensity would each have significant negative effects on M. edulis survival, and that both stressors together would have a synergistic detrimental impact. Overall, high temperature levels had a strong negative effect on mussel survival. However, our results revealed a surprisingly more complex picture in infected individuals. While moderate parasite loads and increased temperature showed additive negative effects on mussel survival, high parasite infection intensities appeared to nullify the detrimental effects of temperature stress on mussels. Under climate warming, these benefits of parasites might actually outweigh the costs of infection and prove beneficial. Overall, these results suggest that the interactions between host-parasite systems and their changing environment are much more complex than a simple additive effect of multiple stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Selbach
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark.
| | - Martin Barsøe
- Department of Biology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Trine K Vogensen
- Department of Biology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Anne B Samsing
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Kim N Mouritsen
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
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13
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Atkinson CL, van Ee BC, Pfeiffer JM. Evolutionary history drives aspects of stoichiometric niche variation and functional effects within a guild. Ecology 2020; 101:e03100. [PMID: 32443181 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are characteristics of an organism that represents how it interacts with its environment and can influence the structure and function of ecosystems. Ecological stoichiometry provides a framework to understand ecosystem structure and function by modeling the coupled flow of elements (e.g. carbon [C], nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P]) between consumers and their environment. Animals tend to be homeostatic in their nutrient requirements and preferentially sequester the element in shortest supply relative to demand, and release relatively more of the element in excess. Tissue stoichiometry is an important functional trait that allows for predictions among the elemental composition of animals, their diet, and their waste products, with important effects on the cycling and availability of nutrients in ecosystems. Here, we examined the tissue stoichiometric niches (C:N:P) and nutrient recycling stoichiometries (N:P) of several filter-feeding freshwater mussels in the subfamily Ambleminae. Despite occupying the same functional-feeding group and being restricted to a single subfamily-level radiation, we found that species occupied distinct stoichiometric niches and that these niches varied, in part, as a function of their evolutionary history. The relationship between phylogenetic divergence and functional divergence suggests that evolutionary processes may be shaping niche complementarity and resource partitioning. Tissue and excretion stoichiometry were negatively correlated as predicted by stoichiometric theory. When scaled to the community, higher species richness and phylogenetic diversity resulted in greater functional evenness and reduced functional dispersion. Filter-feeding bivalves are an ecologically important guild in freshwater ecosystems globally, and our study provides a more nuanced view of the stoichiometric niches and ecological functions performed by this phylogenetically and ecologically diverse assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla L Atkinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, USA
| | - Brian C van Ee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, USA
| | - John M Pfeiffer
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20560, USA
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14
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Benbow ME, Receveur JP, Lamberti GA. Death and Decomposition in Aquatic Ecosystems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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15
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McDowell WG, Sousa R. Mass Mortality Events of Invasive Freshwater Bivalves: Current Understanding and Potential Directions for Future Research. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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