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Peng Y, Wu C, Ma G, Chen H, Wu QL, He D, Jeppesen E, Ren L. Insight into diversity change, variability and co-occurrence patterns of phytoplankton assemblage in headwater streams: a study of the Xijiang River basin, South China. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1417651. [PMID: 39224213 PMCID: PMC11367421 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1417651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton has been used as a paradigm for studies of coexistence of species since the publication of the "paradox of the plankton." Although there are a wealth of studies about phytoplankton assemblages of lakes, reservoirs and rivers, our knowledge about phytoplankton biodiversity and its underlying mechanisms in mountain headwater stream ecosystems is limited, especially across regional scales with broad environmental gradients. In this study, we collected 144 phytoplankton samples from the Xijiang headwater streams of the Pearl River across low altitude (< 1,000 m) located in Guangxi province, intermediate altitude (1,000 m < altitude <2,000 m) in Guizhou province and high altitude (> 2,000 m) in Yunnan province of China. Our study revealed high phytoplankton diversity in these streams. Freshwater phytoplankton, including cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Chrysophyta, Euglenophyta, Glaucophyta, Phaeophyta and Cryptophyta, were all detected. However, phytoplankton alpha diversity exhibited a monotonic decreasing relationship with increasing altitude. High altitudes amplified the "isolated island" effect of headwater streams on phytoplankton assemblages, which were characterized by lower homogeneous selection and higher dispersal limitation. Variability and network vulnerability of phytoplankton assemblages increased with increasing altitudes. Our findings demonstrated diversity, variability and co-occurrence patterns of phytoplankton assemblages linked to environmental factors co-varying with altitude across regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Peng
- Department of Ecology and Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuangfeng Wu
- Department of Ecology and Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guibin Ma
- Department of Ecology and Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiming Chen
- Department of Ecology and Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinglong L. Wu
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Sciences and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Dan He
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Sciences and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Erik Jeppesen
- Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Limnology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Ecosystem Research and Implementation, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Lijuan Ren
- Department of Ecology and Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Stefanidis K, Oikonomou A, Dimitrellos G, Tsoukalas D, Papastergiadou E. Beyond taxonomic diversity patterns - investigating how α and β components of macrophyte functional diversity respond to environmental gradients in lotic ecosystems of Greece. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1204383. [PMID: 37746009 PMCID: PMC10514920 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1204383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
In addition to quantifying the taxonomic diversity of aquatic communities, understanding the patterns of alpha functional diversity (α-diversity) and exploring changes in functional dissimilarity (β-diversity) can improve our understanding on how ecosystems respond to environmental changes. In this study, we quantified functional alpha (α) and beta (β) diversity of macrophytic assemblages from river sites in Greece and then, examined relationships with water quality parameters and hydromorphological factors. We assigned 6 traits (Ellenberg nutrients indicator, Ellenberg light indicator, growth form, leaf size, leaf type, fruit size) to a total of 36 hydrophyte species and calculated three indices of functional diversity (functional richness, functional dispersion and functional evenness). We also estimated the total β-functional diversity and its' main components, turnover and nestedness. To assess the effects of water quality (including physical and chemical variables) we used Generalized Additive Models (GAM) for alpha functional diversity indices and Generalized Dissimilarity Models (GDM) for beta functional diversity. We performed Kruskal-Wallis tests and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) to search for significant variations of α- and β-diversity among the hydromorphological factors. Our results showed that macrophyte growth form and light preference were important trait characteristics that explained a large share of the total variance of functional composition. We also found relatively low taxonomic and functional richness, whereas taxonomic and functional dissimilarity were mostly attributed to species turnover, which expresses the changes in taxonomic and functional composition. We found significant relationships between functional dispersion and functional evenness with pH and oxygen saturation, whereas functional dissimilarity was driven only by geographic distance, although the GDM explained a small portion of the total variance. Functional richness, dispersion and evenness were significantly higher at systems with fine substrates and deep waters with low or high flow compared to systems with coarser substrates and riffle habitats. We also found significant variation in functional dissimilarity among the hydromorphological factors, although much of the total variance remained unexplained. Overall, our study highlights the importance of considering the functional diversity of aquatic plant assemblages within the frame of freshwater monitoring and conservation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthi Oikonomou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Attiki, Greece
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Graco‐Roza C, Aarnio S, Abrego N, Acosta ATR, Alahuhta J, Altman J, Angiolini C, Aroviita J, Attorre F, Baastrup‐Spohr L, Barrera‐Alba JJ, Belmaker J, Biurrun I, Bonari G, Bruelheide H, Burrascano S, Carboni M, Cardoso P, Carvalho JC, Castaldelli G, Christensen M, Correa G, Dembicz I, Dengler J, Dolezal J, Domingos P, Erös T, Ferreira CEL, Filibeck G, Floeter SR, Friedlander AM, Gammal J, Gavioli A, Gossner MM, Granot I, Guarino R, Gustafsson C, Hayden B, He S, Heilmann‐Clausen J, Heino J, Hunter JT, Huszar VLM, Janišová M, Jyrkänkallio‐Mikkola J, Kahilainen KK, Kemppinen J, Kozub Ł, Kruk C, Kulbiki M, Kuzemko A, Christiaan le Roux P, Lehikoinen A, Teixeira de Lima D, Lopez‐Urrutia A, Lukács BA, Luoto M, Mammola S, Marinho MM, Menezes LS, Milardi M, Miranda M, Moser GAO, Mueller J, Niittynen P, Norkko A, Nowak A, Ometto JP, Ovaskainen O, Overbeck GE, Pacheco FS, Pajunen V, Palpurina S, Picazo F, Prieto JAC, Rodil IF, Sabatini FM, Salingré S, De Sanctis M, Segura AM, da Silva LHS, Stevanovic ZD, Swacha G, Teittinen A, Tolonen KT, Tsiripidis I, Virta L, Wang B, Wang J, Weisser W, Xu Y, Soininen J. Distance decay 2.0 - A global synthesis of taxonomic and functional turnover in ecological communities. GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY : A JOURNAL OF MACROECOLOGY 2022; 31:1399-1421. [PMID: 35915625 PMCID: PMC9322010 DOI: 10.1111/geb.13513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Aim Understanding the variation in community composition and species abundances (i.e., β-diversity) is at the heart of community ecology. A common approach to examine β-diversity is to evaluate directional variation in community composition by measuring the decay in the similarity among pairs of communities along spatial or environmental distance. We provide the first global synthesis of taxonomic and functional distance decay along spatial and environmental distance by analysing 148 datasets comprising different types of organisms and environments. Location Global. Time period 1990 to present. Major taxa studied From diatoms to mammals. Method We measured the strength of the decay using ranked Mantel tests (Mantel r) and the rate of distance decay as the slope of an exponential fit using generalized linear models. We used null models to test whether functional similarity decays faster or slower than expected given the taxonomic decay along the spatial and environmental distance. We also unveiled the factors driving the rate of decay across the datasets, including latitude, spatial extent, realm and organismal features. Results Taxonomic distance decay was stronger than functional distance decay along both spatial and environmental distance. Functional distance decay was random given the taxonomic distance decay. The rate of taxonomic and functional spatial distance decay was fastest in the datasets from mid-latitudes. Overall, datasets covering larger spatial extents showed a lower rate of decay along spatial distance but a higher rate of decay along environmental distance. Marine ecosystems had the slowest rate of decay along environmental distances. Main conclusions In general, taxonomic distance decay is a useful tool for biogeographical research because it reflects dispersal-related factors in addition to species responses to climatic and environmental variables. Moreover, functional distance decay might be a cost-effective option for investigating community changes in heterogeneous environments.
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Rebrina F, Reinhold K, Tvrtković N, Gulin V, Brigić A. Vegetation Height as the Primary Driver of Functional Changes in Orthopteran Assemblages in a Roadside Habitat. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13070572. [PMID: 35886748 PMCID: PMC9317414 DOI: 10.3390/insects13070572] [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: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary This paper reports the results of a field research that investigates functional changes in grasshopper and cricket (Orthoptera) assemblages with distance from a major road (at 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 m). Expanding on a previous study that adopted a species-based approach to the same subject, in order to gain a different perspective on road-associated dynamics of orthopteran assemblages with potential implications for ecosystem functioning, we aimed for the following: (1) to test how motorway proximity affects functional diversity of orthopteran assemblages and functional traits related to mobility, feeding guild, lifestyle and moisture preference; and (2) to assess the relationships between trait composition and road-influenced environmental factors. We recorded a significant increase in functional diversity and the occurrence of omnivorous and shrub-dwelling orthopterans, and a decrease in larger ground-dwelling orthopterans at sites close to the motorway. Road-induced changes in vegetation height were identified as the primary driver of these changes. Our findings contribute to a more thorough understanding of the links between road-associated changes in vegetation cover and insect community assembly in grassland habitats. Abstract Exhibiting manifold ecological impacts on terrestrial biota, roads have become a major driver of environmental change nowadays. However, many insect groups with high indication potential, such as grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera), have been largely neglected in road ecology research from a functional perspective. Using two complementary sampling methods, we have investigated the spatial dynamics of functional diversity and six functional traits in orthopteran assemblages, with respect to motorway proximity and the associated environmental factors, in a grassland habitat in the Lika region, Croatia. This research shows, for the first time, that road proximity can facilitate an increase in the functional diversity of orthopteran assemblages, with shifts in functional traits related to mobility, feeding habits and lifestyle being primarily driven by changes in vegetation height. Our findings also suggest that our ability to detect road-related patterns depends on the choice of a diversity measure and sampling method, since different components of orthopteran assemblages (plant-dwelling vs. ground-dwelling) exhibit different functional responses to road proximity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fran Rebrina
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.G.); (A.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Klaus Reinhold
- Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany;
| | | | - Vesna Gulin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Andreja Brigić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.G.); (A.B.)
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Virta L, Teittinen A. Threshold effects of climate change on benthic diatom communities: Evaluating impacts of salinity and wind disturbance on functional traits and benthic biomass. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154130. [PMID: 35219662 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The responses of biotic communities and ecosystems to climate change may be abrupt and non-linear. Thus, resolving ecological threshold mechanisms is crucial for understanding the consequences of climate change and for improving environmental management. Here, we present a study on the threshold responses of benthic diatom communities that are an important component of all aquatic environments and strongly contribute to global primary production. We reach beyond the taxonomic perspective by focusing on the diversity and functions of diatom communities and benthic biomass along gradients of salinity and wind disturbance, whose climate-change-induced changes have been predicted to strongly affect biotic communities in the marine and brackish systems in the future. To improve the generality of our results, we examine three self-collected datasets from different spatial scales (6-830 km) and ecosystem types. We collected samples from rock pools or from littoral stones and studied taxonomic thresholds using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN2). We investigated threshold responses of community diversity, community functions, and benthic biomass using t-tests and regression analyses. Our results indicated that decreasing salinity may result in increasing diversity but decreasing biomass of brackish communities, while the effects of increasing wind disturbance were contradictory among spatial scales. Benthic biomass correlated with the taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as with the body size distribution of communities, highlighting the importance of considering community functions and organismal size when predicting ecosystem functions. The most pronounced effects of decreasing salinity and increasing wind disturbance on community functions were changes in the abundance of low-profile diatom species, which, due to the high resilience of low-profile diatoms, may lead to changes in ecosystem functioning and resilience. To conclude, decreasing salinity and increasing wind disturbance may lead to threshold responses of biotic communities, and these changes may have profound effects on ecosystem functioning along marine coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Virta
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, FI-10900 Hangö, Finland.
| | - Anette Teittinen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, PO Box 64, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Gulin V, Vlaičević B, Sertić Perić M, Rebrina F, Matoničkin Kepčija R. Taxonomic and Functional Metrics of Ciliates and Amoeboid Protists in Response to Stream Revitalization. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:842395. [PMID: 35432285 PMCID: PMC9010972 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.842395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tufa-depositing streams provide great microhabitat complexity and are therefore inhabited by various periphytic phagotrophic organisms such as ciliates and amoeboid protists. Recent removal of invasive plant species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swinge from the Skradinski buk tufa barrier (Krka National Park, Croatia) resulted in changes in the barrier hydromorphology including the reactivation (revitalization) of dry streams. The objective of this study was to investigate: (1) the taxonomic and functional response of periphytic ciliates and amoeboid protists to stream revitalization by comparing taxonomic (i.e., abundance, species richness and diversity) and functional (i.e., functional diversity) metrics between revitalized (N) and control sites (C) during 1 and 2-months immersion period; (2) which environmental and (3) periphyton-associated factors shape the taxonomic and functional metrics and to what extent; (4) how duration of immersion affects taxonomic and functional metrics at revitalized sites. Our results showed that taxonomic and functional metrics of ciliates and amoeboid protists responded to the prevailing conditions characteristic of revitalized tufa-depositing streams: changing hydrology (occasional high flow or drought), soil drainage, and extensive inorganic matter, i.e., tufa deposition, although their responses were somewhat different. The two assemblages also showed different responses of taxonomic and functional metrics with respect to immersion duration: while the taxonomic and functional diversity of ciliates at N sites increased with longer immersion, indicating niche diversification, those of amoeboid protists hardly changed with time. Our results suggest that a comprehensive analysis of taxonomic and functional metrics of ciliates and amoeboid protists could be a good proxy for assessing revitalization of tufa-depositing streams. However, the temporal component should always be considered when conducting such studies, as the colonization processes of ciliates and amoeboid protists are quite complex, especially in tufa-depositing streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Gulin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- *Correspondence: Vesna Gulin,
| | - Barbara Vlaičević
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Mirela Sertić Perić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Fran Rebrina
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Teittinen A, Soininen J, Virta L. Studying biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships in experimental microcosms among islands. Ecology 2022; 103:e3664. [PMID: 35157310 PMCID: PMC9287039 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecological studies on islands have provided fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying biodiversity of larger organisms, but we know little about the factors affecting island microbial biodiversity and ecosystem function. We conducted a field experiment on five Baltic Sea islands where we placed aquatic microcosms with different levels of salinity mimicking environmental stress and allowed diatoms to colonize the microcosms via the air. Using structural equation models (SEM), we investigated the interconnections among environmental and dispersal‐related factors, diatom biodiversity, and ecosystem productivity (represented by chlorophyll a concentration). We also tested whether the body size structure of the community influences productivity together with biodiversity. In SEMs, we found no relationship between species richness or evenness and productivity. However, productivity increased with increasing mean body size of species in the communities. The effects of environmental stress on both biodiversity and ecosystem productivity were highlighted as species richness and evenness declined, whereas productivity increased at the highest salinity levels. In addition to salinity, wind exposure affected both biodiversity metrics and productivity. This study provides new insights into microbial community assembly in a field experimental setting and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function. Our results indicate that salinity presents a strong abiotic filter, leading to communities that may be species poor, yet comprise salinity‐tolerant and relatively productive species at high salinity. Our findings also emphasize the importance of mean community body size in mediating the effects of environmental conditions on productivity and suggest that this trait should be considered more broadly in biodiversity–ecosystem function studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Teittinen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leena Virta
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900, Hanko, Finland
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