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Kafula YA, Mataba GR, Mwaijengo GN, Moyo F, Munishi LK, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L, Thoré ESJ. Fish predation affects invertebrate community structure of tropical temporary ponds, with downstream effects on phytoplankton that are obscured by pesticide pollution. Environ Pollut 2024; 346:123592. [PMID: 38395132 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic biota of tropical temporary ponds typically experience a wide range of stressors that can drive the structure and dynamics of natural communities. Particularly in regions with intense agricultural activity, aquatic biota may not only experience predation pressure but also stress from pesticides that inadvertently enter the ponds. We increasingly understand how these different sources of stress affect classic model taxa under controlled laboratory conditions, but how predators and pesticides may jointly affect pond invertebrate communities is still unclear, particularly for tropical systems. Here, we conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment to study how fish predation combined with exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of the commonly used insecticide cypermethrin (0.8 ng/L) affects the structure of invertebrate communities, and its potential effects on leaf litter decomposition and invertebrate grazing efficiency as measures of ecosystem functioning. A total of seven invertebrate taxa were recorded in the mesocosm communities. Fish predation effectively lowered the number of invertebrate taxa, with fish mesocosms being dominated by high densities of rotifers, associated with lower phytoplankton levels, but only when communities were not simultaneously exposed to cypermethrin. In contrast, cypermethrin exposure did not affect invertebrate community structure, and neither fish predation nor cypermethrin exposure affected our measures of ecosystem functioning. These findings suggest that predation by killifish can strongly affect invertebrate community structure of tropical temporary ponds, and that downstream effects on phytoplankton biomass can be mediated by exposure to cypermethrin. More broadly, we contend that a deeper understanding of (tropical) temporary pond ecology is necessary to effectively manage these increasingly polluted systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuph A Kafula
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, College of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania.
| | - Gordian R Mataba
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Grite N Mwaijengo
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francis Moyo
- Department of Water, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Linus K Munishi
- Department of Water, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences, and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden; TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering, & Technology Group, KU Leuven, Lovenjoel, Belgium
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2
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de Necker L, van Rooyen D, Gerber R, Brendonck L, Wepener V, Smit NJ. Effects of river regulation on aquatic invertebrate community composition: A comparative analysis in two southern African rivers. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10963. [PMID: 38327690 PMCID: PMC10847884 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
While natural floods play a crucial role in shaping the composition of aquatic communities, the most rivers worldwide are regulated or dammed for anthropogenic purposes, resulting in alterations to the biological and chemical composition of these ecosystems. Studies have demonstrated various negative effects of river regulation on aquatic invertebrate communities globally. However, there is a scarcity of research in Africa, despite its vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. This study aimed to compare aquatic invertebrate communities in the Phongolo River, an impacted regulated river, and the Usuthu River, a less impacted unregulated river, in South Africa. It further aimed to ascertain whether Lake Nyamithi, a naturally saline lake receiving water from both of the aforementioned systems, exhibited a stronger similarity to one of the two rivers in terms of its aquatic invertebrate composition. Aquatic invertebrate and water samples were collected from 2012 to 2018 over several surveys. The Usuthu River demonstrated a diverse and sensitive aquatic invertebrate community, emphasising its high conservation value. The Phongolo River demonstrated effects of anthropogenic impact, with taxa more resilient to changes in water quality and flow compared to the Usuthu River. Mismanagement and excessive water use may lead to the loss of any remaining sensitive aquatic invertebrate communities in this river. The presence of invasive molluscan in the Phongolo River and Lake Nyamithi also poses a threat to the native aquatic invertebrate communities. These invasive species are currently absent from the Usuthu River although other invasive species, such as the Australian redclaw crayfish, are found in both river systems. Lake Nyamithi displayed a unique aquatic invertebrate community, distinct from both rivers and their floodplains. This study provides important baseline information on the Usuthu River's aquatic invertebrates and emphasises the need to maintain adequate water flow in rivers and floodplains to protect biodiversity and sensitive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizaan de Necker
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF‐SAIAB)MakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Divan van Rooyen
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Ruan Gerber
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Department of BiologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Victor Wepener
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Nico J. Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF‐SAIAB)MakhandaSouth Africa
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Thoré ESJ, Vanden Berghen B, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Long-term exposure to a pharmaceutical pollutant affects geotaxic behaviour in the adult but not juvenile life stage of killifish. Sci Total Environ 2023; 876:162746. [PMID: 36907389 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems around the world are increasingly polluted with pharmaceutical compounds that may perturb wildlife behaviour. Because many pharmaceuticals are continuously present in the aquatic environment, animals are often exposed to them across several life stages or even their entire life. Despite a large body of literature showing various impacts of exposure to pharmaceuticals on fish, hardly any long-term studies across different life stages have been conducted which makes it hard to accurately estimate the ecological outcomes of pharmaceutical pollution. Here, we performed a laboratory experiment in which we exposed hatchlings of the fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to an environmentally relevant concentration (0.5 μg/L) of the antidepressant fluoxetine until well into adulthood. We monitored total body length and geotaxic behaviour (i.e. gravity-mediated activity) of each fish as two traits that are ecologically relevant and naturally differ between juvenile and adult killifish. Fish exposed to fluoxetine were smaller compared to control fish, an effect that became more apparent as fish aged. Even though fluoxetine did not affect average swimming depth of either juveniles or adults, nor the time spent at the surface or bottom of the water column, exposed fish changed their position in the water column (depth) more frequently in the adult but not juvenile phase. These results suggest that important morphological and behavioural responses to pharmaceutical exposure-and their potential ecological consequences-may only emerge later in time and/or during specific life stages. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of considering ecologically relevant timescales across developmental stages when studying the ecotoxicology of pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering & Technology Group, KU Leuven, Lovenjoel, Belgium.
| | - Birgit Vanden Berghen
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Mioduchowska M, Konecka E, Gołdyn B, Pinceel T, Brendonck L, Lukić D, Kaczmarek Ł, Namiotko T, Zając K, Zając T, Jastrzębski JP, Bartoszek K. Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Wolbachia Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119400. [PMID: 37298356 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia-infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. Wolbachia has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on Wolbachia infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce. Sampling bias and methodological limitations are some of the reasons limiting the detection of these bacteria in aquatic organisms. In this study, we present a new metagenetic method for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrates host species, i.e., freshwater Arthropoda (Crustacea), Mollusca (Bivalvia), and water bears (Tardigrada) by applying NGS primers designed by us and a Python script that allows the identification of Wolbachia target sequences from the microbiome communities. We also compare the results obtained using the commonly applied NGS primers and the Sanger sequencing approach. Finally, we describe three supergroups of Wolbachia: (i) a new supergroup V identified in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts; (ii) supergroup A identified in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and (iii) supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Mioduchowska
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
- Department of Marine Plankton Research, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Edyta Konecka
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Gołdyn
- Department of General Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Dunja Lukić
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Łukasz Kaczmarek
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Namiotko
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Jan P Jastrzębski
- Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
- Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Bartoszek
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Division of Statistics and Machine Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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Kafula YA, Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Munishi LK, Moyo F, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L. Environmental risks of a commonly used pyrethroid: Insights from temporary pond species of the Lake Manyara Basin, Tanzania. Sci Total Environ 2023; 868:161698. [PMID: 36682542 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental risks posed by widespread pesticide application have attracted global attention. Currently, chemical risk assessments in aquatic environments rely on extrapolation of toxicity data from classic model species. However, similar assessments based on local species could be complementary, particularly for unusual living environments such as temporary ponds. Here, we carried out an environmental risk assessment (ERA) of a pyrethroid model compound, cypermethrin, based on local temporary pond species. First, we measured cypermethrin residue concentrations in rivers, irrigation canals and temporary ponds in the Lake Manyara Basin (LMB). Then, we estimated the environmental risks of cypermethrin by combining these data with acute toxicity data of three resident species across three trophic levels: primary producers (Arthrospira platensis), invertebrate grazers (Streptocephalus lamellifer) and fish (Nothobranchius neumanni). Furthermore, we compared the derived ERA to that obtained using toxicity data from literature of classic model species. Cypermethrin residue concentrations in contaminated systems of the LMB ranged from 0.01 to 57.9 ng/L. For temporary pond species, S. lamellifer was the most sensitive one with a 96 h-LC50 of 0.14 ng/L. Regardless of the assumed exposure concentration (0.01 and 57.9 ng/L), the estimated risks were low for primary producers and high for invertebrate grazers, both for local species as well as for classic model species. The highest detected cypermethrin concentration resulted in a moderate risk estimation for local fish species, while the estimated risk was high when considering classic fish models. Our results confirm that, at least for pyrethroids, ERAs with classic model species are useful to estimate chemical risks in temporary pond ecosystems, and suggest that complementary ERAs based on local species could help to fine-tune environmental regulations to specific local conditions and conservation targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuph A Kafula
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Department of Aquatic Sciences, College of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania.
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering and Technology Group, KU Leuven, Bijzondereweg 12, 3360 Lovenjoel, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Linus K Munishi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francis Moyo
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences, and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
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Philippe C, Thoré ESJ, Verbesselt S, Grégoir AF, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Combined effects of global warming and chlorpyrifos exposure on the annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 248:114290. [PMID: 36403300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Global warming and environmental pollution threaten aquatic ecosystems. While interactive effects between both stressors can have more than additive consequences, these remain poorly studied for most taxa. Especially chronic exposure trials with vertebrates are scarce due to the high time- and monetary costs of such studies. We use the recently-established fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to assess the separate and combined effects of exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (at 2 µg/L and 4 µg/L) and a 2 °C temperature increase. We performed a full life-cycle assessment to evaluate fitness-related endpoints including survival, total body length, maturation time, fecundity, critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and locomotor activity. Exposure to 4 µg/L chlorpyrifos slowed down male maturation, reduced fecundity and impaired growth of the fish. While the temperature increase did not affect any of the measured endpoints on its own, the combination of exposure to 2 µg/L CPF with an increase of 2 °C reduced growth and severely reduced fecundity, with almost no offspring production. Together, these findings suggest that climate change may exacerbate the impact of environmental pollution, and that interactive effects of chronic exposure to multiple stressors should be considered to predict how populations will be affected by ongoing global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Verbesselt
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 92 box 1 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; PMC Coasts Rivers and Cities, Witteveen + Bos, Posthoflei 5, B-2600 Berchem, Belgium
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de Necker L, Brendonck L, Gerber R, Lemmens P, Soto DX, Ikenaka Y, Ishizuka M, Wepener V, Smit NJ. Drought altered trophic dynamics of an important natural saline lake: A stable isotope approach. Sci Total Environ 2022; 834:155338. [PMID: 35452726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and associated droughts threaten the ecology and resilience of natural saline lakes globally. There is a distinct lack of research regarding their ecological response to climatic events in the Global South. This region is predicted to experience climatic events such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) more often and with greater severity with the potential to alter the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems significantly. From 2015 to 2016 South Africa experienced one of the most severe country-wide droughts as a result of a strong ENSO event. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of this supra-seasonal drought on the trophic structure of fish communities in a naturally saline shallow lake of a Ramsar wetland using stable isotope techniques. Fishes and potential basal sources were collected from the lake, during predrought conditions in 2010 and after severe drought (recovery phase; 2017). The δ13C and δ15N values of food web elements were determined and analysed using Bayesian mixing models and Bayesian Laymen metrics to establish the proportional contribution of C3 and C4 basal sources to the fish (consumer) diets, and examine the fish community in terms of isotopic niche and trophic structure, respectively. Fish consumers relied predominantly on C3 basal sources in the predrought and shifted to greater reliance on C4 basal sources, decreased isotopic niche space use and a reduction in trophic length in the recovery phase. Drought altered the type and abundance of the basal sources available by limiting sources to those that are more drought-tolerant, reducing the trophic pathways of the food web with no significant alterations in the fish community. These results demonstrate the resilience and biological plasticity of Lake Nyamithi and its aquatic fauna, highlighting the importance of freshwater inflow to saline lakes with alterations thereof posing a significant threat to their continued functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizaan de Necker
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda 6139, South Africa.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, 32 Charles Deberiotstraat, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Ruan Gerber
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Pieter Lemmens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
| | - David X Soto
- Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Yoshinori Ikenaka
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; Translational Research Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
| | - Mayumi Ishizuka
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
| | - Victor Wepener
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
| | - Nico J Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
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Mataba GR, Munishi L, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. The role of anthropogenic container habitats as mosquito oviposition habitats in rural settlements in northern Tanzania. J Vector Ecol 2022; 47:69-80. [PMID: 36629358 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-47.1.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In many areas, the main sources of mosquito vectors are not natural habitats but small artificial water bodies that are provided unintentionally by humans. Such container habitats have been linked to outbreaks of dengue fever and other arboviral diseases. However, in many parts of the world the possible risks associated with container habitats have not been assessed. Here, we focused on a human population expansion area in northern Tanzania with a high incidence of dengue and other cases of high fever. We explored the importance of anthropogenic container habitats for mosquito production in the Lake Manyara Basin. We also assessed how biotic and physicochemical habitat characteristics limit mosquito abundance in containers. Results showed that Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), vector of dengue and other arboviruses, and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say), vector of filarial worms, were the dominant mosquitoes ovipositing in large numbers in different containers. Old tires were the dominant and most productive container habitat for mosquitoes in the region. However, there were strong differences among villages, illustrating that the mosquito burden associated with container habitats varies locally. We concluded that in this region, removal of artificial container habitats could be a simple strategy to reduce the mosquito-mediated disease burden within the local population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordian Rocky Mataba
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania,
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Linus Munishi
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Janssens de Bisthoven L, Vanhove M, Rochette AJ, Hugé J, Brendonck L. Stakeholder Analysis on Ecosystem Services of Lake Manyara Sub-basin (Tanzania): How to Overcome Confounding Factors. Environ Manage 2022; 69:652-665. [PMID: 33929579 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01466-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem services are a telling concept to discuss the integrated management of natural resources, such as integrated water and soil, with non-academic stakeholders. Stakeholders have different perceptions regarding the management of various ecosystem services, which is challenging when aiming to develop and foster sustainable ecosystem management. We performed a stakeholder analysis as part of a social-ecological study in preparation of a decision support system for integrated water management within the Lake Manyara sub-basin (LMSB), Tanzania. The area includes a National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A group discussion listed 26 stakeholders, categorized according to the sector, influence, and interest. The stakeholders were grouped into six functional categories: local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), other civil society groups, Belgian and international NGOs, authorities, academics associated to international donors and the private sector. We empirically identified advantages, shortcomings and associated risks when performing a stakeholder analysis with an interest-influence matrix. Confounding factors may include, e.g., the omission of important stakeholders, a different understanding of 'influence' and 'interest', or the omission of fragile groups. Instead of 'low' or 'high' interest and influence, we propose the terms 'supportive', 'potentially supportive', 'unsupportive', 'not interested', 'low or no influence' and 'antagonistic'. Further, we consider stakeholders who directly extract resources from the social-ecological system (SES) as a separate category, because of their direct dependence and impact on the SES. This improved stakeholder analysis framework for developing decision support systems in water basins can contribute to better analysis, understanding and management of aquatic social-ecological systems in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maarten Vanhove
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Hugé
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
- Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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10
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Kafula YA, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Munishi LK, Moyo F, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L, Thoré ESJ. Pesticide sensitivity of Nothobranchius neumanni, a temporary pond predator with a non-generic life-history. Chemosphere 2022; 291:132823. [PMID: 34767842 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are crucial to improve agricultural productivity, but often adversely affect surrounding aquatic systems and their fauna. To determine the environmental risk of pesticides, routine ecotoxicological tests are performed on several organisms, including standard fish models. However, these typically do not include fish species from variable habitats and with non-generic life-histories. In particular, inhabitants from temporary ponds such as annual killifish are conventionally understood to be resilient to natural stressors which could translate to higher pesticide resistance or, alternatively, trade-off with their resistance to pesticides and render them more sensitive than classic fish models. Using standard exposure tests, we assessed short-term toxicity effects of two commonly used pesticides, Roundup and cypermethrin, on the annual killifish Nothobranchius neumanni, and compared its sensitivity with that of classic fish models. For Roundup, we found a 72 h-LC50 of 1.79 ± 0.11 mg/L, which is lower than the values reported for zebrafish, medaka, fathead minnow and rainbow trout, suggesting that N. neumanni is more sensitive to the compound. The opposite was true for cypermethrin, with a 72 h-LC50 of 0.27 ± 0.03 mg/L. However, these LC50-values do not deviate strongly from those reported for other fish species, supporting earlier findings in the congeneric N. furzeri that the sensitivity of annual killifish to pollutants is similar to that of classic fish models despite their assumed robustness to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuph A Kafula
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, College of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania; Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Linus K Munishi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francis Moyo
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences, And Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Mataba GR, Kafula YA, Mwaijengo GN, Snoeks JM, Munishi L, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Keep your natural enemies close - native predators can maintain low mosquito densities in temporary ponds in a malaria expansion area in Northern Tanzania. Sci Total Environ 2021; 794:148606. [PMID: 34225145 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit are a global public health threat that affects most human populations. Mosquito abundances are strongly linked to the number of suitable larval habitats available. However, it is still not well understood how different land uses impact larval habitat quality in different parts of the world. We investigated links between land use practices and abundance of mosquito larvae in temporary ponds located in different land uses in a malaria expansion zone in Tanzania. Temporary ponds are often cited as important sources of mosquitoes but are also of substantial conservation concern being home to a unique fauna and flora. Often, they also have high socio-economic importance. Overall, encountered mosquito larval abundances were very low, both for the collected Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Culex quinquefasciatus. Although temporary ponds are important mosquito larval habitats in other parts of Africa, currently they are unlikely to be an important factor affecting the prevalence of mosquito borne diseases in the Manyara study region. Larval abundances in temporary ponds were higher in agricultural areas where more eutrophic conditions were found and minimal in residential areas. Overall, even though temporary ponds are often modified as rice paddies in the rainy season, they were in a good ecological condition and hosted a diverse assemblage of aquatic predators that likely prevented larval mosquitoes from reaching high densities. Maintaining this good condition by preventing pesticide and nutrient input as much as possible, can be important to prevent pond degradation that is likely to make these habitats more suitable for mosquitoes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordian Rocky Mataba
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Yusuph Aron Kafula
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania; Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Box 2439, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Grite Nelson Mwaijengo
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Joren M Snoeks
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Linus Munishi
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Box 2439, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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12
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Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Neurochemical exposure disrupts sex-specific trade-offs between body length and behaviour in a freshwater crustacean. Aquat Toxicol 2021; 237:105877. [PMID: 34090246 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing pollution of aquatic ecosystems with neurochemical compounds warrants an improved understanding of how this affects key organisms. Neurochemicals are shown to alter the behaviour of common study species but it remains difficult to translate these results to biologically meaningful predictions across taxa. This is partly because studies on species with non-generic life-history strategies such as many freshwater crustaceans are currently underrepresented. Here, we use a laboratory experiment to assess baseline behavioural variation (spontaneous activity level and geotaxic behaviour) in the freshwater fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis wolfi and how this is affected by chronic exposure to an environmentally-relevant concentration of the anxiolytic pharmaceutical fluoxetine. The more conspicuously coloured and larger females of the species were overall less active and more benthic than males. Moreover, amongst females, vertical activity was negatively associated with size, while an opposite relationship was found for males. These trade-offs are likely part of an antipredator strategy to reduce the probability of being detected by visual hunters, but disappeared after exposure to fluoxetine. This is of particular interest since it is an effective proof of principle that neurochemicals may impact ecologically-relevant trade-offs between conspicuous morphology and antipredator behaviour. In natural ecosystems, such disturbed antipredator behavioural responses could have far-reaching fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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13
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Pinceel T, Vanden Berghen B, Buschke F, Waterkeyn A, da Costa Nerantzoulis I, Rodrigues M, Thoré E, Burrough R, Worth E, Brendonck L. Co-occurrence of large branchiopods and killifish in African savannah ponds. Ecology 2021; 102:e03505. [PMID: 34319594 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Birgit Vanden Berghen
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Society-Environment Interactions, Division of Bio-economics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Falko Buschke
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Aline Waterkeyn
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Mery Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Eli Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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14
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Pinceel T, Buschke F, Geerts A, Vanoverbeke J, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. An empirical confirmation of diversified bet hedging as a survival strategy in unpredictably varying environments. Ecology 2021; 102:e03496. [PMID: 34309020 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Environmental change jeopardizes the survival of species from variable environments by making the occurrence of favorable conditions less predictable. For organisms with long-lived propagules (e.g., spores, eggs, or seeds), the theory of diversified bet hedging (DBH) predicts that delayed hatching over different growing seasons can help populations avoid extinction. Empirical observations in different organisms are consistent with DBH, but integrated tests that simultaneously validate the main theoretical assumptions and predictions are lacking. In this study, we combine field and multi-generational lab experiments to provide a complete test of DBH. Consistent with DBH predictions, resting egg clutches of the fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis wolfi, which inhabits rain-fed temporary rock pool environments with unpredictable inundations, hatched partially over a succession of inundations with identical hatching cues. Bet hedging was more common in populations from more unpredictable habitats where hatching fractions were lower. This differentiation in hatching strategies was preserved after two generations under common garden conditions, which implies intrinsic (epi-)genetic control of hatching. Finally, a demographic model confirmed that lower hatching fractions increase long-term population growth in unpredictable habitats. With this paper we propose a method to calculate probabilities of successful recruitment for organisms that use imperfect cues and show that this drives selection for variation in life history strategies as part of a DBH strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Falko Buschke
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Aurora Geerts
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Vanoverbeke
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.,Department of Biology, Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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15
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Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Towards improved fish tests in ecotoxicology - Efficient chronic and multi-generational testing with the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Chemosphere 2021; 273:129697. [PMID: 33517116 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As many freshwaters are chemically polluted, one of the challenges for policy makers is to determine the potential impact of these pollutants on ecosystems and to define safe concentrations. Common practice is the use of ecotoxicological assays to assess the response of model organisms from different trophic levels such as algae, invertebrates and fish during exposure to dilutions of a specific compound. Ideally, ecotoxicological assessments of (pseudo-)persistent chemicals should be performed across the life-cycle or even multiple generations for an accurate risk assessment. Multigenerational tests with fish are, however, impractical and costly given the long lifespan and generation time of classic model species. Here, we suggest a framework for more relevant, time- and cost-efficient fish-based testing in ecotoxicology and align it with accredited test guidelines. Next, we introduce an upcoming fish model, the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri, and show how it facilitates such research agendas due to a short lifespan and generation time. Through a review of fish-based exposure studies with a set of reference toxicants, we position N. furzeri as a sensitive species, suitable for screening effects of different pollutant types. Ultimately, we perform a cost-benefit analysis and propose a plan of action for the introduction of N. furzeri into accredited test guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Natural daily patterns in fish behaviour may confound results of ecotoxicological testing. Environ Pollut 2021; 276:116738. [PMID: 33611201 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Low doses of neuroactive chemicals end up in the environment and disrupt behaviour of non-target organisms. Although a whole range of studies have documented pollutant-induced changes in behaviour, natural daily variability in behaviour is rarely taken into account. This is surprising because biological rhythms may affect the outcome of experiments, are adaptive and are expected to be sensitive to neurochemical exposure. Here, we exploit daily behavioural variation in the fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to examine if behavioural effects of chronic exposure (74 days) to an environmentally relevant level (28 ng/L) of the neurochemical fluoxetine depend on the time of day. Fluoxetine exposure induced an increase in anxiety-related behaviour that was slightly more pronounced in the evening compared to the morning. Moreover, open-field locomotor activity was disrupted and daily patterns in activity lifted upon exposure to the compound. These results imply that short-term behavioural variability should be considered both to standardise ecological risk assessment of neuroactive chemicals as well as to better understand the environmental impact of such compounds in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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17
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Thoré ESJ, Van Hooreweghe F, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Generation-specific and interactive effects of pesticide and antidepressant exposure in a fish model call for multi-stressor and multigenerational testing. Aquat Toxicol 2021; 232:105743. [PMID: 33460950 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecological risks of a pollutant are typically assessed via short-term exposure of model organisms to that single compound. Such tests are informative, but cannot ascertain effects of long-term and multigenerational mixed-stressor exposure with which organisms are often confronted in their natural environment. Therefore, full life-cycle and multigenerational tests are needed. Yet, these are hampered due to long lifespans and generation times of many standard laboratory species, in particular for vertebrates such as fish. With a typical lifespan of 6 months and a generation time of about 3 months, the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) may be an ideal model for multigenerational testing. In this study, we assessed the impact of full life-cycle exposure to the emerging pollutant fluoxetine (0, 0.5 μg/L) in combination with chronic exposure during adulthood to the pesticide 3,4-dichloroaniline (0, 50, 100 μg/L) over two successive generations of N. furzeri. Overall, both life-history and behaviour were affected by exposure to fluoxetine and 3,4-DCA. Inhibitory effects of single chemical exposure on growth and fecundity were generation-dependent, while enhanced swimming acceleration and feeding in response to fluoxetine were dependent on the presence of 3,4-DCA. Together, these findings show the relevance of a multi-stressor approach across successive generations. Although full life-cycle and multigenerational tests are typically assumed to be impractical and costly for fish, we deliver an effective demonstration that such studies are possible within a timespan of less than 6 months with the killifish N. furzeri as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Floor Van Hooreweghe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, 9300, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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18
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Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Conspecific density and environmental complexity impact behaviour of turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). J Fish Biol 2020; 97:1448-1461. [PMID: 32845514 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fish models are essential for research in many biological and medical disciplines. With a typical lifespan of only 6 months, the Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) was recently established as a time- and cost-efficient model to facilitate whole-life and multigenerational studies in several research fields, including behavioural ecotoxicology. Essential information on the behavioural norm and on how laboratory conditions affect behaviour, however, is deficient. In the current study, we examined the impact of the social and structural environment on a broad spectrum of behavioural endpoints in N. furzeri. While structural enrichment affected only fish boldness and exploratory behaviour, fish rearing density affected the total body length, locomotor activity, boldness, aggressiveness and feeding behaviour of N. furzeri individuals. Overall, these results contribute to compiling a behavioural baseline for N. furzeri that increases the applicability of this new model species. Furthermore, our findings will fuel the development of improved husbandry protocols to maximize the welfare of N. furzeri in a laboratory setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Antidepressant exposure reduces body size, increases fecundity and alters social behavior in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Environ Pollut 2020; 265:115068. [PMID: 32806394 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Social and mating behavior are fundamental fitness determinants in fish. Although fish are increasingly exposed to pharmaceutical compounds that may alter expression of such behavior, potential effects are understudied. Here, we examine the impact of lifelong exposure to two concentrations (0.7 and 5.3 μg/L) of the antidepressant fluoxetine on fecundity and social behavior (i.e. sociability and male-male aggression) in the turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri. When exposed to the highest concentration of fluoxetine (5.3 μg/L), fish were smaller at maturation but they more frequently engaged in mating. In addition, in both fluoxetine treatments females roughly doubled their overall fecundity while egg fertilization rates were the same for exposed and unexposed fish. Although aggression of male fish was not impacted by fluoxetine exposure, exposed male fish (5.3 μg/L) spent more time in the proximity of a group of conspecifics, which implies an increased sociability in these individuals. Overall, the results of this study indicate that exposure to fluoxetine may result in disrupted male sociability, increased mating frequency and an increased reproductive output in fish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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20
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Janssens de Bisthoven L, Vanhove MPM, Rochette AJ, Hugé J, Verbesselt S, Machunda R, Munishi L, Wynants M, Steensels A, Malan-Meerkotter M, Henok S, Nhiwatiwa T, Casier B, Kiwango YA, Kaitila R, Komakech H, Brendonck L. Social-ecological assessment of Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania: A mixed method approach. J Environ Manage 2020; 267:110594. [PMID: 32349949 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The social-ecological system of the Lake Manyara basin (Northern Tanzania), a UNESCO Biosphere reserve (BR) suffers from social-economic and environmental problems due to decreasing water levels, erosion and land and water use conflicts. We propose an integrated assessment of the social-ecological interactions of the area to support future sustainable management. Within the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework an integrated literature review and several methods of knowledge collection were combined to identify future management priorities and challenges. During focus groups with farmers and pastoralists, stakeholders confirmed the role played by land use changes as driver and pressure in the landscape, e.g. through increased erosion rates and siltation of the lake. Moreover, economic and social issues were identified as prominent factors being influenced by, or influencing these processes. These statements match the scientific literature. During participatory mapping exercises different spatial and resource allocation perceptions appeared amongst pastoralists and farmers. The multidisciplinary approach proved to be useful to acquire an integrated and comprehensive understanding of the state, challenges and opportunities of Lake Manyara BR, to feed into a decision support system in service of an integrated management plan. Our assessment suggests that improved water governance in a multi-actor approach (with a focus on distribution of benefits, rights, and a specific role of the water authorities) should be a priority for future integrated management strategies. Also, awareness raising amongst decision makers, scientists and local communities is needed to demonstrate the advantages of an integrated approach. And finally, visible and fair mechanisms to share conservation revenues should be designed in a way that local benefits can be obtained together with incentive mechanisms for co-management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Janssens de Bisthoven
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, CEBioS Programme, Vautier Straat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - M P M Vanhove
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, CEBioS Programme, Vautier Straat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium; KU Leuven, Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Charles Deberiotstraat 32 - box 2439, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Agoralaan Gebouw D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, P.O.Box 17, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - A-J Rochette
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, CEBioS Programme, Vautier Straat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Hugé
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Département de Biologie des Organismes, Écologie des Systèmes et Gestion des Ressources, Campus du Solbosch, CP 169, Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 50, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Biology Department, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Open University of the Netherlands, Valkenburgerweg 177, 6419, AT, Heerlen, the Netherlands; Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Environmental Biology, Agoralaan Gebouw D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - S Verbesselt
- KU Leuven, Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Charles Deberiotstraat 32 - box 2439, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - R Machunda
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), PO Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Munishi
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), PO Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - M Wynants
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK
| | - A Steensels
- KU Leuven, Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Charles Deberiotstraat 32 - box 2439, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Malan-Meerkotter
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - S Henok
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - T Nhiwatiwa
- University of Zimbabwe, Lake Kariba Research Station, P.O. Box 78, Kariba, Zimbabwe
| | - B Casier
- Trias, P.O. Box 12005, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - R Kaitila
- TANAPA, P. O. Box 3134, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - H Komakech
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), PO Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Brendonck
- KU Leuven, Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Charles Deberiotstraat 32 - box 2439, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Wynants M, Millward G, Patrick A, Taylor A, Munishi L, Mtei K, Brendonck L, Gilvear D, Boeckx P, Ndakidemi P, Blake WH. Determining tributary sources of increased sedimentation in East-African Rift Lakes. Sci Total Environ 2020; 717:137266. [PMID: 32084693 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Temporal and spatial sediment dynamics in an East-African Rift Lake (Lake Manyara, Tanzania), and its river inputs, have been evaluated via a combination of sediment tracing and radioactive dating. Changes in sedimentation rates were assessed using radioactive dating of sediment cores in combination with geochemical profile analysis of allogenic and autogenic elements. Geochemical fingerprinting of riverine and lake sediment was integrated within a Bayesian mixing model framework, including spatial factors, to establish which tributary sources were the main contributors to recent lake sedimentation. The novel application of Bayesian source attribution on sediment cores and subsequent integration with sedimentation data permitted the coupling of changes in the rate of lake sedimentation with variations in sediment delivery from the tributaries. These complimentary evidence bases demonstrated that Lake Manyara has experienced an overall upward trajectory in sedimentation rates over the last 120 years with distinct maxima between 0.80 and 0.85 g cm-2 yr-1 in the 1960s and between 0.84 and 1.81 g cm-2 yr-1 in 2010. Increased sedimentation rates are largely a result of a complex interaction between increased upstream sediment delivery following changes in land cover and natural rainfall fluctuations. Modelling results identified two specific tributaries as responsible for elevated sedimentation rates, contributing 58% and 38% of the recently deposited lake sediment. However, the effects of sedimentation were shown to be spatially distinct given the domination of different tributaries in various areas of Lake Manyara. The application of source-tracing techniques constrained sedimentation problems in Lake Manyara to specific tributary sources and established a link between upstream land degradation and downstream ecosystem health. This novel application provides a solid foundation for targeted land and water management strategies to safeguard water security and environmental health in Lake Manyara and has potential application to fill knowledge gaps on sediment dynamics in other East-African Rift Lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Wynants
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Geoffrey Millward
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Aloyce Patrick
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Alex Taylor
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Linus Munishi
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
| | - Kelvin Mtei
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - David Gilvear
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
| | - Patrick Ndakidemi
- School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
| | - William H Blake
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
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Nelson Mwaijengo G, Msigwa A, Njau KN, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Where does land use matter most? Contrasting land use effects on river quality at different spatial scales. Sci Total Environ 2020; 715:134825. [PMID: 31864783 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the influence of land-use activities on river quality has been a key focus of river monitoring programs worldwide. However, defining which land-use spatial scale is relevant remains elusive. In this study, therefore, we contrasted the influence of land use on river quality using three types of land-use estimators, namely circular buffers around a monitoring site, circular buffers upstream of the monitoring site and the entire watershed area upstream of the monitoring site. The land-use percentage compositions within the Usa-Kikuletwa River catchment in northeastern Tanzania were quantified using Landsat-8 satellite images with a maximum mapping resolution of 30 m. Redundancy analysis models and generalized linear models were used to evaluate the influence of land use on macroinvertebrate assemblages and physico-chemical water quality at different spatial scales in the dry and wet seasons. Overall, a substantial fraction of variation in physico-chemical water quality, macroinvertebrate taxon richness, Chao-1 and TARISS (Tanzania River Scoring System) score could be explained by land use of the entire watershed area upstream of the monitoring site in the dry and wet seasons. However, macroinvertebrate abundances showed strong links with more local land-use patterns within 100 m and 2 km radii. Circular buffers upstream of monitoring sites were more informative for macroinvertebrate assemblages than circular buffers around the monitoring sites. However, the latter did correlate well with physico-chemical water quality variables. Land-use variables correlated across spatial scales (i.e., 100 m up to 2 km radii), but not with the land use in the entire watershed area above the monitoring site. Our results indicate that physico-chemical water quality variables and macroinvertebrates may respond differently to land-uses at different scales. More importantly, our results illustrate that the choice regarding spatial land-use metrics can bias conclusions of environmental impact studies in river systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grite Nelson Mwaijengo
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32 - Box 2439, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Water, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
| | - Anna Msigwa
- Department of Water, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Karoli Nicholas Njau
- Department of Water, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32 - Box 2439, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Mandela Drive, P.O. Box 339, 9300 Bloemfontein, South Africa
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23
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de Necker L, Manfrin A, Ikenaka Y, Ishizuka M, Brendonck L, van Vuren JHJ, Sures B, Wepener V, Smit NJ. Using stable δ13C and δ15N isotopes to assess foodweb structures in an African subtropical temporary pool. African Zoology 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1731331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L de Necker
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - A Manfrin
- Environmental Campus Birkenfeld, University of Applied Sciences Tier, Standort Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Germany
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Y Ikenaka
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - M Ishizuka
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - L Brendonck
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - JHJ van Vuren
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - B Sures
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - V Wepener
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - NJ Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Netherlands EC, Cook CA, Du Preez LH, Vanhove MP, Brendonck L, Smit NJ. An overview of the Dactylosomatidae (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina: Dactylosomatidae), with the description of Dactylosoma kermiti n. sp. parasitising Ptychadena anchietae and Sclerophrys gutturalis from South Africa. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 11:246-260. [PMID: 32195110 PMCID: PMC7078462 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Haemogregarine (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) blood parasites are commonly reported from anuran hosts. Dactylosomatidae (Jakowska and Nigrelli, 1955) is a group of haemogregarines comprising Dactylosoma Labbé, 1894 and Babesiosoma Jakowska and Nigrelli, 1956. Currently Dactylosoma and Babesiosoma contain five recognised species each. In the current study, a total of 643 anurans, comprising 38 species, 20 genera, and 13 families were collected from South Africa (n = 618) and Belgium (n = 25), and their blood screened for the presence of dactylosomatid parasites. Three anuran species were found infected namely, Ptychadena anchietae (Bocage, 1868) and Sclerophrys gutturalis (Power, 1927) from South Africa, and Pelophylax lessonae (Camerano, 1882) from Belgium. Based on morphological characteristics, morphometrics and molecular results a new dactylosomatid, Dactylosoma kermiti n. sp. is described form Pty. anchietae and Scl. gutturalis. The species of Dactylosoma isolated from Pel. lessonae could not, based on morphological or molecular analysis, be identified to species level. Phylogenetic analysis shows species of Dactylosoma infecting anurans as a monophyletic group separate from the other haemogregarine groups. Additionally, the mosquitoes Uranotaenia (Pseudoficalbia) mashonaensis Theobald, 1901 and U. (Pfc.) montana Ingram and De Meillon, 1927 were observed feeding on Scl. gutturalis in situ and possible dividing stages of this new parasite were observed in the mosquitoes. This study is the first to describe a dactylosomatid parasite based on morphological and molecular data from Africa as well as observe potential stages in possible dipteran vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward C. Netherlands
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
- African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Charles Debériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Courtney A. Cook
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Louis H. Du Preez
- African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Maarten P.M. Vanhove
- Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Agoralaan Gebouw D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, P.O.Box 17, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Charles Debériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Charles Debériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nico J. Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
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25
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Dube T, de Necker L, Wepener V, Smit NJ, Pinceel T, Mwaijengo GN, Lemmens P, Brendonck L. A comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrate and large branchiopod community composition between temporary pans of a conservation area and surrounding communal area in South Africa. African Zoology 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1724827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T Dube
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - L de Necker
- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - V Wepener
- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - NJ Smit
- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - T Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - GN Mwaijengo
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Leuven, Belgium
- School of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, Nelson Mandela Institute, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - P Lemmens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Leuven, Belgium
| | - L Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Philippe C, Hautekiet P, Grégoir AF, Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, De Boeck G, Pinceel T. Interactive effects of 3,4-DCA and temperature on the annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Aquat Toxicol 2019; 212:146-153. [PMID: 31128415 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although aquatic organisms are increasingly exposed to pollutants and abnormally high temperatures as a consequence of climate change, interactive effects between those stressors remain poorly assessed. Especially in ectotherms, such as fish, increases in ambient temperature are expected to affect fitness-related traits and physiology. We used the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri to study the effects of a range of 3,4-dichloroaniline concentrations (0, 50, 100 μg/L) in combination with two temperature conditions (control and control +4 °C) during four months of exposure. As part of an integrated multi-level approach, we quantified effects on classic life history traits (size, maturation time, body mass, fecundity), critical thermal maximum and physiology (energy reserves and stress-associated enzymatic activity). While no interactive effects of 3,4-DCA exposure and increased temperature emerged, our results do show a negative effect of 3,4-DCA on thermal tolerance. This finding is of particular relevance in light of increasing temperatures under climate change. Due to increases in pest species and faster degradation of 3,4-DCA under higher temperatures, increased use of the pesticide is expected under climate change which, in turn, could result in a decreased tolerance of aquatic organisms to high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium; Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Pauline Hautekiet
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gudrun De Boeck
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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27
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Thoré ESJ, Grégoir AF, Adriaenssens B, Philippe C, Stoks R, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Population-, sex- and individual level divergence in life-history and activity patterns in an annual killifish. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7177. [PMID: 31293828 PMCID: PMC6599669 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in life-history strategies along a slow-fast continuum is largely governed by life-history trade-offs. The pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis (POLS) expands on this idea and suggests coevolution of these traits with personality and physiology at different levels of biological organization. However, it remains unclear to what extent covariation at different levels aligns and if also behavioral patterns such as diurnal activity changes should be incorporated. Here, we investigate variation in life-history traits as well as behavioral variation at the individual, sex and population level in the Turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. We performed a common garden laboratory experiment with four populations that differ in pond permanence and scored life-history and behavioral (co-) variation at the individual and population level for both males and females. In addition, we focused on diurnal activity change as a behavioral trait that remains understudied in ecology. Our results demonstrate sex-specific variation in adult body size and diurnal activity change among populations that originate from ponds with differences in permanence. However, there was no pond permanence-dependent divergence in maturation time, juvenile growth rate, fecundity and average activity level. With regard to behavior, individuals differed consistently in locomotor activity and diurnal activity change while, in contrast with POLS predictions, we found no indications for life-history and behavioral covariation at any level. Overall, this study illustrates that diurnal activity change differs consistently between individuals, sexes and populations although this variation does not appear to match POLS predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Adriaenssens
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Thoré ESJ, Steenaerts L, Philippe C, Grégoir AF, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Improving the reliability and ecological validity of pharmaceutical risk assessment: Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) as a model in behavioral ecotoxicology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019; 38:262-270. [PMID: 30357889 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are essential for human well-being, but their increasing and continuous use pollutes the environment. Although behavioral ecotoxicology is increasingly advocated to assess the effects of pharmaceutical pollution on wildlife and ecosystems, a consensus on the actual environmental risks is lacking for most compounds. The main limitation is the lack of standardized reproducible tests that are based on sensitive behavioral endpoints and that accommodate a high ecological relevance. In the present study, we assessed the impact of a 3-wk exposure to the antidepressant fluoxetine on multiple behavioral traits in the promising new model organism Nothobranchius furzeri (turquoise killifish). Overall, our study shows that fluoxetine can impact feeding behavior, habitat choice in a novel environment, and antipredator response of N. furzeri individuals; effects on spontaneous activity and exploration tendency were less pronounced. However, effects became only apparent when individuals were exposed to fluoxetine concentrations that were 10 times higher than typical concentrations in natural aquatic environments. Ecotoxicologists are challenged to maximize both the reliability and ecological validity of risk assessments of pollutants. Our study contributes to the development of a time- and cost-efficient, standardized ecotoxicological test based on sensitive, ecologically relevant behavioral endpoints in N. furzeri. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:262-270. © 2018 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laure Steenaerts
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Philippe C, Hautekiet P, Grégoir AF, Thoré ESJ, Pinceel T, Stoks R, Brendonck L, Boeck GD. Combined effects of cadmium exposure and temperature on the annual killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). Environ Toxicol Chem 2018; 37:2361-2371. [PMID: 29878480 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater organisms are increasingly exposed to combinations of stressors. However, because it is time-consuming and costly, research on the interaction of stressors, such as compound toxicity and global warming on vertebrates, is scarce. Studies on multigenerational effects of these combined stressors are almost nonexistent. In the present study, we tested the combined effects of 4 °C warming and cadmium (Cd) exposure on life-history traits, biomarkers, bioaccumulation, and multigenerational tolerance in the turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri. The extremely short life cycle of this vertebrate model allows for assessment of sublethal and multigenerational effects within 4 mo. The applied Cd concentrations had only limited effects on the measured endpoints, which suggests that N. furzeri is more resistant to Cd than fathead minnow and rainbow trout. In contrast, the temperature increase of 4 °C was stressful: it delayed female maturation and lowered adult mass and fecundity. Finally, indications of synergistic effects were found on peak fecundity and embryonic survival. Overall, these results indicate the importance of studying chronic and multigenerational effects of combined stressors. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2361-2371. © 2018 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pauline Hautekiet
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gudrun De Boeck
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Thoré ESJ, Steenaerts L, Philippe C, Grégoir A, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Individual behavioral variation reflects personality divergence in the upcoming model organism Nothobranchius furzeri. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8448-8457. [PMID: 30250714 PMCID: PMC6144979 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the animal kingdom, behavioral variation among individuals has often been reported. However, stable among-individual differences along a behavioral continuum-reflective of personality variation-have only recently become a key target of research. While a vast body of descriptive literature exists on animal personality, hypothesis-driven quantitative studies are largely deficient. One of the main constraints to advance the field is the lack of suitable model organisms. Here, we explore whether N. furzeri could be a valuable model to bridge descriptive and hypothesis-driven research to further unravel the causes, function and evolution of animal personality. As a first step toward this end, we perform a common garden laboratory experiment to examine if behavioral variation in the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri reflects personality divergence. Furthermore, we explore if multiple behavioral traits are correlated. We deliver "proof of principle" of personality variation among N. furzeri individuals in multiple behavioral traits. Because of the vast body of available genomic and physiological information, the well-characterized ecological background and an exceptionally short life cycle, N. furzeri is an excellent model organism to further elucidate the causes and implications of behavioral variation in an eco-evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S. J. Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Laure Steenaerts
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological ResearchUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Arnout Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Water Research GroupUnit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Centre for Environmental ManagementUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
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Navis S, Waterkeyn A, De Meester L, Brendonck L. Acute and chronic effects of exposure to the juvenile hormone analog fenoxycarb during sexual reproduction in Daphnia magna. Ecotoxicology 2018; 27:627-634. [PMID: 29700713 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-1935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that insect growth regulating insecticides are able to affect reproductive endpoints in zooplankton species at very low levels. For the cyclic parthenogenetic water flea Daphnia, most of this research has focused on the asexual part of the life cycle and induction of male offspring. Even though Daphnia and many other aquatic invertebrates rely on sexual reproduction and subsequent production of dormant eggs to recover from environmentally harsh conditions, much less is known about the effects of toxicants on the sexual reproductive phase. Using fenoxycarb as a model pesticide, we exposed male and female neonate Daphnia magna, under conditions inducing a switch to sexual reproduction, and tested for effects on dormant egg (ephippia) production and sex ratio of parthenogenetic offspring. Subsequently, we assessed whether fenoxycarb exposure affected the quality of the produced dormant eggs and viability of the hatchlings. Our results showed that exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of fenoxycarb caused a sharp decrease in parthenogenetic reproduction, while inducing male offspring. Dormant egg production was marginally negatively affected, but survival and fitness of the hatched individuals were not significantly affected. This indicates that under pesticide stress, surviving adult females invested in sexual reproduction at the expense of parthenogenetic reproduction. Exposure to toxicants during the sexual reproductive phase, could affect the active aquatic phase as well as the dormant phase in natural zooplankton populations. This indicates the need for further ecotoxicological research and development of test protocols taking into account the full life cycle of zooplankton species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Navis
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
| | - Aline Waterkeyn
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
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Grégoir AF, Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Squeezing out the last egg-annual fish increase reproductive efforts in response to a predation threat. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6390-6398. [PMID: 30038743 PMCID: PMC6053551 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Both constitutive and inducible antipredator strategies are ubiquitous in nature and serve to maximize fitness under a predation threat. Inducible strategies may be favored over constitutive defenses depending on their relative cost and benefit and temporal variability in predator presence. In African temporary ponds, annual killifish of the genus Nothobranchius are variably exposed to predators, depending on whether larger fish invade their habitat from nearby rivers during floods. Nonetheless, potential plastic responses to predation risk are poorly known. Here, we studied whether Nothobranchius furzeri individuals adjust their life history in response to a predation threat. For this, we monitored key life history traits in response to cues that signal the presence of predatory pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). While growth rate, adult body size, age at maturation, and initial fecundity were not affected, peak and total fecundity were higher in the predation risk treatment. This contrasts with known life history strategies of killifish from permanent waters, which tend to reduce reproduction in the presence of predators. Although our results show that N. furzeri individuals are able to detect predators and respond to their presence by modulating their reproductive output, these responses only become evident after a few clutches have been deposited. Overall our findings suggest that, in the presence of a predation risk, it can be beneficial to increase the production of life stages that can persist until the predation risk has faded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnout Francis Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological ResearchUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Centre for Environmental ManagementUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Community Ecology LaboratoryDepartment of BiologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
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Philippe C, Gregoir AF, Thoré ESJ, De Boeck G, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Protocol for Acute and Chronic Ecotoxicity Testing of the Turquoise Killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29757283 DOI: 10.3791/57308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The killifish Nothobranchius furzeri is an emerging model organism in the field of ecotoxicology and its applicability in acute and chronic ecotoxicity testing has been demonstrated. Overall, the sensitivity of the species to toxic compounds is in the range with, or higher than, that of other model species. This work describes protocols for acute, chronic, and multigenerational bioassays of single and combined stressor effects on N. furzeri. Due to its short maturation time and life-cycle, this vertebrate model allows the study of endpoints such as maturation time and fecundity within four months. Transgenerational full life-cycle exposure trials can be performed in as little as 8 months. Since this species produces eggs that are drought-resistant and remain viable for years, the on-site culture of the species is not needed but individuals can be recruited when required. The protocols are designed to measure life-history traits (mortality, growth, fecundity, weight) and critical thermal maximum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven; Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp;
| | - Arnout F Gregoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven
| | - Gudrun De Boeck
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State
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Malan M, Müller F, Raitt L, Cyster L, Brendonck L. Essential metal and metalloid elements in the Philippi Horticultural area, and their uptake into selected vegetable crops. Int J Phytoremediation 2018; 20:471-475. [PMID: 29053349 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2017.1365353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Se, Sn and V status in the soils of the PHA, as well as the vegetables produced on these soils. We also determined the agronomic sources of these elements to the soils in the PHA. Farmyard manures applied as fertilizer amendments to the soils in the PHA were found to be the major agronomic sources of the metal and metalloid elements. These elements were however, retained in significantly higher concentrations in the soils compared to the concentrations found in the edible portions of the vegetable crops collected. This, in turn, resulted in these vegetables being poor sources of several of the essential mineral nutrients. It is therefore suggested that: (1) a wider variety of crops are assessed for their mineral nutrient status, (2) to find ways to increase the availability of these mineral nutrients and (3), that the possibilities of micronutrient and trace element deficiencies be assessed in the communities surrounding the PHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marÿke Malan
- a Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology , University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Francuois Müller
- a Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology , University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
- b Agricultural Research Council - Animal Production Institute, University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Lincoln Raitt
- a Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology , University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Lilburne Cyster
- a Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology , University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- c Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
- d Department of Environmental and Water Science , Institute for Water Studies, University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , South Africa
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Philippe C, Grégoir AF, Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, De Boeck G, Pinceel T. Acute sensitivity of the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri to a combination of temperature and reference toxicants (cadmium, chlorpyrifos and 3,4-dichloroaniline). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:10029-10038. [PMID: 29380199 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1278-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic organisms of inland waters are often subjected to a combination of stressors. Yet, few experiments assess mixed stress effects beyond a select group of standard model organisms. We studied the joint toxicity of reference toxicants and increased temperature on the turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, a promising model for ecotoxicological research due to the species' short life cycle and the production of drought-resistant eggs. The acute sensitivity of the larval stage (2dph) to three compounds (cadmium, 3,4-dichloroaniline and chlorpyrifos) was tested in combination with a temperature increase of 4 °C, mimicking global warming. Dose-response relationships were used to calculate 96h-LC50 of 0.28 mg/L (24 °C) and 0.39 mg/L (28 °C) for cadmium, 96h-LC50 of 9.75 mg/L (24 °C) and 6.61 mg/L (28 °C) for 3,4-dichloroaniline and 96h-LC50 of 15.4 μg/L (24 °C) and 14.2 μg/L (28 °C) for chlorpyrifos. After 24 h of exposure, the toxicity of all tested compounds was exacerbated under increased temperature. Furthermore, the interaction effect of cadmium and temperature could be predicted by the stress addition model (SAM). This suggests the applicability of the model for fish and at the same time indicates that the model could be suitable to predict effects of temperature-toxicant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gudrun De Boeck
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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Pinceel T, Buschke F, Weckx M, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Climate change jeopardizes the persistence of freshwater zooplankton by reducing both habitat suitability and demographic resilience. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:2. [PMID: 29361977 PMCID: PMC5782365 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0158-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Higher temperatures and increased environmental variability under climate change could jeopardize the persistence of species. Organisms that rely on short windows of rainfall to complete their life-cycles, like desert annual plants or temporary pool animals, may be particularly at risk. Although some could tolerate environmental changes by building-up banks of propagules (seeds or eggs) that buffer against catastrophes, climate change will threaten this resilience mechanism if higher temperatures reduce propagule survival. Using a crustacean model species from temporary waters, we quantified experimentally the survival and dormancy of propagules under anticipated climate change and used these demographic parameters to simulate long term population dynamics. Results By exposing propagules to present-day and projected daily temperature cycles in an 8 month laboratory experiment, we showed how increased temperatures reduce survival rates in the propagule bank. Integrating these reduced survival rates into population models demonstrated the inability of the bank to maintain populations; thereby exacerbating extinction risk caused by shortened growing seasons. Conclusions Overall, our study demonstrates that climate change could threaten the persistence of populations by both reducing habitat suitability and eroding life-history strategies that support demographic resilience. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-018-0158-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Louvain, Belgium. .,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
| | - Falko Buschke
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Margo Weckx
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.,Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Philippe C, Grégoir AF, Janssens L, Pinceel T, De Boeck G, Brendonck L. Acute and chronic sensitivity to copper of a promising ecotoxicological model species, the annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2017; 144:26-35. [PMID: 28599128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nothobranchius furzeri is a promising model for ecotoxicological research due to the species' short life cycle and the production of drought-resistant eggs. Although the species is an emerging vertebrate fish model for several fundamental as well as applied research domains, its potential for ecotoxicological research has not yet been tested. The aim of this study was to characterise the acute and chronic sensitivity of this species to copper as compared to other model organisms. Effects of both acute and chronic copper exposure were tested on survival, life history and physiological traits. We report a 24h-LC50 of 53.93µg Cu/L, which is situated within the sensitivity range of other model species such as Brook Trout, Fathead Minnow and Rainbow Trout. Moreover, in the full life cycle exposure, we show that an exposure concentration of 10.27µg/L did not cause acute adverse effects (96h), but did cause mortality after prolonged exposure (3-4 weeks). Also chronic, sublethal effects were observed, such as a reduction in growth rate, delayed maturation and postponed reproduction. Based on our results, we define the NOEC at 6.68µg Cu/L, making N. furzeri more sensitive to copper as compared to Brook Trout and Fathead Minnow. We found stimulatory effects on peak fecundity at subinhibitory levels of copper concentrations (hormesis). Finally, we found indications for detoxifying and copper-excreting mechanisms, demonstrating the ability of the fish to cope with this essential metal, even when exposed to stressful amounts. The successful application of current ecotoxicological protocols on N. furzeri and its sensitivity range comparable to that of other model organisms forms the basis to exploit this species in further ecotoxicological practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lizanne Janssens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Gudrun De Boeck
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Grégoir AF, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Reniers J, Thoré ESJ, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L. Life stage dependent responses to desiccation risk in the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi. J Fish Biol 2017; 91:880-895. [PMID: 28758279 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To assess whether the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi responds plastically to a desiccation risk and whether this response is life stage dependent, life-history traits such as maturation time, fecundity and life span were experimentally measured in N. wattersi that were subjected to a drop in water level either as juveniles, as adults or both as juveniles and adults. Fish that were exposed to simulated pool drying as juveniles did not show changes in reproductive output or life span. Adults reacted by doubling short term egg deposition at the cost of a shorter lifespan. Overall, these results suggest that annual fish species can use phenotypic plasticity to maximize their reproductive output when faced with early pond drying, but this response appears to be life-stage specific. In addition to frogs and aquatic insects, phenotypic plasticity induced by forthcoming drought is now also confirmed in annual fishes and could well be a common feature of the limited number of fish taxa that manage to survive in this extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - C Philippe
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - T Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - J Reniers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - B Vanschoenwinkel
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
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Nhiwatiwa T, Dalu T, Brendonck L. Impact of irrigation based sugarcane cultivation on the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers quality, Zimbabwe. Sci Total Environ 2017; 587-588:316-325. [PMID: 28238432 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture is vital in sustaining human livelihoods. However, agriculture as it is currently practiced, is contributing to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems globally. We investigated impacts of irrigation return flows from sugarcane farming on water quality and health status of the Chiredzi and Runde Rivers, a biodiversity hotspot region in south-eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe. The water quality at inlets from the crop field into the wetland system; wetland outlets into the river systems; and river sites upstream and downstream of wetland outlets were monitored during the dry and wet seasons. The wetland system formed naturally from excessive drainage from the cane fields but its purifying capacity was unknown to date. An assessment of the water physical-chemical variables (at all sites) and macroinvertebrate communities (at river sites only) was carried out. Results showed that the wetland was deficient in its purifying capacity as it was already saturated by salts and nutrients from high irrigation return flow loads. A significant seasonal variation was observed for conductivity, reactive phosphorus (RP), pH and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations among the inlets to the wetland whereas among the river sites significant seasonal differences were observed for ammonium, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, RP, pH, TP and turbidity concentrations during the dry season. From the macroinvertebrate community data the impact of the irrigation return flows on the river system was apparent, as the good water quality sites were characterised by a high diversity of pollution sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa, while the irrigation impacted sites were characterised and dominated by pollution tolerant taxa. High ion concentration (conductivity and salinity) and pH were found to be important in structuring macroinvertebrate communities as determined using multivariate analysis in the river system. In conclusion, the river water quality was significantly impacted by irrigation return flows and this greatly reduced the ecological health as highlighted by low macroinvertebrate diversity and increases in physical-chemical variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamuka Nhiwatiwa
- Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP 167, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Tatenda Dalu
- Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, P Bag 1015, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven B-3000, Belgium; Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
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Lemmens P, Teffera FE, Wynants M, Govaert L, Deckers J, Bauer H, Woldeyes F, Brendonck L, Bouillon S, De Meester L. Intra‐ and interspecific niche variation as reconstructed from stable isotopes in two ecologically different Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Lemmens
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Fassil E. Teffera
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
- Biology Department Arba Minch University P.O. Box 21 Arba Minch Ethiopia
| | - Maarten Wynants
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Jozef Deckers
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200E 3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Hans Bauer
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford TubneyOX13 5QL UK
| | - Feleke Woldeyes
- Biology Department Arba Minch University P.O. Box 21 Arba Minch Ethiopia
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Steven Bouillon
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200E 3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Aquatic Ecology, Evolution & Conservation KU Leuven Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
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Buschke FT, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Adding energy gradients and long-distance dispersal to a neutral model improves predictions of Madagascan bird diversity. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6919-6929. [PMID: 28725369 PMCID: PMC5513242 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroecological patterns are likely the result of both stochastically neutral mechanisms and deterministic differences between species. In Madagascar, the simplest stochastically neutral hypothesis - the mid-domain effects (MDE) hypothesis - has already been rejected. However, rejecting the MDE hypothesis does not necessarily refute the existence of all other neutral mechanisms. Here, we test whether adding complexity to a basic neutral model improves predictions of biodiversity patterns. The simplest MDE model assumes that: (1) species' ranges are continuous and unfragmented, (2) are randomly located throughout the landscape, and (3) can be stacked independently and indefinitely. We designed a simulation based on neutral theory that allowed us to weaken each of these assumptions incrementally by adjusting the habitat capacity as well as the likelihood of short- and long-distance dispersal. Simulated outputs were compared to four empirical patterns of bird diversity: the frequency distributions of species richness and range size, the within-island latitudinal diversity gradient, and the distance-decay of species compositional similarity. Neutral models emulated empirical diversity patterns for Madagascan birds accurately. The frequency distribution of range size, latitudinal diversity gradient, and the distance-decay of species compositional similarity could be attributed to stochastic long-distance migration events and zero-sum population dynamics. However, heterogenous environmental gradients improved predictions of the frequency distribution of species richness. Patterns of bird diversity in Madagascar can broadly be attributed to stochastic long-distance migration events and zero-sum population dynamics. This implies that rejecting simple hypotheses, such as MDE, does not serve as evidence against stochastic processes in general. However, environmental gradients were necessary to explain patterns of species richness and deterministic differences between species are probably important for explaining the distributions of narrow-range and endemic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falko T. Buschke
- Centre for Environmental Management (67)University of the Free StateP.O. Box 339Bloemfontein9300South Africa
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenCh Deberiotstraat 323000LeuvenBelgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenCh Deberiotstraat 323000LeuvenBelgium
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Pinceel T, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L, Buschke F. Modelling the sensitivity of life history traits to climate change in a temporary pool crustacean. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29451. [PMID: 27404276 PMCID: PMC4941417 DOI: 10.1038/srep29451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporary pool inhabitants face altered inundation regimes under climate change. While their exposure to these changes has received considerable attention, few studies have investigated their sensitivity or adaptability. Here, we use zooplankton as a model to explore how decreasing hydroperiods affect extinction risks and assess whether changes in life history traits could promote persistence. For this, we construct a three-stage matrix population model parameterised with realistic life-history values for the fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis wolfi from pools with varying hydroperiods. Our results suggest that extinction risks increase drastically once the median hydroperiod drops below a critical threshold. Although changes in life-history parameters could potentially compensate for this risk, the relative importance of each trait for population growth depends on the median hydroperiod. For example, survival of dormant eggs seemed to be most important when hydroperiods were short while the survival of freshly laid eggs and adult individuals were more important in longer-lived pools. Overall, this study demonstrates that zooplankton species are sensitive to climate change and that the adaptive capacity of organisms from temporary pools with dissimilar hydrology hinges on selection of different life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, UFS, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa
| | | | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Falko Buschke
- Centre for Environmental Management, UFS, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa
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Malan M, Müller F, Raitt L, Aalbers J, Cyster L, Brendonck L. Farmyard manures: the major agronomic sources of heavy metals in the Philippi Horticultural Area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Environ Monit Assess 2015; 187:708. [PMID: 26508018 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4918-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal toxicity in agro-ecosystems is a global problem. Recently, it has been indicated that the soils used for agriculture and the fresh produce grown on these soils in the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) contains heavy metals exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations thereof in South Africa. This study was therefore aimed at evaluating the concentrations of heavy metals in the soils and vegetables produced in the PHA, as well as to determine the major agronomic sources of these metals in this area. Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the soils exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations of 6.6, 6.6, and 46 mg/kg, respectively. Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the vegetables also exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 40 mg/kg, respectively. The biggest agronomic contributors of these heavy metals to the soils in the PHA were found to be the farmyard manures. Knowing what the major sources of these heavy metals are, it is important to determine ways to mitigate the inputs thereof, as well as to remove existing concentrations from the soils without contaminating the groundwater resources in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marÿke Malan
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x 17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - Francuois Müller
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x 17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
- Agricultural Research Council-Animal Production Institute (ARC-API), University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
| | - Lincoln Raitt
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x 17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - Johannes Aalbers
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x 17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - Lilburne Cyster
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x 17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Box 2439, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Reniers J, Brendonck L, Roberts JD, Verlinden W, Vanschoenwinkel B. Environmental harshness shapes life-history variation in an Australian temporary pool breeding frog: a skeletochronological approach. Oecologia 2015; 178:931-41. [PMID: 25694040 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3258-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
For many amphibians, high temperatures and limited precipitation are crucial habitat characteristics that limit species ranges and modulate life-history characteristics. Although knowledge of the ability of amphibians to cope with such environmental harshness is particularly relevant in the light of ongoing environmental change, relatively little is known about natural variation in age, maturation and associated life-history traits across species' ranges. We used the analysis of growth rings in bones to investigate the link between environmental harshness and life-history traits, including age and body size distribution, in specimens from 20 populations of the Australian bleating froglet, Crinia pseudinsignifera. Despite the short lifespan of the species, bone slides revealed geographic variation in average age, body size and reproductive investment linked to variation in temperature and rainfall. We found no difference in age at maturation in different climatic harshness regimes. Frogs from harsher environments invested less in their first reproductive event but grew older than their counterparts in more benign environments, thereby allowing for more reproductive events and buffering them against the increased chance of reproductive failure in the harsher environments. For individual frogs, climatic harshness experienced during an individual's life promoted larger body size. Overall, these results illustrate how bone structure analyses from preserved specimens allow both the testing of ecogeographic hypotheses and the assessment of the adaptive potential of species in the light of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Reniers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium,
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Navis S, Waterkeyn A, Putman A, De Meester L, Vanermen G, Brendonck L. Timing matters: sensitivity of Daphnia magna dormant eggs to fenoxycarb exposure depends on embryonic developmental stage. Aquat Toxicol 2015; 159:176-183. [PMID: 25546008 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Although Daphnia magna is a key species in many lentic freshwater ecosystems and is commonly used as model organism in ecology and ecotoxicology, very little is known about the effects of chemicals on their dormant life stages. Dormant eggs (ephippia) are produced when environmental conditions deteriorate, and Daphnia switch from clonal to sexual reproduction. Ephippia produced over different growing seasons can accumulate in the sediment of ponds and lakes, where they can be exposed to pesticides and other (anthropogenic) stressors. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of pesticide exposure on dormant eggs at different embryonic developmental stages and evaluated the degree of protection against pollution provided by the ephippial case. We therefore conducted a hatching experiment in which decapsulated and encapsulated dormant eggs were exposed to an insect growth regulator (fenoxycarb) at different stages during their development, both before and after activation of the eggs. In addition, we developed an analytical method to measure fenoxycarb concentrations in the dormant eggs. Fenoxycarb negatively affected development and hatching success and changed the timing of hatching in activated and in dormant eggs. Hatching characteristics as well as fenoxycarb concentrations inside the eggs differed significantly between exposure treatments. Final stages of embryonic development were most sensitive to pesticide exposure and had the highest tissue concentrations of fenoxycarb. Tissue concentrations did not differ significantly between decapsulated and encapsulated eggs, suggesting that the ephippial case offers limited or no direct protection against pesticide exposure. With this study we provide new evidence showing that pesticides can bioconcentrate in and affect D. magna dormant eggs. The severity of the effects on developing embryos depends on the timing of pesticide exposure. Our results stress the importance of considering the full life-cycle of model organisms used in ecotoxicological studies, since these are ultimately aimed at assessing risks of chemical exposure on natural aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Navis
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Aline Waterkeyn
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adinda Putman
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guido Vanermen
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO NV), Unit Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Pinceel T, Vanschoenwinkel B, Deckers P, Grégoir A, Ver Eecke T, Brendonck L. Early and late developmental arrest as complementary embryonic bet-hedging strategies in African killifish. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; KU Leuven; Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Department of Biology; VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel); Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Pieter Deckers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; KU Leuven; Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Arnout Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; KU Leuven; Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | | | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; KU Leuven; Charles Deberiotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Belgium
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Buschke F, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Differences between regional and biogeographic species pools highlight the need for multi-scale theories in macroecology. Frontiers of Biogeography 2014. [DOI: 10.21425/f56423415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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Buschke F, Brendonck L, Vanschoenwinkel B. Differences between regional and biogeographic species pools highlight the need for multi-scale theories in macroecology. Frontiers of Biogeography 2014. [DOI: 10.21425/f5fbg23415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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Brendonck L, Jocqué M, Tuytens K, Timms BV, Vanschoenwinkel B. Hydrological stability drives both local and regional diversity patterns in rock pool metacommunities. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; Ch. Deberiotstraat 32 BE-3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Merlijn Jocqué
- Rutgers, the State Univ. of New Jersey; 195 University Ave Newark NJ 07102 USA
- Koninklijk Belgisch Inst. voor Natuurwetenschappen (KBIN); Vautierstraat 29 BE-1000 Brussels Belgium
| | - Karen Tuytens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; Ch. Deberiotstraat 32 BE-3000 Leuven Belgium
| | | | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Dept of Biology; Vrije Univ. Brussel (VUB); Pleinlaan 2 BE-1050 Brussels Belgium
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Vanschoenwinkel B, Buschke F, Brendonck L. Disturbance regime alters the impact of dispersal on alpha and beta diversity in a natural metacommunity. Ecology 2013; 94:2547-57. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1576.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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