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García Ibarra F, Jouquet P, Bottinelli N, Bultelle A, Monnin T. Experimental evidence that increased surface temperature affects bioturbation by ants. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:319-332. [PMID: 38155266 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14040] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Ants are important bioturbators that actively produce biopores and move soil particles. They could be particularly affected by global warming as they are ectotherms. Nevertheless, they can indirectly regulate their temperature, through changes in their circadian cycles and the architecture of their nests (e.g. digging deep nests or using insulating materials). Nest architecture has been considered an expanded functional trait of ant colonies and thus sensitive to environmental changes such as increasing temperatures. This work aimed to study the nest architecture of ants as a functional trait and its effects on soil bioturbation. We hypothesized that, when exposed to increased surface temperatures, ants would increase their excavation activities, build deeper nests and alter the layout of chambers to maintain their preferred temperature and humidity, thus enhancing soil porosity. We allowed 17 young Lasius niger ant colonies to excavate nests in soil columns exposed to three surface temperatures (mild, n = 5; medium, n = 6; and high, n = 6) for 100 days. We measured the amount of soil excavated weekly and took X-ray scans of the soil column on Days 7, 14, 28, and 88 to characterize the three-dimensional structure of the nests (depth, shape, volume of chambers and tunnels). We then collected the colonies and measured their growth during the experiment, and the size and weight of workers. Ants reacted to surface temperature. Colonies exposed to medium and high temperatures excavated larger and deeper nests than those exposed to mild temperature. Nests excavated under high and medium temperatures had the same maximal depth, but chambers were located deeper in the former, which were further characterized by the refiling of some of the upper chambers. Colonies grew well in all treatments, although less under mild temperature. They produced normal-sized workers despite differences in surface temperature. Overall, these results suggest that ants exposed to higher temperatures live in deeper chambers. This study shows that surface temperature affects ant nest architecture, confirming its status as extended phenotype and highlighting its flexibility over time, which has in turn consequences on soil porosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima García Ibarra
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Jouquet
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
- Institut de Technologie du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Nicolas Bottinelli
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
- Department of Soil Sciences, Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Angélique Bultelle
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
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Broman E, Olsson M, Maciute A, Donald D, Humborg C, Norkko A, Jilbert T, Bonaglia S, Nascimento FJA. Biotic interactions between benthic infauna and aerobic methanotrophs mediate methane fluxes from coastal sediments. ISME J 2024; 18:wrae013. [PMID: 38366020 PMCID: PMC10942774 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae013] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems dominate oceanic methane (CH4) emissions. However, there is limited knowledge about how biotic interactions between infauna and aerobic methanotrophs (i.e. CH4 oxidizing bacteria) drive the spatial-temporal dynamics of these emissions. Here, we investigated the role of meio- and macrofauna in mediating CH4 sediment-water fluxes and aerobic methanotrophic activity that can oxidize significant portions of CH4. We show that macrofauna increases CH4 fluxes by enhancing vertical solute transport through bioturbation, but this effect is somewhat offset by high meiofauna abundance. The increase in CH4 flux reduces CH4 pore-water availability, resulting in lower abundance and activity of aerobic methanotrophs, an effect that counterbalances the potential stimulation of these bacteria by higher oxygen flux to the sediment via bioturbation. These findings indicate that a larger than previously thought portion of CH4 emissions from coastal ecosystems is due to faunal activity and multiple complex interactions with methanotrophs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Markus Olsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Adele Maciute
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Daniel Donald
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 10900, Finland
| | - Christoph Humborg
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 10900, Finland
| | - Alf Norkko
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 10900, Finland
| | - Tom Jilbert
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 10900, Finland
- Environmental Geochemistry Group, Department of Geosciences and Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
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Pascal L, Cool J, Archambault P, Calosi P, Cuenca ALR, Mucci AO, Chaillou G. Ocean deoxygenation caused non-linear responses in the structure and functioning of benthic ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e16994. [PMID: 37916608 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16994] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The O2 content of the global ocean has been declining progressively over the past decades, mainly because of human activities and global warming. Nevertheless, how long-term deoxygenation affects macrobenthic communities, sediment biogeochemistry and their mutual feedback remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the response of the benthic assemblages and biogeochemical functioning to decreasing O2 concentrations along the persistent bottom-water dissolved O2 gradient of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (QC, Canada). We report several of non-linear biodiversity and functional responses to decreasing O2 concentrations, and identify an O2 threshold that occurs at approximately at 63 μM. Below this threshold, macrobenthic community assemblages change, and bioturbation rates drastically decrease to near zero. Consequently, the sequence of electron acceptors used to metabolize the sedimentary organic matter is squeezed towards the sediment surface while reduced compounds accumulate closer (as much as 0.5-2.5 cm depending on the compound) to the sediment-water interface. Our results illustrate the capacity of bioturbating species to compensate for the biogeochemical consequences of hypoxia and can help to predict future changes in benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Pascal
- Québec Océan, Institut des Sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Joannie Cool
- Québec Océan, Institut des Sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Archambault
- Québec Océan, Takuvik, Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Piero Calosi
- Québec Océan, Laboratoire de Physiologie Écologique et Évolutive Marine, Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - André L R Cuenca
- Québec Océan, Laboratoire de Physiologie Écologique et Évolutive Marine, Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alfonso O Mucci
- GÉOTOP, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gwénaëlle Chaillou
- Québec Océan, Institut des Sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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Tarhan LG, Nolan RZ, Westacott S, Shaw JO, Pruss SB. Environmental and temporal patterns in bioturbation in the Cambrian-Ordovician of Western Newfoundland. Geobiology 2023; 21:571-591. [PMID: 37194613 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12560] [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: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The early Paleozoic emergence of bioturbating (sediment-dwelling and -mixing) animals has long been assumed to have led to substantial changes in marine biogeochemistry, seafloor ecology, and the preservation potential of both sedimentary and fossil archives. However, the timing of the rise of bioturbation and environmental patterns in its expansion have long been subjects of debate-resolution of which has been hampered, in part, by a paucity of high-resolution bioturbation data or of systematic investigations of facies trends in lower Paleozoic bioturbation. To address these issues, we conducted an integrated sedimentological and ichnological characterization of the Cambrian-Ordovician Port au Port succession and Cow Head Group of western Newfoundland, encompassing over 350 meters of stratigraphy logged at the centimeter to decimeter scale. We find that, across a wide range of marine facies, bioturbation does not on average exceed moderate intensities-corroborating observations from other lower Paleozoic successions indicating that the early Paleozoic development of bioturbation was a protracted process. Moreover, bioturbation intensities in the Port au Port succession and Cow Head Group are commonly characterized by considerable variability at even fine scales of stratigraphic resolution and changes in bioturbation intensity correlate strongly with variability in sedimentary facies. We observe that facies recording nearshore depositional environments and carbonate-rich lithologies are each characterized by the highest intensities of both burrowing and sediment mixing. These data highlight the need for a high-resolution and facies-specific approach to reconstructing the evolutionary history of bioturbation and suggest that average levels of bioturbation, although relatively low throughout this interval, increased notably earlier in nearshore marine settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidya G Tarhan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Rhiannon Z Nolan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Sophie Westacott
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jack O Shaw
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - Sara B Pruss
- Department of Geosciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
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Asefa A, Reuber V, Miehe G, Wraase L, Wube T, Schabo DG, Farwig N. Human activities modulate reciprocal effects of a subterranean ecological engineer rodent, Tachyoryctes macrocephalus, on Afroalpine vegetation cover. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10337. [PMID: 37465614 PMCID: PMC10350814 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10337] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities, directly and indirectly, impact ecological engineering activities of subterranean rodents. As engineering activities of burrowing rodents are affected by, and reciprocally affect vegetation cover via feeding, burrowing and mound building, human influence such as settlements and livestock grazing, could have cascading effects on biodiversity and ecosystem processes such as bioturbation. However, there is limited understanding of the relationship between human activities and burrowing rodents. The aim of this study was therefore to understand how human activities influence the ecological engineering activity of the giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), a subterranean rodent species endemic to the Afroalpine ecosystem of the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. We collected data on human impact, burrowing activity and vegetation during February and March of 2021. Using path analysis, we tested (1) direct effects of human settlement on the patterns of livestock grazing intensity, (2) direct and indirect impacts of humans and livestock grazing intensity on the root-rat burrow density and (3) whether human settlement and livestock grazing influence the effects of giant root-rat burrow density on vegetation and vice versa. We found lower levels of livestock grazing intensity further from human settlement than in its proximity. We also found a significantly increased giant root-rat burrow density with increasing livestock grazing intensity. Seasonal settlement and livestock grazing intensity had an indirect negative and positive effect on giant root-rat burrow density, respectively, both via vegetation cover. Analysing the reciprocal effects of giant root-rat on vegetation, we found a significantly decreased vegetation cover with increasing density of giant root-rat burrows, and indirectly with increasing livestock grazing intensity via giant root-rat burrow density. Our results demonstrate that giant root-rats play a synanthropic engineering role that affects vegetation structure and ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addisu Asefa
- Department of Biology, Conservation EcologyPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Victoria Reuber
- Department of Biology, Conservation EcologyPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Georg Miehe
- Department of Geography, Vegetation GeographyPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Luise Wraase
- Department of Geography, Environmental InformaticsPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Tilaye Wube
- Department of Zoology, College of Natural and Computational SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Dana G. Schabo
- Department of Biology, Conservation EcologyPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Department of Biology, Conservation EcologyPhilipps‐Universität MarburgMarburgGermany
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Nicholaus R, Lukwambe B, Zheng Z. The effects of Cyclina sinensis bioturbation on alkaline phosphatase (APA) and total microbial hydrolytic activities (MBA) in marine clam-shrimp integrated ponds. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023:7192429. [PMID: 37291704 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad063] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of Venus clam Cyclina sinensis bioturbation activities on the total benthic microbial and phosphatase activities and selected sediment properties: total phosphorous TP, total organic nitrogen-TON and total organic carbon-TOC. Sediments samples from clam-shrimp integrated-pond and non-clam integrated-pond were sampled for the study in which microbial activity (MBA) and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), sediment organic contents: TP, TON, TOC, TOM and water quality parameter (dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and moisture content were analyzed. The p-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium (p-NPP) and Fluorescein diacetate-(FDA) were adopted to measure APA and MBA respectively. Results indicated that microbial activity-MBA and alkaline-phosphatase activity-APA in sediments significantly increased in the pond cultured with clam/shrimp compared to non-clam cultured pond. Phosphate concentration increased significantly and varied among months (p<0.05) implying increased nitrogen concentration in the sediments. The concentrations of total organic nitrogen and total organic carbon didn't differ significantly among months and with the treatments (p>0.05), implying increased TON mineralization. Correlation analyses showed that there was positive correlation with the total microbial activity, alkaline-phosphatase activity, phosphorous concentration and organic matter content within the sediments bioturbated by the Venus clam. The results suggest that, the Venus clam sediment reworking mechanisms in sediment influenced the sediment microbial and APA activities and mineralization thereby affecting the pond alkaline phosphatase enzyme related activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan Nicholaus
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Betina Lukwambe
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- School of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Tanjal C, Borzi G, Santucci L, Carol E, Richiano S. Assessment of cation exchange as conditioning processes of water chemistry in freshwater lenses. Water Environ Res 2023; 95:e10845. [PMID: 36789617 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10845] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater lenses are groundwater sources of limited dimensions that can be usually found in a variety of climates worldwide. These aquifers' quality is important for socioeconomic development, being cation exchange one of the most important geochemical processes that can change the water geochemistry. This study aims to assess the cation exchange processes that determine the chemistry of freshwater lenses in a multilayer aquifer type, considering the center-east of the Pampean Region (Argentina) as a case study. Water samples were taken from the freshwater lenses at different depths to analyze major ions in the laboratory. In addition, geological profiles were made along with the extraction of sediment samples for X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and laboratory tests to analyze the cation exchange capacity. The results show that water stored in the lenses has a vertical facies variation from Ca-HCO3 to Na-HCO3 . According to the laboratory results, the change of water facies mainly occurs in the clayey sediments that divide the carbonate bioclastic material above and the loessic sediment below, being cation exchange the most important process. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Cation exchange is the main geochemical process regulating groundwater chemistry. Hydrochemical changes determine the quality of freshwater lenses. Na/Ca exchange is mainly regulated by the groundwater flow into the bioturbated clay. Batch exchange tests were also carried out to quantify the Na/Ca exchange processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Tanjal
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guido Borzi
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucía Santucci
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eleonora Carol
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sebastián Richiano
- Centro Nacional Patagónico, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología (IPGP), Puerto Madryn, Argentina
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Smith BP, Edie SM, Fischer WW. Tracing energy inputs into the seafloor using carbonate sediments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215833120. [PMID: 36802429 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215833120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbonate rocks provide unique and valuable sedimentary archives for secular changes in Earth's physical, chemical, and biological processes. However, reading the stratigraphic record produces overlapping, nonunique interpretations that stem from the difficulty in directly comparing competing biological, physical, or chemical mechanisms within a common quantitative framework. We built a mathematical model that decomposes these processes and casts the marine carbonate record in terms of energy fluxes across the sediment-water interface. Results showed that physical, chemical, and biological energy terms across the seafloor are subequal and that the energetic dominance of different processes varies both as a function of environment (e.g., onshore vs. offshore) as well as with time-varying changes in seawater chemistry and with evolutionary changes in animal abundance and behavior. We applied our model to observations from the end-Permian mass extinction-a massive upheaval in ocean chemistry and biology-revealing an energetic equivalence between two hypothesized drivers of changing carbonate environments: a reduction in physical bioturbation increased carbonate saturation states in the oceans. Early Triassic occurrences of 'anachronistic' carbonates-facies largely absent from marine environments after the Early Paleozoic-were likely driven more by reduction in animal biomass than by repeated perturbations to seawater chemistry. This analysis highlighted the importance of animals and their evolutionary history in physically shaping patterns in the sedimentary record via their impact on the energetics of marine environments.
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Smulders FOH, Slikboer N, Christianen MJA, Vonk JA. Battle for the mounds: Niche competition between upside-down jellyfish and invasive seagrass. Ecology 2023; 104:e3980. [PMID: 36695025 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fee O H Smulders
- Wageningen University & Research Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Naomi Slikboer
- Wageningen University & Research Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn J A Christianen
- Wageningen University & Research Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Arie Vonk
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Miernik NA, Janas U, Kendzierska H. Role of Macrofaunal Communities in the Vistula River Plume, the Baltic Sea- Bioturbation and Bioirrigation Potential. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12. [PMID: 36829426 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Macrozoobenthos plays a key role in the transformation of inputs from rivers to the sea, such as nutrients, organic matter, or pollutants, and influences biogeochemical processes in the sediments through bioturbation and bioirrigation activity. The purpose of our study was to determine the structure of benthic communities, their bioturbation (BPC) and bioirrigation potential (IPC), and the vertical distribution of macrofauna in the Gulf of Gdańsk. The study revealed changes in the structure of benthic communities and, consequently, in the bioturbation and bioirrigation potential in the study area. Despite the presence of diverse and rich communities in the coastal zone, BPC and IPC values, although high, were formed by a few species. Both indices were formed mainly by the clam Macoma balthica and polychaetes, although the proportion of polychaetes in IPC was higher than in BPC. In the deepest zones, the communities became poorer until they eventually disappeared, along with all macrofaunal functions. Both indices changed similarly with distance from the Vistula River mouth, and there was a very strong correlation between them. We also demonstrated that the highest diversity of the macrofauna was observed in the upper first cm of the sediment, but the highest biomass was observed in deeper layers-at a depth of up to 6 cm, and single individuals occurred even below 10 cm.
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van de Velde SJ, Dale AW, Arndt S. Bioturbation and the δ 56Fe signature of dissolved iron fluxes from marine sediments. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:220010. [PMID: 36704258 PMCID: PMC9874279 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220010] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We developed a reaction-transport model capable of tracing iron isotopes in marine sediments to quantify the influence of bioturbation on the isotopic signature of the benthic dissolved (DFe) flux. By fitting the model to published data from marine sediments, we calibrated effective overall fractionation factors for iron reduction (-1.3‰), oxidation (+0.4‰), iron-sulfide precipitation (+0.5‰) and dissolution (-0.5‰) and pyrite precipitation (-0.7‰) that agree with literature values. Results show that for bottom-water oxygen concentrations greater than 50 µM, higher bioturbation increased the benthic DFe flux and its δ 56Fe signature. By contrast, for oxygen concentrations less than 50 µM, higher bioturbation decreased the benthic DFe flux and its δ 56Fe signature. The expressed overall fractionation of the benthic DFe flux relative to the δ 56Fe of the iron oxides entering the sediment ranges from -1.67‰ to 0.0‰. On a global scale, the presence of bioturbation increases sedimentary DFe release from approximately 70 G mol DFe yr-1 to approximately 160 G mol DFe yr-1 and decreases the δ 56Fe signature of the DFe flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan J. van de Velde
- Department of Geoscience, Environment & Society, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. Roosevelt 50, CP160/02, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrew W. Dale
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, D-24148 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sandra Arndt
- Department of Geoscience, Environment & Society, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. Roosevelt 50, CP160/02, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Deng L, Meile C, Fiskal A, Bölsterli D, Han X, Gajendra N, Dubois N, Bernasconi SM, Lever MA. Deposit-feeding worms control subsurface ecosystem functioning in intertidal sediment with strong physical forcing. PNAS Nexus 2022; 1:pgac146. [PMID: 36714871 PMCID: PMC9802194 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac146] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Intertidal sands are global hotspots of terrestrial and marine carbon cycling with strong hydrodynamic forcing by waves and tides and high macrofaunal activity. Yet, the relative importance of hydrodynamics and macrofauna in controlling these ecosystems remains unclear. Here, we compare geochemical gradients and bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic gene sequences in intertidal sands dominated by subsurface deposit-feeding worms (Abarenicola pacifica) to adjacent worm-free areas. We show that hydrodynamic forcing controls organismal assemblages in surface sediments, while in deeper layers selective feeding by worms on fine, algae-rich particles strongly decreases the abundance and richness of all three domains. In these deeper layers, bacterial and eukaryotic network connectivity decreases, while percentages of clades involved in degradation of refractory organic matter, oxidative nitrogen, and sulfur cycling increase. Our findings reveal macrofaunal activity as the key driver of biological community structure and functioning, that in turn influence carbon cycling in intertidal sands below the mainly physically controlled surface layer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christof Meile
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, 325 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Damian Bölsterli
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Niroshan Gajendra
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Dubois
- Department of Surface Waters - Research and Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Earth Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano M Bernasconi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mark A Lever
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich), Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Rowe A, Urbanic M, Trutschel L, Shukle J, Druschel G, Booth M. Sediment Disturbance Negatively Impacts Methanogen Abundance but Has Variable Effects on Total Methane Emissions. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:796018. [PMID: 35265057 PMCID: PMC8899539 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.796018] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems are increasingly recognized as substantial, yet variable, contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions. This is in part due to the challenge of modeling biologic parameters that affect methane emissions from a wide range of sediments. For example, the impacts of fish bioturbation on methane emissions in the literature have been shown to result in a gradient of reduced to enhanced emissions from sediments. However, it is likely that variation in experimental fish density, and consequently the frequency of bioturbation by fish, impacts this outcome. To explore how the frequency of disturbance impacts the levels of methane emissions in our previous work we quantified greenhouse gas emissions in sediment microcosms treated with various frequencies of mechanical disturbance, analogous to different levels of activity in benthic feeding fish. Greenhouse gas emissions were largely driven by methane ebullition and were highest for the intermediate disturbance frequency (disturbance every 7 days). The lowest emissions were for the highest frequency treatment (3 days). This work investigated the corresponding impacts of disturbance treatments on the microbial communities associated with producing methane. In terms of total microbial community structure, no statistical difference was observed in the total community structure of any disturbance treatment (0, 3, 7, and 14 days) or sediment depth (1 and 3 cm) measured. Looking specifically at methanogenic Archaea however, a shift toward greater relative abundance of a putatively oxygen-tolerant methanogenic phylotype (ca. Methanothrix paradoxum) was observed for the highest frequency treatments and at depths impacted by disturbance (1 cm). Notably, quantitative analysis of ca. Methanothrix paradoxum demonstrated no change in abundance, suggesting disturbance negatively and preferentially impacted other methanogen populations, likely through oxygen exposure. This was further supported by a linear decrease in quantitative abundance of methanogens (assessed by qPCR of the mcrA gene), with increased disturbance frequency in bioturbated sediments (1 cm) as opposed to those below the zone of bioturbation (3 cm). However, total methane emissions were not simply a function of methanogen populations and were likely impacted by the residence time of methane in the lower frequency disturbance treatments. Low frequency mechanical disruption results in lower methane ebullition compared to higher frequency treatments, which in turn resulted in reduced overall methane release, likely through enhanced methanotrophic activities, though this could not be identified in this work. Overall, this work contributes to understanding how animal behavior may impact variation in greenhouse gas emissions and provides insight into how frequency of disturbance may impact emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Rowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Megan Urbanic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Leah Trutschel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - John Shukle
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IND, United States
| | - Gregory Druschel
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IND, United States
| | - Michael Booth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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14
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O'Bryan CJ, Patton NR, Hone J, Lewis JS, Berdejo-Espinola V, Risch DR, Holden MH, McDonald-Madden E. Unrecognized threat to global soil carbon by a widespread invasive species. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:877-882. [PMID: 34288288 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Most of Earth's terrestrial carbon is stored in the soil and can be released as carbon dioxide (CO2 ) when disturbed. Although humans are known to exacerbate soil CO2 emissions through land-use change, we know little about the global carbon footprint of invasive species. We predict the soil area disturbed and resulting CO2 emissions from wild pigs (Sus scrofa), a pervasive human-spread vertebrate that uproots soil. We do this using models of wild pig population density, soil damage, and their effect on soil carbon emissions. Our models suggest that wild pigs are uprooting a median area of 36,214 km2 (mean of 123,517 km2 ) in their non-native range, with a 95% prediction interval (PI) of 14,208 km2 -634,238 km2 . This soil disturbance results in median emissions of 4.9 million metric tonnes (MMT) CO2 per year (equivalent to 1.1 million passenger vehicles or 0.4% of annual emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry; mean of 16.7 MMT) but that it is highly uncertain (95% PI, 0.3-94 MMT CO2 ) due to variability in wild pig density and soil dynamics. This uncertainty points to an urgent need for more research on the contribution of wild pigs to soil damage, not only for the reduction of anthropogenically related carbon emissions, but also for co-benefits to biodiversity and food security that are crucial for sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J O'Bryan
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Patton
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jim Hone
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jesse S Lewis
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA
| | - Violeta Berdejo-Espinola
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Derek R Risch
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Matthew H Holden
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics, School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Eve McDonald-Madden
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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15
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Zhang H, Xing D, Wu Y, Jin R, Liu D, Deines P. Editorial: Microbial ecology and function of the aquatic systems. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1109221. [PMID: 36875535 PMCID: PMC9977291 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1109221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haihan Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China.,School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Yinhu Wu
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Rencun Jin
- Laboratory of Water Pollution Remediation, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Di Liu
- Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Peter Deines
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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16
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Wagner TC, Uiseb K, Fischer C. Rolling pits of Hartmann's mountain zebra ( Zebra equus hartmannae) increase vegetation diversity and landscape heterogeneity in the Pre-Namib. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13036-13051. [PMID: 34646451 PMCID: PMC8495834 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7983] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsites created by soil-disturbing animals are important landscape elements in arid environments. In the Pre-Namib, dust-bathing behavior of the near-endemic Hartmann's mountain zebra creates unique rolling pits that persist in the landscape. However, the ecohydrological characteristics and the effects of those microsites on the vegetation and on organisms of higher trophic levels are still unknown. In our study, we characterized the soil grain size composition and infiltration properties of rolling pits and reference sites and recorded vegetation and arthropod assemblages during the rainy season of five consecutive years with different amounts of seasonal rainfall. We further used the excess green vegetation index derived from drone imagery to demonstrate the different green up and wilting of pits and references after a rainfall event. In contrast to the surrounding grassland, rolling pits had finer soil with higher nutrient content, collected runoff, showed a higher infiltration, and kept soil moisture longer. Vegetation in the rolling pits was denser, dominated by annual forbs and remained green for longer periods. The denser vegetation resulted in a slightly higher activity density of herbivorous arthropods, which in turn increased the activity density of omnivorous and predatory arthropods. In times of drought, the rolling pits could act as safe sites and refuges for forbs and arthropods. With their rolling pits, Hartmann's mountain zebras act as ecosystem engineers, contributing to the diversity of forb communities and heterogeneity of the landscape in the Pre-Namib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Wagner
- Restoration EcologySchool of Life SciencesTechnische Universität MünchenFreisingGermany
| | - Kenneth Uiseb
- Directorate of Scientific ServicesNamibia Ministry of Environment, Forestry and TourismWindhoekNamibia
| | - Christina Fischer
- Restoration EcologySchool of Life SciencesTechnische Universität MünchenFreisingGermany
- Faunistics and Wildlife ConservationDepartment of Agriculture, Ecotrophology, and Landscape DevelopmentAnhalt University of Applied SciencesBernburgGermany
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17
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Root‐Bernstein M, Muñoz C, Armesto JJ. Disturbance and the (surprising?) role of ecosystem engineering in explaining spatial patterns of non-native plant establishment. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11730-11738. [PMID: 34522336 PMCID: PMC8427612 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7915] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Different conceptions of disturbance differ in the degree to which they appeal to mechanisms that are general and equivalent, or species-, functional group-, or interaction-specific. Some concepts of disturbance, for example, predict that soil disturbances and herbivory have identical impacts on species richness via identical mechanisms (reduction in biomass and in competition). An alternative hypothesis is that the specific traits of disturbance agents (small mammals) and plants differentially affect the richness or abundance of different plant groups. We tested these hypotheses on a degu (Octodon degus) colony in central Chile. We ask whether native and non-native forbs respond differently to degu bioturbation on runways versus herbivory on grazing lawns. We ask whether this can explain the increase in non-native plants on degu colonies. We found that biopedturbation did not explain the locations of non-native plants. We did not find direct evidence of grazing increasing non-native herbs either, but a grazing effect appears to be mediated by grass, which is the dominant cover. Further, we provide supplementary evidence to support our interpretation that a key mechanism of non-native spread is the formation of dry soil conditions on grazing lawns. Thus, ecosystem engineering (alteration of soil qualities) may be an outcome of disturbances, in which each interacts with specific plant traits, to create the observed pattern of non-native spread in the colony. Based on these results, we propose to extend Jentsch and White (Ecology, 100, 2019, e02734) concept of combined pulse/ disturbance events to the long-term process duality of ecosystem engineering/ disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Root‐Bernstein
- CNRSMusée National d’Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
- Instituto de Ecología y BiodiversidadSantiagoChile
- Center for Sustainability and Applied EcologySantiagoChile
| | - César Muñoz
- Department of EcologyPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Juan J. Armesto
- Instituto de Ecología y BiodiversidadSantiagoChile
- Department of EcologyPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
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18
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Pokhrel MR, Cairns SC, Hemmings Z, Floate KD, Andrew NR. A Review of Dung Beetle Introductions in the Antipodes and North America: Status, Opportunities, and Challenges. Environ Entomol 2021; 50:762-780. [PMID: 33860802 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Following the introduction of cattle, exotic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae, Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae) were imported into the Antipodes (Australia and New Zealand) and North America (primarily the United States) to accelerate the degradation of cattle dung on pastures. The history of dung beetle introductions between the two regions is similar but has not previously been assessed: this is important as new introductions are continuing in the regions. Here, we review these introduction programs, report on their current status, and discuss methodological advances. In doing so, we examine the accidental introduction of exotic (i.e., adventive) species and the contribution of both deliberately introduced and adventive species to endemic dung beetle faunas. Further, we provide a list of pest and parasite species whose populations can be reduced by dung beetle activity. We also identify a combined total of 37 introduced and 47 adventive dung beetle species that have become established in the Antipodes and North America, with exotic species dominating dung beetle assemblages from pasture habitats. Climatic and edaphic matches, the size of founding populations, abiotic and biotic stressors, and the time of year when releases are made are all critical determinants that affect the success of dung beetle introduction programs. Finally, we discuss opportunities, plus the risks and challenges associated with dung beetle introductions. We hope that this review will aid in the success of future introduction programs, either to enhance ecosystem services in areas that they are needed, or potentially to reestablish native species in regions where they have been extirpated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min R Pokhrel
- Insect Ecology Lab, Natural History Museum, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Bharatpur, Nepal
| | - Stuart C Cairns
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Zac Hemmings
- Insect Ecology Lab, Natural History Museum, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin D Floate
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Nigel R Andrew
- Insect Ecology Lab, Natural History Museum, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
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19
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Brückner MZ, Schwarz C, Coco G, Baar A, Boechat Albernaz M, Kleinhans MG. Benthic species as mud patrol - modelled effects of bioturbators and biofilms on large-scale estuarine mud and morphology. Earth Surf Process Landf 2021; 46:1128-1144. [PMID: 34248240 PMCID: PMC8252055 DOI: 10.1002/esp.5080] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sediment-stabilizing and -destabilizing organisms, i.e. microphytobenthos (biofilms) and macrozoobenthos (bioturbators), affect the erodibility of muddy sediments, potentially altering large-scale estuarine morphology. Using a novel eco-morphodynamic model of an idealized estuary, we investigate eco-engineering effects of microphytobenthos and two macrozoobenthic bioturbators. Local mud erodibility is based on species pattern predicted through hydrodynamics, soil mud content, competition and grazing. Mud resuspension and export is enhanced under bioturbation and prevented under biostabilization through respective exposure and protection of the supra- and intertidal. Bioturbation decreases mud thickness and bed elevations, which increases net mud fluxes. Microphytobenthos reduces erosion, leading to a local mud increase of intertidal sediments. In multi-species scenarios, an effective mud-prone bioturbator strongly alters morphology, exceeding that of a more abundant sand-prone moderate species, showing that morphological change depends on species traits as opposed to abundance. Altering their habitat, the effective mud-prone bioturbator facilitates expansion of the sand-prone moderate bioturbator. Grazing and species competition favor species distributions of dominant bioturbators. Consequently, eco-engineering affects habitat conditions while species interactions determine species dominance. Our results show that eco-engineering species determine the mud content of the estuary, which suggests large effects on the morphology of estuaries with aggravating habitat degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Z.M. Brückner
- Faculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityPObox 801153508 TC UtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Christian Schwarz
- College of Earth, Ocean, and EnvironmentUniversity of DelawareLewesDEUSA
| | - Giovanni Coco
- School of Environment, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Anne Baar
- Energy and Environment InstituteUniversity of HullHullUK
| | | | - Maarten G. Kleinhans
- Faculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityPObox 801153508 TC UtrechtThe Netherlands
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20
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Creed RP, Skelton J, Farrell KJ, Brown BL. Strong effects of a mutualism on freshwater community structure. Ecology 2020; 102:e03225. [PMID: 33070356 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3225] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Numerous mutualisms have been described from terrestrial and marine communities and many of these mutualisms have significant effects on community structure and function. In contrast, there are far fewer examples of mutualisms from freshwater habitats and there is no evidence that any mutualism has community-wide or ecosystem-level consequences. Northern hemisphere crayfish are host to a variety of ectosymbiotic worms called branchiobdellidans. The association between some of these "crayfish worms" and their hosts is a mutualism. The outcome of the association is context dependent and can be influenced by host size, symbiont number, and the environment. Here we document in two experiments that the mutualism between crayfish and these worms alters the effect of crayfish on stream community structure and sediment deposition, an important ecosystem variable. We enclosed crayfish stocked with 0 worms and intermediate (3-6) and high worm densities (12) in cages in streams in Boone, North Carolina and Clemson, South Carolina, United States. At both locations, there was a negative relationship between initial worm density and final macroinvertebrate abundance. There was a significant effect of worm treatment on macroinvertebrate community structure in both the Boone and Clemson experiments. In Boone, there were effects on both overall macroinvertebrate abundance and community composition, whereas in Clemson, changes to community structure were primarily driven by changes in total abundance. There was a negative relationship between benthic sediment volume and initial worm density in both experiments, primarily later in the experiments, though these effects were influenced by sediment deposition rates. Our results are the first to demonstrate strong effects of a mutualism on freshwater communities. Both members of this mutualism are found throughout the northern hemisphere, so similar impacts may occur in many other waterways. Given that various species in addition to crayfish function as keystone species and ecosystem engineers in freshwater systems throughout the world, mutualisms involving these strongly interacting species may be as important to the structure and functioning of freshwater systems as comparable mutualisms in marine and terrestrial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Creed
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, 28608, USA
| | - James Skelton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Farrell
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, 28608, USA
| | - Bryan L Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
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21
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Morata N, Michaud E, Poullaouec MA, Devesa J, Le Goff M, Corvaisier R, Renaud PE. Climate change and diminishing seasonality in Arctic benthic processes. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190369. [PMID: 32862805 PMCID: PMC7481667 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The iconic picture of Arctic marine ecosystems shows an intense pulse of biological productivity around the spring bloom that is sustained while fresh organic matter (OM) is available, after which ecosystem activity declines to basal levels in autumn and winter. We investigated seasonality in benthic biogeochemical cycling at three stations in a high Arctic fjord that has recently lost much of its seasonal ice-cover. Unlike observations from other Arctic locations, we find little seasonality in sediment community respiration and bioturbation rates, although different sediment reworking modes varied through the year. Nutrient fluxes did vary, suggesting that, although OM was processed at similar rates, seasonality in its quality led to spring/summer peaks in inorganic nitrogen and silicate fluxes. These patterns correspond to published information on seasonality in vertical flux at the stations. Largely ice-free Kongsfjorden has a considerable detrital pool in soft sediments which sustain benthic communities over the year. Sources of this include macroalgae and terrestrial runoff. Climate change leading to less ice cover, higher light availability and expanded benthic habitat may lead to more detrital carbon in the system, dampening the quantitative importance of seasonal pulses of phytodetritus to seafloor communities in some areas of the Arctic. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Morata
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzane, France
- Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Emma Michaud
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzane, France
- e-mail:
| | | | - Jérémy Devesa
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzane, France
| | - Manon Le Goff
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzane, France
| | | | - Paul E. Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
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22
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Crotty SM, Ortals C, Pettengill TM, Shi L, Olabarrieta M, Joyce MA, Altieri AH, Morrison E, Bianchi TS, Craft C, Bertness MD, Angelini C. Sea-level rise and the emergence of a keystone grazer alter the geomorphic evolution and ecology of southeast US salt marshes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17891-902. [PMID: 32661151 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917869117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human disturbances, climate change, and their combined effects on species distributions and environmental conditions are increasingly modifying the organization of our world’s oceans, forests, grasslands, wetlands, tundras, and reefs. Here, we reveal that these contemporary conditions can trigger the emergence of novel keystone species. Across the southeastern US coastal plain, sea-level rise is outpacing salt marsh vertical accretion, causing these grasslands to be tidally inundated for longer and softening marsh substrates to levels optimal for crab burrowing. Using field experiments, measurements, surveys, and models, we show that these conditions amplify the burrowing and grazing effects of a previously inconspicuous crab, enabling it to redefine predator–prey interactions, eco-geomorphic feedbacks, and the mechanisms by which salt marshes are responding to climate change. Keystone species have large ecological effects relative to their abundance and have been identified in many ecosystems. However, global change is pervasively altering environmental conditions, potentially elevating new species to keystone roles. Here, we reveal that a historically innocuous grazer—the marsh crab Sesarma reticulatum—is rapidly reshaping the geomorphic evolution and ecological organization of southeastern US salt marshes now burdened by rising sea levels. Our analyses indicate that sea-level rise in recent decades has widely outpaced marsh vertical accretion, increasing tidal submergence of marsh surfaces, particularly where creeks exhibit morphologies that are unable to efficiently drain adjacent marsh platforms. In these increasingly submerged areas, cordgrass decreases belowground root:rhizome ratios, causing substrate hardness to decrease to within the optimal range for Sesarma burrowing. Together, these bio-physical changes provoke Sesarma to aggregate in high-density grazing and burrowing fronts at the heads of tidal creeks (hereafter, creekheads). Aerial-image analyses reveal that resulting “Sesarma-grazed” creekheads increased in prevalence from 10 ± 2% to 29 ± 5% over the past <25 y and, by tripling creek-incision rates relative to nongrazed creekheads, have increased marsh-landscape drainage density by 8 to 35% across the region. Field experiments further demonstrate that Sesarma-grazed creekheads, through their removal of vegetation that otherwise obstructs predator access, enhance the vulnerability of macrobenthic invertebrates to predation and strongly reduce secondary production across adjacent marsh platforms. Thus, sea-level rise is creating conditions within which Sesarma functions as a keystone species that is driving dynamic, landscape-scale changes in salt-marsh geomorphic evolution, spatial organization, and species interactions.
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Deng L, Bölsterli D, Kristensen E, Meile C, Su CC, Bernasconi SM, Seidenkrantz MS, Glombitza C, Lagostina L, Han X, Jørgensen BB, Røy H, Lever MA. Macrofaunal control of microbial community structure in continental margin sediments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:15911-22. [PMID: 32576690 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917494117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Through a process called "bioturbation," burrowing macrofauna have altered the seafloor habitat and modified global carbon cycling since the Cambrian. However, the impact of macrofauna on the community structure of microorganisms is poorly understood. Here, we show that microbial communities across bioturbated, but geochemically and sedimentologically divergent, continental margin sites are highly similar but differ clearly from those in nonbioturbated surface and underlying subsurface sediments. Solid- and solute-phase geochemical analyses combined with modeled bioturbation activities reveal that dissolved O2 introduction by burrow ventilation is the major driver of archaeal community structure. By contrast, solid-phase reworking, which regulates the distribution of fresh, algal organic matter, is the main control of bacterial community structure. In nonbioturbated surface sediments and in subsurface sediments, bacterial and archaeal communities are more divergent between locations and appear mainly driven by site-specific differences in organic carbon sources.
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Mángano MG, Buatois LA. The rise and early evolution of animals: where do we stand from a trace-fossil perspective? Interface Focus 2020; 10:20190103. [PMID: 32642049 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The trace-fossil record provides a wealth of information to track the rise and early evolution of animals. It comprises the activity of both hard- and soft-bodied organisms, is continuous through the Ediacaran (635-539 Ma)- Cambrian (539-485 Ma) transition, yields insights into animal behaviour and their role as ecosystem engineers, and allows for a more refined characterization of palaeoenvironmental context. In order to unravel macroevolutionary signals from the trace-fossil record, a variety of approaches is available, including not only estimation of degree of bioturbation, but also analysis of ichnodiversity and ichnodisparity trajectories, and evaluation of the occupation of infaunal ecospace and styles of ecosystem engineering. Analysis of the trace-fossil record demonstrates the presence of motile benthic bilaterians in the Ediacaran, mostly feeding from biofilms. Although Ediacaran trace fossils are simple and emplaced at or immediately below the sediment surface, an increase in ichnofossil complexity, predation pressure, sediment disturbance and penetration depth is apparent during the terminal Ediacaran. Regardless of this increase, a dramatic rise in trace fossil diversity and disparity took place during the earliest Cambrian, underscoring that the novelty of the Fortunian (539-529 Ma) cannot be underestimated. The Fortunian still shows the persistence of an Ediacaran-style matground ecology, but is fundamentally characterized by the appearance of new trace-fossil architectural plans reflecting novel ways of interacting with the substrate. The appearance of Phanerozoic-style benthic ecosystems attests to an increased length and connectivity of the food web and improved efficiency in organic carbon transfer and nutrient recycling. A profound reorganization of the infaunal ecospace is recorded in both high-energy sand-dominated nearshore areas and low-energy mud-dominated offshore environments, during the early Cambrian, starting approximately during Cambrian Age 2 (529-521 Ma), but continuing during the rest of the early Cambrian. A model comprising four evolutionary phases is proposed to synthetize information from the Ediacaran-Cambrian trace-fossil record. The use of a rich ichnological toolbox; critical, systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the Ediacaran-Cambrian trace-fossil record; and high-resolution integration of the ichnological dataset and sedimentological information show that the advent of biogenic mixing was an important factor in fully marine environments at the dawn of the Phanerozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gabriela Mángano
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Luis A Buatois
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
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25
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Pascal L, Grémare A, de Montaudouin X, Deflandre B, Romero-Ramirez A, Maire O. Parasitism in ecosystem engineer species: A key factor controlling marine ecosystem functioning. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2192-2205. [PMID: 32271950 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although parasites represent a substantial part of marine communities' biomass and diversity, their influence on ecosystem functioning, especially via the modification of host behaviour, remains largely unknown. Here, we explored the effects of the bopyrid ectoparasite Gyge branchialis on the engineering activities of the thalassinid crustacean Upogebia pusilla and the cascading effects on intertidal ecosystem processes (e.g. sediment bioturbation) and functions (e.g. nutrient regeneration). Laboratory experiments revealed that the overall activity level of parasitized mud shrimp is reduced by a factor 3.3 due to a decrease in time allocated to burrowing and ventilating activities (by factors 1.9 and 2.9, respectively). Decrease in activity level led to strong reductions of bioturbation rates and biogeochemical fluxes at the sediment-water interface. Given the world-wide distribution of mud shrimp and their key role in biogeochemical processes, parasite-mediated alteration of their engineering behaviour has undoubtedly broad ecological impacts on marine coastal systems functioning. Our results illustrate further the need to consider host-parasite interactions (including trait-mediated indirect effects) when assessing the contribution of species to ecosystem properties, functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Pascal
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
| | - Antoine Grémare
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
| | - Xavier de Montaudouin
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
| | - Bruno Deflandre
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
| | - Alicia Romero-Ramirez
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
| | - Olivier Maire
- EPOC, UMR 5805, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,EPOC, UMR 5805, CNRS, Talence, France
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26
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de Gier W, Fransen CHJM, Ozten Low A, Hoeksema BW. Reef fishes stalking box crabs in the southern Caribbean. Ecology 2020; 101:e03068. [PMID: 32353180 PMCID: PMC7507203 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3068] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Werner de Gier
- Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, Groningen, 9700 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Charles H J M Fransen
- Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands.,Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands
| | - Alev Ozten Low
- Kaya Seabird 1C, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
| | - Bert W Hoeksema
- Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, Groningen, 9700 CC, The Netherlands.,Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands
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27
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Vasquez‐Cardenas D, Meysman FJR, Boschker HTS. A Cross-System Comparison of Dark Carbon Fixation in Coastal Sediments. Global Biogeochem Cycles 2020; 34:e2019GB006298. [PMID: 32713991 PMCID: PMC7375125 DOI: 10.1029/2019gb006298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Dark carbon fixation (DCF) by chemoautotrophic microorganisms can sustain food webs in the seafloor by local production of organic matter independent of photosynthesis. The process has received considerable attention in deep sea systems, such as hydrothermal vents, but the regulation, depth distribution, and global importance of coastal sedimentary DCF have not been systematically investigated. Here we surveyed eight coastal sediments by means of stable isotope probing (13C-DIC) combined with bacterial biomarkers (phospholipid-derived fatty acids) and compiled additional rates from literature into a global database. DCF rates in coastal sediments range from 0.07 to 36.30 mmol C m-2 day-1, and there is a linear relation between DCF and water depth. The CO2 fixation ratio (DCF/CO2 respired) also shows a trend with water depth, decreasing from 0.09 in nearshore environments to 0.04 in continental shelf sediments. Five types of depth distributions of chemoautotrophic activity are identified based on the mode of pore water transport (advective, bioturbated, and diffusive) and the dominant pathway of microbial sulfur oxidation. Extrapolated to the global coastal ocean, we estimate a DCF rate of 0.04 to 0.06 Pg C year-1, which is less than previous estimates based on indirect measurements (0.15 Pg C year-1), but remains substantially higher than the global DCF rate at deep sea hydrothermal vents (0.001-0.002 Pg C year-1).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Department of BiotechnologyDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Henricus T. S. Boschker
- Department of BiotechnologyDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
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28
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Cassidy C, Grange LJ, Garcia C, Bolam SG, Godbold JA. Species interactions and environmental context affect intraspecific behavioural trait variation and ecosystem function. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192143. [PMID: 31992167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional trait-based approaches are increasingly adopted to understand and project ecological responses to environmental change; however, most assume trait expression is constant between conspecifics irrespective of context. Using two species of benthic invertebrate (brittlestars Amphiura filiformis and Amphiura chiajei), we demonstrate that trait expression at individual and community levels differs with biotic and abiotic context. We use PERMANOVA to test the effect of species identity, density and local environmental history on individual (righting and burrowing) and community (particle reworking and burrow ventilation) trait expression, as well as associated effects on ecosystem functioning (sediment nutrient release). Trait expression differs with context, with repercussions for the faunal mediation of ecosystem processes; we find increased rates of righting and burial behaviour and greater particle reworking with increasing density that are reflected in nutrient generation. However, the magnitude of effects differed within and between species, arising from site-specific environmental and morphological differences. Our results indicate that traits and processes influencing change in ecosystem functioning are products of both prevailing and historic conditions that cannot be constrained within typologies. Trait-based study must incorporate context-dependent variation, including intraspecific differences from individual to ecosystem scales, to avoid jeopardizing projections of ecosystem functioning and service delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cassidy
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Laura J Grange
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
| | - Clement Garcia
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Stefan G Bolam
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Jasmin A Godbold
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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29
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Tomita K, Hiura T. Brown bear digging for cicada nymphs: a novel interaction in a forest ecosystem. Ecology 2019; 101:e02899. [PMID: 31544228 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kanji Tomita
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, N10 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060 0810, Japan
| | - Tsutom Hiura
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, N9 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060 0809, Japan
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Williams MA, Donohue I, Picard J, O'Keeffe F, Holland CV. Infection with behaviour-manipulating parasites enhances bioturbation by key aquatic detritivores. Parasitology 2019; 146:1528-31. [PMID: 31109386 DOI: 10.1017/S0031182019000635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The ecological ubiquity of parasites and their potential impacts on host behaviour have led to the suggestion that parasites can act as ecosystem engineers, structuring their environment and physical habitats. Potential modification of the relationship between parasites and their hosts by climate change has important implications for how hosts interact with both their biotic and abiotic environment. Here, we show that warming and parasitic infection independently increase rates of bioturbation by a key detritivore in aquatic ecosystems (Gammarus). These findings have important implications for ecosystem structure and functioning in a warming world, as alterations to rates of bioturbation could significantly modify oxygenation penetration and nutrient cycling in benthic sediments of rivers and lakes. Our results demonstrate a need for future ecosystem management strategies to account for parasitic infection when predicting the impacts of a warming climate.
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31
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Ausín B, Haghipour N, Wacker L, Voelker AHL, Hodell D, Magill C, Looser N, Bernasconi SM, Eglinton TI. Radiocarbon Age Offsets Between Two Surface Dwelling Planktonic Foraminifera Species During Abrupt Climate Events in the SW Iberian Margin. Paleoceanogr Paleoclimatol 2019; 34:63-78. [PMID: 30854509 PMCID: PMC6392128 DOI: 10.1029/2018pa003490] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study identifies temporal biases in the radiocarbon ages of the planktonic foraminifera species Globigerina bulloides and Globigerinoides ruber (white) in a sediment core from the SW Iberian margin (so-called Shackleton site). Leaching of the outer shell and measurement of the radiocarbon content of both the leachate and leached sample enabled us to identify surface contamination of the tests and its impact on their 14C ages. Incorporation of younger radiocarbon on the outer shell affected both species and had a larger impact downcore. Interspecies comparison of the 14C ages of the leached samples reveal systematic offsets with 14C ages for G. ruber being younger than G. bulloides ages during the last deglaciation and part of the Early and mid-Holocene. The greatest offsets (up to 1,030 years) were found during Heinrich Stadial 1, the Younger Dryas, and part of the Holocene. The potential factors differentially affecting these two planktonic species were assessed by complementary 14C, oxygen and carbon isotopes, and species abundance determinations. The coupled effect of bioturbation with changes in the abundance of G. ruber is invoked to account for the large age offsets. Our results highlight that 14C ages of planktonic foraminifera might be largely compromised even in settings characterized by high sediment accumulation rates. Thus, a careful assessment of potential temporal biases must be performed prior to using 14C ages for paleoclimate investigations or radiocarbon calibrations (e.g., marine calibration curve Marine13, Reimer et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16947).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Antje H. L. Voelker
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)Universidade do AlgarveFaroPortugal
- Instituto Português do Mar e da AtmosferaLisbonPortugal
| | - David Hodell
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Charlier P, Coppens Y, Augias A, Deo S, Froesch P, Huynh-Charlier I. Mudslide and/or animal attack are more plausible causes and circumstances of death for AL 288 ('Lucy'): A forensic anthropology analysis. Med Leg J 2018; 86:139-142. [PMID: 29313437 DOI: 10.1177/0025817217749504] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Following a global morphological and micro-CT scan examination of the original and cast of the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis AL 288 ('Lucy'), Kappelman et al. have recently proposed a diagnosis of a fall from a significant height (a tree) as a cause of her death. According to topographical data from the discovery site, complete re-examination of a high-quality resin cast of the whole skeleton and forensic experience, we propose that the physical process of a vertical deceleration cannot be the only cause for her observed injuries. Two different factors were involved: rolling and multiple impacts in the context of a mudslide and an animal attack with bite marks, multi-focal fractures and violent movement of the body. It is important to consider a differential diagnosis of the observed fossil lesions because environmental factors should not be excluded in this ancient archaeological context as with any modern forensic anthropological case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillippe Charlier
- 1 Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology (UVSQ, UFR of Health Sciences / Paris-Descartes University EA 4569), 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
- 2 CASH & IPES, avenue de la République, 92000 Nanterre, France
| | - Yves Coppens
- 3 Collège de France, place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Augias
- 1 Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology (UVSQ, UFR of Health Sciences / Paris-Descartes University EA 4569), 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
| | - Saudamini Deo
- 1 Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology (UVSQ, UFR of Health Sciences / Paris-Descartes University EA 4569), 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
| | - Philippe Froesch
- 1 Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology (UVSQ, UFR of Health Sciences / Paris-Descartes University EA 4569), 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
| | - Isabelle Huynh-Charlier
- 1 Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology (UVSQ, UFR of Health Sciences / Paris-Descartes University EA 4569), 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
- 4 Department of Radiology, University Hospital Pitié-Salpétrière, boulevard de l'hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
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Boyle RA, Dahl TW, Bjerrum CJ, Canfield DE. Bioturbation and directionality in Earth's carbon isotope record across the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition. Geobiology 2018; 16:252-278. [PMID: 29498810 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12277] [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: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mixing of sediments by moving animals becomes apparent in the trace fossil record from about 550 million years ago (Ma), loosely overlapping with the tail end of the extreme carbonate carbon isotope δ13 Ccarbonate fluctuations that qualitatively distinguish the Proterozoic geochemical record from that of the Phanerozoic. These Precambrian-scale fluctuations in δ13 Ccarbonate (PSF-δ13 Ccarbonate ) remain enigmatic, due to their high amplitude and inclusion of global-scale negative δ13 Ccarbonate values, below anything attributable to mantle input. Here, we note that different biogeochemical-model scenarios plausibly explaining globally synchronous PSF-δ13 Ccarbonate converge: via mechanistic requirements for extensive anoxia in marine sediments to support sedimentary build-up of 13 C-depleted carbon. We hypothesize that bioturbation qualitatively reduced marine sediment anoxia by exposing sediments to oxygenated overlying waters, which ultimately contributed to decreasing the carbon cycle's subsequent susceptibility to PSF- δ13 Ccarbonate . Bioturbation may also have reduced the quantity of (isotopically light) organic-derived carbon available to contribute to PSF- δ13 Ccarbonate via ocean crust carbonatization at depth. We conduct a comparative modelling exercise in which we introduce bioturbation to existing model scenarios for PSF- δ13 Ccarbonate : expressing both the anoxic proportion of marine sediments, and the global organic carbon burial efficiency, as a decreasing function of bioturbation. We find that bioturbation's oxygenating impact on sediments has the capacity to prevent PSF- δ13 Ccarbonate caused by authigenic carbonate precipitation or methanogenesis. Bioturbation's impact on the f-ratio via remineralization is partially offset by liberation of organic phosphate, some of which feeds back into new production. We emphasize that this study is semiquantitative, exploratory and intended merely to provide a qualitative theoretical framework within which bioturbation's impact on long-term, first-order δ13 Ccarbonate can be assessed (and it is hoped quantified in more detail by future work). With this proviso, we conclude that it is entirely plausible that bioturbation made a decisive contribution to the enigmatic directionality in the δ13 Ccarbonate record, from the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian boundary onwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Boyle
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
- Nordic Centre for Earth Evolution and Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - T W Dahl
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, København K, Denmark
| | - C J Bjerrum
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, København K, Denmark
| | - D E Canfield
- Nordic Centre for Earth Evolution and Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
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Sabattini JA, Sabattini RA, Cian JC, Sabattini IA. Vegetation Changes in a Native Forest Produced by Atta vollenweideri Forel 1893 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Nests. Neotrop Entomol 2018; 47:53-61. [PMID: 28364272 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-017-0513-3] [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: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory is an important factor to generate spatial mosaics with variations in a plant community composition and organization. The objective of this work was to determine the impact of Atta vollenweideri Forel 1893 nests on herbaceous and shrub vegetation in a degraded native forest of the Espinal ecoregion. The study was carried out in the Protected Area and Multiple Use Nature Reserve called Estancia "El Carayá" (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Ten A. vollenweideri nests were selected by simple random sampling through internal roads, and two transects were drawn from the center of the nest (0 m) up to 60 m away in opposite directions. The line intercept method was used to quantify the percentage of vegetation cover of herbaceous and shrub species, while the floristic composition was estimated by the Canfield method. Afterwards, a nonparametric test between positions and a conglomerate analysis to evaluated distance were applied. Grass species, legumes, and sedges fell in the adjacent areas to nests, highlighting the bare soil at the crest and base of the nests. Fifteen plant species were identified, and two families correspond to monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species. In conclusion, the nests of A. vollenweideri affect the community of herbaceous and shrub vegetation of the studied degraded native forest of the Espinal ecoregion since these ants perform a high selection of herbaceous species considered as pioneers of plant successions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Sabattini
- Cátedra de Ecología de Sistemas Agropecuarios, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Univ Nacional de Entre Ríos, Ruta 11, Km 10.5, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina.
| | - R A Sabattini
- Cátedra de Ecología de Sistemas Agropecuarios, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Univ Nacional de Entre Ríos, Ruta 11, Km 10.5, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - J C Cian
- Cátedra de Ecología de Sistemas Agropecuarios, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Univ Nacional de Entre Ríos, Ruta 11, Km 10.5, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - I A Sabattini
- Cátedra de Ecología de Sistemas Agropecuarios, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Univ Nacional de Entre Ríos, Ruta 11, Km 10.5, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
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35
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Wohlgemuth D, Solan M, Godbold JA. Species contributions to ecosystem process and function can be population dependent and modified by biotic and abiotic setting. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2016.2805. [PMID: 28566482 PMCID: PMC5454255 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
There is unequivocal evidence that altered biodiversity, through changes in the expression and distribution of functional traits, can have large impacts on ecosystem properties. However, trait-based summaries of how organisms affect ecosystem properties often assume that traits show constancy within and between populations and that species contributions to ecosystem functioning are not overly affected by the presence of other species or variations in abiotic conditions. Here, we evaluate the validity of these assumptions using an experiment in which three geographically distinct populations of intertidal sediment-dwelling invertebrates are reciprocally substituted. We find that the mediation of macronutrient generation by these species can vary between different populations and show that changes in biotic and/or abiotic conditions can further modify functionally important aspects of the behaviour of individuals within a population. Our results demonstrate the importance of knowing how, when, and why traits are expressed and suggest that these dimensions of species functionality are not sufficiently well-constrained to facilitate the accurate projection of the functional consequences of change. Information regarding the ecological role of key species and assumptions about the form of species–environment interactions needs urgent refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Wohlgemuth
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Jasmin A Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.,Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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Snelgrove PVR, Soetaert K, Solan M, Thrush S, Wei CL, Danovaro R, Fulweiler RW, Kitazato H, Ingole B, Norkko A, Parkes RJ, Volkenborn N. Global Carbon Cycling on a Heterogeneous Seafloor. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 33:96-105. [PMID: 29248328 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Diverse biological communities mediate the transformation, transport, and storage of elements fundamental to life on Earth, including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. However, global biogeochemical model outcomes can vary by orders of magnitude, compromising capacity to project realistic ecosystem responses to planetary changes, including ocean productivity and climate. Here, we compare global carbon turnover rates estimated using models grounded in biological versus geochemical theory and argue that the turnover estimates based on each perspective yield divergent outcomes. Importantly, empirical studies that include sedimentary biological activity vary less than those that ignore it. Improving the relevance of model projections and reducing uncertainty associated with the anticipated consequences of global change requires reconciliation of these perspectives, enabling better societal decisions on mitigation and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V R Snelgrove
- Department of Ocean Sciences and Biology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's NL A1C 5S7, Canada.
| | - Karline Soetaert
- Estuarine and Delta Systems, Netherlands Institute of Sea Research and Utrecht University, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Simon Thrush
- Institute of Marine Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chih-Lin Wei
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Robinson W Fulweiler
- Departments of Earth and Environment and Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hiroshi Kitazato
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Baban Ingole
- National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004 , India
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland; Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre, 106 91 Stockholm
| | - R John Parkes
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Nils Volkenborn
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA
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Baranov V, Lewandowski J, Krause S. Bioturbation enhances the aerobic respiration of lake sediments in warming lakes. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0448. [PMID: 27484649 PMCID: PMC5014038 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [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: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While lakes occupy less than 2% of the total surface of the Earth, they play a substantial role in global biogeochemical cycles. For instance, shallow lakes are important sites of carbon metabolism. Aerobic respiration is one of the important drivers of the carbon metabolism in lakes. In this context, bioturbation impacts of benthic animals (biological reworking of sediment matrix and ventilation of the sediment) on sediment aerobic respiration have previously been underestimated. Biological activity is likely to change over the course of a year due to seasonal changes of water temperatures. This study uses microcosm experiments to investigate how the impact of bioturbation (by Diptera, Chironomidae larvae) on lake sediment respiration changes when temperatures increase. While at 5°C, respiration in sediments with and without chironomids did not differ, at 30°C sediment respiration in microcosms with 2000 chironomids per m(2) was 4.9 times higher than in uninhabited sediments. Our results indicate that lake water temperature increases could significantly enhance lake sediment respiration, which allows us to better understand seasonal changes in lake respiration and carbon metabolism as well as the potential impacts of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Baranov
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Geography Department, Humboldt University of Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 16, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Lewandowski
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Geography Department, Humboldt University of Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 16, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Krause
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Buatois LA, Mángano MG, Olea RA, Wilson MA. Decoupled evolution of soft and hard substrate communities during the Cambrian Explosion and Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:6945-8. [PMID: 27247396 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1523087113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrasts between the Cambrian Explosion (CE) and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) have long been recognized. Whereas the vast majority of body plans were established as a result of the CE, taxonomic increases during the GOBE were manifested at lower taxonomic levels. Assessing changes of ichnodiversity and ichnodisparity as a result of these two evolutionary events may shed light on the dynamics of both radiations. The early Cambrian (series 1 and 2) displayed a dramatic increase in ichnodiversity and ichnodisparity in softground communities. In contrast to this evolutionary explosion in bioturbation structures, only a few Cambrian bioerosion structures are known. After the middle to late Cambrian diversity plateau, ichnodiversity in softground communities shows a continuous increase during the Ordovician in both shallow- and deep-marine environments. This Ordovician increase in bioturbation diversity was not paralleled by an equally significant increase in ichnodisparity as it was during the CE. However, hard substrate communities were significantly different during the GOBE, with an increase in ichnodiversity and ichnodisparity. Innovations in macrobioerosion clearly lagged behind animal-substrate interactions in unconsolidated sediment. The underlying causes of this evolutionary decoupling are unclear but may have involved three interrelated factors: (i) a Middle to Late Ordovician increase in available hard substrates for bioerosion, (ii) increased predation, and (iii) higher energetic requirements for bioerosion compared with bioturbation.
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Mokhtari M, Abd Ghaffar M, Usup G, Che Cob Z. Effects of Fiddler Crab Burrows on Sediment Properties in the Mangrove Mudflats of Sungai Sepang, Malaysia. Biology (Basel) 2016; 5:E7. [PMID: 26797647 DOI: 10.3390/biology5010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In mangrove ecosystems, litter fall accumulates as refractory organic carbon on the sediment surface and creates anoxic sediment layers. Fiddler crabs, through their burrowing activity, translocate oxygen into the anoxic layers and promote aerobic respiration, iron reduction and nitrification. In this study, the effects of four species of fiddler crabs (Uca triangularis, Uca rosea, Uca forcipata and Uca paradussumieri) on organic content, water content, porosity, redox potential and solid phase iron pools of mangrove sediments were investigated. In each crab’s habitat, six cores down to 30 cm depth were taken from burrowed and non-burrowed sampling plots. Redox potential and oxidized iron pools were highest in surface sediment, while porosity, water and organic content were higher in deeper sediment. Reduced iron (Fe (II)) and redox potential were significantly different between burrowed and non-burrowed plots. Crab burrows extend the oxidized surface layer down to 4 cm depth and through the oxidation effect, reduce the organic content of sediments. The effects of burrows varied between the four species based on their shore location. The oxidation effect of burrows enhance the decomposition rate and stimulate iron reduction, which are processes that are expected to play an important role in biogeochemical properties of mangrove sediments.
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Griggs AJ, Davies SM, Abbott PM, Coleman M, Palmer AP, Rasmussen TL, Johnston R. Visualizing tephra deposits and sedimentary processes in the marine environment: The potential of X-ray microtomography. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 2015; 16:4329-4343. [PMID: 27478414 PMCID: PMC4951705 DOI: 10.1002/2015gc006073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Localized tephra deposition in marine sequences is the product of many complex primary and secondary depositional processes. These can significantly influence the potential applicability of tephra deposits as isochronous marker horizons and current techniques, used in isolation, may be insufficient to fully unravel these processes. Here we demonstrate the innovative application of X-ray microtomography (µCT) to successfully identify tephra deposits preserved within marine sediments and use these parameters to reconstruct their internal three-dimensional structure. Three-dimensional visualizations and animations of tephra dispersal in the sediment permit a more thorough assessment of postdepositional processes revealing a number of complex microsedimentological features that are not revealed by conventional methods. These features include bioturbation burrows and horizontally discontinuous tephra packages, which have important ramifications for the stratigraphic placement of the isochron in a sedimentary sequence. Our results demonstrate the potential for utilizing rigorous two and three-dimensional microsedimentological analysis of the ichnofabric to enhance and support the use of tephra deposits as isochronous marker horizons and to identify the stratigraphic position that best reflects the primary fallout of ash. The application also provides an exceptional insight into the style and rate of sedimentation processes and permits an assessment of the stratigraphic integrity of a tephra deposit. We discuss the possibility of applying these µCT methods to the identification of cryptotephras within various paleoclimatic sequences and to enhance our understanding of marine sedimentation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Griggs
- Department of Geography College of Science, Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Siwan M Davies
- Department of Geography College of Science, Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Peter M Abbott
- Department of Geography College of Science, Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Mark Coleman
- Advanced Imaging of Materials Facility College of Engineering, Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Adrian P Palmer
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography Royal Holloway Egham UK
| | - Tine L Rasmussen
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate University of Tromsø Trømso Norway
| | - Richard Johnston
- Advanced Imaging of Materials Facility College of Engineering, Swansea University Swansea UK
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Rao AM, Malkin SY, Montserrat F, Meysman FJ. Alkalinity production in intertidal sands intensified by lugworm bioirrigation. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 2014; 148:36-47. [PMID: 25431515 PMCID: PMC4235781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Porewater profiles and sediment-water fluxes of oxygen, nutrients, pH, calcium, alkalinity, and sulfide were measured in intertidal sandflat sediments from the Oosterschelde mesotidal lagoon (The Netherlands). The influence of bioturbation and bioirrigation by the deep-burrowing polychaete Arenicola marina on the rates and sources of benthic alkalinity generation was examined by comparing measurements in intact and defaunated sediment cores before and after the addition of A. marina in summer and fall 2011. Higher organic matter remineralization rates, shallower O2 penetration, and greater sediment-water solute fluxes were observed in summer, consistent with higher sediment community metabolic rates at a higher temperature. Lugworm activity stimulated porewater exchange (5.1 × in summer, 1.9 × in fall), organic matter remineralization (6.2 × in summer, 1.9 × in fall), aerobic respiration (2.4 × in summer, 2.1 × in fall), alkalinity release (4.7 × in summer, 4.0 × in fall), nutrient regeneration, and iron cycling. The effects of lugworm activity on net sediment-water fluxes were similar but more pronounced in summer than in fall. Alkalinity release in fall was entirely driven by metabolic carbonate dissolution, while this process explained between 22 and 69% of total alkalinity production in summer, indicating the importance of other processes in this season. By enhancing organic matter remineralization and the reoxidation of reduced metabolites by the sediment microbial community, lugworm activity stimulated the production of dissolved inorganic carbon and metabolic acidity, which in turn enhanced metabolic CaCO3 dissolution efficiency. In summer, evidence of microbial long distance electron transport (LDET) was observed in defaunated sediment. Thus, alkalinity production by net carbonate dissolution was likely supplemented by anaerobic respiration and LDET in summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M.F. Rao
- Laboratory of Analytical, Environmental & Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Corresponding author. Present address: Université du Québec à Rimouski, Institut des sciences de la mer, 310 allée des Ursulines C.P. 3300, Rimouski QC, G5L 3A1 Canada.
| | - Sairah Y. Malkin
- Laboratory of Analytical, Environmental & Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francesc Montserrat
- Laboratory of Analytical, Environmental & Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Filip J.R. Meysman
- Laboratory of Analytical, Environmental & Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands
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Machado GBO, Gusmão-Junior JBL, Costa TM. Burrow morphology of Uca uruguayensis and Uca leptodactylus (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) from a subtropical mangrove forest in the western Atlantic. Integr Zool 2013; 8:307-14. [PMID: 24020469 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2012.00297.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The continuous excavation of burrows by fiddler crabs generates bioturbation in the sediment, which can be estimated from burrow morphology. The aim of the present study was to describe the burrow morphology of Uca uruguayensis and U. leptodactylus and its relationship with demography of resident individuals and to estimate the level of bioturbation in the sediment generated by each species. For all individuals from each of the 2 species, sex was determined and the carapace width (CW; mm) measured. Burrows were characterized according to burrow diameter (BD; mm), maximum burrow depth (MBD; mm) and burrow volume (BV; cm(3) ). The density of each species in the study area was also evaluated. In both species, the males were larger and occupied burrows with higher BV compared to females. Differences between sexes in relation to the burrow characteristics might reflect sexual dimorphism within the group and are probably related to the fact that males use the burrows for mating. BD and BV showed significant positive relationships with the size of resident crabs. The amount of sediment removed per burrow was estimated from mean BV: 10.78 cm(3) of sediment/burrow for U. uruguayensis and 12.38 cm(3) of sediment/burrow for U. leptodactylus. Despite the density and depth differences between the 2 species, the similarity in burrow volume suggests that U. uruguayensis and U. leptodactylus present the same importance in terms of the bioturbation process. Burrow morphology is highly associated with characteristics of the occupant, although extrinsic factors should also be considered, and its description can provide estimates on the bioturbation generated by Uca species in mangrove forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glauco B O Machado
- Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista, UNESP, São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil
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Laverock B, Kitidis V, Tait K, Gilbert JA, Osborn AM, Widdicombe S. Bioturbation determines the response of benthic ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms to ocean acidification. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120441. [PMID: 23980243 PMCID: PMC3758174 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA), caused by the dissolution of increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in seawater, is projected to cause significant changes to marine ecology and biogeochemistry. Potential impacts on the microbially driven cycling of nitrogen are of particular concern. Specifically, under seawater pH levels approximating future OA scenarios, rates of ammonia oxidation (the rate-limiting first step of the nitrification pathway) have been shown to dramatically decrease in seawater, but not in underlying sediments. However, no prior study has considered the interactive effects of microbial ammonia oxidation and macrofaunal bioturbation activity, which can enhance nitrogen transformation rates. Using experimental mesocosms, we investigated the responses to OA of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms inhabiting surface sediments and sediments within burrow walls of the mud shrimp Upogebia deltaura. Seawater was acidified to one of four target pH values (pHT 7.90, 7.70, 7.35 and 6.80) in comparison with a control (pHT 8.10). At pHT 8.10, ammonia oxidation rates in burrow wall sediments were, on average, fivefold greater than in surface sediments. However, at all acidified pH values (pH ≤ 7.90), ammonia oxidation rates in burrow sediments were significantly inhibited (by 79-97%; p < 0.01), whereas rates in surface sediments were unaffected. Both bacterial and archaeal abundances increased significantly as pHT declined; by contrast, relative abundances of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidation (amoA) genes did not vary. This research suggests that OA could cause substantial reductions in total benthic ammonia oxidation rates in coastal bioturbated sediments, leading to corresponding changes in coupled nitrogen cycling between the benthic and pelagic realms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Laverock
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
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Beman JM, Bertics VJ, Braunschweiler T, Wilson JM. Quantification of ammonia oxidation rates and the distribution of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria in marine sediment depth profiles from Catalina Island, California. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:263. [PMID: 22837756 PMCID: PMC3403348 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities present in marine sediments play a central role in nitrogen biogeochemistry at local to global scales. Along the oxidation–reduction gradients present in sediment profiles, multiple nitrogen cycling processes (such as nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation) are active and actively coupled to one another – yet the microbial communities responsible for these transformations and the rates at which they occur are still poorly understood. We report pore water geochemical (O2, NH4+, and NO3−) profiles, quantitative profiles of archaeal and bacterial amoA genes, and ammonia oxidation rate measurements, from bioturbated marine sediments of Catalina Island, California. Across triplicate sediment cores collected offshore at Bird Rock (BR) and within Catalina Harbor (CH), oxygen penetration (0.24–0.5 cm depth) and the abundance of amoA genes (up to 9.30 × 107 genes g–1) varied with depth and between cores. Bacterial amoA genes were consistently present at depths of up to 10 cm, and archaeal amoA was readily detected in BR cores, and CH cores from 2008, but not 2007. Although detection of DNA is not necessarily indicative of active growth and metabolism, ammonia oxidation rate measurements made in 2008 (using isotope tracer) demonstrated the production of oxidized nitrogen at depths where amoA was present. Rates varied with depth and between cores, but indicate that active ammonia oxidation occurs at up to 10 cm depth in bioturbated CH sediments, where it may be carried out by either or both ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Beman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
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