Functional plasticity of benthic macroinvertebrates: implications for trophic dynamics in acid streams

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1563-1573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Dangles
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Functional Plasticity ◽  
Vosges Mountains ◽  
Acid Streams ◽  
Diet Analyses ◽  
One Year ◽  
Species Specific

Functional plasticity of benthic macroinvertebrates was investigated over one year in four acid streams in the Vosges Mountains (northeastern France). The trophic position of macroinvertebrate species within the benthic food web was determined using gut content analyses. Diet analyses revealed that only 24–36% of biomass of putative shredders consumed leaf fragments, whereas up to 44% consumed benthic algae and bryophytes. Although most Nemouromorpha stoneflies were generalist consumers, several other taxa (e.g., Brachyptera seticornis, Chaetopterygopsis maclachlani) specialised on benthic algae and bryophytes. Our study showed that acid streams unexpectedly had very few specialised leaf-shredding species (e.g., Chaetopteryx villosa) that could explain the slow leaf detritus processing rates observed in these systems. Primary producers appear to be an alternative resource for shredders, playing an important role in supporting food webs in forested acid streams. The food web built in this study suggests that overlooking species-specific functional plasticity of invertebrates may result in a misconception of invertebrate community structure in acid streams.

Depth-specific patterns in benthic–planktonic food web relationships in Lake Superior

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1496-1503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E Sierszen ◽  
Gregory S Peterson ◽  
Jill V Scharold
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Large Lakes

In an investigation of the spatial characteristics of Laurentian Great Lakes food webs, we examined the trophic relationship between benthic amphipods (Diporeia) and plankton in Lake Superior. We analyzed the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of Diporeia and plankton at stations in water column depths of 4–300 m. Neither δ15N nor δ13C of plankton from the upper 50 m of the water column varied significantly with station depth. Diporeia isotope ratios exhibited depth-specific patterns reflecting changes in food sources and food web relationships with plankton. Diporeia was 13C enriched at station depths of <40 m, reflecting increased dietary importance of benthic algae. There was a systematic increase in Diporeia δ15N with depth, which appeared to result from a combination of dietary shifts in the nearshore and decompositional changes in Diporeia's principal food, sedimented plankton, in deep habitats. Diporeia δ13C and δ15N together described changes in food web isotope baseline with depth. They also discriminated three depth strata representing photic, mid-depth, and profundal zones. These findings have implications for our understanding of Great Lakes food webs and analyses of trophic position within them, the ecology of zoobenthos and plankton communities, and sampling designs for large lakes.

scholarly journals Qualitative and Quantitative study of Epipelic algae in Tigris River within Baghdad City, Iraq

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1074-1082
Author(s):  
Baghdad Science Journal
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Lotic Ecosystems ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Tigris River ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distributions ◽  
Number Species ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
One Year ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Study

The present study conducted to study epipelic algae in the Tigris River within Baghdad city for one year from September 2011 to August 2012 due to the importance role of benthic algae in lotic ecosystems. Five sites have been chosen along the river. A total of 154 species of epipelic algae was recorded belongs to 45 genera, where Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms) was the dominant groups followed by Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae. The numbers of common types in three sites were 47 species. Bacillariophyceae accounted 88.31% of the total number of epipelic algae, followed by Cyanophyceae 7.14 % and Chlorophyceae 4.55%. A 85 species (29 genera) recorded in site 1, 103 species (34 genera) in site2, 112 species (35 genera) in site3, 96 species (32 genera) in site4, and 85 species (29 genera) in site5. Spatial and temporal distributions of epipelic algae were noticed in this study. The higher total number of epipelic algae (91504.01cell cm-2) was recorded at site 5 in spring 2012, while the lower was (37017.98cell cm-2) in summer 2012 at site1. Some genera have recorded higher number species during the study period; these genera were Nitzschia, Navicula, Cymbella, Gomphonema, Synedra, Achnanthes, Oscillatoria, and Lyngbya. The study revealed that Bacillariophyceae were more prominent within all study sites and followed by Cyanophyceae, while a few numbers of Chlorophyceae was appeared.

Microbiomes of pathogenic Vibrio species reveal environmental and planktonic associations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Diner ◽  
Ariel J. Rabines ◽  
Hong Zheng ◽  
Joshua A. Steele ◽  
John F. Griffith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distinct Species ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Taxonomic Resolution ◽  
Environmental Preferences ◽  
Pathogenic Vibrio ◽  
Photosynthetic Organism ◽  
One Year ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Planktonic Community

Abstract Background Many species of coastal Vibrio spp. bacteria can infect humans, representing an emerging health threat linked to increasing seawater temperatures. Vibrio interactions with the planktonic community impact coastal ecology and human infection potential. In particular, interactions with eukaryotic and photosynthetic organism may provide attachment substrate and critical nutrients (e.g. chitin, phytoplankton exudates) that facilitate the persistence, diversification, and spread of pathogenic Vibrio spp. Vibrio interactions with these organisms in an environmental context are, however, poorly understood.Results We quantified pathogenic Vibrio species, including V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, and two virulence-associated genes for one year at five coastal sites in Southern California and used metabarcoding to profile associated prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities, including vibrio-specific communities. These Vibrio spp. reached high abundances, particularly during Summer months, and inhabited distinct species-specific environmental niches driven by temperature and salinity. Associated bacterial and eukaryotic taxa identified at fine-scale taxonomic resolution revealed genus and species-level relationships. For example, common Thalassiosira genera diatoms capable of exuding chitin were positively associated with V. cholerae and V. vulnificus in a species-specific manner, while the most abundant eukaryotic genus, the diatom Chaetoceros, was positively associated with V. parahaemolyticus. Associations were often linked to shared environmental preferences, and several copepod genera were linked to low-salinity environmental conditions and abundant V. cholerae and V. vulnificus.Conclusions This study clarifies ecological relationships between pathogenic Vibrio spp. and the planktonic community, elucidating new functionally relevant associations, establishing a workflow for examining environmental pathogen microbiomes, and highlighting prospective model systems for future mechanistic studies.

Managing Centrarchid Fisheries in Rivers and Streams

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Stream Size ◽  
Diet Analyses

<em>Abstract.</em>—Prey selection and diet are highly plastic and can vary with temporal and spatial differences in competition or prey availability. This study investigated the possibility that the trophic position of Smallmouth Bass <em> Micropterus dolomieu </em>might change in response to systematic, hierarchical variation in community structure in stream networks. We hypothesized that a shift toward increased insectivory and decreased piscivory would be observed in smaller streams, resulting in a lower trophic position of Smallmouth Bass and reflecting differences in community structure and prey availability. We applied a combination of diet analyses and stable isotope methods to compare prey selection and trophic position of Smallmouth Bass across a range of stream sizes. Stable isotope analyses indicated that Smallmouth Bass trophic position was slightly elevated in smaller watersheds, contradicting our initial hypothesis. However, differences in average trophic position in watershed size categories were small (ranging from 3.6 to 3.8) and of limited ecological significance. Isotopic niche width did not vary among stream size categories, and gut content analyses revealed no differences in frequency of occurrence of fish, crayfish, or insects (larvae and adults). Collectively these results indicate that trophic position, and perhaps trophic niche, of Smallmouth Bass are consistent across hierarchical variation in stream size and habitat.

scholarly journals Copepods act as omnivores in a (sub)tropical reservoir: Implication for the top-down effect on phytoplankton

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuqi Lin ◽  
Liang Peng ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Bo-Ping Han
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Zooplankton Community ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Tropical Reservoir ◽  
Cascading Effect ◽  
Cladoceran Species ◽  
Grazing Effect ◽  
One Year

Tropical reservoirs in China receive a high input of organic matter from surrounding watersheds and this represents a significant resource for zooplankton consumers. Copepods are often the dominant zooplankton group in the tropical systems. Whether copepods tend to be omnivorous and their potential cascading effect on phytoplankton are subjects of debate. We used stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses to elucidate the allochthony and trophic positions of two copepod species (Phyllodiaptomus tunguidus and Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides) and one cladoceran species (Diaphanosoma orghidani) over a one-year period in a tropical oligo-mesotrophic reservoir in China. We assumed the filter-feeding D. orghidani was herbivorous and we used it as a baseline indicator of δ15N to estimate the trophic position of the two copepods. P. tunguidus and M. thermocyclopoides had an average trophic level that was 0.7 and 0.5 higher, respectively, than that of D. orghidani. M. thermocyclopoides showed seasonal differences in trophic position and an increase in trophic position with rising temperatures, whereas P. tunguidus remained omnivorous throughout the year. All three zooplankton species had a much higher degree of allochthony in the flood season than in the dry season, and their allochthony was positively related to the allochthony of the particulate organic matter input. The two copepods’ omnivorous behavior suggests their allochthony was primarily linked to microbial food web based on the input of terrestrial organic matter. The chlorophyll a to total phosphorus ratio was much higher when P. tunguidus dominated the zooplankton community than when D. orghidani dominated. The ratio was positively related to the ratio of omnivorous adult copepods to cladoceran biomass but not to the zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratio. Our results suggest that copepods tended to be omnivorous and relied heavily on allochthonous material in the study reservoir. The indirect cascading effect is likely to be stronger than the direct grazing effect, resulting in a positive effect of copepods on the phytoplankton.

scholarly journals The biggest losers: habitat isolation deconstructs complex food webs from top to bottom

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1908) ◽  
pp. 20191177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remo Ryser ◽  
Johanna Häussler ◽  
Markus Stark ◽  
Ulrich Brose ◽  
Björn C. Rall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Habitat Isolation ◽  
Fragmented Landscapes ◽  
Energy Limitation ◽  
Species Specific

Habitat fragmentation threatens global biodiversity. To date, there is only limited understanding of how the different aspects of habitat fragmentation (habitat loss, number of fragments and isolation) affect species diversity within complex ecological networks such as food webs. Here, we present a dynamic and spatially explicit food web model which integrates complex food web dynamics at the local scale and species-specific dispersal dynamics at the landscape scale, allowing us to study the interplay of local and spatial processes in metacommunities. We here explore how the number of habitat patches, i.e. the number of fragments, and an increase of habitat isolation affect the species diversity patterns of complex food webs ( α -, β -, γ -diversities). We specifically test whether there is a trophic dependency in the effect of these two factors on species diversity. In our model, habitat isolation is the main driver causing species loss and diversity decline. Our results emphasize that large-bodied consumer species at high trophic positions go extinct faster than smaller species at lower trophic levels, despite being superior dispersers that connect fragmented landscapes better. We attribute the loss of top species to a combined effect of higher biomass loss during dispersal with increasing habitat isolation in general, and the associated energy limitation in highly fragmented landscapes, preventing higher trophic levels to persist. To maintain trophic-complex and species-rich communities calls for effective conservation planning which considers the interdependence of trophic and spatial dynamics as well as the spatial context of a landscape and its energy availability.

scholarly journals BODY SIZE AND TROPHIC POSITION IN A DIVERSE TROPICAL FOOD WEB

Ecology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (9) ◽  
pp. 2530-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. Layman ◽  
Kirk O. Winemiller ◽  
D. Albrey Arrington ◽  
David B. Jepsen
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Trophic Position

Isotopic discrimination of stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) in a host-specific holocephalan tapeworm

2013 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Navarro ◽  
M. Albo-Puigserver ◽  
M. Coll ◽  
R. Saez ◽  
M.G. Forero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Fish Host ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Isotopic Discrimination ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Host Body Size

AbstractDuring the past decade, parasites have been considered important components of their ecosystems since they can modify food-web structures and functioning. One constraint to the inclusion of parasites in food-web models is the scarcity of available information on their feeding habits and host–parasite relationships. The stable isotope approach is suggested as a useful methodology to determine the trophic position and feeding habits of parasites. However, the isotopic approach is limited by the lack of information on the isotopic discrimination (ID) values of parasites, which is pivotal to avoiding the biased interpretation of isotopic results. In the present study we aimed to provide the first ID values of δ15N and δ13C between the gyrocotylidean tapeworm Gyrocotyle urna and its definitive host, the holocephalan Chimaera monstrosa. We also test the effect of host body size (body length and body mass) and sex of the host on the ID values. Finally, we illustrate how the trophic relationships of the fish host C. monstrosa and the tapeworm G. urna could vary relative to ID values. Similar to other studies with parasites, the ID values of the parasite–host system were negative for both isotopic values of N (Δδ15N = − 3.33 ± 0.63‰) and C (Δδ13C = − 1.32 ± 0.65‰), independent of the sex and size of the host. By comparing the specific ID obtained here with ID from other studies, we illustrate the importance of using specific ID in parasite–host systems to avoid potential errors in the interpretation of the results when surrogate values from similar systems or organisms are used.

Fish on the roof of the world: densities, habitats and trophic position of stone loaches (Triplophysa) in Tibetan streams

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Jacobsen ◽  
Søren Kock Laursen ◽  
Ladislav Hamerlik ◽  
Karen Moltesen ◽  
Anders Michelsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Position ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Running Waters ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Percentage Cover

The fast increase in temperature on the Tibetan Plateau, with anticipated future changes in aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, highlights the urgent need for ecological data on the sparsely studied Tibetan running waters. In the present study we surveyed eight Tibetan streams to obtain data on densities, feeding selectivity and trophic position of the stone loach Triplophysa. Benthic algae, detritus, macroinvertebrates and fish were quantified and collected for stable isotope and stomach content analysis. Triplophysa density (mean 0.70 individuals m–2, maximum 1.6 individuals m–2) decreased with altitude and increased with the percentage cover of fine substratum. Glacier-fed sites tended to have the lowest fish densities, whereas the highest densities were found near lakes. Mean fish length (4.1–9.6cm) was positively related to the percentage cover of coarse substratum. Triplophysa was omnivorous, but the composition of the stomach contents varied greatly between sites and among individuals. Algal matter was ingested at most sites, but macroinvertebrates (Chironomidae, Baetidae and Simuliidae) dominated the ingestion (average 50–100%). The trophic position of Triplophysa, identified from δ15N (‰) of the biota, varied between 2.6 and 4.2 among localities (mean 3.6) and was inversely related to the biomass of benthic algae, but unrelated to quantities of other potential food sources.

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