| 1. |
- Hansson, Lars-Anders, et al.
(författare)
-
Food-chain length alters community responses to global change in aquatic systems
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Nature Climate Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1758-678X .- 1758-6798. ; 3, s. 228-233
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Synergies between large-scale environmental changes, such as climate change1 and increased humic content (brownification)2, will have a considerable impact on future aquatic ecosystems. On the basis of modelling, monitoring and experimental data, we demonstrate that community responses to global change are determined by food-chain length and that the top trophic level, and every second level below, will benefit from climate change, whereas the levels in between will suffer. Hence, phytoplankton, and thereby algal blooms, will benefit from climate change in three-, but not in two-trophic-level systems. Moreover, we show that both phytoplankton (resource) and zooplankton (consumer) advance their spring peak abundances similarly in response to a 3 °C temperature increase; that is, there is no support for a consumer/resource mismatch in a future climate scenario. However, in contrast to other taxa, cyanobacteria—known as toxin-producing nuisance phytoplankton3—benefit from a higher temperature and humic content irrespective of the food-chain composition. Our results are mirrored in natural ecosystems. By mechanistically merging present food-chain theory with large-scale environmental and climate changes, we provide a powerful framework for predicting and understanding future aquatic ecosystems and their provision of ecosystem services and water resources.
|
|
| 2. |
- Hansson, Lars-Anders, et al.
(författare)
-
Food-chain length alters community responses to global change in aquatic systems
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Nature Climate Change. - 1758-6798. ; 3:3, s. 228-233
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Synergies between large-scale environmental changes, such as climate change(1) and increased humic content (brownification)(2), will have a considerable impact on future aquatic ecosystems. On the basis of modelling, monitoring and experimental data, we demonstrate that community responses to global change are determined by food-chain length and that the top trophic level, and every second level below, will benefit from climate change, whereas the levels in between will suffer. Hence, phytoplankton, and thereby algal blooms, will benefit from climate change in three-, but not in two-trophic-level systems. Moreover, we show that both phytoplankton (resource) and zooplankton (consumer) advance their spring peak abundances similarly in response to a 3 degrees C temperature increase; that is, there is no support for a consumer/resource mismatch in a future climate scenario. However, in contrast to other taxa, cyanobacteria-known as toxin-producing nuisance phytoplankton(3)-benefit from a higher temperature and humic content irrespective of the food-chain composition. Our results are mirrored in natural ecosystems. By mechanistically merging present food-chain theory with large-scale environmental and climate changes, we provide a powerful framework for predicting and understanding future aquatic ecosystems and their provision of ecosystem services and water resources.
|
|
| 3. |
- Hallgren, Per, et al.
(författare)
-
Synthetic estrogen directly affects fish biomass and may indirectly disrupt aquatic food webs
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268. ; 33:4, s. 930-936
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are known to alter the fitness of individual organisms via changes in growth, behavior, and reproduction. It is largely unknown, however, whether these effects cascade through the food web and indirectly affect other, less sensitive organisms. The authors present results from a mesocosm experiment whereby the effects of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) were quantified in pelagic communities. Treatment with EE2 at a concentration of 28 ng/L had no large effects on the pelagic communities composed only of phytoplankton and zooplankton. In communities where planktivorous roach (Rutilus rutilus) were also present, however, EE2 caused a significant reduction in fish biomass. Moreover, zooplankton biomass was higher in the EE2 treatments, suggesting that zooplankton may have been released from fish predation. Hence, the direct effect of EE2 on roach may have cascaded down the food web to produce positive indirect effects on zooplankton. This result was supported in complementary foraging experiments with roach, showing reduced foraging performance after exposure to EE2. Despite the observed negative effect of EE2 on roach and the positive indirect effect on zooplankton, these effects did not cascade to phytoplankton, possibly because only copepods, but not cladocerans—the major grazers in these systems—were released from fish predation. The authors conclude that the known reproductive impairment in fish by EE2 in combination with the disturbed foraging performance observed in the present study may be a disadvantage to fish that may result in increasing abundance or biomass of prey such as zooplankton. Hence, EE2 may have consequences for both the structure and function of freshwater communities.
|
|
| 4. |
- Kritzberg, Emma, et al.
(författare)
-
Warming and browning of lakes: consequences for pelagic carbon metabolism and sediment delivery
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : Wiley. - 0046-5070. ; 59:2, s. 325-336
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Thousands of lakes in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing a continuous increase in water temperature and colour. While increasing temperature is an effect of climate change, several factors are suggested to drive the increasing water colour, including climate change, altered land use and reversed acidification. 2. In this mesocosm study, we study the effects on pelagic production and sedimentation of organic carbon from a 3 degrees C increase in temperature, a doubling of water colour and a combination of increased temperature and water colour. These manipulations correspond to the predicted development in water colour and temperature in northern temperate systems within the life time of the next generation. 3. The water and plankton communities in the mesocosms were taken from an oligohumic and mesotrophic lake, and the increase in water colour was achieved by the additions of water from a humic lake. The experiment ran from early March to late October. 4. In accordance with our predictions and previous cross-system analyses, net carbon production (NCP) and organic carbon sedimentation decreased in response to increasing water colour. 5. At odds with current theory, NCP and sedimentation increased in heated treatments, as not only respiration but also gross production increased in response to temperature. There were no synergistic effects between warming and browning. 6. These results imply that warming may enhance pelagic delivery of organic carbon to sediments. This could potentially offset a reduction in burial efficiency of organic carbon, which has been projected based on a positive relationship between carbon mineralisation in sediments and temperature.
|
|
| 5. |
- Nicolle, Alice, et al.
(författare)
-
Predicted warming and browning affect timing and magnitude of plankton phenological events in lakes: a mesocosm study
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : Wiley. - 0046-5070. ; 57:4, s. 684-695
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Aquatic ecosystems in Northern Europe are expected to face increases in temperature and water colour (TB) in future. While effects of these factors have been studied separately, it is unknown whether and how a combination of them might affect phenological events and trophic interactions. 2. In a mesocosm study, we combined both factors to create conditions expected to arise during the coming century. We focused on quantifying effects on timing and magnitude of plankton spring phenological events and identifying possible mismatches between resources (phytoplankton) and consumers (zooplankton). 3. We found that the increases in TB had important effects on timing and abundance of different plankton groups. While increased temperature led to an earlier peak in phytoplankton and zooplankton and a change in the relative timing of different zooplankton groups, increased water colour reduced chlorophyll-a concentrations. 4. Increased TB together benefitted cladocerans and calanoid copepods and led to stronger top-down control of algae by zooplankton. There was no sign of a mismatch between primary producers and grazers as reported from other studies. 5. Our results point towards an earlier onset of plankton spring growth in shallow lakes in future with a stronger top-down control of phytoplankton by zooplankton grazers.
|
|
| 6. |
- Ranåker, Lynn, et al.
(författare)
-
Piscivore-Prey Fish Interactions : Mechanisms behind Diurnal Patterns in Prey Selectivity in Brown and Clear Water
- 2014
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 9:11, s. e102002-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental change may affect predator-prey interactions in lakes through deterioration of visual conditions affecting foraging success of visually oriented predators. Environmental change in lakes includes an increase in humic matter causing browner water and reduced visibility, affecting the behavioural performance of both piscivores and prey. We studied diurnal patterns of prey selection in piscivorous pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in both field and laboratory investigations. In the field we estimated prey selectivity and prey availability during day and night in a clear and a brown water lake. Further, prey selectivity during day and night conditions was studied in the laboratory where we manipulated optical conditions (humic matter content) of the water. Here, we also studied the behaviours of piscivores and prey, focusing on foraging-cycle stages such as number of interests and attacks by the pikeperch as well as the escape distance of the prey fish species. Analyses of gut contents from the field study showed that pikeperch selected perch (Perca fluviatilis) over roach (Rutilus rutilus) prey in both lakes during the day, but changed selectivity towards roach in both lakes at night. These results were corroborated in the selectivity experiments along a brown-water gradient in day and night light conditions. However, a change in selectivity from perch to roach was observed when the optical condition was heavily degraded, from either brown-stained water or light intensity. At longer visual ranges, roach initiated escape at distances greater than pikeperch attack distances, whereas perch stayed inactive making pikeperch approach and attack at the closest range possible. Roach anti-predatory behaviour decreased in deteriorated visual conditions, altering selectivity patterns. Our results highlight the importance of investigating both predator and prey responses to visibility conditions in order to understand the effects of degrading optical conditions on piscivore-prey interaction strength and thereby ecosystem responses to brownification of waters.
|
|
