| 241. |
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| 242. |
- Lau, Danny C P, et al.
(författare)
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Autochthonous resources are the main driver of consumer production in dystrophic boreal lakes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 95, s. 1506-1519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dystrophic lakes are widespread in temperate regions and intimately interact with surrounding terrestrial ecosystems in energy and nutrient dynamics, yet the relative importance of autochthonous and allochthonous resources to consumer production in dystrophic lakes remains controversial. We argue that allochthonous organic matter quantitatively dominates over photosynthetic autotrophs in dystrophic lakes, but that autotrophs are higher in diet quality and more important for consumers as they contain essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). In a field study, we tested the hypotheses that (1) autochthonous primary production is the main driver for consumer production, despite being limited by light availability and low nutrient supplies, and greater supply of allochthonous carbon, (2) the relative contribution of autotrophs to consumers is directly related to their tissue PUFA concentrations, and (3) methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) provide an energy alternative for consumers.Pelagic and benthic consumer taxa representing different trophic levels were sampled from five dystrophic lakes: isopod Asellus aquaticus, megalopteran Sialis lutaria, dipteran Chaoborus flavicans, and perch Perca fluviatilis. Based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, the relative contributions of autochthonous (biofilms and seston) and allochthonous (coarse particulate and dissolved organic matter) resources and MOB to these taxa were 47-79%, 9-44% and 7-12% respectively. Results from fatty acid (FA) analyses show that the relative omega 3-FA and PUFA concentrations increased with trophic level (Asellus < Sialis and Chaoborus < Perca). Also, eicosapentaenoic-acid (EPA), omega 3-FA and PUFA concentrations increased with the autochthonous contribution in consumers, i.e., a 47-79% biofilm and/or seston diet resulted in tissue EPA of 4.2-18.4, omega 3 FAs of 11.6-37.0 and PUFA of 21.6-61.0 mg/g dry mass. The results indicate that consumers in dystrophic lakes predominantly rely on energy from autotrophs and that their PUFA concentrations are dependent on the relative contribution of these autochthonous resources. The limited energy support from MOB suggests they are not negligible and are potentially an integral part of the food webs. Our findings show that autochthonous resources are the main driver of secondary production even in dystrophic lakes and offer new insights into the functioning of these ecosystems.
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| 243. |
- Lau, Danny C P, et al.
(författare)
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Cross-ecosystem differences in lipid composition and growth limitation of a benthic generalist consumer
- 2013
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Ingår i: Limnology and Oceanography. - : Wiley. - 0024-3590 .- 1939-5590. ; 58, s. 1149-1164
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a field study, we analyzed the fatty acid (FA) composition of the benthic generalist Asellus aquaticus collected from boreal lakes, ponds, and streams across gradients in ambient nutrient levels. In laboratory feeding experiments, we tested the diet-quality and seasonal effects on somatic growth and FAs of spring-and autumn-collected Asellus that were fed four different diets containing increasing concentrations of polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA): conditioned leaf litter, algal flakes, mixed litter and algal flakes (Mixed), or Mixed plus fish-food flakes. Ambient nutrients were strong determinants of FA variation of field Asellus, explaining > 44% in total. The ratios of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to total FAs, EPA: omega 3, and omega 3 : omega 6 of Asellus increased up to four times with increasing trophic state and decreasing humic matter content, likely because dietary omega 3 FAs were more prevalent in benthic habitats of eutrophic than of oligotrophic systems. In the feeding trials, growth of Asellus collected in both seasons was markedly lower on leaf litter than on higher PUFA diets. However, autumn-collected Asellus fed a Mixed or Mixed+fish-food diet grew 3-10 times faster, but retained < 50% EPA and PUFA than spring counterparts. Asellus optimized PUFA accumulation in spring but somatic growth in autumn. Our field survey suggests ambient nutrient concentrations modify dietary PUFA supply from basal resources, while laboratory studies show that growth response and PUFA accumulation of Asellus differ between seasons, likely due to its season-specific physiological status and diet quality. An increase in nutrients will release benthic consumers from growth limitation and favor more efficient trophic transfer.
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| 244. |
- Lau, Danny C P
(författare)
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Data for: Variation in fatty acid content among benthic invertebrates in a seasonally driven system
- 2023
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- At temperate latitudes where seasonal changing environmental conditions strongly affect the magnitude, duration and species composition of pelagic primary production, macrobenthic organisms living below the photic zone rely on the sedimentation of this organic matter as their primary energy source. The succession from nutritious spring blooms to summer cyanobacteria is assumed to reduce food quality for benthic primary consumers and their fatty acid profiles. In contrast, we find low seasonal variability in fatty acid content of five benthic macroinvertebrates spanning two trophic levels in the Baltic Sea, a system with high seasonal variation in phytoplankton species composition. However, levels of the major FA groups vary greatly between benthic species. The results suggest that benthic macroinvertebrates have evolved FA metabolism adapted to degraded sedimenting material. Moreover, our study shows that species composition of benthic macrofauna rather than seasonal changing conditions affect availability of essential nutrients to higher trophic levels.
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| 245. |
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| 246. |
- Lau, Danny C P, et al.
(författare)
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Fatty-acid based assessment of benthic food-web responses to multiple stressors in a large river system
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 337
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rivers are often exposed to multiple stressors, such as nutrients and contaminants, whose impacts on the river food webs may not be distinguished by sole assessment of biological community structures. We examined the benthic algal assemblages and the fatty acids (FA) of benthic macroinvertebrates in the lower Athabasca River in Canada, aiming to assess the changes in algal support and nutritional quality of the benthic food web in response to cumulative exposure to natural bitumen, municipal sewage discharge (hereafter, "sewage"), and oil sands mining ("mining"). Data show that the decline in water quality (increases in nutrient concentrations and total suspended solids) was associated with decreases in benthic diatom abundance, and was driven mainly by sewageinduced nutrient enrichment. Responses in nutritional quality of benthic macroinvertebrates, indicated by their polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) concentrations, were taxon- and stressor-specific. Nutritional quality of the larval dragonfly predator, Ophiogomphus, decreased nonlinearly with decreasing benthic diatom abundance and was lowest at the sewage-affected sites, although exposure to natural bitumen also resulted in reduced Ophiogomphus PUFA concentrations. In contrast, the PUFA concentrations of mayfly grazers/collector-gatherers were not affected by natural bitumen exposure, and were higher at the sewage and sewage+mining sites. The PUFA concentrations of the shredder Pteronarcys larvae did not change with cumulative exposure to the stressors. Sediment metal and polycyclic aromatic compound concentrations were not associated with the macroinvertebrate FA changes. Overall, we provide evidence that sewage induced reduction in trophic support by PUFA-rich diatoms, and was the predominant driver of the observed changes in FA composition and nutritional quality of the benthic macroinvertebrates. Fatty-acid metrics are useful to untangle effects of concurrent stressors, but the assessment outcomes depend on the functional feeding guilds used. A food-web perspective using multiple trophic levels and feeding guilds supports a more holistic assessment of the stressor impacts.
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| 247. |
- Lau, Danny C P, et al.
(författare)
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Fatty acid composition of consumers in boreal lakes - variation across species, space and time
- 2012
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Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : Wiley. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 57, s. 24-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Fatty acids (FAs) have been widely applied as trophic biomarkers in aquatic food web studies. However, current knowledge of inter- and intraspecific variation in consumer FA compositions across spatial and temporal scales is constrained to a few pelagic taxa.
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| 248. |
- Lau, Danny C P
(författare)
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Improvements of Population Fitness and Trophic Status of a Benthic Predatory Fish Following a Trawling Ban
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in marine science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-7745. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trawl fisheries have been shown to cause overfishing and destruction of benthic habitats in the seabed. To mitigate these impacts, a trawling ban has been enforced in Hong Kong waters since December 31, 2012 to rehabilitate the ecosystem and enhance fisheries resources. Previous studies demonstrated that reduced trawling activities would increase the heterogeneity of benthic habitats, thereby enhancing species richness and abundance of benthic fauna and providing more prey resources for predatory fishes. This study aimed to test a hypothesis that the population and trophic dynamics of the Bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus, a heavily fished benthic predatory fish, at inner and outer Tolo Channel of Hong Kong (i.e., EI and EO) improved with increases in their body size, abundance, biomass, trophic niche, and trophic position after the trawl ban. Samples were collected from trawl surveys before and after the trawl ban to compare the pre-ban and post-ban populations of P. indicus from EI and EO. Body size, abundance, and biomass were assessed in 2004, 2013–2014, and 2015–2016, whereas trophic niche and trophic position were analyzed based on stable isotopes of fish samples collected in dry season of 2012, 2015, and 2018. Following the trawl ban, the abundance and biomass of P. indicus increased in EO, with body size increased in EI. Furthermore, as indicated by the results of stable isotope analysis (SIA) on their tissues and prey items, trophic niche, and trophic position of P. indicus increased in EI and EO, respectively. Our study demonstrated that the trawl ban had promoted the recovery of a predatory fish population through restoring size structure and trophic dynamics.
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| 249. |
- Lau, Danny C. P., et al.
(författare)
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Lake responses to long-term disturbances and management practices
- 2017
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Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : WILEY. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 62:4, s. 792-806
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Long-term human-induced disturbances such as acidification and algal invasions, and management practices such as liming, are known to alter community structure and biodiversity of north temperate lakes. We assessed if they impacted on the trophic ecology and production of apex consumers (i.e. fish) and the overall food-chain length (FCL) of boreal lake ecosystems, and if these functional responses were consistent with the biodiversity changes. We hypothesise that fish production and FCL decrease with decreasing species biodiversity of lake communities, and that long-term environmental perturbations will alter the relative reliance of fish on littoral versus pelagic trophic pathways and their ontogenetic changes in trophic position (TP). 2. We analysed long-term data and stable isotopes of multiple organismal groups - phytoplankton, zooplankton, littoral and sub-littoral/profundal macroinvertebrates, and fish - collected from small boreal lakes that have been subjected to acidification, lime application and/or algal invasion by Gonyostomum semen. Species biodiversity, FCL and fish production (i.e. growth and catch-per-uniteffort) were compared among three lake categories, i.e. acidic, limed and circumneutral (reference) lakes, within each three lakes were selected. Fish TP and their relative littoral versus pelagic reliance were estimated based on stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes respectively. 3. Gonyostomum contributed to 77-98% phytoplankton biovolume in acidic lakes, <1-79% in limed lakes and 0-30% in circumneutral lakes. Its prevalence was correlated with total organic carbon concentration but not with lake pH, alkalinity or any other environmental variable. Diversity and evenness of phytoplankton, macroinvertebrates and fish generally decreased with increasing Gonyostomum biovolume, such that biodiversity was higher in circumneutral and limed lakes than in acidic lakes. 4. Isotopic data revealed that FCL was shortest in limed lakes (3.94 +/- 0.08; least- squares mean +/- SE), intermediate in acidic lakes (4.19 +/- 0.07) and longest in circumneutral lakes (4.38 +/- 0.08). Limed lakes also had the lowest fish growth and CPUE. Overall littoral reliance of fish was higher in acidic lakes (0.53 +/- 0.03) than in limed lakes (0.42 +/- 0.02) and circumneutral lakes (0.30 +/- 0.02), suggesting that fish production and FCL there could have been sustained by the increased littoral reliance when pelagic trophic pathways were hindered by Gonyostomum invasion. European perch (Perca fluviatilis), the most common fish in the lakes, showed faster TP increases in acidic and limed lakes, likely due to their earlier ontogenetic shift from zooplanktivory to zoobenthivory and/or piscivory. 5. Overall, our findings indicate that long-term disturbances (i.e. acidification and algal invasions) and management practices (i.e. liming) can (i) induce contrasting responses in biodiversity, FCL and fish production of boreal lakes; (ii) be the primary driver of FCL variation among small and similar-size ecosystems; and (iii) alter the trophic ecology (i.e. TP change during ontogeny and littoral reliance) of key fish species. The trophic ecology and production of apex consumers and FCL together can provide useful integrated proxies for ecosystem functioning, which can supplement traditional biodiversity measurements for more robust environmental assessments.
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| 250. |
- Lau, Danny C. P., et al.
(författare)
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Lowered nutritional quality of plankton caused by global environmental changes
- 2021
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 27:23, s. 6294-6306
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global environmental changes are causing widespread nutrient depletion, declines in the ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) to total phosphorus (DIN:TP), and increases in both water temperature and terrestrial colored dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (browning) in high-latitude northern lakes. Declining lake DIN:TP, warming, and browning alter the nutrient limitation regime and biomass of phytoplankton, but how these stressors together affect the nutritional quality in terms of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents of the pelagic food web components remains unknown. We assessed the fatty acid compositions of seston and zooplankton in 33 lakes across south-to-north and boreal-to-subarctic gradients in Sweden. Data showed higher lake DIN:TP in the south than in the north, and that boreal lakes were warmer and browner than subarctic lakes. Lake DIN:TP strongly affected the PUFA contents—especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—in seston, calanoids, and copepods (as a group), but not in cladocerans. The EPA+DHA contents increased by 123% in seston, 197% in calanoids, and 230% in copepods across a lake molar DIN:TP gradient from 0.17 to 14.53, indicating lower seston and copepod nutritional quality in the more N-limited lakes (those with lower DIN:TP). Water temperature affected EPA+DHA contents of zooplankton, especially cladocerans, but not seston. Cladoceran EPA+DHA contents were reduced by ca. 6% for every 1°C increase in surface water. Also, the EPA, DHA, or EPA+DHA contents of Bosmina, cyclopoids, and copepods increased in lakes with higher DOC concentrations or aromaticity. Our findings indicate that zooplankton food quality for higher consumers will decrease with warming alone (for cladocerans) or in combination with declining lake DIN:TP (for copepods), but impacts of these stressors are moderated by lake browning. Global environmental changes that drive northern lakes toward more N-limited, warmer, and browner conditions will reduce PUFA availability and nutritional quality of the pelagic food web components.
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