| 1. |
- Arnott, Russell N., et al.
(författare)
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Artificially generated turbulence : a review of phycological nanocosm, microcosm, and mesocosm experiments
- 2021
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Ingår i: Hydrobiologia. - : Springer. - 0018-8158 .- 1573-5117. ; 848, s. 961-991
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Building on a summary of how turbulence influences biological systems, we reviewed key phytoplankton-turbulence laboratory experiments (after Peters and Redondo in Scientia Marina: Lectures on plankton and turbulence, International Centre for Coastal Resources, Barcelona, 1997) and Peters and Marrase (Marine Ecology Progress Series 205:291-306, 2000) to provide a current overview of artificial turbulence generation methods and quantification techniques. This review found that most phytoplankton studies using artificial turbulence feature some form of quantification of turbulence; it is recommended to use turbulent dissipation rates (epsilon) for consistency with physical oceanographic and limnological observations. Grid-generated turbulence is the dominant method used to generate artificial turbulence with most experiments providing quantified epsilon values. Couette cylinders are also commonly used due to the ease of quantification, albeit as shear rates not epsilon. Dinoflagellates were the primary phytoplanktonic group studied due to their propensity for forming harmful algal blooms (HAB) as well as their apparent sensitivity to turbulence. This study found that a majority of experimental setups are made from acrylate plastics that could emit toxins as these materials degrade under UV light. Furthermore, most cosm systems studied were not sufficiently large to accommodate the full range of turbulent length scales, omitting larger vertical overturns. Recognising that phytoplankton-turbulence interactions are extremely complex, the continued promotion of more interdisciplinary studies is recommended.
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| 2. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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An operational framework for the advancement of a molecule-to-biosphere stoichiometry theory
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Marine Science. - Lausanne : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-7745. ; 4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biological stoichiometry is an approach that focuses on the balance of elements in biological interactions. It is a theory that has the potential to causally link material processes at all biological levels—from molecules to the biosphere. But the lack of a coherent operational framework has so far restricted progress in this direction. Here, we provide a framework to help infer how a stoichiometric imbalance observed at one level impacts all other biological levels. Our framework enables us to highlight the areas of the theory in need of completion, development and integration at all biological levels. Our hope is that this framework will contribute to the building of a more predictive theory of elemental transfers within the biosphere, and thus, to a better understanding of human-induced perturbations to the global biogeochemical cycles.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
-
Ecological Stoichiometry
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Oxford Bibliographies in Ecology. - : Oxford Bibliographies.
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ecological stoichiometry (ES) is the study of the balance of energy and multiple chemical elements in ecological interactions. Although much of the foundation of this field lies in studies of lakes (and especially of lake plankton), the application of ES has greatly expanded in 21st century, with extensions to streams, soils, grasslands, forests, and other ecosystems. This article provides a guide to recent introductory articles and reviews of the ES approach, to some of the foundational papers that preceded the formal definition of ES, and to a cross-section of papers dealing with biochemical, evolutionary, and ecological (especially biogeochemical) applications of ES. The field remains highly dynamic: a topic search on “ecolog stoichiometry” in ISI Web of Science yields more than 6,100 citations per year (in 2013; compared to less than five hundred in 1993). Thus, this annotated bibliography can only touch on the tip of this growing iceberg.
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| 5. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Plant - herbivore -decomposer stoichiometric mismatches and nutrientcycling in ecosystems
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 280:1754, s. 20122453-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant stoichiometry is thought to have a major influence on how herbivores affect nutrient availability in ecosystems. Most conceptual models predict that plants with high nutrient contents increase nutrient excretion by herbivores, in turn raising nutrient availability. To test this hypothesis, we built a stoichiometrically explicit model that includes a simple but thorough description of the processes of herbivory and decomposition. Our results challenge traditional views of herbivore impacts on nutrient availability in many ways. They show that the relationship between plant nutrient content and the impact of herbivores predicted by conceptual models holds only at high plant nutrient contents. At low plant nutrient contents, the impact of herbivores is mediated by the mineralization/immobilization of nutrients by decomposers and by the type of resource limiting the growth of decomposers. Both parameters are functions of the mismatch between plant and decomposer stoichiometries. Our work provides new predictions about the impacts of herbivores on ecosystemfertility that depend on critical interactions between plant, herbivore and decomposer stoichiometries in ecosystems.
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| 6. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
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Potential for Local Fertilization : A Benthocosm Test of Long-Term and Short-Term Effects of Mussel Excretion on the Plankton
- 2016
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mussel aquaculture has expanded worldwide and it is important to assess its impact on the water column and the planktonic food web to determine the sustainability of farming practices. Mussel farming may affect the planktonic food web indirectly by excreting bioavailable nutrients in the water column (a short-term effect) or by increasing nutrient effluxes from bio-deposit-enriched sediments (a long-term effect). We tested both of these indirect effects in a lagoon by using plankton-enclosing benthocosms that were placed on the bottom of a shallow lagoon either inside of a mussel farm or at reference sites with no history of aquaculture. At each site, half of the benthocosms were enriched with seawater that had held mussels (excretion treatment), the other half received non-enriched seawater as a control treatment. We monitored nutrients ([PO43-] and [NH4+]), dissolved oxygen and plankton components (bacteria, the phytoplankton and the zooplankton) over 5 days. We found a significant relationship between long-term accumulation of mussel biodeposits in sediments, water-column nutrient concentrations and plankton growth. Effects of mussel excretion were not detected, too weak to be significant given the spatial and temporal variability observed in the lagoon. Effects of mussels on the water column are thus likely to be coupled to benthic processes in such semi-enclosed water bodies.
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| 7. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
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Stoichiometric constraints on resource use, competitive interactions, and elemental cycling in microbial decomposers
- 2007
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Ingår i: American Naturalist. - McGill Univ, Dept Biol, Montreal, PQ H3A 1B1, Canada. Ecole Normale Super, Biogeochim & Ecol Milieux Continentaux Lab, UMR 7618, F-75230 Paris 05, France. : UNIV CHICAGO PRESS. - 0003-0147 .- 1537-5323. ; 169:6, s. 709-724
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heterotrophic microbial decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, immobilize or mineralize inorganic elements, depending on their elemental composition and that of their organic resource. This fact has major implications for their interactions with other consumers of inorganic elements. We combine the stoichiometric and resource-ratio approaches in a model describing the use by decomposers of an organic and an inorganic resource containing the same essential element, to study its consequences on decomposer interactions and their role in elemental cycling. Our model considers the elemental composition of organic matter and the principle of its homeostasis explicitly. New predictions emerge, in particular, ( 1) stoichiometric constraints generate a trade-off between the R* values of decomposers for the two resources; ( 2) they create favorable conditions for the coexistence of decomposers limited by different resources and with different elemental demands; ( 3) however, combined with conditions on species-specific equilibrium limitation, they draw decomposers toward colimitation by the organic and inorganic resources on an evolutionary time scale. Moreover, we derive the conditions under which decomposers switch from consumption to excretion of the inorganic resource. We expect our predictions to be useful in explaining the community structure of decomposers and their interactions with other consumers of inorganic resources, particularly primary producers.
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| 8. |
- Cherif, Mehdi
(författare)
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Stoichiometry and Population Growth in Osmotrophs and Non‐Osmotrophs
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLS. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 9780470015902 ; , s. 1-6
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growth is a process fundamental to life. It implies an increase in not only energy and information but also matter content. Recent advances in ecology have demonstrated that the elemental composition of organisms – their stoichiometry – is inextricably linked to their growth rate. Unbalances between the demands of elements for growth and their relative availabilities often result in elemental limitation. Also, different cellular components have different elemental compositions, and thus changes in allocation between uptake and assembly machineries affect both growth rate and elemental composition at the organismal level. Osmotrophs (including autotrophs) acquire essential elements through a vast set of separate molecules, resulting in more flexible stoichiometries compared to non-osmotrophs that ingest their preys in one package. Relationships between elemental composition and growth rate should be considered differently for individuals and for populations, as processes and mechanisms differ between the two scales, and more generally among the various biological scales.
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| 9. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
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Towards a more biologically realistic use of Droop's equations to model growth under multiple nutrient limitation
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Oikos. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 119:6, s. 897-907
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Droop's model was originally designed to describe the growth of unicellular phytoplankton species in chemostats but it is now commonly used for a variety of organisms in models of trophic interactions, ecosystem functioning, and evolution. Despite its ubiquitous use, Droop's model is still limited by several simplifying assumptions. For example, the assumption of equal theoretical maximum growth rates for all nutrients is commonly used to describe growth limited by multiple nutrients. This assumption, however, is both biologically unrealistic and potentially misleading. We propose the alternative hypothesis of equal realized maximum growth rates for all nutrients. We support our hypothesis with empirical and theoretical arguments and discuss how it may improve our understanding of the biology of growth, while avoiding some of the pitfalls of the previous assumption.
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| 10. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
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Using convective mixing in mesocosms to study climate-driven shifts in phytoplankton community distributions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Marine Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-7745. ; 10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With climate change predicted to alter water column stability and mixing across the world’s oceans, a mesocosm experiment was designed to ascertain how a natural phytoplankton community would respond to these changes. As a departure from other mesocosm experiments, we used heating and cooling to produce four different climate-inspired mixing scenarios ranging from well-mixed water columns representative of typical open turbulence (ϵ = 3 x 10-8 m2/s3) through to a quiescent water column with stable stratification (ϵ = 5 x 10-10 m2/s3). This method of turbulence generation is an improvement on previous techniques (e.g., grid, shaker, and aeration) which tend to produce excessive dissipation rates inconsistent with oceanic turbulence observations. Profiles of classical physical parameters used to describe turbulence and mixing (turbulent dissipation rate, buoyancy frequency, turbulent eddy diffusivity, Ozmidov scale) were representative of the profiles found in natural waters under similar mixing conditions. Chlorophyll-a profiles and cell enumeration showed a clear biological response to the different turbulence scenarios. However, the responses of specific phytoplankton groups (diatoms and dinoflagellates) did not conform to the usual expectations: diatoms are generally expected to thrive under convective, turbulent regimes, while dinoflagellates are expected to thrive in converse conditions, i.e., in stable, stratified conditions. Our results suggest that responses to mixing regimes are taxon-specific, with no overwhelming physical effect of the turbulence regime. Rather, each taxon seemed to very quickly reach a given vertical distribution that it managed to hold, whether actively or passively, with a high degree of success. Future studies on the effects of climate change on phytoplankton vertical distribution should thus focus on the factors and mechanisms that combine to determine the specific distribution of species within taxa. Our convection-based mesocosm approach, because it uses a primary physical force that generates turbulence in open waters, should prove a valuable tool in this endeavor.
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| 11. |
- Cherif, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
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When microbes and consumers determine the limiting nutrient of autotrophs : a theoretical analysis
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : ROYAL SOC. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 276:1656, s. 487-497
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ecological stoichiometry postulates that differential nutrient recycling of elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus by consumers can shift the element that limits plant growth. However, this hypothesis has so far considered the effect of consumers, mostly herbivores, out of their food-web context. Microbial decomposers are important components of food webs, and might prove as important as consumers in changing the availability of elements for plants. In this theoretical study, we investigate how decomposers determine the nutrient that limits plants, both by feeding on nutrients and organic carbon released by plants and consumers, and by being fed upon by omnivorous consumers. We show that decomposers can greatly alter the relative availability of nutrients for plants. The type of limiting nutrient promoted by decomposers depends on their own elemental composition and, when applicable, on their ingestion by consumers. Our results highlight the limitations of previous stoichiometric theories of plant nutrient limitation control, which often ignored trophic levels other than plants and herbivores. They also suggest that detrital chains play an important role in determining plant nutrient limitation in many ecosystems.
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| 12. |
- Creed, Irena F., et al.
(författare)
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Global change-driven effects on dissolved organic matter composition : Implications for food webs of northern lakes
- 2018
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 24:8, s. 3692-3714
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Northern ecosystems are experiencing some of the most dramatic impacts of global change on Earth. Rising temperatures, hydrological intensification, changes in atmospheric acid deposition and associated acidification recovery, and changes in vegetative cover are resulting in fundamental changes in terrestrial-aquatic biogeochemical linkages. The effects of global change are readily observed in alterations in the supply of dissolved organic matter (DOM)-the messenger between terrestrial and lake ecosystems-with potentially profound effects on the structure and function of lakes. Northern terrestrial ecosystems contain substantial stores of organic matter and filter or funnel DOM, affecting the timing and magnitude of DOM delivery to surface waters. This terrestrial DOM is processed in streams, rivers, and lakes, ultimately shifting its composition, stoichiometry, and bioavailability. Here, we explore the potential consequences of these global change-driven effects for lake food webs at northern latitudes. Notably, we provide evidence that increased allochthonous DOM supply to lakes is overwhelming increased autochthonous DOM supply that potentially results from earlier ice-out and a longer growing season. Furthermore, we assess the potential implications of this shift for the nutritional quality of autotrophs in terms of their stoichiometry, fatty acid composition, toxin production, and methylmercury concentration, and therefore, contaminant transfer through the food web. We conclude that global change in northern regions leads not only to reduced primary productivity but also to nutritionally poorer lake food webs, with discernible consequences for the trophic web to fish and humans.
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| 13. |
- Despres, Laurence, et al.
(författare)
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The role of competition in adaptive radiation : a field study on sequentially ovipositing host-specific seed predators
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Animal Ecology. - Univ Grenoble 1, CNRS, UMR 5553, Lab Ecol Alpine, F-38041 Grenoble, France. : BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 73:1, s. 109-116
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. We propose an alternative model to the host-shifting model of sympatric speciation in plant-insect systems. The role of competition in driving ecological adaptive radiation was evaluated in a seed predator exploiting a single host-plant species. Sympatric speciation may occur through disruptive selection on oviposition timing if this shift decreases competition among larvae feeding on seeds. 2. The globeflower fly Chiastocheta presents a unique case of adaptive radiation, with at least six sister species co-developing in fruits of Trollius europaeus. These species all feed on seeds, and differ in their oviposition timing, one species ovipositing in 1-day-old flowers (early species), while all the other species sequentially oviposit throughout the flower life span (late species). We evaluated the impact of conspecific and heterospecific larvae on larval installation success, and on larval fresh mass and area, for early and late species, in natural conditions. 3. None of the three larval traits measured was correlated with fruit size, and no fruit lost all seeds to predation, suggesting that seed availability was not a limiting factor for larval development. 4. Our results show strong intraspecific competition among early larvae for larval installation, and among late larvae for larval mass. By contrast, larval competition between species was weak. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that shifts in oviposition promoted rapid radiation in globeflower flies by lowering competition among larvae.
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| 14. |
- Doi, Hideyuki, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating elements and energy through the metabolic dependencies of gross growth efficiency and the threshold elemental ratio
- 2010
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Ingår i: Oikos. - : WILEY-BLACKWELL. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 119:5, s. 752-765
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metabolic theory proposes that individual growth is governed through the mass- and temperature-dependence of metabolism, and ecological stoichiometry posits that growth is maximized at consumer-specific optima of resource elemental composition. A given consumer's optimum, the threshold elemental ratio (TER), is proportional to the ratio of its maximum elemental gross growth efficiencies (GGEs). GGE is defined by the ratio of metabolism-dependent processes such that GGEs should be independent of body mass and temperature. Understanding the metabolic-dependencies of GGEs and TERs may open the path towards a theoretical framework integrating the flow of energy and chemical elements through ecosystems. However, the mass and temperature scaling of GGEs and TERs have not been broadly evaluated. Here, we use data from 95 published studies to evaluate these metabolic-dependencies for C, N and P from unicells to vertebrates. We show that maximum GGEs commonly decline as power functions of asymptotic body mass and exponential functions of temperature. The rates of change in maximum GGEs with mass and temperature are relatively slow, however, suggesting that metabolism may not causally influence maximum GGEs. We additionally derived the theoretical expectation that the TER for C:P should not vary with body mass and this was supported empirically. A strong linear relationship between carbon and nitrogen GGEs further suggests that variation in the TER for C:N should be due to variation in consumer C:N. In general we show that GGEs may scale with metabolic rate, but it is unclear if there is a causal link between metabolism and GGEs. Further integrating stoichiometry and metabolism will provide better understanding of the processes governing the flow of energy and elements from organisms to ecosystems.
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| 15. |
- Guo, Junwen, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Carbon-nitrogen association influences response of the microplankton food web to enrichment
- 2022
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Ingår i: Aquatic Microbial Ecology. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0948-3055 .- 1616-1564. ; 88, s. 187-199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In aquatic ecosystems, there are 2 major forms of N available at the base of the planktonic food web: dissolved organic N (DON) and dissolved inorganic N (DIN). In DON, N is associated with organic C, which may promote both heterotrophs and autotrophs. In environments where DIN nitrate is the prevailing N form and dissociated dissolved organic C (DOC) is available, heterotrophs may also be promoted, but they may compete with the autotrophs for DIN. The influence of associated or dissociated CN nutrient sources on the interaction between organisms and the food web function is poorly known and has not been studied before. To approach this question, we performed a microcosm experiment with a coastal microbial food web, where N and C nutrient sources were provided either associated in 1 molecular compound (DON), or dissociated in 2 separate molecular compounds (DIN and DOC). The results showed that association or dissociation of C and N input had marked effects on all trophic levels, most probably through its effect on bacteria-phytoplankton interaction, which switched between increased coupling and increased competition. The biomass of all components of the food web benefitted from the association of C and N in a single DON molecule. Our study indicated that the degree of association between C and N is an important factor affecting the productivity and efficiency of the microbial food web. Therefore, the C and N association should be considered when studying aquatic systems.
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| 16. |
- Guo, Junwen, 1982-
(författare)
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Consequences of consumer-resource stoichiometric imbalance in planktonic food webs
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Resource imbalance between consumers and their resources can come from inadequate resource quantity or quality. The ecological stoichiometry theory focuses on understanding the consequences of imbalance in elemental composition. In this thesis, I have used both resource quality (e.g., inorganic vs organic forms of nutrients) and resource quantity (e.g., terrestrial and freshwater nutrient loading to natural coastal systems) to address the consequences of consumer-resource imbalance in planktonic food webs. First, I provided a framework that summarizes how the stoichiometric imbalance is transferred from one biological level to another. The framework highlights the importance of the distribution of elements among different chemical forms and the distribution of elements among connected ecosystems. The framework then served as a guideline for the empirical work of my thesis. Second, I studied the response of bacterial community mineralization to the relative availability of different forms of nitrogen (inorganic vs. organic form) in a batch culture experiment. The study shows that different forms of nitrogen can significantly influence the growth of bacteria. More importantly, my results show that it is crucial to measure the actual bacterial carbon to nitrogen consumption ratio, rather than use classical theoretical models, to be able to make an accurate prediction of bacterial ammonium regeneration. Third, I tested the effect of different forms of nitrogen on microplankton food web dynamics in a microcosm experiment. I found that differences between nitrogen forms have a strong impact on food web dynamics that is channeled by the bacteria-phytoplankton interaction at the base of the food web. The whole microplankton food web benefits from organic forms of nitrogen as a result of increased mutualistic interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton. Hence, the form of nitrogen is an important factor to be considered in microplanktonic food web dynamics, at least on the short-term. In the final part of this thesis, I explored resource quality and quantity effects on the stoichiometric response of a natural coastal ecosystem in a field study. I expected that the relative availability of inorganic or organic forms of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in our sampling bays may affect organismal elemental composition both temporally and spatially. The results indicate that the stoichiometry among seston size fractions and zooplankton varied more through time than in space. However, zooplankton stoichiometry was relatively stable among species within specific months. Overall, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen in the water column were the major explanatory variables for the seston stoichiometry. In summary, this thesis uses multiple systems to elucidate how the form and input of nutrients shape the plankton food web dynamics and its stoichiometric responses.
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| 17. |
- Guo, Junwen, et al.
(författare)
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More than stoichiometry : the molecular composition of inorganic and organic substrates controls ammonium regeneration by bacteria
- 2023
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Ingår i: Aquatic Ecology. - : Springer Science+Business Media B.V.. - 1386-2588 .- 1573-5125. ; 57, s. 543-555
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mineralization of nitrogen (N) and especially the regeneration of ammonium are critical processes performed by bacteria in aquatic ecosystems. Quantifying these processes is complicated because bacteria simultaneously consume and produce ammonium. Here we use experimental data on the effects of the molecular composition of the supplied substrates, combined with a classical stoichiometric model of ammonium regeneration, to demonstrate how the quantification of these processes can be improved. We manipulated a batch culture experiment with an isolated bacterial community by adding three different types of N substrates: dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, nitrate), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON, amino acid) and a mixture of DIN and DON. With such experiment set-up, the ammonium regeneration per se could be easily tracked without using complicated methods (e.g. isotope dilution). We compared the experimental data with the predictions of Goldman et al’ model (1987) as well as with a revised version, using the measured consumption carbon:nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio), rather than an estimated consumption ratio. We found that, for all substrates, and in particular, mixed substrates where C and N are partially dissociated between different molecules, estimates of ammonium regeneration rates can be improved by measuring the actual consumption C: N ratio.
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| 18. |
- Guo, Junwen, et al.
(författare)
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Organic vs. inorganic nitrogen as promoting nutrient in aquatic microplankton food webs
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In aquatic microplankton food webs, the relative availability of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and organic nitrogen (DON) can shape trophic interactions, food web structure and the stoichiometry of the organisms. To evaluate the importance of nitrogen forms, i.e., whether microplankton have access to organic or inorganic forms of nitrogen, we performed a short-term microcosm study of a coastal microplankton food web (organism size < 50 µm). In this experiment, the microplankton community was exposed to two different carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources: C and N were either associated in a single organic molecule or dissociated in two different molecules. The results showed that the different nitrogen forms had a strong impact on the food web composition, which resulted in different nitrogen food web use efficiency. The entire microplankton food web benefited from the association of C and N in a single DON molecule. The association or dissociation of C and N input had marked effects on all trophic levels, most probably through its effect on bacteria-phytoplankton interaction, which switched from mutualism to competition. Hence, the degree of association between N and C is an important factor to be considered in microplanktonic food web dynamics, at least for the short-term food web response.
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| 19. |
- Metcalfe, Daniel B., et al.
(författare)
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Ecological stoichiometry and nutrient partitioning in two insect herbivores responsible for large-scale forest disturbance in the Fennoscandian subarctic
- 2019
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Ingår i: Ecological Entomology. - : Wiley. - 0307-6946 .- 1365-2311. ; 44:1, s. 118-128
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Outbreaks of herbivorous insects can have large impacts on regional soil carbon (C) storage and nutrient cycling. In northernmost Europe, population outbreaks of several geometrid moth species regularly cause large-scale defoliation in subarctic birch forests. An improved understanding is required of how leaf C and nutrients are processed after ingestion by herbivores and what this means for the quantity and quality of different materials produced (frass, bodies). 2. In this study, larvae of two geometrid species responsible for major outbreaks (Epirrita autumnata and Operophtera brumata) were raised on exclusive diets of Betula pubescens var. czerepanovii (N. I. Orlova) Hämet Ahti and two other abundant understorey species (Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus). The quantities of C, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) ingested and allocated to frass, bodies and (in the case of C) respired were recorded. 3. Overall, 23%, 70% and 48% of ingested C, N and P were allocated to bodies, respectively, rather than frass and (in the case of C) respiration. Operophtera brumata consistently maintained more constant body stoichiometric ratios of C, N and P than did E. autumnata, across the wide variation in physico-chemical properties of plant diet supplied. 4. These observed differences and similarities on C and nutrient processing may improve researchers' ability to predict the amount and stoichiometry of frass and bodies generated after geometrid outbreaks.
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| 20. |
- Portalier, Sebastien M. J., et al.
(författare)
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Size-related effects of physical factors on phytoplankton communities
- 2016
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Ingår i: Ecological Modelling. - : Elsevier. - 0304-3800 .- 1872-7026. ; 323, s. 41-50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phytoplankton communities are influenced by light availability. Therefore, one factor promoting phytoplankton species persistence is their ability to stay within the euphotic zone. This ability is determined by the interplay between species mass, buoyancy and dispersion, which are driven by physical factors. In this study, we investigate how these physical factors and light-use efficiency, all correlated with cell size, influence species persistence. Our model shows, first, that species can persist only within a size-dependent range of turbulence strength. The minimal level of turbulence required for persistence increases drastically with cell size, while all species reach similar maximal levels of turbulence. Second, the maximal water column depth allowing persistence is also size-dependent: large cells show a maximal depth at both low and high turbulence strength, while small cells show this pattern only at high turbulence strength. This study emphasizes the importance of the physical medium in ecosystems and its interplay with cell size for phytoplankton dynamics and bloom condition.
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| 21. |
- Portalier, Sebastien M. J., et al.
(författare)
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The mechanics of predator-prey interactions : first principles of physics predict predator-prey size ratios
- 2019
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Ingår i: Functional Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0269-8463 .- 1365-2435. ; 33:2, s. 323-334
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robust predictions of predator-prey interactions are fundamental for the understanding of food webs, their structure, dynamics, resistance to species loss, response to invasions and ecosystem function. Most current food web models measure parameters at the food web level to predict patterns at the same level. Thus, they are sensitive to the quality of the data and may be ineffective in predicting non-observed interactions and disturbed food webs. There is a need for mechanistic models that predict the occurrence of a predator-prey interaction based on lower levels of organization (i.e. the traits of organisms) and the properties of their environment. Here, we present such a model that focuses on the predation act itself. We built a Newtonian, mechanical model for the processes of searching, capturing and handling of a prey item by a predator. Associated with general metabolic laws, we predict the net energy gain from predation for pairs of pelagic or flying predator species and their prey depending on their body sizes. Predicted interactions match well with data from the most extensive predator-prey database, and overall model accuracy is greater than the allometric niche model. Our model shows that it is possible to accurately predict the structure of food webs using only a few mechanical traits. It underlines the importance of physical constraints in structuring food webs.
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| 22. |
- Sitters, Judith, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive Effects Between Reindeer and Habitat Fertility Drive Soil Nutrient Availabilities in Arctic Tundra
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Ecosystems (New York. Print). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-9840 .- 1435-0629. ; 20:7, s. 1266-1277
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herbivores impact nutrient availability and cycling, and the net effect of herbivory on soil nutrients is generally assumed to be positive in nutrient-rich environments and negative in nutrient-poor ones. This is, however, far from a uniform pattern, and there is a recognized need to investigate any interactive effects of herbivory and habitat fertility (i.e., plant C/N ratios) on soil nutrient availabilities. We determined long-term effects of reindeer on soil extractable nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and their net mineralization rates along a fertility gradient of plant carbon (C) to N and P ratios in arctic tundra. Our results showed that reindeer had a positive effect on soil N in the more nutrient-poor sites and a negative effect on soil P in the more nutrient-rich sites, which contrasts from the general consensus. The increase in N availability was linked to a decrease in plant and litter C/N ratios, suggesting that a shift in vegetation composition toward more graminoids favors higher N cycling. Soil P availability was not as closely linked to the vegetation and is likely regulated more by herbivore-induced changes in soil physical and chemical properties. The changes in soil extractable N and P resulted in higher soil N/P ratios, suggesting that reindeer could drive the vegetation toward P-limitation. This research highlights the importance of including both the elements N and P and conducting studies along environmental gradients in order to better understand the interactive effects of herbivory and habitat fertility on nutrient cycling and primary production.
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| 23. |
- Sitters, Judith, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term heavy reindeer grazing promotes plant phosphorus limitation in arctic tundra
- 2019
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Ingår i: Functional Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0269-8463 .- 1365-2435. ; 33:7, s. 1233-1242
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. The potential of large mammalian herbivores to shift plant communities between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation has received little attention so far. However, herbivores can influence the cycling of these growth-limiting nutrients, and thereby affect plant nutrient limitation and productivity. Tundra ecosystems are nutrient-poor and commonly grazed by large herbivores like reindeer and may thus be responsive to such changes.2. Here, we examined the effect of long-term light and heavy reindeer grazing on nutrient limitation of plant growth in a Scandinavian arctic tundra. We are the first to conduct a factorial N and P fertilization experiment across the two grazing regimes in two functionally contrasting vegetation types: heath and meadow.3. Annual primary productivity (APP) showed contrasting responses to our fertilization treatments under light and heavy grazing. Under light grazing, APP increased in response to N + P additions in both the heath and meadow. Under heavy grazing, APP increased in response to N in the heath, with an additional positive effect of N + P combined, while APP increased in response to P and N + P additions in the meadow.4. These results clearly show that an increase in the grazing intensity of reindeer facilitated a shift towards more P-limited conditions in Scandinavian arctic tundra, by increasing N cycling without having a corresponding positive effect on P cycling. In the N-poor heath, reindeer increased soil N availability at least partly due to a shift towards more N-rich graminoids, while in the meadow, reindeer decreased soil P availability. The mechanisms behind this decrease remain unclear, but reindeer may simply export more P from the system than N due to their large P demand for the production of their antlers.5. Synthesis. We conclude that heavy and long-term reindeer grazing promoted a more P-limited tundra, thus experimentally confirming the potential of large mammalian herbivores to influence nutrient limitation of plant growth.
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