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Pu L, Li Z, Jia M, Ke X, Liu H, Christie P, Wu L. Effects of a soil collembolan on the growth and metal uptake of a hyperaccumulator: Modification of root morphology and the expression of plant defense genes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 303:119169. [PMID: 35307496 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soil collembolans live in close proximity to plant roots and may have a role in the phytoextraction of potentially toxic metals from contaminated soils but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly investigated. We hypothesize that soil collembolans may change the root morphology of hyperaccumulators by regulating plant physiological characteristics. Here, a pot experiment was conducted in which a cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulator (Sedum plumbizincicola) was grown with or without a collembolan (Folsomia candida), and plant transcriptome and hormones as well as the root characteristics of S. plumbizincicola were analyzed. F. candida promoted the growth and Cd/Zn uptake of S. plumbizincicola, the root and shoot biomass increasing by 53.3 and 34.4%, and the uptake of Cd and Zn in roots increased by 83.2 and 65.4%, respectively. Plant root morphology, total root length, root tip number and lateral root number increased significantly by 40.7, 37.2 and 33.8%, respectively, with the addition of F. candida. Transcriptome analysis reveals that the expression levels of defense-related genes in S. plumbizincicola were significantly up-regulated. In addition, the defensive plant hormones, i.e. salicylic acid in the roots, increased significantly by 338%. These results suggest that the plant in defense of the action of F. candida regulated the expression of the corresponding genes and increased the defensive plant hormones, thus modifying root morphology and plant performance. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the regulation by collembolans of plant growth and metal uptake by interaction with hyperaccumulator roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Pu
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhu Li
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Mingyun Jia
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Xin Ke
- Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Peter Christie
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Longhua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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Pathiraja D, Wee J, Cho K, Choi IG. Soil environment reshapes microbiota of laboratory-maintained Collembola during host development. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2022; 17:16. [PMID: 35382887 PMCID: PMC8981701 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-022-00411-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Collembola are soil-dwelling arthropods that play a key role in the soil ecosystem. Allonychiurus kimi (Lee) (Collembola: Onychiuridae) was isolated from the natural environment and has been maintained for 20 years under laboratory conditions. Though the morphological and physiological features of A. kimi are being widely used to evaluate the impact of pesticides and heavy metals on the soil ecosystem, variations observed in these features might be on account of its microbiota. However, the microbiota composition of the laboratory-maintained A. kimi is undetermined and how the community structure is changing in response to soil environments or interacting with the soil microbiota are still unknown. In this study, we determined the microbiota of laboratory-maintained A. kimi at both adult and juvenile stages and examined how the microbiota of A. kimi is affected by the microbial community in the soil environments. Chryseobacterium, Pandoraea, Sphingomonas, Escherichia-Shigella, and Acinetobacter were the core microbiota of A. kimi. Exposure of the laboratory-maintained A. kimi to different soil microbial communities drove dynamic shifts in the composition of A. kimi microbiota. Microbial association network analysis suggested that gut microbiota of lab-grown A. kimi was affected by exposing to soil microbial community. This study implies that shifts in the bacterial community of adult A. kimi can be utilized as an indicator to evaluate the soil ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duleepa Pathiraja
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - June Wee
- BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Kijong Cho
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
| | - In-Geol Choi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
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Aupic‐Samain A, Baldy V, Delcourt N, Krogh PH, Gauquelin T, Fernandez C, Santonja M. Water availability rather than temperature control soil fauna community structure and prey–predator interactions. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Virginie Baldy
- Aix Marseille UnivAvignon UniversitéCNRSIRDIMBE Marseille France
| | - Ninon Delcourt
- Aix Marseille UnivAvignon UniversitéCNRSIRDIMBE Marseille France
| | | | | | | | - Mathieu Santonja
- Aix Marseille UnivAvignon UniversitéCNRSIRDIMBE Marseille France
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4
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Microbial responses to herbivory-induced vegetation changes in a high-Arctic peatland. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02846-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Herbivory by barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) alters the vegetation cover and reduces ecosystem productivity in high-Arctic peatlands, limiting the carbon sink strength of these ecosystems. Here we investigate how herbivory-induced vegetation changes affect the activities of peat soil microbiota using metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and targeted metabolomics in a comparison of fenced exclosures and nearby grazed sites. Our results show that a different vegetation with a high proportion of vascular plants developed due to reduced herbivory, resulting in a larger and more diverse input of polysaccharides to the soil at exclosed study sites. This coincided with higher sugar and amino acid concentrations in the soil at this site as well as the establishment of a more abundant and active microbiota, including saprotrophic fungi with broad substrate ranges, like Helotiales (Ascomycota) and Agaricales (Basidiomycota). A detailed description of fungal transcriptional profiles revealed higher gene expression for cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and chitin degradation at herbivory-exclosed sites. Furthermore, we observed an increase in the number of genes and transcripts for predatory eukaryotes such as Entomobryomorpha (Arthropoda). We conclude that in the absence of herbivory, the development of a vascular vegetation alters the soil polysaccharide composition and supports larger and more active populations of fungi and predatory eukaryotes.
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5
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Steinauer K, Heinen R, Hannula SE, De Long JR, Huberty M, Jongen R, Wang M, Bezemer TM. Above‐belowground linkages of functionally dissimilar plant communities and soil properties in a grassland experiment. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Steinauer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
| | - Robin Heinen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University P.O. Box 9505 Leiden2300 RAThe Netherlands
- Lehrstuhl für Terrestrische Ökologie Landnutzung und Umwelt Technische Universität München Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Hans‐Carl‐von‐Carlowitz‐Platz 2 FreisingD‐85354Germany
| | - S. Emilia Hannula
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
| | - Jonathan R. De Long
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
| | - Martine Huberty
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University P.O. Box 9505 Leiden2300 RAThe Netherlands
| | - Renske Jongen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
| | - Minggang Wang
- Department of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 102 AlnarpSE‐23053Sweden
| | - T. Martijn Bezemer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6700 ABThe Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University P.O. Box 9505 Leiden2300 RAThe Netherlands
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Sternhagen EC, Black KL, Hartmann EDL, Shivega WG, Johnson PG, McGlynn RD, Schmaltz LC, Asheim Keller RJ, Vink SN, Aldrich-Wolfe L. Contrasting Patterns of Functional Diversity in Coffee Root Fungal Communities Associated with Organic and Conventionally Managed Fields. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e00052-20. [PMID: 32220838 PMCID: PMC7237791 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00052-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and function of fungal communities in the coffee rhizosphere are influenced by crop environment. Because coffee can be grown along a management continuum from conventional application of pesticides and fertilizers in full sun to organic management in a shaded understory, we used coffee fields to hold host constant while comparing rhizosphere fungal communities under markedly different environmental conditions with regard to shade and inputs. We characterized the shade and soil environment in 25 fields under conventional, organic, or transitional management in two regions of Costa Rica. We amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of fungal DNA from coffee roots in these fields and characterized the rhizosphere fungal community via high-throughput sequencing. Sequences were assigned to guilds to determine differences in functional diversity and trophic structure among coffee field environments. Organic fields had more shade, a greater richness of shade tree species, and more leaf litter and were less acidic, with lower soil nitrate availability and higher soil copper, calcium, and magnesium availability than conventionally managed fields, although differences between organic and conventionally managed fields in shade and calcium and magnesium availability depended on region. Differences in richness and community composition of rhizosphere fungi between organic and conventionally managed fields were also correlated with shade, soil acidity, and nitrate and copper availability. Trophic structure differed with coffee field management. Saprotrophs, plant pathogens, and mycoparasites were more diverse, and plant pathogens were more abundant, in organic than in conventionally managed fields, while saprotroph-plant pathogens were more abundant in conventionally managed fields. These differences reflected environmental differences and depended on region.IMPORTANCE Rhizosphere fungi play key roles in ecosystems as nutrient cyclers, pathogens, and mutualists, yet little is currently known about which environmental factors and how agricultural management may influence rhizosphere fungal communities and their functional diversity. This field study of the coffee agroecosystem suggests that organic management not only fosters a greater overall diversity of fungi, but it also maintains a greater richness of saprotrophic, plant-pathogenic, and mycoparasitic fungi that has implications for the efficiency of nutrient cycling and regulation of plant pathogen populations in agricultural systems. As well as influencing community composition and richness of rhizosphere fungi, shade management and use of fungicides and synthetic fertilizers altered the trophic structure of the coffee agroecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Sternhagen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Katie L Black
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - W Gaya Shivega
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | - Peter G Johnson
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | - Riley D McGlynn
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | | | | | - Stefanie N Vink
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
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Thakur MP. Climate warming and trophic mismatches in terrestrial ecosystems: the green–brown imbalance hypothesis. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190770. [PMCID: PMC7058950 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 07/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change can give rise to trophic mismatches in food webs owing to differential responses of consumer and resource organisms. However, we know little about the community and ecosystem level consequences of trophic mismatches in food webs. Terrestrial food webs are broadly comprised of two types of food webs: green food webs aboveground and brown food webs belowground between which mass and energy flow mainly via plants. Here, I highlight that the extent of warming-induced trophic mismatches in green and brown food webs differ owing to a greater stasis in brown food webs, which could trigger an imbalance in mass and energy flow between the two food webs. I then discuss the consequences of green–brown imbalance on terrestrial ecosystems and propose research avenues that can help understand the relationships between food webs and ecosystem functions in a warmer world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav P. Thakur
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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8
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Trophic Regulations of the Soil Microbiome. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:771-780. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Thakur MP, Griffin JN, Künne T, Dunker S, Fanesi A, Eisenhauer N. Temperature effects on prey and basal resources exceed that of predators in an experimental community. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12670-12680. [PMID: 30619572 PMCID: PMC6308891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate warming alters the structure of ecological communities by modifying species interactions at different trophic levels. Yet, the consequences of warming-led modifications in biotic interactions at higher trophic levels on lower trophic groups are lesser known. Here, we test the effects of multiple predator species on prey population size and traits and subsequent effects on basal resources along an experimental temperature gradient (12-15°C, 17-20°C, and 22-25°C). We experimentally assembled food web modules with two congeneric predatory mites (Hypoaspis miles and Hypoaspis aculeifer) and two Collembola prey species (Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta) on a litter and yeast mixture as the basal resources. We hypothesized that warming would modify interactions within and between predator species, and that these alterations would cascade to basal resources via changes in the density and traits (body size and lipid: protein ratio) of the prey species. The presence of congeners constrained the growth of the predatory species independent of warming despite warming increased predator density in their respective monocultures. We found that warming effects on both prey and basal resources were greater than the effects of predator communities. Our results further showed opposite effects of warming on predator (increase) and prey densities (decrease), indicating a warming-induced trophic mismatch, which are likely to alter food web structures. We highlight that warmer environments can restructure food webs by its direct effects on lower trophic groups even without modifying top-down effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav P. Thakur
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Tom Künne
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Susanne Dunker
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZLeipzigGermany
| | - Andrea Fanesi
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
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10
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Kuťáková E, Cesarz S, Münzbergová Z, Eisenhauer N. Soil microarthropods alter the outcome of plant-soil feedback experiments. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11898. [PMID: 30093622 PMCID: PMC6085370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30340-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-soil feedback (PSF) effects are studied as plant growth responses to soil previously conditioned by another plant. These studies usually exclude effects of soil fauna, such as nematodes, soil arthropods, and earthworms, although these organisms are known to influence plant performance. Here, we aimed to explore effects of a model microarthropod community on PSFs. We performed a PSF experiment in microcosms with two plant species, Phleum pratense and Poa pratensis. We added a model microarthropod community consisting of three fungivorous springtail species (Proisotoma minuta, Folsomia candida, and Sinella curviseta) and a predatory mite (Hypoaspis aculeifer) to half of the microcosms. We measured seedling establishment and plant biomass, nematode and microbial community composition, microbial biomass, and mycorrhizal colonization of roots. Microarthropods caused changes in the composition of nematode and microbial communities. Their effect was particularly strong in Phleum plants where they altered the composition of bacterial communities. Microarthropods also generally influenced plant performance, and their effects depended on previous soil conditioning and the identity of plant species. Microarthropods did not affect soil microbial biomass and mycorrhizal colonization of roots. We conclude that the role of soil microarthropods should be considered in future PSF experiments, especially as their effects are plant species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliška Kuťáková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic.
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Zuzana Münzbergová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
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Thakur MP, Künne T, Griffin JN, Eisenhauer N. Warming magnifies predation and reduces prey coexistence in a model litter arthropod system. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2570. [PMID: 28356451 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming can destabilize interactions between competitors as smaller organisms gain advantages in warmer environments. Whether and how warming-induced effects on competitive interactions are modified by predation remains unknown. We hypothesized that predation will offset the competitive advantage of smaller prey species in warmer environments because of their greater vulnerability to predation. To test this, we assembled a litter arthropod community with two Collembola species (Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta) of different body sizes across a temperature gradient (three thermal environments) and in the presence and absence of predatory mites. Predatory mites reduced Collembola coexistence with increasing temperatures. Contradicting our hypothesis, the larger prey species always outperformed the smaller prey species in warmer environments with predators. Larger prey probably benefited as they expressed a greater trait (body length) plasticity to warming. Warming can thus magnify predation effects and reduce the probability of prey coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav P Thakur
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany .,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tom Künne
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - John N Griffin
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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12
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Thakur MP, Herrmann M, Steinauer K, Rennoch S, Cesarz S, Eisenhauer N. Cascading effects of belowground predators on plant communities are density-dependent. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:4300-14. [PMID: 26664680 PMCID: PMC4667818 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil food webs comprise a multitude of trophic interactions that can affect the composition and productivity of plant communities. Belowground predators feeding on microbial grazers like Collembola could decelerate nutrient mineralization by reducing microbial turnover in the soil, which in turn could negatively influence plant growth. However, empirical evidences for the ecological significance of belowground predators on nutrient cycling and plant communities are scarce. Here, we manipulated predator density (Hypoaspis aculeifer: predatory mite) with equal densities of three Collembola species as a prey in four functionally dissimilar plant communities in experimental microcosms: grass monoculture (Poa pratensis), herb monoculture (Rumex acetosa), legume monoculture (Trifolium pratense), and all three species as a mixed plant community. Density manipulation of predators allowed us to test for density‐mediated effects of belowground predators on Collembola and lower trophic groups. We hypothesized that predator density will reduce Collembola population causing a decrease in nutrient mineralization and hence detrimentally affect plant growth. First, we found a density‐dependent population change in predators, that is, an increase in low‐density treatments, but a decrease in high‐density treatments. Second, prey suppression was lower at high predator density, which caused a shift in the soil microbial community by increasing the fungal: bacterial biomass ratio, and an increase of nitrification rates, particularly in legume monocultures. Despite the increase in nutrient mineralization, legume monocultures performed worse at high predator density. Further, individual grass shoot biomass decreased in monocultures, while it increased in mixed plant communities with increasing predator density, which coincided with elevated soil N uptake by grasses. As a consequence, high predator density significantly increased plant complementarity effects indicating a decrease in interspecific plant competition. These results highlight that belowground predators can relax interspecific plant competition by increasing nutrient mineralization through their density‐dependent cascading effects on detritivore and soil microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav Prakash Thakur
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Martina Herrmann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller Jena University Dornburger Str. 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Katja Steinauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Saskia Rennoch
- Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller Jena University Dornburger Str. 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
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