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Khaliq I, Rixen C, Zellweger F, Graham CH, Gossner MM, McFadden IR, Antão L, Brodersen J, Ghosh S, Pomati F, Seehausen O, Roth T, Sattler T, Supp SR, Riaz M, Zimmermann NE, Matthews B, Narwani A. Warming underpins community turnover in temperate freshwater and terrestrial communities. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1921. [PMID: 38429327 PMCID: PMC10907361 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Rising temperatures are leading to increased prevalence of warm-affinity species in ecosystems, known as thermophilisation. However, factors influencing variation in thermophilisation rates among taxa and ecosystems, particularly freshwater communities with high diversity and high population decline, remain unclear. We analysed compositional change over time in 7123 freshwater and 6201 terrestrial, mostly temperate communities from multiple taxonomic groups. Overall, temperature change was positively linked to thermophilisation in both realms. Extirpated species had lower thermal affinities in terrestrial communities but higher affinities in freshwater communities compared to those persisting over time. Temperature change's impact on thermophilisation varied with community body size, thermal niche breadth, species richness and baseline temperature; these interactive effects were idiosyncratic in the direction and magnitude of their impacts on thermophilisation, both across realms and taxonomic groups. While our findings emphasise the challenges in predicting the consequences of temperature change across communities, conservation strategies should consider these variable responses when attempting to mitigate climate-induced biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khaliq
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Flüelastrasse 11, 7260, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
- Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
- Department of Zoology, Government (defunct) post-graduate college, Dera Ghazi Khan, 32200, Pakistan.
| | - Christian Rixen
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Flüelastrasse 11, 7260, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
| | - Florian Zellweger
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Catherine H Graham
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ian R McFadden
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of London, Queen Mary, London, UK
| | - Laura Antão
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jakob Brodersen
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Seestrasse 79, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shyamolina Ghosh
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Flüelastrasse 11, 7260, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Seestrasse 79, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Pomati
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Seestrasse 79, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Division of Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Roth
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
- Hintermann & Weber AG Austrasse 2a, 4153, Reinach, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Sattler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Sarah R Supp
- Denison University, Data Analytics Program, Granville, OH, 43023, USA
| | - Maria Riaz
- Conservation Genetics Group, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 63571, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Niklaus E Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Seestrasse 79, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Anita Narwani
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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2
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Hu S, Li G, Berlinches de Gea A, Teunissen J, Geisen S, Wilschut RA, Schwelm A, Wang Y. Microbiome predators in changing soils. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2057-2067. [PMID: 37438930 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome predators shape the soil microbiome and thereby soil functions. However, this knowledge has been obtained from small-scale observations in fundamental rather than applied settings and has focused on a few species under ambient conditions. Therefore, there are several unaddressed questions on soil microbiome predators: (1) What is the role of microbiome predators in soil functioning? (2) How does global change affect microbiome predators and their functions? (3) How can microbiome predators be applied in agriculture? We show that there is sufficient evidence for the vital role of microbiome predators in soils and stress that global changes impact their functions, something that urgently needs to be addressed to better understand soil functioning as a whole. We are convinced that there is a potential for the application of microbiome predators in agricultural settings, as they may help to sustainably increase plant growth. Therefore, we plea for more applied research on microbiome predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunran Hu
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guixin Li
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Alejandro Berlinches de Gea
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joliese Teunissen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rutger A Wilschut
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arne Schwelm
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Environment, Soils and Landuse, Teagasc Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Laboratory of Nematology, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University & Research (WU), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Cerini F, O'Brien D, Wolfe E, Besson M, Clements CF. Phenotypic response to different predator strategies can be mediated by temperature. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10474. [PMID: 37664517 PMCID: PMC10468988 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature change affects biological systems in multifaceted ways, including the alteration of species interaction strengths, with implications for the stability of populations and communities. Temperature-dependent changes to antipredatory responses are an emerging mechanism of destabilization and thus there is a need to understand how prey species respond to predation pressures in the face of changing temperatures. Here, using ciliate protozoans, we assess whether temperature can alter the strength of phenotypic antipredator responses in a prey species and whether this relationship depends on the predator's hunting behavior. We exposed populations of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum to either (i) a sit-and-wait generalist predator (Homalozoon vermiculare) or (ii) a specialized active swimmer predator (Didinium nasutum) across two different temperature regimes (15 and 25°C) to quantify the temperature dependence of antipredator responses over a 24-h period. We utilized a novel high-throughput automated robotic monitoring system to track changes in the behavior (swimming speed) and morphology (cell size) of P. caudatum at frequencies and resolutions previously unachievable by manual sampling. The change in swimming speed through the 24 h differed between the two temperatures but was not altered by the presence of the predators. In contrast, P. caudatum showed a substantial temperature-dependent morphological response to the presence of D. nasutum (but not H. vermiculare), changing cell shape toward a more elongated morph at 15°C (but not at 25°C). Our findings suggest that temperature can have strong effects on prey morphological responses to predator presence, but that this response is potentially dependent on the predator's feeding strategy. This suggests that greater consideration of synergistic antipredator behavioral and physiological responses is required in species and communities subject to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cerini
- Dipartimento Scienze Ecologiche e BiologicheUniversità della TusciaViterboItaly
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Duncan O'Brien
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Ellie Wolfe
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Marc Besson
- Sorbonne Université CNRS UMR Biologie des Organismes Marins, BIOMBanyuls‐sur‐MerFrance
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4
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Ghedini G, Marshall DJ. Metabolic evolution in response to interspecific competition in a eukaryote. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00777-7. [PMID: 37392743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Competition drives rapid evolution, which, in turn, alters the trajectory of ecological communities. These eco-evolutionary dynamics are increasingly well-appreciated, but we lack a mechanistic framework for identifying the types of traits that will evolve and their trajectories. Metabolic theory offers explicit predictions for how competition should shape the (co)evolution of metabolism and size, but these are untested, particularly in eukaryotes. We use experimental evolution of a eukaryotic microalga to examine how metabolism, size, and demography coevolve under inter- and intraspecific competition. We find that the focal species evolves in accordance with the predictions of metabolic theory, reducing metabolic costs and maximizing population carrying capacity via changes in cell size. The smaller-evolved cells initially had lower population growth rates, as expected from their hyper-allometric metabolic scaling, but longer-term evolution yielded important departures from theory: we observed improvements in both population growth rate and carrying capacity. The evasion of this trade-off arose due to the rapid evolution of metabolic plasticity. Lineages exposed to competition evolved more labile metabolisms that tracked resource availability more effectively than lineages that were competition-free. That metabolic evolution can occur is unsurprising, but our finding that metabolic plasticity also co-evolves rapidly is new. Metabolic theory provides a powerful theoretical basis for predicting the eco-evolutionary responses to changing resource regimes driven by global change. Metabolic theory needs also to be updated to incorporate the effects of metabolic plasticity on the link between metabolism and demography, as this likely plays an underappreciated role in mediating eco-evolutionary dynamics of competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ghedini
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Dustin J Marshall
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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Bonacina L, Fasano F, Mezzanotte V, Fornaroli R. Effects of water temperature on freshwater macroinvertebrates: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:191-221. [PMID: 36173002 PMCID: PMC10088029 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Water temperature is one of the main abiotic factors affecting the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems and its alteration can have important effects on biological communities. Macroinvertebrates are excellent bio-indicators and have been used for decades to assess the status of aquatic ecosystems as a result of environmental stresses; however, their responses to temperature are poorly documented and have not been systematically evaluated. The aims of this review are: (i) to collate and summarize responses of freshwater macroinvertebrates to different temperature conditions, comparing the results of experimental and theoretical studies; (ii) to understand how the focus of research on the effects of temperature on macroinvertebrates has changed during the last 51 years; and (iii) to identify research gaps regarding temperature responses, ecosystem types, organism groups, spatiotemporal scales, and geographical regions to suggest possible research directions. We performed a comparative assessment of 223 publications that specifically consider freshwater macroinvertebrates and address the effects of temperature. Short-term studies performed in the laboratory and focusing on insects exposed to a range of temperatures dominated. Field studies were carried out mainly in Europe, at catchment scale and almost exclusively in rivers; they mainly investigated responses to water thermal regime at the community scale. The most frequent biological responses tested were growth rate, fecundity and the time and length of emergence, whereas ecological responses mainly involved composition, richness, and distribution. Thermal research on freshwater macroinvertebrates has undergone a shift since the 2000s when studies involving extended spatiotemporal scales and investigating the effects of global warming first appeared. In addition, recent studies have considered the effects of temperature at genetic and evolutionary scales. Our review revealed that the effects of temperature on macroinvertebrates are manifold with implications at different levels, from genes to communities. However, community-level physiological, phenological and fitness responses tested on individuals or populations should be studied in more detail given their macroecological effects are likely to be enhanced by climate warming. In addition, most field studies at regional scales have used air temperature as a proxy for water temperature; obtaining accurate water temperature data in future studies will be important to allow proper consideration of the spatial thermal heterogeneity of water bodies and any effects on macroinvertebrate distribution patterns. Finally, we found an uneven number of studies across different ecosystems and geographic areas, with lentic bodies and regions outside the West underrepresented. It will also be crucial to include macroinvertebrates of high-altitude and tropical areas in future work because these groups are most vulnerable to climate warming for multiple reasons. Further studies on temperature-macroinvertebrate relationships are needed to fill the current gaps and facilitate appropriate conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems in an anthropogenic-driven era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonacina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Fasano
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Mezzanotte
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Fornaroli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
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Montagnoli A, Lasserre B, Terzaghi M, Byambadorj SO, Nyam-Osor B, Scippa GS, Chiatante D. Fertilization reduces root architecture plasticity in Ulmus pumila used for afforesting Mongolian semi-arid steppe. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:878299. [PMID: 35958214 PMCID: PMC9359110 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.878299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we assessed the functional and architectural traits in the coarse roots of Ulmus pumila trees, which are used for afforesting the semi-arid steppe of Mongolia. Tree growth was supported by different watering regimes (no watering, 2, 4, and 8 L h-1) and by two types of soil fertilization (NPK and compost). In July, 2019, for each of these treatments six trees, outplanted in 2011 as 2-year-old seedlings from a container nursery, were randomly selected, excavated by hand, and digitized. The build-up of root length correlated positively with increasing levels of watering for both soil depths analyzed. The application of fertilizers led to root growth suppression resulting in a general reduction of root length in a lowered rooting depth. When root system characteristics were analyzed in relation to wind direction, unfertilized trees showed higher root diameter values in both soil layers of leeward quadrants, likely a response to mechanical forces to improve stability. On the contrary, fertilized trees did not show differences in root diameter among the different quadrants underscoring a strong reduction in root plasticity with a lack of morpho-architectural response to the mechanical forces generated by the two prevailing winds. Finally, the root branching density, another important trait for fast dissipation of mechanical forces, was significantly reduced by the fertilization, independently of the quadrants and watering regime. Our results suggest that knowledge of the root response to the afforestation techniques applied in the semi-arid steppe of Mongolia is a necessary step for revealing the susceptibility of this forest shelterbelt to the exacerbating environmental conditions caused by climate change and, thus, to the development of a sustainable and successful strategy to restore degraded lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Montagnoli
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Bruno Lasserre
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Mattia Terzaghi
- Department of Chemistry and Biology ‘A. Zambelli’, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Ser-Oddamba Byambadorj
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Ecophysiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Laboratory of Silviculture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Deajeon, South Korea
| | - Batkhuu Nyam-Osor
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Ecophysiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | - Donato Chiatante
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Rocca JD, Yammine A, Simonin M, Gibert JP. Protist Predation Influences the Temperature Response of Bacterial Communities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:847964. [PMID: 35464948 PMCID: PMC9022080 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature strongly influences microbial community structure and function, in turn contributing to global carbon cycling that can fuel further warming. Recent studies suggest that biotic interactions among microbes may play an important role in determining the temperature responses of these communities. However, how predation regulates these microbiomes under future climates is still poorly understood. Here, we assess whether predation by a key global bacterial consumer-protists-influences the temperature response of the community structure and function of a freshwater microbiome. To do so, we exposed microbial communities to two cosmopolitan protist species-Tetrahymena thermophila and Colpidium sp.-at two different temperatures, in a month-long microcosm experiment. While microbial biomass and respiration increased with temperature due to community shifts, these responses changed over time and in the presence of protists. Protists influenced microbial biomass and respiration rate through direct and indirect effects on bacterial community structure, and predator presence actually reduced microbial respiration at elevated temperature. Indicator species analyses showed that these predator effects were mostly determined by phylum-specific bacterial responses to protist density and cell size. Our study supports previous findings that temperature is an important driver of microbial communities but also demonstrates that the presence of a large predator can mediate these responses to warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D. Rocca
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Andrea Yammine
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Marie Simonin
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- University of Angers, Institut Agro, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, L’Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Structure Fédérative de Recherche Qualité et Santé du Végétal, Angers, France
| | - Jean P. Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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Kratina P, Rosenbaum B, Gallo B, Horas EL, O’Gorman EJ. The Combined Effects of Warming and Body Size on the Stability of Predator-Prey Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.772078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental temperature and body size are two prominent drivers of predation. Despite the ample evidence of their independent effects, the combined impact of temperature and predator-prey body size ratio on the strength and stability of trophic interactions is not fully understood. We experimentally tested how water temperature alters the functional response and population stability of dragonfly nymphs (Cordulegaster boltonii) feeding on freshwater amphipods (Gammarus pulex) across a gradient of their body size ratios. Attack coefficients were highest for small predators feeding on small prey at low temperatures, but shifted toward the largest predators feeding on larger prey in warmer environments. Handling time appeared to decrease with increasing predator and prey body size in the cold environment, but increase at higher temperatures. These findings indicate interactive effects of temperature and body size on functional responses. There was also a negative effect of warming on the stability of predator and prey populations, but this was counteracted by a larger predator-prey body size ratio at higher temperatures. Here, a greater Hill exponent reduced feeding at low prey densities when predators were much larger than their prey, enhancing the persistence of both predator and prey populations in the warmer environment. These experimental findings provide new mechanistic insights into the destabilizing effect of warming on trophic interactions and the key role of predator-prey body size ratios in mitigating these effects.
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Linking species traits and demography to explain complex temperature responses across levels of organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2104863118. [PMID: 34642248 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104863118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities regulate ecosystem responses to climate change. However, predicting these responses is challenging because of complex interactions among processes at multiple levels of organization. Organismal traits that determine individual performance and ecological interactions are essential for scaling up environmental responses from individuals to ecosystems. We combine protist microcosm experiments and mathematical models to show that key traits-cell size, shape, and contents-each explain different aspects of species' demographic responses to changes in temperature. These differences in species' temperature responses have complex cascading effects across levels of organization-causing nonlinear shifts in total community respiration rates across temperatures via coordinated changes in community composition, equilibrium densities, and community-mean species mass in experimental protist communities that tightly match theoretical predictions. Our results suggest that traits explain variation in population growth, and together, these two factors scale up to influence community- and ecosystem-level processes across temperatures. Connecting the multilevel microbial processes that ultimately influence climate in this way will help refine predictions about complex ecosystem-climate feedbacks and the pace of climate change itself.
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Tan H, Hirst AG, Atkinson D, Kratina P. Body size and shape responses to warming and resource competition. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanrong Tan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Andrew G. Hirst
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell UK
- Centre for Ocean Life National Institute for Aquatic ResourcesTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
| | - David Atkinson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - Pavel Kratina
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
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