Consistency of aquatic enclosed experiments: The importance of scale and ecological complexity

Combined stress of an insecticide and heatwaves or elevated temperature induce community and food web effects in a Mediterranean freshwater ecosystem

Ongoing global climate change will shift nature towards Anthropocene's unprecedented conditions by increasing average temperatures and the frequency and severity of extreme events, such as heatwaves. While such climatic changes pose an increased threat for freshwater ecosystems, other stressors like pesticides may interact with warming and lead to unpredictable effects. Studies that examine the underpinned mechanisms of multiple stressor effects are scarce and often lack environmental realism. Here, we conducted a multiple stressors experiment using outdoor freshwater mesocosms with natural assemblages of macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and microbes. The effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid (1 µg/L) were investigated in combination with three temperature scenarios representing ambient, elevated temperatures (+4 °C), and heatwaves (+0 to 8 °C), the latter two having similar energy input. We found similar imidacloprid dissipation patterns for all temperature treatments with lowest average dissipation half-lives under both warming scenarios (DT50: 3 days) and highest under ambient temperatures (DT50: 4 days) throughout the experiment. Amongst all communities, only the zooplankton community was significantly affected by the combined treatments. This community demonstrated low chemical sensitivity with lagged and significant negative imidacloprid effects only for cyclopoids. Heatwaves caused early and long-lasting significant effects on the zooplankton community as compared to elevated temperatures, with Polyarthra, Daphnia longispina, Lecanidae, and cyclopoids being the most negatively affected taxa, whereas Ceriodaphnia and nauplii showed positive responses to temperature. Community recovery from imidacloprid stress was slower under heatwaves, suggesting temperature-enhanced toxicity. Finally, microbial and macrofauna litter degradation were significantly enhanced by temperature, whereas the latter was also negatively affected by imidacloprid. A structural equation model depicted cascading food web effects of both stressors with stronger relationships and significant negative stressor effects at higher than at lower trophic levels. Our study highlights the threat of a series of heatwaves compared to elevated temperatures for imidacloprid-stressed freshwaters.

Heatwaves, elevated temperatures, and a pesticide cause interactive effects on multi-trophic levels of a freshwater ecosystem

Climate impacts of elevated temperatures and more severe and frequent weather extremes like heatwaves are globally becoming discernible on nature. While a mechanistic understanding is pivotal for ecosystem management, stressors like pesticides may interact with warming, leading to unpredictable effects on freshwater ecosystems. These multiple stressor studies are scarce and experimental designs often lack environmental realism. To investigate the multiple stressor effects, we conducted a microcosm experiment for 48 days comprising benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and microbes. The fungicide carbendazim (100 μg/L) was investigated combined with temperature scenarios representing elevated temperatures (+4 °C) or heatwaves (+0 to +8 °C), both applied with similar energy input on a daily fluctuating ambient temperature (18 °C ± 1.5 °C), which served as control. Measurements showed the highest carbendazim dissipation in water under heatwaves followed by elevated and ambient temperatures. Average carbendazim concentrations were about 50% in water and 16% in sediment of the nominal concentration. In both heated cosms, zooplankton community dynamics revealed an unexpected shift from Rotifera to Cladocera and Copepoda nauplii, indicating variations in their thermal sensitivity, tolerance and resilience. Notably, warming and heatwaves shaped community responses similarly, suggesting heat intensity rather than distribution patterns determined the community structure. Heatwaves led to significant early and longer-lasting adverse effects that were exacerbated over time with Cladocera and Copepoda being most sensitive likely due to significant carbendazim interactions. Finally, a structural equation model demonstrated significant relationships between zooplankton and macrophytes and significantly negative carbendazim effects on zooplankton, whereas positive on macroinvertebrate abundances. The relationship between macroinvertebrate feeding and abundance was masked by significantly temperature-affected microbial leaf litter decomposition. Despite the thermal tolerance of zooplankton communities, our study highlights an increased pesticide threat under temperature extremes. More intense heatwaves are thus likely to cause significant alterations in community assemblages which will adversely affect ecosystem's processes and functions.

Bioaccumulation and ecotoxicological impact of micro(nano)plastics in aquatic and land snails: Historical review, current research and emerging trends

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are ubiquitous emerging pollutants in the environment. Although MPs/NPs' hazardous effects have been described at different trophic levels, little attention has been given to how they can affect gastropod communities. Thus, the current study aimed to summarize and critically address data available in the scientific literature about micro(nano)plastics' ecotoxicological impact on snails. The analyzed data has evidenced MP/NP bioaccumulation in 40 gastropod species collected in the field; 15 gastropod species were used to assess the potential toxicity of MPs/NPs. Asia accounted for the highest level of MPs/NPs bioaccumulated in gastropods; it was followed by the South American, European and Antarctic continents. MPs/NPs' toxicity depends on their composition, shape and size, as well as on differences in methodological approaches adopted by different studies. Results have shown that MPs/NPs induce several impairments - such as behavioral changes, developmental toxicity, dysbiosis, histopathological alterations, oxidative stress -, generate ecological impairments, as well as act as pollutant vector and increase chiral chemicals' toxicity. Research gaps and recommendations for future research were highlighted to help better understanding MPs/NPs' toxicity in gastropods, given the extremely important role played by them in studies focused on investigating how MPs/NPs can affect invertebrate communities living in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Temperature, not salinity, drives impact of an emerging invasive species

Biological invasions are a growing ecological and socioeconomic problem worldwide. While robust predictions of impactful future invaders are urgently needed, understandings of invader impacts have been challenged by context-dependencies. In aquatic systems in particular, future climate change could alter the impacts of invasive non-native species. Widespread warming coupled with sea freshening may exacerbate ecological impacts of invaders in marine environments, compromising ecosystem structure, function and stability. We examined how multiple abiotic changes affect the potential ecological impact of an emerging invasive non-native species from the Ponto-Caspian region - a notorious origin hotspot for invaders, characterised by high salinity and temperature variation. Using a comparative functional response (feeding rates across prey densities) approach, the potential ecological impacts of the gammarid Pontogammarus maeoticus towards native chironomid prey were examined across a range of current and future temperature (18, 22 °C) and salinity (14, 10, 6, 2 ppt) regimes in a factorial design. Feeding rates of P. maeoticus on prey significantly increased with temperature (by 60%), but were not significantly affected by salinity regime. Gammarids displayed significant Type II functional responses, with attack rates not significantly affected by warming across all salinities. Handling times were, however, shortened by warming, and thus maximum feeding rates significantly increased, irrespective of salinity regime. Functional responses were significantly different following warming at high prey densities under all salinities, except under the ambient 10 ppt. Euryhalinity of invasive non-native species from the Ponto-Caspian region thus could allow sustained ecological impacts across a range of salinity regimes. These results corroborate high invasion success and field impacts of Ponto-Caspian gammarids in brackish through to freshwater ecosystems. Climate warming will likely worsen the potential ecological impact of P. maeoticus. With invasions growing worldwide, quantifications of how combined elements of climate change will alter the impacts of emerging invasive non-native species are needed.