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Graça D, Arias-Real R, Fernandes I, Cássio F, Pascoal C. Fungal identity mediates the impacts of multiple stressors on freshwater ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173466. [PMID: 38788941 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Predicting how multiple anthropogenic stressors affect natural ecosystems is a major challenge in ecology. Freshwater ecosystems are threatened worldwide by multiple co-occurring stressors, which can affect aquatic biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and human wellbeing. In stream ecosystems, aquatic fungi play a crucial role in global biogeochemical cycles and food web dynamics, therefore, assessing the functional consequences of fungal biodiversity loss under multiple stressors is crucial. Here, a microcosm approach was used to investigate the effects of multiple stressors (increased temperature and nutrients, drying, and biodiversity loss) on three ecosystem processes: organic matter decomposition, fungal reproduction, and fungal biomass accrual. Net effects of stressors were antagonistic for organic matter decomposition, but additive for fungal reproduction and biomass accrual. Net effects of biodiversity were mainly positive for all processes, even under stress, demonstrating that diversity assures the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Fungal species displayed distinct contributions to each ecosystem process. Furthermore, species with negligible contributions under control conditions changed their role under stress, either enhancing or impairing the communities' performance, emphasizing the importance of fungal species identity. Our study highlights that distinct fungal species have different sensitivities to environmental variability and have different influence on the overall performance of the community. Therefore, preserving high fungal diversity is crucial to maintain fungal species with key ecosystem functions within aquatic communities in face of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Graça
- CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Rebeca Arias-Real
- CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Isabel Fernandes
- CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Fernanda Cássio
- CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Pascoal
- CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
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2
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Smith TP, Clegg T, Ransome E, Martin-Lilley T, Rosindell J, Woodward G, Pawar S, Bell T. High-throughput characterization of bacterial responses to complex mixtures of chemical pollutants. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:938-948. [PMID: 38499812 PMCID: PMC10994839 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01626-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Our understanding of how microbes respond to micropollutants, such as pesticides, is almost wholly based on single-species responses to individual chemicals. However, in natural environments, microbes experience multiple pollutants simultaneously. Here we perform a matrix of multi-stressor experiments by assaying the growth of model and non-model strains of bacteria in all 255 combinations of 8 chemical stressors (antibiotics, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides). We found that bacterial strains responded in different ways to stressor mixtures, which could not be predicted simply from their phylogenetic relatedness. Increasingly complex chemical mixtures were both more likely to negatively impact bacterial growth in monoculture and more likely to reveal net interactive effects. A mixed co-culture of strains proved more resilient to increasingly complex mixtures and revealed fewer interactions in the growth response. These results show predictability in microbial population responses to chemical stressors and could increase the utility of next-generation eco-toxicological assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Smith
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
| | - Tom Clegg
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Emma Ransome
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Thomas Martin-Lilley
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - James Rosindell
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Samraat Pawar
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Thomas Bell
- The Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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3
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Moe SJ, Brix KV, Landis WG, Stauber JL, Carriger JF, Hader JD, Kunimitsu T, Mentzel S, Nathan R, Noyes PD, Oldenkamp R, Rohr JR, van den Brink PJ, Verheyen J, Benestad RE. Integrating climate model projections into environmental risk assessment: A probabilistic modeling approach. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 20:367-383. [PMID: 38084033 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) convened a Pellston workshop in 2022 to examine how information on climate change could be better incorporated into the ecological risk assessment (ERA) process for chemicals as well as other environmental stressors. A major impetus for this workshop is that climate change can affect components of ecological risks in multiple direct and indirect ways, including the use patterns and environmental exposure pathways of chemical stressors such as pesticides, the toxicity of chemicals in receiving environments, and the vulnerability of species of concern related to habitat quality and use. This article explores a modeling approach for integrating climate model projections into the assessment of near- and long-term ecological risks, developed in collaboration with climate scientists. State-of-the-art global climate modeling and downscaling techniques may enable climate projections at scales appropriate for the study area. It is, however, also important to realize the limitations of individual global climate models and make use of climate model ensembles represented by statistical properties. Here, we present a probabilistic modeling approach aiming to combine projected climatic variables as well as the associated uncertainties from climate model ensembles in conjunction with ERA pathways. We draw upon three examples of ERA that utilized Bayesian networks for this purpose and that also represent methodological advancements for better prediction of future risks to ecosystems. We envision that the modeling approach developed from this international collaboration will contribute to better assessment and management of risks from chemical stressors in a changing climate. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:367-383. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jannicke Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin V Brix
- EcoTox LLC, Miami, Florida, USA
- RSMAES, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Wayne G Landis
- College of the Environment, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
| | - Jenny L Stauber
- CSIRO Environment, Lucas Heights, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
| | - John F Carriger
- Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Office of Research and Development, USEPA, Land Remediation and Technology Division, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - John D Hader
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Taro Kunimitsu
- CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sophie Mentzel
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Rory Nathan
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pamela D Noyes
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, USEPA, Integrated Climate Sciences Division, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rik Oldenkamp
- Chemistry for Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Paul J van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julie Verheyen
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, KU Leuven, Belgium
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4
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Schulz R, Bundschuh M, Entling MH, Jungkunst HF, Lorke A, Schwenk K, Schäfer RB. A synthesis of anthropogenic stress effects on emergence-mediated aquatic-terrestrial linkages and riparian food webs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168186. [PMID: 37914130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168186] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stress alters the linkage between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in various ways. Here, we review the contemporary literature on how alterations in aquatic systems through environmental pollution, invasive species and hydromorphological changes carry-over to terrestrial ecosystems and the food webs therein. We consider both the aquatic insect emergence and flooding as pathways through which stressors can propagate from the aquatic to the terrestrial system. We specifically synthesize and contextualize results on the roles of pollutants in the emergence pathway and their top-down consequences. Our review revealed that the emergence and flooding pathway are only considered in isolation and that the overall effects of invasive species or pollutants on food webs at the water-land interface require further attention. While very few recent studies looked at invasive species, a larger number of studies focused on metal transfer compared to pesticides, pharmaceuticals or PCBs, and multiple stress studies up to now left aquatic-terrestrial linkages unconsidered. Recent research on pollutants and emergence used aquatic-terrestrial mesocosms to elucidate the effects of aquatic stressors such as the mosquito control agent Bti, metals or pesticides to understand the effects on riparian spiders. Quality parameters, such as the structural and functional composition of emergent insect communities, the fatty acid profiles, yet also the composition of pollutants transferred to land prove to be important for the effects on riparian spiders. Process-based models including quality of emergence are useful to predict the resulting top-down directed food web effects in the terrestrial recipient ecosystem. In conclusion, we present and recommend a combination of empirical and modelling approaches in order to understand the complexity of aquatic-terrestrial stressor propagation and its spatial and temporal variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany.
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Hermann F Jungkunst
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Andreas Lorke
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Klaus Schwenk
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
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5
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Robison-Smith C, Masud N, Tarring EC, Ward BD, Cable J. A class of their own? Water-soluble polymer pollution impacting a freshwater host-pathogen system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:168086. [PMID: 37890633 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168086] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
While the inclusion of synthetic polymers such as primary microplastics within personal care products have been widely restricted under EU/UK Law, water-soluble polymers (WSPs) have so far slipped the net of global chemical regulation despite evidence that these could be polluting wastewater effluents at concentrations greatly exceeding those of microplastics. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) represent WSPs with common industry and household uses, down-the-drain disposal and a direct route to wastewater treatment plants, conveying high risk of environmental leaching into freshwater ecosystems. The current study is the first investigating the impacts of predicted environmental concentrations of these WSPs on life-history traits of two freshwater species also constituting a disease model (fish - Poecilia reticulata and parasite - Gyrodactylus turnbulli). Single effects of WSPs on fish as well as their interactive effects with infection of the ectoparasite were determined over a 45-day exposure. Generally, WSPs reduced fish growth and increased routine metabolic rate of fish implying a depleted energetic budget, however these effects were dose, exposure time and polymer dependent. Parasitic infection alone caused a significant reduction in fish growth and enhanced fish routine metabolic rate. In contrast, a non-additive effect on metabolic rate was evident in fish experiencing simultaneous infection and WSP exposure, suggesting a protective effect of the two WSPs for fish also exposed to a metazoan ectoparasite. Off-host parasite survival was significantly lowered by both WSPs; however, parasite counts of infected fish also exposed to WSP were not significantly different from the control, implying more complex mechanisms may underpin this stressor interaction. Distinct detrimental impacts were inflicted on both organisms implying environmental leaching of WSPs may be causing significant disruption to interspecies interactions within freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, these results could contribute to sustainable development in industry, as we conclude PVA represents a less harmful alternative to PVP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Numair Masud
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Eve C Tarring
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, CF10 3AT, UK
| | | | - Jo Cable
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CF10 3AX, UK
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6
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Jarvis L, Rosenfeld J, Gonzalez-Espinosa PC, Enders EC. A process framework for integrating stressor-response functions into cumulative effects models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167456. [PMID: 37839475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167456] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressor-response (SR) functions quantify ecological responses to natural environmental variation or anthropogenic stressors. They are also core drivers of cumulative effects (CE) models, which are increasingly recognized as essential management tools to grapple with the diffuse footprint of human impacts. Here, we provide a process framework for the identification, development, and integration of SR functions into CE models, and highlight their consequential properties, behaviour, criteria for selecting appropriate stressors and responses, and general approaches for deriving them. Management objectives (and causal effect pathways) will determine the ultimate stressor and target response variables of interest (i.e., individual growth/survival, population size, community structure, ecosystem processes), but data availability will constrain whether proxies need to be used for the target stressor or response variables. Available data and confidence in underlying mechanisms will determine whether empirical or mechanistic (theoretical) SR functions are optimal. Uncertainty in underlying SR functions is often the primary source of error in CE modelling, and monitoring outcomes through adaptive management to iteratively refine parameterization of SR functions is a key element of model application. Dealing with stressor interactions is an additional challenge, and in the absence of known or suspected interaction mechanisms, controlling main effects should remain the primary focus. Indicators of suspected interaction presence (i.e., much larger or smaller responses to stressor reduction than expected during monitoring) should be confirmed through adaptive management cycles or targeted stressor manipulations. Where possible, management decisions should selectively take advantage of interactions to strategically mitigate stressor impacts (i.e., by using antagonisms to suppress stressor impacts, and by using synergisms to efficiently reduce them).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Jarvis
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ontario & Prairie Region, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada.
| | - Jordan Rosenfeld
- UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; B.C. Ministry of Environment, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Pedro C Gonzalez-Espinosa
- Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, Simon Fraser University, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Technology and Science Complex 1, 643A Science Rd, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Eva C Enders
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre, 490 de la Couronne Street, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada.
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7
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Rees MJ, Knott NA, Astles KL, Swadling DS, West GJ, Ferguson AM, Delamont J, Gibson PT, Neilson J, Birch GF, Glasby TM. Cumulative effects of multiple stressors impact an endangered seagrass population and fish communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166706. [PMID: 37659560 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166706] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened by human activities and there is growing appreciation that management must consider the impacts of multiple stressors. Cumulative effects assessments (CEAs) have become a popular tool for identifying the distribution and intensity of multiple human stressors in coastal ecosystems. Few studies, however, have demonstrated strong correlations between CEAs and change in ecosystem condition, questioning its management use. Here, we apply a CEA to the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis in Pittwater, NSW, Australia, using spatial data on known stressors to seagrass related to foreshore development, water quality, vessel traffic and fishing. We tested how well cumulative effects scores explained changes in P. australis extent measured between 2005 and 2019 using high-resolution aerial imagery. A negative correlation between P. australis and estimated cumulative effects scores was observed (R2 = 22 %), and we identified a threshold of cumulative effects above which losses of P. australis became more likely. Using baited remote underwater video, we surveyed fishes over P. australis and non-vegetated sediments to infer and quantify how impacts of cumulative effects to P. australis extent would flow on to fish assemblages. P. australis contained a distinct assemblage of fish, and on non-vegetated sediments the abundance of sparids, which are of importance to fisheries, increased with closer proximity to P. australis. Our results demonstrate the negative impact of multiple stressors on P. australis and the consequences for fish biodiversity and fisheries production across much of the estuary. Management actions aimed at reducing or limiting cumulative effects to low and moderate levels will help conserve P. australis and its associated fish biodiversity and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Rees
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Marine Ecosystems, Fisheries Research, 4 Woollamia Road, Huskisson, NSW, 2540, Australia.
| | - Nathan A Knott
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Marine Ecosystems, Fisheries Research, 4 Woollamia Road, Huskisson, NSW, 2540, Australia
| | - Karen L Astles
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research, P.O. Box 5106, Wollongong 2520, Australia
| | - Daniel S Swadling
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, New South Wales, 2315 Nelson Bay, Australia
| | - Greg J West
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, New South Wales, 2315 Nelson Bay, Australia
| | - Adrian M Ferguson
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Marine Ecosystems, Fisheries Research, 4 Woollamia Road, Huskisson, NSW, 2540, Australia
| | - Jason Delamont
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Marine Ecosystems, Fisheries Research, 4 Woollamia Road, Huskisson, NSW, 2540, Australia
| | - Peter T Gibson
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, New South Wales, 2315 Nelson Bay, Australia
| | - Joseph Neilson
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, New South Wales, 2315 Nelson Bay, Australia
| | - Gavin F Birch
- Geocoastal Research Group, School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Tim M Glasby
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, New South Wales, 2315 Nelson Bay, Australia
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Papantoniou G, Zervoudaki S, Assimakopoulou G, Stoumboudi MT, Tsagarakis K. Ecosystem-level responses to multiple stressors using a time-dynamic food-web model: The case of a re-oligotrophicated coastal embayment (Saronikos Gulf, E Mediterranean). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:165882. [PMID: 37574071 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Multiple stressors may combine in unexpected ways to alter the structure of ecological systems, however, our current ability to evaluate their ecological impact is limited due to the lack of information concerning historic trophic interactions and ecosystem dynamics. Saronikos Gulf is a heavily exploited embayment in the E Mediterranean that has undergone significant ecological alterations during the last 20 years including a shift from long-standing eutrophic to oligotrophic conditions in the mid-2000's. Here we used a historical Ecopath food-web model of Saronikos Gulf (1998-2000) and fitted the time-dynamic module Ecosim to biomass and catch time series for the period 2001-2020. We then projected the model forward in time from 2021 to 2050 under 8 scenarios to simulate ecosystem responses to the individual and combined effect of sea surface temperature increase, primary productivity shifts and fishing effort release. Incorporating trophic interactions, climate warming, fishing and primary production improved model fit, depicting that both fishing and the environment have historically influenced ecosystem dynamics. Retrospective simulations of the model captured historical biomass and catch trends of commercially important stocks and reproduced successfully the marked recovery of marine resources 10 years after re-oligotrophication. In future scenarios increasing temperature had a detrimental impact on most functional groups, increasing and decreasing productivity had a positive and negative effect on all respectively, while fishing reductions principally benefited top predators. Combined stressors produced synergistic or antagonistic effects depending on the direction and magnitude of change of each stressor in isolation while their overall impact seemed to be strongly mediated via food-web interactions. Such holistic approaches advance of our mechanistic understanding of ecosystems enabling us to develop more effective management strategies in the face of a rapidly changing marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Papantoniou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece.
| | - Soultana Zervoudaki
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece
| | - Georgia Assimakopoulou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece
| | - Maria Th Stoumboudi
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Tsagarakis
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece
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9
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Dinh KV, Albini D, Orr JA, Macaulay SJ, Rillig MC, Borgå K, Jackson MC. Winter is coming: Interactions of multiple stressors in winter and implications for the natural world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6834-6845. [PMID: 37776127 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Winter is a key driver of ecological processes in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in higher latitudes. Species have evolved various adaptive strategies to cope with food limitations and the cold and dark wintertime. However, human-induced climate change and other anthropogenic stressors are impacting organisms in winter in unpredictable ways. In this paper, we show that global change experiments investigating multiple stressors have predominantly been conducted during summer months. However, effects of anthropogenic stressors sometimes differ between winter and other seasons, necessitating comprehensive investigations. Here, we outline a framework for understanding the different effects of anthropogenic stressors in winter compared to other seasons and discuss the primary mechanisms that will alter ecological responses of organisms (microbes, animals and plants). For instance, while the magnitude of some anthropogenic stressors can be greater in winter than in other seasons (e.g. some pollutants), others may alleviate natural winter stress (e.g. warmer temperatures). These changes can have immediate, delayed or carry-over effects on organisms during winter or later seasons. Interactions between stressors may also vary with season. We call for a renewed research direction focusing on multiple stressor effects on winter ecology and evolution to fully understand, and predict, how ecosystems will fare under changing winters. We also argue the importance of incorporating the interactions of anthropogenic stressors with winter into ecological risk assessments, management and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuong V Dinh
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dania Albini
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James A Orr
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Matthias C Rillig
- Plant Ecology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg-Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Lear L, Inamine H, Shea K, Buckling A. Diversity loss from multiple interacting disturbances is regime-dependent. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:2056-2065. [PMID: 37847646 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities expose many ecosystems to multiple novel disturbances simultaneously. Despite this, how biodiversity responds to simultaneous disturbances remains unclear, with conflicting empirical results on their interactive effects. Here, we experimentally test how one disturbance (an invasive species) affects the diversity of a community over multiple levels of another disturbance regime (pulse mortality). Specifically, we invade stably coexisting bacterial communities under four different pulse frequencies, and compare their final resident diversity to uninvaded communities under the same pulse mortality regimes. Our experiment shows that the disturbances synergistically interact, such that the invader significantly reduces resident diversity at high pulse frequency, but not at low. This work therefore highlights the need to study simultaneous disturbance effects over multiple disturbance regimes as well as to carefully document unmanipulated disturbances, and may help explain the conflicting results seen in previous multiple-disturbance work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Lear
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Hidetoshi Inamine
- Department of Biology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katriona Shea
- Department of Biology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angus Buckling
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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11
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De Laender F, Carpentier C, Carletti T, Song C, Rumschlag SL, Mahon MB, Simonin M, Meszéna G, Barabás G. Mean species responses predict effects of environmental change on coexistence. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1535-1547. [PMID: 37337910 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change research is plagued by the curse of dimensionality: the number of communities at risk and the number of environmental drivers are both large. This raises the pressing question if a general understanding of ecological effects is achievable. Here, we show evidence that this is indeed possible. Using theoretical and simulation-based evidence for bi- and tritrophic communities, we show that environmental change effects on coexistence are proportional to mean species responses and depend on how trophic levels on average interact prior to environmental change. We then benchmark our findings using relevant cases of environmental change, showing that means of temperature optima and of species sensitivities to pollution predict concomitant effects on coexistence. Finally, we demonstrate how to apply our theory to the analysis of field data, finding support for effects of land use change on coexistence in natural invertebrate communities.
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Grants
- 2.5020.11, GEQ U.G006.15, 1610468, RW/GEQ2016 et U FNRS-FRFC
- NKFI-123796 Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Offi
- 2.5020.11, GEQ U.G006.15, 1610468, RW/GEQ2016 et U Université de Namur
- NARC fellowsh Université de Namur
- 2.5020.11, GEQ U.G006.15, 1610468, RW/GEQ2016 et U Waalse Gewest
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, naXys, ILEE, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Camille Carpentier
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, naXys, ILEE, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Timoteo Carletti
- Department of Mathematics and naXys, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Chuliang Song
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Samantha L Rumschlag
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael B Mahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Marie Simonin
- University of Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, Angers, France
| | - Géza Meszéna
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Barabás
- Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Division of Ecological and Environmental Modeling, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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12
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Schäfer RB, Jackson M, Juvigny-Khenafou N, Osakpolor SE, Posthuma L, Schneeweiss A, Spaak J, Vinebrooke R. Chemical Mixtures and Multiple Stressors: Same but Different? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1915-1936. [PMID: 37036219 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5629] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems are strongly influenced by multiple anthropogenic stressors, including a wide range of chemicals and their mixtures. Studies on the effects of multiple stressors have largely focussed on nonchemical stressors, whereas studies on chemical mixtures have largely ignored other stressors. However, both research areas face similar challenges and require similar tools and methods to predict the joint effects of chemicals or nonchemical stressors, and frameworks to integrate multiple chemical and nonchemical stressors are missing. We provide an overview of the research paradigms, tools, and methods commonly used in multiple stressor and chemical mixture research and discuss potential domains of cross-fertilization and joint challenges. First, we compare the general paradigms of ecotoxicology and (applied) ecology to explain the historical divide. Subsequently, we compare methods and approaches for the identification of interactions, stressor characterization, and designing experiments. We suggest that both multiple stressor and chemical mixture research are too focused on interactions and would benefit from integration regarding null model selection. Stressor characterization is typically more costly for chemical mixtures. While for chemical mixtures comprehensive classification systems at suborganismal level have been developed, recent classification systems for multiple stressors account for environmental context. Both research areas suffer from rather simplified experimental designs that focus on only a limited number of stressors, chemicals, and treatments. We discuss concepts that can guide more realistic designs capturing spatiotemporal stressor dynamics. We suggest that process-based and data-driven models are particularly promising to tackle the challenge of prediction of effects of chemical mixtures and nonchemical stressors on (meta-)communities and (meta-)food webs. We propose a framework to integrate the assessment of effects for multiple stressors and chemical mixtures. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1915-1936. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | | | - Noel Juvigny-Khenafou
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Stephen E Osakpolor
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Leo Posthuma
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Schneeweiss
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Jürg Spaak
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Rolf Vinebrooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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13
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Verheyen J, Cuypers K, Stoks R. Adverse effects of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on the physiology of a damselfly only occur at the cold and hot extremes of a temperature gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 326:121438. [PMID: 36963457 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121438] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ecotoxicological studies considerably improved realism by assessing the toxicity of pollutants at different temperatures. Nevertheless, they may miss key interaction patterns between pollutants and temperature by typically considering only part of the natural thermal gradient experienced by species and ignoring daily temperature fluctuations (DTF). We therefore tested in a common garden laboratory experiment the effects of the pesticide chlorpyrifos across a range of mean temperatures and DTF on physiological traits (related to oxidative stress and bioenergetics) in low- and high-latitude populations of Ischnura elegans damselfly larvae. As expected, the impact of chlorpyrifos varied along the wide range of mean temperatures (12-34 °C). None of the physiological traits (except the superoxide anion levels) were affected by chlorpyrifos at the intermediate mean temperatures (20-24 °C). Instead, most of them were negatively affected by chlorpyrifos (reduced activity levels of the antioxidant defense enzymes superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT] and peroxidase [PER], and a reduced energy budget) at the very high (≥28 °C) or extreme high temperatures (≥32 °C), and to lesser extent at the lower mean temperatures (≤16 °C). Notably, at the lower mean temperatures the negative impact of chlorpyrifos was often only present or stronger under DTF. Although the chlorpyrifos effects on the physiological traits greatly depended on the experimentally imposed thermal gradient, patterns were mainly consistent across the natural latitude-associated thermal gradient, indicating the generality of our results. The thermal patterns in chlorpyrifos-induced physiological responses contributed to the observed toxicity patterns in life history (reduced survival and growth at low and high mean temperatures). Taken together, our results underscore the importance of evaluating pesticide toxicity along a temperature gradient and of taking a mechanistic approach with a focus on physiology, to improve our understanding of the combined effects of pollutants and temperature in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Verheyen
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Kiani Cuypers
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Vos M, Hering D, Gessner MO, Leese F, Schäfer RB, Tollrian R, Boenigk J, Haase P, Meckenstock R, Baikova D, Bayat H, Beermann A, Beisser D, Beszteri B, Birk S, Boden L, Brauer V, Brauns M, Buchner D, Burfeid-Castellanos A, David G, Deep A, Doliwa A, Dunthorn M, Enß J, Escobar-Sierra C, Feld CK, Fohrer N, Grabner D, Hadziomerovic U, Jähnig SC, Jochmann M, Khaliq S, Kiesel J, Kuppels A, Lampert KP, Le TTY, Lorenz AW, Madariaga GM, Meyer B, Pantel JH, Pimentel IM, Mayombo NS, Nguyen HH, Peters K, Pfeifer SM, Prati S, Probst AJ, Reiner D, Rolauffs P, Schlenker A, Schmidt TC, Shah M, Sieber G, Stach TL, Tielke AK, Vermiert AM, Weiss M, Weitere M, Sures B. The Asymmetric Response Concept explains ecological consequences of multiple stressor exposure and release. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162196. [PMID: 36781140 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162196] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Our capacity to predict trajectories of ecosystem degradation and recovery is limited, especially when impairments are caused by multiple stressors. Recovery may be fast or slow and either complete or partial, sometimes result in novel ecosystem states or even fail completely. Here, we introduce the Asymmetric Response Concept (ARC) that provides a basis for exploring and predicting the pace and magnitude of ecological responses to, and release from, multiple stressors. The ARC holds that three key mechanisms govern population, community and ecosystem trajectories. Stress tolerance is the main mechanism determining responses to increasing stressor intensity, whereas dispersal and biotic interactions predominantly govern responses to the release from stressors. The shifting importance of these mechanisms creates asymmetries between the ecological trajectories that follow increasing and decreasing stressor intensities. This recognition helps to understand multiple stressor impacts and to predict which measures will restore communities that are resistant to restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthijs Vos
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany.
| | - Mark O Gessner
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany; Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Leese
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralph Tollrian
- Department of Animal Ecology, Ruhr University Bochum, Evolution and Biodiversity, Germany
| | - Jens Boenigk
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Haase
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rainer Meckenstock
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daria Baikova
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Helena Bayat
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Arne Beermann
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bánk Beszteri
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Phycology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa Boden
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Verena Brauer
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Mario Brauns
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Buchner
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Gwendoline David
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Aman Deep
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Annemie Doliwa
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Micah Dunthorn
- Eukaryotic Microbiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julian Enß
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Christian K Feld
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Nicola Fohrer
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel Grabner
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Una Hadziomerovic
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Jochmann
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Shaista Khaliq
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | - Annabel Kuppels
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - T T Yen Le
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Graciela Medina Madariaga
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Meyer
- Aquatic Microbial Ecology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany
| | - Jelena H Pantel
- Ecological Modelling, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Hong Hanh Nguyen
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kristin Peters
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Prati
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Dominik Reiner
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Rolauffs
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schlenker
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Torsten C Schmidt
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Manan Shah
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Aquatic Microbial Ecology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany
| | - Guido Sieber
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Ann-Kathrin Tielke
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Vermiert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Ruhr University Bochum, Evolution and Biodiversity, Germany
| | - Martina Weiss
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Markus Weitere
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
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15
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Maucieri DG, Starko S, Baum JK. Tipping points and interactive effects of chronic human disturbance and acute heat stress on coral diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230209. [PMID: 37040801 PMCID: PMC10089722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple anthropogenic stressors co-occur ubiquitously in natural ecosystems. However, multiple stressor studies often produce conflicting results, potentially because the nature and direction of stressor interactions depends upon the strength of the underlying stressors. Here, we first examine how coral α- and β-diversities vary across sites spanning a gradient of chronic local anthropogenic stress before and after a prolonged marine heatwave. Developing a multiple stressor framework that encompasses non-discrete stressors, we then examine interactions between the continuous and discrete stressors. We provide evidence of additive effects, antagonistic interactions (with heatwave-driven turnover in coral community composition diminishing as the continuous stressor increased), and tipping points (at which the response of coral Hill-richness to stressors changed from additive to near synergistic). We show that community-level responses to multiple stressors can vary, and even change qualitatively, with stressor intensity, underscoring the importance of examining complex, but realistic continuous stressors to understand stressor interactions and their ecological impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique G. Maucieri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8P 5C2
| | - Samuel Starko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8P 5C2
- UWA Oceans Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Julia K. Baum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8P 5C2
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA
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16
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van Moorsel SJ, Thébault E, Radchuk V, Narwani A, Montoya JM, Dakos V, Holmes M, De Laender F, Pennekamp F. Predicting effects of multiple interacting global change drivers across trophic levels. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1223-1238. [PMID: 36461630 PMCID: PMC7614140 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Global change encompasses many co-occurring anthropogenic drivers, which can act synergistically or antagonistically on ecological systems. Predicting how different global change drivers simultaneously contribute to observed biodiversity change is a key challenge for ecology and conservation. However, we lack the mechanistic understanding of how multiple global change drivers influence the vital rates of multiple interacting species. We propose that reaction norms, the relationships between a driver and vital rates like growth, mortality, and consumption, provide insights to the underlying mechanisms of community responses to multiple drivers. Understanding how multiple drivers interact to affect demographic rates using a reaction-norm perspective can improve our ability to make predictions of interactions at higher levels of organization-that is, community and food web. Building on the framework of consumer-resource interactions and widely studied thermal performance curves, we illustrate how joint driver impacts can be scaled up from the population to the community level. A simple proof-of-concept model demonstrates how reaction norms of vital rates predict the prevalence of driver interactions at the community level. A literature search suggests that our proposed approach is not yet used in multiple driver research. We outline how realistic response surfaces (i.e., multidimensional reaction norms) can be inferred by parametric and nonparametric approaches. Response surfaces have the potential to strengthen our understanding of how multiple drivers affect communities as well as improve our ability to predict when interactive effects emerge, two of the major challenges of ecology today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia J. van Moorsel
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Department of GeographyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Elisa Thébault
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Cité, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES‐Paris)ParisFrance
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Anita Narwani
- Department of Aquatic EcologyEawagDübendorfSwitzerland
| | - José M. Montoya
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology StationCNRSMoulisFrance
| | - Vasilis Dakos
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM)Université de Montpellier, IRD, EPHEMontpellierFrance
| | - Mark Holmes
- Namur Institute for Complex Systems (naXys), Institute of Life, Earth, and Environment (ILEE), Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of NamurNamurBelgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Namur Institute for Complex Systems (naXys), Institute of Life, Earth, and Environment (ILEE), Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of NamurNamurBelgium
| | - Frank Pennekamp
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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17
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Verheyen J, Stoks R. Thermal Performance Curves in a Polluted World: Too Cold and Too Hot Temperatures Synergistically Increase Pesticide Toxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:3270-3279. [PMID: 36787409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ecotoxicological studies typically cover only a limited part of the natural thermal range of populations and ignore daily temperature fluctuations (DTFs). Therefore, we may miss important stressor interaction patterns and have poor knowledge on how pollutants affect thermal performance curves (TPCs), which is needed to improve insights into the fate of populations to warming in a polluted world. We tested the single and combined effects of pesticide exposure and DTFs on the TPCs of low- and high-latitude populations of Ischnura elegans damselfly larvae. While chlorpyrifos did not have any effect at the intermediate mean temperatures (20-24 °C), it became toxic (reflecting synergisms) at lower (≤16 °C, reduced growth) and especially at higher (≥28 °C, reduced survival and growth) mean temperatures, resulting in more concave-shaped TPCs. Remarkably, these toxicity patterns were largely consistent at both latitudes and hence across a natural thermal gradient. Moreover, DTFs magnified the pesticide-induced survival reductions at 34 °C. The TPC perspective allowed us to identify different toxicity patterns and interaction types (mainly additive vs synergistic) across the thermal gradient. This highlights the importance of using thermal gradients to make more realistic predictions about the impact of pesticides in a warming world and of warming in a polluted world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Verheyen
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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18
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Grémillet D, Kato A, Bustamante P, Albert C, Brisson-Curadeau É, Clairbaux M, Cruz-Flores M, Gentès S, Perret S, Ste-Marie E, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Fort J. Mercury Contamination Challenges the Behavioral Response of a Keystone Species to Arctic Climate Change. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2054-2063. [PMID: 36652233 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Combined effects of multiple, climate change-associated stressors are of mounting concern, especially in Arctic ecosystems. Elevated mercury (Hg) exposure in Arctic animals could affect behavioral responses to changes in foraging landscapes caused by climate change, generating interactive effects on behavior and population resilience. We investigated this hypothesis in little auks (Alle alle), a keystone Arctic seabird. We compiled behavioral data for 44 birds across 5 years using accelerometers while also quantifying blood Hg and environmental conditions. Warm sea surface temperature (SST) and low sea ice coverage reshaped time activity budgets (TABs) and diving patterns, causing decreased resting, increased flight, and longer dives. Mercury contamination was not associated with TABs. However, highly contaminated birds lengthened interdive breaks when making long dives, suggesting Hg-induced physiological limitations. As dive durations increased with warm SST, subtle toxicological effects threaten to increasingly constrain diving and foraging efficiency as climate change progresses, with ecosystem-wide repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, UMR 5175, CNRS─Université de Montpellier─Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier─EPHE, Montpellier 34090, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, Paris 75005, France
| | - Céline Albert
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Émile Brisson-Curadeau
- McGill University─Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore Dr, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Manon Clairbaux
- School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73K, Ireland
- MaREI Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork P43 C573, Ireland
| | - Marta Cruz-Flores
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Sophie Gentès
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
| | - Samuel Perret
- CEFE, UMR 5175, CNRS─Université de Montpellier─Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier─EPHE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Eric Ste-Marie
- McGill University─Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore Dr, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | | | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle FR-17000, France
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Mack L, de la Hoz CF, Penk M, Piggott J, Crowe T, Hering D, Kaijser W, Aroviita J, Baer J, Borja A, Clark DE, Fernández-Torquemada Y, Kotta J, Matthaei CD, O'Beirn F, Paerl HW, Sokolowski A, Vilmi A, Birk S. Perceived multiple stressor effects depend on sample size and stressor gradient length. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119260. [PMID: 36279611 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Multiple stressors are continuously deteriorating surface waters worldwide, posing many challenges for their conservation and restoration. Combined effect types of multiple stressors range from single-stressor dominance to complex interactions. Identifying prevalent combined effect types is critical for environmental management, as it helps to prioritise key stressors for mitigation. However, it remains unclear whether observed single and combined stressor effects reflect true ecological processes unbiased by sample size and length of stressor gradients. Therefore, we examined the role of sample size and stressor gradient lengths in 158 paired-stressor response cases with over 120,000 samples from rivers, lakes, transitional and marine ecosystems around the world. For each case, we split the overall stressor gradient into two partial gradients (lower and upper) and investigated associated changes in single and combined stressor effects. Sample size influenced the identified combined effect types, and stressor interactions were less likely for cases with fewer samples. After splitting gradients, 40 % of cases showed a change in combined effect type, 30 % no change, and 31 % showed a loss in stressor effects. These findings suggest that identified combined effect types may often be statistical artefacts rather than representing ecological processes. In 58 % of cases, we observed changes in stressor effect directions after the gradient split, suggesting unimodal stressor effects. In general, such non-linear responses were more pronounced for organisms at higher trophic levels. We conclude that observed multiple stressor effects are not solely determined by ecological processes, but also strongly depend on sampling design. Observed effects are likely to change when sample size and/or gradient length are modified. Our study highlights the need for improved monitoring programmes with sufficient sample size and stressor gradient coverage. Our findings emphasize the importance of adaptive management, as stress reduction measures or further ecosystem degradation may change multiple stressor-effect relationships, which will then require associated changes in management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leoni Mack
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany.
| | - Camino Fernández de la Hoz
- Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Spain; Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marcin Penk
- Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Tasman Crowe
- Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany; Centre of Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Willem Kaijser
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Oulu, Finland
| | - Jan Baer
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Pasaia, Spain; Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | | | - Hans W Paerl
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, USA
| | - Adam Sokolowski
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Annika Vilmi
- Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Oulu, Finland
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
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