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Zhang J, Kainz MJ, Wang X, Tan X, Zhang Q. Eutrophication and loss of riparian shading influence food quality and trophic relation in stream food webs. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 249:120926. [PMID: 38043353 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120926] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Eutrophication induced by excessive inputs of nutrient is one of the main stressors in aquatic ecosystems. Deforestation in riparian zones alter riparian shading, which together with eutrophication is expected to exert a complex control over stream food webs. We manipulated two levels of riparian shading (open canopy vs. shading canopy) and nutrient supply (ambient vs. nutrient addition) in three headwater streams to investigate the individual and combined effects of eutrophication and loss of riparian shading on carbon sources and nutritional quality of biofilms, and the subsequent trophic effects on macroinvertebrate grazers. Nutrient enrichment increased the autochthonous carbon (i.e., algae especially diatoms) indicated by fatty acid (FA) biomarkers within biofilms and grazers. The nutritional quality indicated by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content of biofilms was increased with nutrient enrichment and more so with the combined effect of an increase in riparian shading, consequently leading to an increase in the nutritional quality, density, and biomass of grazers. In particular, the trophic linkages between biofilms and grazers were mainly influenced by EPA concentration in the biofilms, and strengthened with the combined effects of riparian shading and additional nutrients. Our study emphasizes the nutritional significance of EPA for consumers at higher trophic levels and proposes its potential as an indicator for monitoring the health of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, The Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster Lunz - Inter-University Centre for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz am See A-3293, Austria; Department of BioMedical Research, Danube University Krems, Krems A-3500, Austria
| | - Xingzhong Wang
- College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Xiang Tan
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, The Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Quanfa Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, The Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China
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Iannino A, Fink P, Weitere M. Feedback between bottom-up and top-down control of stream biofilm mediated through eutrophication effects on grazer growth. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21621. [PMID: 34732760 PMCID: PMC8566523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00856-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Algal biofilms in streams are simultaneously controlled by light and nutrient availability (bottom-up control) and by grazing activity (top-down control). In addition to promoting algal growth, light and nutrients also determine the nutritional quality of algae for grazers. While short-term experiments have shown that grazers increase consumption rates of nutrient-poor algae due to compensatory feeding, nutrient limitation in the long run can constrain grazer growth and hence limit the strength of grazing activity. In this study, we tested the effects of light and phosphorus availability on grazer growth and thus on the long-term control of algal biomass. At the end of the experiment, algal biomass was significantly affected by light, phosphorus and grazing, but the interactive effects of the three factors significantly changed over time. At both high light and phosphorus supply, grazing did not initially reduce algal biomass, but the effect of grazing became stronger in the final three weeks of the experiment. Snail growth was enhanced by light, rather than phosphorus, suggesting that algal quantity rather than quality was the main limiting factor for grazer growth. Our results highlight the role of feedback effects and the importance of long-term experiments in the study of foodweb interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Iannino
- Department of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Brückstrasse 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Workgroup Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Patrick Fink
- Department of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Brückstrasse 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany.,Workgroup Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Brückstrasse 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Weitere
- Department of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Brückstrasse 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany
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5
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Weitere M, Altenburger R, Anlanger C, Baborowski M, Bärlund I, Beckers LM, Borchardt D, Brack W, Brase L, Busch W, Chatzinotas A, Deutschmann B, Eligehausen J, Frank K, Graeber D, Griebler C, Hagemann J, Herzsprung P, Hollert H, Inostroza PA, Jäger CG, Kallies R, Kamjunke N, Karrasch B, Kaschuba S, Kaus A, Klauer B, Knöller K, Koschorreck M, Krauss M, Kunz JV, Kurz MJ, Liess M, Mages M, Müller C, Muschket M, Musolff A, Norf H, Pöhlein F, Reiber L, Risse-Buhl U, Schramm KW, Schmitt-Jansen M, Schmitz M, Strachauer U, von Tümpling W, Weber N, Wild R, Wolf C, Brauns M. Disentangling multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in a lotic ecosystem using a longitudinal approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144324. [PMID: 33482551 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Meeting ecological and water quality standards in lotic ecosystems is often failed due to multiple stressors. However, disentangling stressor effects and identifying relevant stressor-effect-relationships in complex environmental settings remain major challenges. By combining state-of-the-art methods from ecotoxicology and aquatic ecosystem analysis, we aimed here to disentangle the effects of multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors along a longitudinal land use gradient in a third-order river in Germany. We distinguished and evaluated four dominant stressor categories along this gradient: (1) Hydromorphological alterations: Flow diversity and substrate diversity correlated with the EU-Water Framework Directive based indicators for the quality element macroinvertebrates, which deteriorated at the transition from near-natural reference sites to urban sites. (2) Elevated nutrient levels and eutrophication: Low to moderate nutrient concentrations together with complete canopy cover at the reference sites correlated with low densities of benthic algae (biofilms). We found no more systematic relation of algal density with nutrient concentrations at the downstream sites, suggesting that limiting concentrations are exceeded already at moderate nutrient concentrations and reduced shading by riparian vegetation. (3) Elevated organic matter levels: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and stormwater drainage systems were the primary sources of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon. Consequently, planktonic bacterial production and especially extracellular enzyme activity increased downstream of those effluents showing local peaks. (4) Micropollutants and toxicity-related stress: WWTPs were the predominant source of toxic stress, resulting in a rapid increase of the toxicity for invertebrates and algae with only one order of magnitude below the acute toxic levels. This toxicity correlates negatively with the contribution of invertebrate species being sensitive towards pesticides (SPEARpesticides index), probably contributing to the loss of biodiversity recorded in response to WWTP effluents. Our longitudinal approach highlights the potential of coordinated community efforts in supplementing established monitoring methods to tackle the complex phenomenon of multiple stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Weitere
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Rolf Altenburger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Christine Anlanger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martina Baborowski
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ilona Bärlund
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Liza-Marie Beckers
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Dietrich Borchardt
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Werner Brack
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Brase
- Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht - HZG, Department of Aquatic Nutrient Cycles, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Wibke Busch
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Björn Deutschmann
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jens Eligehausen
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; University of Kassel, Department of Landscape Ecology, Gottschalkstr. 26A, 34127 Kassel, Germany
| | - Karin Frank
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Graeber
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; University of Vienna, Department for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Jeske Hagemann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Herzsprung
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pedro A Inostroza
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Christoph G Jäger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, Centre for Research, Development and Technology Transfer, Hochschulstraße 1, 83024 Rosenheim, Germany
| | - René Kallies
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Kamjunke
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Karrasch
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sigrid Kaschuba
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Andrew Kaus
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Klauer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kay Knöller
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Catchment Hydrology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Koschorreck
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Julia V Kunz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marie J Kurz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Hydrogeology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research -UFZ, Department of System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Margarete Mages
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christin Müller
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Catchment Hydrology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Muschket
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Andreas Musolff
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Hydrogeology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helge Norf
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Florian Pöhlein
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lena Reiber
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research -UFZ, Department of System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Risse-Buhl
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Werner Schramm
- Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Technische Universität München, Department für Biowissenschaftliche Grundlagen, Weihenstephaner Steig 23, 85350 Freising, Germany
| | - Mechthild Schmitt-Jansen
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Schmitz
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ulrike Strachauer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Wolf von Tümpling
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nina Weber
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Romy Wild
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christine Wolf
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Brauns
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
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