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The metamicrobiome: key determinant of the homeostasis of nutrient recycling. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:183-195. [PMID: 36328807 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The metamicrobiome is an integrated concept to study carbon and nutrient recycling in ecosystems. Decomposition of plant-derived matter by free-living microbes and fire - two key recycling pathways - are highly sensitive to global change. Mutualistic associations of microbes with plants and animals strongly reduce this sensitivity. By solving a fundamental allometric trade-off between metabolic and homeostatic capacity, these mutualisms enable continued recycling of plant matter where and when conditions are unfavourable for the free-living microbiome. A diverse metamicrobiome - where multiple plant- and animal-associated microbiomes complement the free-living microbiome - thus enhances homeostasis of ecosystem recycling rates in variable environments. Research into metamicrobiome structure and functioning in ecosystems is therefore important for progress towards understanding environmental change.
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Chen Q, Smit C, Pen I, Olff H. Small herbivores and abiotic heterogeneity promote trait variation of a saltmarsh plant in local communities. PeerJ 2022; 9:e12633. [PMID: 35036137 PMCID: PMC8710046 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) enables plants to respond to global changes. However, causes for ITV, especially from biotic components such as herbivory, are not well understood. We explored whether small vertebrate herbivores (hares and geese) impact ITV of a dominant clonal plant (Elytrigia atherica) in local communities. Moreover, we looked at the relative importance of their direct (e.g., selective grazing) and indirect effects (altering genotypic richness/diversity and abiotic environment) on ITV. We used exclosures at two successional stages in a Dutch saltmarsh, where grazing pressure at the early successional stage was ca. 1.5 times higher than that of the intermediate successional stage. We measured key functional traits of E. atherica including height, aboveground biomass, flowering (flower or not), specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content in local communities (1 m × 1 m plots) inside and outside the exclosures. We determined genotypic richness and diversity of each plant using molecular markers. We further measured abiotic variations in topography and clay thickness (a proxy for soil total nitrogen). Structural equation models revealed that small herbivores significantly promoted ITV in height and flowering at the early successional stage, while they marginally promoted ITV in height at the intermediate successional stage. Moreover, the direct effects of herbivores played a major role in promoting ITV. Small herbivores decreased genotypic diversity at the intermediate successional stage, but genotypic richness and diversity did not impact ITV. Small herbivores did not alter topographic variation and variation in clay thickness, but these variations increased ITV in all traits at the early successional stage. Small herbivores may not only impact trait means in plants as studies have shown but also their ITV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Chen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Smit
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ido Pen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Fokkema W, van der Jeugd HP, Lameris TK, Dokter AM, Ebbinge BS, de Roos AM, Nolet BA, Piersma T, Olff H. Ontogenetic niche shifts as a driver of seasonal migration. Oecologia 2020; 193:285-297. [PMID: 32529317 PMCID: PMC7320946 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04682-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Ontogenetic niche shifts have helped to understand population dynamics. Here we show that ontogenetic niche shifts also offer an explanation, complementary to traditional concepts, as to why certain species show seasonal migration. We describe how demographic processes (survival, reproduction and migration) and associated ecological requirements of species may change with ontogenetic stage (juvenile, adult) and across the migratory range (breeding, non-breeding). We apply this concept to widely different species (dark-bellied brent geese (Branta b. bernicla), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and migratory Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) to check the generality of this hypothesis. Consistent with the idea that ontogenetic niche shifts are an important driver of seasonal migration, we find that growth and survival of juvenile life stages profit most from ecological conditions that are specific to breeding areas. We suggest that matrix population modelling techniques are promising to detect the importance of the ontogenetic niche shifts in maintaining migratory strategies. As a proof of concept, we applied a first analysis to resident, partial migratory and fully migratory populations of barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis). We argue that recognition of the costs and benefits of migration, and how these vary with life stages, is important to understand and conserve migration under global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wimke Fokkema
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P van der Jeugd
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation, Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas K Lameris
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan M Dokter
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Barwolt S Ebbinge
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen Univ. and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - André M de Roos
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Dokter AM, Fokkema W, Ebbinge BS, Olff H, Jeugd HP, Nolet BA. Agricultural pastures challenge the attractiveness of natural saltmarsh for a migratory goose. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan M. Dokter
- Centre for Avian Migration and DemographyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
- Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell University Ithaca New York
- Theoretical and Computational EcologyUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Wimke Fokkema
- Conservation EcologyUniversity of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Barwolt S. Ebbinge
- Team Animal EcologyWageningen Environmental Research (Alterra) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Conservation EcologyUniversity of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Jeugd
- Centre for Avian Migration and DemographyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Theoretical and Computational EcologyUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
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