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Zhou M, Guan X, Deng T, Hu R, Qian L, Yang X, Wu B, Li J, He Q, Shu L, Yan Q, He Z. Synthetic phylogenetically diverse communities promote denitrification and stability. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116184. [PMID: 37207729 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116184] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Denitrification is an important process of the global nitrogen cycle as some of its intermediates are environmentally important or related to global warming. However, how the phylogenetic diversity of denitrifying communities affects their denitrification rates and temporal stability remains unclear. Here we selected denitrifiers based on their phylogenetic distance to construct two groups of synthetic denitrifying communities: one closely related (CR) group with all strains from the genus Shewanella and the other distantly related (DR) group with all constituents from different genera. All synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) were experimentally evolved for 200 generations. The results showed that high phylogenetic diversity followed by experimental evolution promoted the function and stability of synthetic denitrifying communities. Specifically, the productivity and denitrification rates were significantly (P < 0.05) higher with Paracocus denitrificans as the dominant species (since the 50th generation) in the DR community than those in the CR community. The DR community also showed significantly (t = 7.119, df = 10, P < 0.001) higher stability through overyielding and asynchrony of species fluctuations, and showed more complementarity than the CR group during the experimental evolution. This study has important implications for applying synthetic communities to remediate environmental problems and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xiaotong Guan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ruiwen Hu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Lu Qian
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xueqin Yang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Longfei Shu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Qingyun Yan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
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2
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Wu B, Guan X, Deng T, Yang X, Li J, Zhou M, Wang C, Wang S, Yan Q, Shu L, He Q, He Z. Synthetic Denitrifying Communities Reveal a Positive and Dynamic Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning Relationship during Experimental Evolution. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0452822. [PMID: 37154752 PMCID: PMC10269844 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04528-22] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is vital for ecosystem functions and services, and many studies have reported positive, negative, or neutral biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships in plant and animal systems. However, if the BEF relationship exists and how it evolves remains elusive in microbial systems. Here, we selected 12 Shewanella denitrifiers to construct synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) with a richness gradient spanning 1 to 12 species, which were subjected to approximately 180 days (with 60 transfers) of experimental evolution with generational changes in community functions continuously tracked. A significant positive correlation was observed between community richness and functions, represented by productivity (biomass) and denitrification rate, however, such a positive correlation was transient, only significant in earlier days (0 to 60) during the evolution experiment (180 days). Also, we found that community functions generally increased throughout the evolution experiment. Furthermore, microbial community functions with lower richness exhibited greater increases than those with higher richness. Biodiversity effect analysis revealed positive BEF relationships largely attributable to complementary effects, which were more pronounced in communities with lower richness than those with higher richness. This study is one of the first studies that advances our understanding of BEF relationships and their evolutionary mechanisms in microbial systems, highlighting the crucial role of evolution in predicting the BEF relationship in microbial systems. IMPORTANCE Despite the consensus that biodiversity supports ecosystem functioning, not all experimental models of macro-organisms support this notion with positive, negative, or neutral biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships reported. The fast-growing, metabolically versatile, and easy manipulation nature of microbial communities allows us to explore well the BEF relationship and further interrogate if the BEF relationship remains constant during long-term community evolution. Here, we constructed multiple synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) by randomly selecting species from a candidate pool of 12 Shewanella denitrifiers. These SDCs differ in species richness, spanning 1 to 12 species, and were monitored continuously for community functional shifts during approximately 180-day parallel cultivation. We demonstrated that the BEF relationship was dynamic with initially (day 0 to 60) greater productivity and denitrification among SDCs of higher richness. However, such pattern was reversed thereafter with greater productivity and denitrification increments in lower-richness SDCs, likely due to a greater accumulation of beneficial mutations during the experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotong Guan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueqin Yang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanquan Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyun Yan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longfei Shu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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3
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Fica-Rojas E, Catalán AM, Broitman BR, Pérez-Matus A, Valdivia N. Independent Effects of Species Removal and Asynchrony on Invariability of an Intertidal Rocky Shore Community. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.866950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological stability depends on interactions between different levels of biological organization. The insurance effects occur when increasing species diversity leads to more temporally invariable (i.e., more stable) community-level properties, due in part to asynchronous population-level fluctuations. While the study of insurance effects has received considerable attention, the role of dominant species that contribute with particular functional traits across different level of organizations is less understood. Using a field-based manipulative experiment, we investigated how species richness and different types of parameters at the population level, such as the invariability of dominants, population invariability, and population asynchrony, influence the community invariability. The experiment involved the repetitive removal of the canopy forming alga Mazzaella laminarioides (hereafter “Mazzaella”) during 32 months in two rocky intertidal sites of northern-central Chile. We predicted that the invariability of dominants enhances community invariability, that the effect of multispecies population-level parameters on community invariability are dependent on species richness, and that subdominant algae are unable to fully compensate the loss of canopies of the dominant species. Biomass of algae and mobile invertebrates was quantified over time. We observed independent effects of Mazzaella removal and community-wide asynchrony on community invariability. While canopy removal reduced community invariability, population asynchrony boosted community invariability regardless of the presence of canopies. In addition, filamentous and foliose algae were unable to compensate the loss of biomass triggered by the experimental removal of Mazzaella. Canopy removal led to a severe decrement in the biomass of macrograzers, while, at the same time, increased the biomass of mesograzers. Asynchrony stemmed from compensatory trophic responses of mesograzers to increased abundances of opportunistic algae. Thus, further work on consumer-resource interactions will improve our understanding of the links between population- and community-level aspects of stability.
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Wang J, Carper DL, Burdick LH, Shrestha HK, Appidi MR, Abraham PE, Timm CM, Hettich RL, Pelletier DA, Doktycz MJ. Formation, characterization and modeling of emergent synthetic microbial communities. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1917-1927. [PMID: 33995895 PMCID: PMC8079826 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities colonize plant tissues and contribute to host function. How these communities form and how individual members contribute to shaping the microbial community are not well understood. Synthetic microbial communities, where defined individual isolates are combined, can serve as valuable model systems for uncovering the organizational principles of communities. Using genome-defined organisms, systematic analysis by computationally-based network reconstruction can lead to mechanistic insights and the metabolic interactions between species. In this study, 10 bacterial strains isolated from the Populus deltoides rhizosphere were combined and passaged in two different media environments to form stable microbial communities. The membership and relative abundances of the strains stabilized after around 5 growth cycles and resulted in just a few dominant strains that depended on the medium. To unravel the underlying metabolic interactions, flux balance analysis was used to model microbial growth and identify potential metabolic exchanges involved in shaping the microbial communities. These analyses were complemented by growth curves of the individual isolates, pairwise interaction screens, and metaproteomics of the community. A fast growth rate is identified as one factor that can provide an advantage for maintaining presence in the community. Final community selection can also depend on selective antagonistic relationships and metabolic exchanges. Revealing the mechanisms of interaction among plant-associated microorganisms provides insights into strategies for engineering microbial communities that can potentially increase plant growth and disease resistance. Further, deciphering the membership and metabolic potentials of a bacterial community will enable the design of synthetic communities with desired biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Dana L. Carper
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Leah H. Burdick
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Him K. Shrestha
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Manasa R. Appidi
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Collin M. Timm
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Dale A. Pelletier
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Mitchel J. Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Corresponding authors.
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5
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Augelletti F, Jousset A, Agathos SN, Stenuit B. Diversity Manipulation of Psychrophilic Bacterial Consortia for Improved Biological Treatment of Medium-Strength Wastewater at Low Temperature. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1490. [PMID: 32793129 PMCID: PMC7393979 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychrophilic bacteria are valuable biocatalysts to develop robust bioaugmentation formulations for enhanced wastewater treatment at low temperatures or fluctuating temperature conditions. Here, using different biodiversity indices [based on species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional diversity (FD)], we studied the effects of microbial diversity of artificial bacterial consortia on the biomass gross yields (measured through OD600) and removal efficiency of soluble chemical oxygen demand (mg sCOD removed/mg sCOD introduced) in synthetic, medium-strength wastewater. We built artificial consortia out of one to six bacterial strains isolated at 4°C through combinatorial biodiversity experiments. Increasing species richness resulted in improved sCOD removal efficiency (i.e., 0.266 ± 0.146, 0.542 ± 0.155, 0.742 ± 0.136, 0.822 ± 0.019 for mono-, tri-, penta-and hexacultures, respectively) and higher biomass gross yields (i.e., 0.065 ± 0.052, 0.132 ± 0.046, 0.173 ± 0.049, 0.216 ± 0.019 for mono-, tri-, penta,- and hexacultures, respectively). This positive relationship between biodiversity, sCOD removal and biomass gross yield was also observed when considering metabolic profiling (functional diversity) or evolutionary relationships (phylogenetic diversity). The positive effect of biodiversity on sCOD removal efficiency could be attributed to the selection of a particular, best-performing species (i.e., Pedobacter sp.) as well as complementary use of carbon resources among consortia members (i.e., complementarity effects). Among the biodiversity indices, PD diversity metrics explained higher variation in sCOD removal than SR and FD diversity metrics. For a more effective bioaugmentation, our results stress the importance of using phylogenetically diverse consortia, with an increased degradation ability, instead of single pure cultures. Moreover, PD could be used as an assembly rule to guide the composition of mixed cultures for wastewater bioaugmentation under psychrophilic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriana Augelletti
- Laboratory of Bioengineering, Earth and Life Institute, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Jousset
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Spiros N Agathos
- Laboratory of Bioengineering, Earth and Life Institute, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Benoit Stenuit
- Joint Research Unit of Agropolymer Engineering and Emerging Technologies (IATE, UMR 1208), Polytech Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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6
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Banitz T, Chatzinotas A, Worrich A. Prospects for Integrating Disturbances, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Using Microbial Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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7
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Dolbeth M, Crespo D, Leston S, Solan M. Realistic scenarios of environmental disturbance lead to functionally important changes in benthic species-environment interactions. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 150:104770. [PMID: 31421538 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Changes in community structure concurrent with environmental forcing often form a precursor to changes in species diversity, and can have substantive consequences for ecosystem functioning. Here, we assess the effects of altered levels of evenness that are representative of different levels of eutrophication and changes in salinity associated with altered precipitation patterns, on the mediation of nutrient release by sediment-dwelling invertebrate communities. We find that an adjustment towards a more even distribution of species corresponds with an increase in sediment particle reworking that, in general, translates to increased levels of nutrient release. This response, however, is dependent on the functional role of each species in the community and is influenced by concomitant changes in salinity, especially when salinity extends beyond the range typically experienced by the community. Overall, our findings highlight the dynamic nature of species contributions to functioning and reinforce the importance of understanding when, and how, the mechanistic basis of species-environment interactions are modified as the influence of abiotic and biotic factors flex under periods of directional forcing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dolbeth
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Novo Edifício do Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - D Crespo
- CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Politécnico de Leiria, Edifício CETEMARES, Av. Porto de Pesca, 2520-630, Peniche, Portugal
| | - S Leston
- CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal; REQUIMTE/LAQV - Pharmacy Faculty, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European, Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
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8
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Qu P, Fu FX, Kling JD, Huh M, Wang X, Hutchins DA. Distinct Responses of the Nitrogen-Fixing Marine Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium to a Thermally Variable Environment as a Function of Phosphorus Availability. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1282. [PMID: 31244804 PMCID: PMC6579863 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface temperature in the ocean is projected to be elevated and more variable in the future, which will interact with other environmental changes like reduced nutrient supplies. To explore these multiple stressor relationships, we tested the influence of thermal variation on the key marine diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum GBRTRLI101 as a function of the limiting nutrient phosphorus (P). Two constant temperature treatments represented current winter (22°C) and summer (30°C) mean values. Three variable temperature treatments fluctuated around the constant control values: Mean 22°C, either ± 2°C or ± 4°C; and mean 30°C ± 2°C. Each thermal treatment was grown under both P-replete (10 μmol/L) and P-limiting conditions (0.2 μmol/L). Effects of thermal variability on Trichodesmium were mainly found in the two winter variable temperature treatments (22°C ± 2°C or ± 4°C). P availability affected growth and physiology in all treatments and had significant interactions with temperature. P-replete cultures had higher growth and nitrogen and carbon fixation rates in the 22°C constant control, than in the corresponding variable treatments. However, physiological rates were not different in the P-replete constant and variable treatments at 30°C. In contrast, in P-limited cultures an advantage of constant temperature over variable temperature was not apparent. Phosphorus use efficiencies (PUE, mol N or C fixed h-1 mol cellular P-1) for nitrogen and carbon fixation were significantly elevated under P-limited conditions, and increased with temperature from 22 to 30°C, implying a potential advantage in a future warmer, P-limited environment. Taken together, these results imply that future increasing temperature and greater thermal variability could have significant feedback interactions with the projected intensification of P-limitation of marine N2-fixing cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Qu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Fei-Xue Fu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Joshua D. Kling
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Megan Huh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Xinwei Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - David A. Hutchins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Scheuerl T, Cairns J, Becks L, Hiltunen T. Predator coevolution and prey trait variability determine species coexistence. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190245. [PMID: 31088272 PMCID: PMC6532513 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Predation is one of the key ecological mechanisms allowing species coexistence and influencing biological diversity. However, ecological processes are subject to contemporary evolutionary change, and the degree to which predation affects diversity ultimately depends on the interplay between evolution and ecology. Furthermore, ecological interactions that influence species coexistence can be altered by reciprocal coevolution especially in the case of antagonistic interactions such as predation or parasitism. Here we used an experimental evolution approach to test for the role of initial trait variation in the prey population and coevolutionary history of the predator in the ecological dynamics of a two-species bacterial community predated by a ciliate. We found that initial trait variation both at the bacterial and ciliate level enhanced species coexistence, and that subsequent trait evolutionary trajectories depended on the initial genetic diversity present in the population. Our findings provide further support to the notion that the ecology-centric view of diversity maintenance must be reinvestigated in light of recent findings in the field of eco-evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Scheuerl
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Johannes Cairns
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014Finland
| | - Lutz Becks
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Community Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August Thienemann Strasse 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Limnological Institute University Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Teppo Hiltunen
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
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10
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Thomsen MS, Godbold JA, Garcia C, Bolam SG, Parker R, Solan M. Compensatory responses can alter the form of the biodiversity-function relation curve. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190287. [PMID: 30991928 PMCID: PMC6501933 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There is now strong evidence that ecosystem properties are influenced by alterations in biodiversity. The consensus that has emerged from over two decades of research is that the form of the biodiversity-functioning relationship follows a saturating curve. However, the foundation from which these conclusions are drawn mostly stems from empirical investigations that have not accounted for post-extinction changes in community composition and structure, or how surviving species respond to new circumstances and modify their contribution to functioning. Here, we use marine sediment-dwelling invertebrate communities to experimentally assess whether post-extinction compensatory mechanisms (simulated by increasing species biomass) have the potential to alter biodiversity-ecosystem function relations. Consistent with recent numerical simulations, we find that the form of the biodiversity-function curve is dependent on whether or not compensatory responses are present, the cause and extent of extinction, and species density. When species losses are combined with the compensatory responses of surviving species, both community composition, dominance structure, and the pool and relative expression of functionally important traits change and affect species interactions and behaviour. These observations emphasize the importance of post-extinction community composition in determining the stability of ecosystem functioning following extinction. Our results caution against the use of the generalized biodiversity-function curve when generating probabilistic estimates of post-extinction ecosystem properties for practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias S. Thomsen
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Jasmin A. Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Clement Garcia
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Stefan G. Bolam
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Ruth Parker
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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11
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Cohen Y, Pasternak Z, Johnke J, Abed‐Rabbo A, Kushmaro A, Chatzinotas A, Jurkevitch E. Bacteria and microeukaryotes are differentially segregated in sympatric wastewater microhabitats. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:1757-1770. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yossi Cohen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, 76100 Israel
| | - Zohar Pasternak
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, 76100 Israel
| | - Julia Johnke
- Department of Environmental MicrobiologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318 Germany
| | - Alfred Abed‐Rabbo
- Faculty of ScienceBethlehem University, Palestinian National Authority, Bethlehem, Israel
| | - Ariel Kushmaro
- Avram and Stella Goldstein‐Goren, The Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Engineering SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the Negev P.O. Box 653, Beer‐Sheva Israel
- The Ilse Katz Centre for Meso and Nanoscale Science and TechnologyBen‐Gurion University of the Negev Beer‐Sheva Israel
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental MicrobiologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318 Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103 Germany
| | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, 76100 Israel
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12
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Ecosystem multifunctionality is highly related to the shelterbelt structure and plant species diversity in mixed shelterbelts of eastern China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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13
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Wohlgemuth D, Solan M, Godbold JA. Species contributions to ecosystem process and function can be population dependent and modified by biotic and abiotic setting. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2016.2805. [PMID: 28566482 PMCID: PMC5454255 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
There is unequivocal evidence that altered biodiversity, through changes in the expression and distribution of functional traits, can have large impacts on ecosystem properties. However, trait-based summaries of how organisms affect ecosystem properties often assume that traits show constancy within and between populations and that species contributions to ecosystem functioning are not overly affected by the presence of other species or variations in abiotic conditions. Here, we evaluate the validity of these assumptions using an experiment in which three geographically distinct populations of intertidal sediment-dwelling invertebrates are reciprocally substituted. We find that the mediation of macronutrient generation by these species can vary between different populations and show that changes in biotic and/or abiotic conditions can further modify functionally important aspects of the behaviour of individuals within a population. Our results demonstrate the importance of knowing how, when, and why traits are expressed and suggest that these dimensions of species functionality are not sufficiently well-constrained to facilitate the accurate projection of the functional consequences of change. Information regarding the ecological role of key species and assumptions about the form of species–environment interactions needs urgent refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Wohlgemuth
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Jasmin A Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.,Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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14
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Kleyer H, Tecon R, Or D. Resolving Species Level Changes in a Representative Soil Bacterial Community Using Microfluidic Quantitative PCR. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2017. [PMID: 29118739 PMCID: PMC5661172 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in genome sequencing technologies enable determination of relative bacterial abundances and community composition, yet, changes at the species level remain difficult to detect despite importance for certain ecological inferences. We present a method for extraction and direct quantification of species composition of a predefined multispecies bacterial community using microfluidic-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). We employ a nested PCR approach based on universal 16S rRNA gene pre-amplification followed by detection and quantification of absolute abundance of bacterial species using microfluidic array of parallel singleplex qPCR reactions. Present microfluidic qPCR supports 2,304 simultaneous reactions on a single chip, while automatic distribution of samples and reactants minimizes pipetting errors and technical variations. The utility of the method is illustrated using a synthetic soil bacterial community grown in two contrasting environments – sand microcosms and batch cultures. The protocol entails extraction of total nucleic acid, preparation of genomic DNA, and steps for qPCR assessment of bacterial community composition. This method provides specific and sensitive quantification of bacterial species requiring only 2 ng of community DNA. Optimized extraction protocol and preamplification step allow for rapid, quantitative, and simultaneous detection of candidate species with high throughput. The proposed method offers a simple and accurate alternative to present sequencing methods especially when absolute values of species abundance are required. Quantification of changes at the species level contributes to the mechanistic understanding of the roles of particular species in a bacterial community functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Kleyer
- Soil and Terrestrial Environmental Physics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robin Tecon
- Soil and Terrestrial Environmental Physics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dani Or
- Soil and Terrestrial Environmental Physics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Valone TJ, Balaban-Feld J. Impact of exotic invasion on the temporal stability of natural annual plant communities. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Defining the functional traits that drive bacterial decomposer community productivity. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:1680-1687. [PMID: 28323280 PMCID: PMC5480597 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities are essential to a wide range of ecologically and industrially important processes. To control or predict how these communities function, we require a better understanding of the factors which influence microbial community productivity. Here, we combine functional resource use assays with a biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiment to determine whether the functional traits of constituent species can be used to predict community productivity. We quantified the abilities of 12 bacterial species to metabolise components of lignocellulose and then assembled these species into communities of varying diversity and composition to measure their productivity growing on lignocellulose, a complex natural substrate. A positive relationship between diversity and community productivity was caused by a selection effect whereby more diverse communities were more likely to contain two species that significantly improved community productivity. Analysis of functional traits revealed that the observed selection effect was primarily driven by the abilities of these species to degrade β-glucan. Our results indicate that by identifying the key functional traits underlying microbial community productivity we could improve industrial bioprocessing of complex natural substrates.
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17
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Specific arrangements of species dominance can be more influential than evenness in maintaining ecosystem process and function. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39325. [PMID: 27996034 PMCID: PMC5171799 DOI: 10.1038/srep39325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological consequences of species loss are widely studied, but represent an end point of environmental forcing that is not always realised. Changes in species evenness and the rank order of dominant species are more widespread responses to directional forcing. However, despite the repercussions for ecosystem functioning such changes have received little attention. Here, we experimentally assess how the rearrangement of species dominance structure within specific levels of evenness, rather than changes in species richness and composition, affect invertebrate particle reworking and burrow ventilation behaviour - important moderators of microbial-mediated remineralisation processes in benthic environments - and associated levels of sediment nutrient release. We find that the most dominant species exert a disproportionate influence on functioning at low levels of evenness, but that changes in biomass distribution and a change in emphasis in species-environmental interactions become more important in governing system functionality as evenness increases. Our study highlights the need to consider the functional significance of alterations to community attributes, rather than to solely focus on the attainment of particular levels of diversity when safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems that provide essential services to society.
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18
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Rivett DW, Scheuerl T, Culbert CT, Mombrikotb SB, Johnstone E, Barraclough TG, Bell T. Resource-dependent attenuation of species interactions during bacterial succession. ISME JOURNAL 2016; 10:2259-68. [PMID: 26894447 PMCID: PMC4989303 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial communities are vital for many economically and ecologically important processes. The role of bacterial community composition in determining ecosystem functioning depends critically on interactions among bacterial taxa. Several studies have shown that, despite a predominance of negative interactions in communities, bacteria are able to display positive interactions given the appropriate evolutionary or ecological conditions. We were interested in how interspecific interactions develop over time in a naturalistic setting of low resource supply rates. We assembled aquatic bacterial communities in microcosms and assayed the productivity (respiration and growth) and substrate degradation while tracking community composition. The results demonstrated that while bacterial communities displayed strongly negative interactions during the early phase of colonisation and acclimatisation to novel biotic and abiotic factors, this antagonism declined over time towards a more neutral state. This was associated with a shift from use of labile substrates in early succession to use of recalcitrant substrates later in succession, confirming a crucial role of resource dynamics in linking interspecific interactions with ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian W Rivett
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - Thomas Scheuerl
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | | | | | - Emma Johnstone
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | | | - Thomas Bell
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
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19
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Solan M, Hauton C, Godbold JA, Wood CL, Leighton TG, White P. Anthropogenic sources of underwater sound can modify how sediment-dwelling invertebrates mediate ecosystem properties. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20540. [PMID: 26847483 PMCID: PMC4742813 DOI: 10.1038/srep20540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal and shelf environments support high levels of biodiversity that are vital in mediating ecosystem processes, but they are also subject to noise associated with mounting levels of offshore human activity. This has the potential to alter the way in which species interact with their environment, compromising the mediation of important ecosystem properties. Here, we show that exposure to underwater broadband sound fields that resemble offshore shipping and construction activity can alter sediment-dwelling invertebrate contributions to fluid and particle transport--key processes in mediating benthic nutrient cycling. Despite high levels of intra-specific variability in physiological response, we find that changes in the behaviour of some functionally important species can be dependent on the class of broadband sound (continuous or impulsive). Our study provides evidence that exposing coastal environments to anthropogenic sound fields is likely to have much wider ecosystem consequences than are presently acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH
| | - Chris Hauton
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH
| | - Jasmin A Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH.,Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
| | - Christina L Wood
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH
| | - Timothy G Leighton
- Institute of Sound &Vibration Research, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
| | - Paul White
- Institute of Sound &Vibration Research, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
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20
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The extent of functional redundancy changes as species' roles shift in different environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:14888-93. [PMID: 26578806 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1505587112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the ecological impacts of environmental change requires knowledge of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The exact nature of this relationship can differ considerably between ecosystems, with consequences for the efficacy of species diversity as a buffer against environmental change. Using a microbial model system, we show that the relationship can vary depending on environmental conditions. Shapes suggesting functional redundancy in one environment can change, suggesting functional differences in another environment. We find that this change is due to shifting species roles and interactions. Species that are functionally redundant in one environment may become pivotal in another. Thus, caution is advised in drawing conclusions about functional redundancy based on a single environmental situation. It also implies that species richness is important because it provides a pool of species with potentially relevant traits. These species may turn out to be essential performers or partners in new interspecific interactions after environmental change. Therefore, our results challenge the generality of functional redundancy.
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21
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Stenuit B, Agathos SN. Deciphering microbial community robustness through synthetic ecology and molecular systems synecology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015; 33:305-17. [PMID: 25880923 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Microbial ecosystems exhibit specific robustness attributes arising from the assembly and interaction networks of diverse, heterogeneous communities challenged by fluctuating environmental conditions. Synthetic ecology provides new insights into key biodiversity-stability relationships and robustness determinants of host-associated or environmental microbiomes. Driven by the advances of meta-omics technologies and bioinformatics, community-centered approaches (defined as molecular systems synecology) combined with the development of dynamic and mechanistic mathematical models make it possible to decipher and predict the outcomes of microbial ecosystems under disturbances. Beyond discriminating the normal operating range and natural, intrinsic dynamics of microbial processes from systems-level responses to environmental forcing, predictive modeling is poised to be integrated within prescriptive analytical frameworks and thus provide guidance in decision-making and proactive microbial resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Stenuit
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth & Life Institute, Bioengineering Laboratory, Place Croix du Sud 2, bte. L07.05.19, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Spiros N Agathos
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth & Life Institute, Bioengineering Laboratory, Place Croix du Sud 2, bte. L07.05.19, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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22
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Godbold JA, Solan M. Long-term effects of warming and ocean acidification are modified by seasonal variation in species responses and environmental conditions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130186. [PMID: 23980249 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Warming of sea surface temperatures and alteration of ocean chemistry associated with anthropogenic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide will have profound consequences for a broad range of species, but the potential for seasonal variation to modify species and ecosystem responses to these stressors has received little attention. Here, using the longest experiment to date (542 days), we investigate how the interactive effects of warming and ocean acidification affect the growth, behaviour and associated levels of ecosystem functioning (nutrient release) for a functionally important non-calcifying intertidal polychaete (Alitta virens) under seasonally changing conditions. We find that the effects of warming, ocean acidification and their interactions are not detectable in the short term, but manifest over time through changes in growth, bioturbation and bioirrigation behaviour that, in turn, affect nutrient generation. These changes are intimately linked to species responses to seasonal variations in environmental conditions (temperature and photoperiod) that, depending upon timing, can either exacerbate or buffer the long-term directional effects of climatic forcing. Taken together, our observations caution against over emphasizing the conclusions from short-term experiments and highlight the necessity to consider the temporal expression of complex system dynamics established over appropriate timescales when forecasting the likely ecological consequences of climatic forcing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin A Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Center Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.
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23
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Steudel B, Hector A, Friedl T, Löfke C, Lorenz M, Wesche M, Kessler M. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning change along environmental stress gradients. Ecol Lett 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Steudel
- Systematic Botany; University of Zurich; Zollikerstrasse 107 CH-8008 Zurich Switzerland
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group; Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Büsgenweg 2 D-37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Andy Hector
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG); Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Nikolausberger Weg 18 D-37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Christian Löfke
- Institute of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology (IAGZ); University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU); Muthgasse 18 A-1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Maike Lorenz
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG); Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Nikolausberger Weg 18 D-37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Moritz Wesche
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (SAG); Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Nikolausberger Weg 18 D-37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Michael Kessler
- Systematic Botany; University of Zurich; Zollikerstrasse 107 CH-8008 Zurich Switzerland
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24
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Van Colen C, Rossi F, Montserrat F, Andersson MGI, Gribsholt B, Herman PMJ, Degraer S, Vincx M, Ysebaert T, Middelburg JJ. Organism-sediment interactions govern post-hypoxia recovery of ecosystem functioning. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49795. [PMID: 23185440 PMCID: PMC3504103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia represents one of the major causes of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning loss for coastal waters. Since eutrophication-induced hypoxic events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, understanding the response of ecosystems to hypoxia is of primary importance to understand and predict the stability of ecosystem functioning. Such ecological stability may greatly depend on the recovery patterns of communities and the return time of the system properties associated to these patterns. Here, we have examined how the reassembly of a benthic community contributed to the recovery of ecosystem functioning following experimentally-induced hypoxia in a tidal flat. We demonstrate that organism-sediment interactions that depend on organism size and relate to mobility traits and sediment reworking capacities are generally more important than recovering species richness to set the return time of the measured sediment processes and properties. Specifically, increasing macrofauna bioturbation potential during community reassembly significantly contributed to the recovery of sediment processes and properties such as denitrification, bedload sediment transport, primary production and deep pore water ammonium concentration. Such bioturbation potential was due to the replacement of the small-sized organisms that recolonised at early stages by large-sized bioturbating organisms, which had a disproportionately stronger influence on sediment. This study suggests that the complete recovery of organism-sediment interactions is a necessary condition for ecosystem functioning recovery, and that such process requires long periods after disturbance due to the slow growth of juveniles into adult stages involved in these interactions. Consequently, repeated episodes of disturbance at intervals smaller than the time needed for the system to fully recover organism-sediment interactions may greatly impair the resilience of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Van Colen
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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