1
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Prater C, Phan T, Elser JJ, Jeyasingh PD. Understanding stoichiometric constraints on growth using resource use efficiency imbalances. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319022121. [PMID: 38683986 PMCID: PMC11087777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319022121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Growth is a function of the net accrual of resources by an organism. Energy and elemental contents of organisms are dynamically linked through their uptake and allocation to biomass production, yet we lack a full understanding of how these dynamics regulate growth rate. Here, we develop a multivariate imbalance framework, the growth efficiency hypothesis, linking organismal resource contents to growth and metabolic use efficiencies, and demonstrate its effectiveness in predicting consumer growth rates under elemental and food quantity limitation. The relative proportions of carbon (%C), nitrogen (%N), phosphorus (%P), and adenosine triphosphate (%ATP) in consumers differed markedly across resource limitation treatments. Differences in their resource composition were linked to systematic changes in stoichiometric use efficiencies, which served to maintain relatively consistent relationships between elemental and ATP content in consumer tissues and optimize biomass production. Overall, these adjustments were quantitatively linked to growth, enabling highly accurate predictions of consumer growth rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clay Prater
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Tin Phan
- T-6, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Research Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM87545
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT59860
- Ecology and Evolution Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT59812
| | - Punidan D. Jeyasingh
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
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2
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Isanta-Navarro J, Peoples LM, Bras B, Church MJ, Elser JJ. Elemental and macromolecular plasticity of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyta) in response to resource limitation and growth rate. J Phycol 2024; 60:418-431. [PMID: 38196398 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
With the ongoing differential disruption of the biogeochemical cycles of major elements that are essential for all life (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus), organisms are increasingly faced with a heterogenous supply of these elements in nature. Given that photosynthetic primary producers form the base of aquatic food webs, impacts of changed elemental supply on these organisms are particularly important. One way that phytoplankton cope with the differential availability of nutrients is through physiological changes, resulting in plasticity in macromolecular and elemental biomass composition. Here, we assessed how the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii adjusts its macromolecular (e.g., carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) and elemental (C, N, and P) biomass pools in response to changes in growth rate and the modification of resources (nutrients and light). We observed that Chlamydomonas exhibits considerable plasticity in elemental composition (e.g., molar ratios ranging from 124 to 971 for C:P, 4.5 to 25.9 for C:N, and 15.1 to 61.2 for N:P) under all tested conditions, pointing to the adaptive potential of Chlamydomonas in a changing environment. Exposure to low light modified the elemental and macromolecular composition of cells differently than limitation by nutrients. These observed differences, with potential consequences for higher trophic levels, included smaller cells, shifts in C:N and C:P ratios (due to proportionally greater N and P contents), and differential allocation of C among macromolecular pools (proportionally more lipids than carbohydrates) with different energetic value. However, substantial pools of N and P remained unaccounted for, especially at fast growth, indicating accumulation of N and P in forms we did not measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Isanta-Navarro
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Logan M Peoples
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Benedicta Bras
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Matthew J Church
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
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3
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Liu X, Zhang D, Wu H, Elser JJ, Yuan Z. Uncovering the spatio-temporal dynamics of crop-specific nutrient budgets in China. J Environ Manage 2023; 340:117904. [PMID: 37084647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two critical nutrients for agroecosystems. In meeting food demands, human use of both nutrients has crossed planetary boundaries for sustainability. Further, there has been a dramatic shift in their relative inputs and outputs, which may generate strong N:P imbalances. Despite enormous efforts on agronomic N and P budgets, the spatio-temporal characteristics of different crop types in using nutrients are unknown as are patterns in the stoichiometric coupling of these nutrients. Thus, we analyzed the annual crop-specific N and P budgets and their stoichiometric relations for producing ten major crops at the provincial level of China during 2004-2018. Results show that, China has generally witnessed excessive N and P input over the past 15 years, with the N balance remaining stable while the P balance increasing by more than 170%, thus resulting in a decline in the N:P mass ratios from 10.9 in 2004 to 3.8 in 2018. Crop-aggregated nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of N has increased by 10% in these years while most crops have shown a decreasing trend of this indicator for P, which reduced NUE of P from 75% to 61% during this period. At the provincial level, the nutrient fluxes of Beijing and Shanghai have obviously declined, while the nutrient fluxes of provinces such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have increased significantly. Although N management has made progress, P management should be further explored in the future due to eutrophication concerns. More importantly, N and P management strategies for sustainable agriculture in China should take account of not only the absolute nutrient use, but also their stoichiometric balance for different crops in different locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Dingming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Huijun Wu
- School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA
| | - Zengwei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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4
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Isanta‐Navarro J, Prater C, Peoples LM, Loladze I, Phan T, Jeyasingh PD, Church MJ, Kuang Y, Elser JJ. Revisiting the growth rate hypothesis: Towards a holistic stoichiometric understanding of growth. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2324-2339. [PMID: 36089849 PMCID: PMC9595043 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The growth rate hypothesis (GRH) posits that variation in organismal stoichiometry (C:P and N:P ratios) is driven by growth-dependent allocation of P to ribosomal RNA. The GRH has found broad but not uniform support in studies across diverse biota and habitats. We synthesise information on how and why the tripartite growth-RNA-P relationship predicted by the GRH may be uncoupled and outline paths for both theoretical and empirical work needed to broaden the working domain of the GRH. We found strong support for growth to RNA (r2 = 0.59) and RNA-P to P (r2 = 0.63) relationships across taxa, but growth to P relationships were relatively weaker (r2 = 0.09). Together, the GRH was supported in ~50% of studies. Mechanisms behind GRH uncoupling were diverse but could generally be attributed to physiological (P accumulation in non-RNA pools, inactive ribosomes, translation elongation rates and protein turnover rates), ecological (limitation by resources other than P), and evolutionary (adaptation to different nutrient supply regimes) causes. These factors should be accounted for in empirical tests of the GRH and formalised mathematically to facilitate a predictive understanding of growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Isanta‐Navarro
- Flathead Lake Biological StationUniversity of MontanaPolsonMontanaUSA,Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Clay Prater
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of OklahomaStillwaterOklahomaUSA
| | - Logan M. Peoples
- Flathead Lake Biological StationUniversity of MontanaPolsonMontanaUSA
| | - Irakli Loladze
- Bryan College of Health Sciences, Lincoln, NE, USA and School of Mathematical & Statistical SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Tin Phan
- Division of Theoretical Biology and BiophysicsLos Alamos National LaboratoryLos AlamosNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - Matthew J. Church
- Flathead Lake Biological StationUniversity of MontanaPolsonMontanaUSA
| | - Yang Kuang
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological StationUniversity of MontanaPolsonMontanaUSA
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5
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Hirama F, Urabe J, Doi H, Kazama T, Noguchi T, Tappenbeck TH, Katano I, Yamamichi M, Yoshida T, Elser JJ. Terrigenous subsidies in lakes support zooplankton production mainly via a green food chain and not the brown food chain. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.956819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial organic matter (t-OM) has been recognized as an important cross-boundary subsidy to aquatic ecosystems. However, recent evidence has shown that t-OM contributes little to promote secondary production in lakes because it is a low-quality food for aquatic consumers. To resolve this conflict, we performed a field experiment using leaf litter as t-OM. In the experiment, we monitored zooplankton biomass in enclosures with and without addition of leaf litter under shaded and unshaded conditions and assessed food web changes with stable isotope analyses. We then examined whether or not leaf litter indeed stimulates lake secondary production and, if it does, which food chain, the detritus-originated food chain (“brown” food chain) or the algae-originated food chain (“green” food chain), contributes more to this increase. Analyses with stable isotopes showed the importance of t-OM in supporting secondary production under ambient lake conditions. However, the addition of the leaf litter increased the zooplankton biomass under unshaded conditions but not under shaded conditions. We found that phosphorus was leached from leaf litter at much faster rate than organic carbon and nitrogen despite its low content in the leaf litter. These results showed that leaf litter stimulated the increase in zooplankton biomass mainly through the green food chain rather than the brown food chain because the leaf litter supplied limiting nutrients (i.e., phosphorus) for primary producers.Our results indicate that the functional stoichiometry of the subsidized organic matter plays a crucial role in determining the relative importance of brown and green food chains in promoting production at higher trophic levels in recipient ecosystems.
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Laspoumaderes C, Meunier CL, Magnin A, Berlinghof J, Elser JJ, Balseiro E, Torres G, Modenutti B, Tremblay N, Boersma M. A common temperature dependence of nutritional demands in ectotherms. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2189-2202. [PMID: 35981221 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In light of ongoing climate change, it is increasingly important to know how nutritional requirements of ectotherms are affected by changing temperatures. Here, we analyse the wide thermal response of phosphorus (P) requirements via elemental gross growth efficiencies of Carbon (C) and P, and the Threshold Elemental Ratios in different aquatic invertebrate ectotherms: the freshwater model species Daphnia magna, the marine copepod Acartia tonsa, the marine heterotrophic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina, and larvae of two populations of the marine crab Carcinus maenas. We show that they all share a non-linear cubic thermal response of nutrient requirements. Phosphorus requirements decrease from low to intermediate temperatures, increase at higher temperatures and decrease again when temperature is excessive. This common thermal response of nutrient requirements is of great importance if we aim to understand or even predict how ectotherm communities will react to global warming and nutrient-driven eutrophication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Laspoumaderes
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina.,Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Cedric L Meunier
- Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany
| | - Amaru Magnin
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina.,Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany
| | - Johanna Berlinghof
- Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany.,Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Esteban Balseiro
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Torres
- Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany
| | - Beatriz Modenutti
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Nelly Tremblay
- Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany.,Pêches et Océans Canada, Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada.,Département de Biologie, de Chimie et de Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Germany.,FB2, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Xiong X, Tappenbeck TH, Wu C, Elser JJ. Microplastics in Flathead Lake, a large oligotrophic mountain lake in the USA. Environ Pollut 2022; 306:119445. [PMID: 35550134 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are contaminants that are closely associated with human activity and are often abundant even in remote areas. As the largest natural freshwater lake in the western USA, Flathead Lake is a suitable site to study microplastics in lakes in less-populated areas of North America. Our assessment of microplastics in lake surface water samples showed that microplastic densities and concentrations in Flathead Lake were similar to those in other lakes located in less-populated areas around the world, with densities ranging from 8.00 × 104 to 4.22 × 105 particles/km2 with a mean concentration of 1.89 × 105 particles/km2. Dry deposition rates for microplastics ranged from 4 to 140 particles/m2/day with an average of 69 particles/m2/day and were significantly higher in the fall. Microplastic concentrations in wet deposition ranged from 0.006 particles/mL to 0.050 particles/mL with highest concentrations in winter and lowest in summer. Fibrous microplastics were predominant in both lake water and atmospheric deposition. The high densities of microplastics in the sample sites located near the Flathead River inlet suggests that the river is an important source of microplastics to Flathead Lake. The high densities of microplastics and high proportions of non-fibrous microplastics near populated areas of the lake imply that local human activities also affect microplastics in Flathead Lake. Although the annual flux of microplastics in dry deposition was higher than that in wet deposition, the relatively modest difference suggests that precipitation might enhance the deposition of microplastics. The results of this study indicate that instituting increased control measures that target both reducing the microfibers generated by laundry and improving the overall level of plastic waste management in the watershed may help in controlling microplastic levels in Flathead Lake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA.
| | - Tyler H Tappenbeck
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA
| | - Chenxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA
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8
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Ren Z, Gao H, Luo W, Elser JJ. Bacterial communities in surface and basal ice of a glacier terminus in the headwaters of Yangtze River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Environ Microbiome 2022; 17:12. [PMID: 35346386 PMCID: PMC8962558 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-022-00408-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND On the front lines of climate change, glacier termini play crucial roles in linking glaciers and downstream ecosystems during glacier retreat. However, we lack a clear understanding of biological processes that occur in surface and basal ice at glacier termini. METHODS Here, we studied the bacterial communities in surface ice and basal ice (the bottom layer) of a glacier terminus in the Yangtze River Source, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. RESULTS Surface and basal ice harbored distinct bacterial communities but shared some core taxa. Surface ice communities had a higher α-diversity than those in basal ice and were dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria while basal ice was dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The bacterial communities were also substantially different in functional potential. Genes associated with functional categories of cellular processes and metabolism were significantly enriched in surface ice, while genes connected to environmental information processing were enriched in basal ice. In terms of biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, bacterial communities in surface ice were enriched for genes connected to aerobic carbon fixation, aerobic respiration, denitrification, nitrogen assimilation, nitrogen mineralization, sulfur mineralization, alkaline phosphatase, and polyphosphate kinase. In contrast, bacterial communities in basal ice were enriched for genes involved in anaerobic carbon fixation, fermentation, nitrate reduction, 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid pathway, G3P transporter, glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, and exopolyphosphatase. Structural equation modeling showed that total nitrogen and environmental carbon:phosphorus were positively while environmental nitrogen:phosphorus was negatively associated with taxonomic β-diversity which itself was strongly associated with functional β-diversity of bacterial communities. CONCLUSIONS This study furthers our understanding of biogeochemical cycling of the mountain cryosphere by revealing the genetic potential of the bacterial communities in surface and basal ice at the glacier terminus, providing new insights into glacial ecology as well as the influences of glacier retreat on downstream systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China.
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Hongkai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Wei Luo
- Polar Research Institute of China, Ministry of Natural Resources, Shanghai, 200136, China
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, 59860, USA
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Butler OM, Lewis T, Maunsell SC, Rezaei Rashti M, Elser JJ, Mackey B, Chen C. The stoichiometric signature of high‐frequency fire in forest floor food webs. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orpheus M. Butler
- Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith School of Environment and Science Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tom Lewis
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Agri‐Science Queensland University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Queensland Australia
| | - Sarah C. Maunsell
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Mehran Rezaei Rashti
- Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith School of Environment and Science Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station University of Montana Polson Montana USA
| | - Brendan Mackey
- Griffith Climate Change Response Program Griffith University Gold Coast City Queensland Australia
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith School of Environment and Science Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
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10
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Branco P, Egas M, Elser JJ, Huisman J. Correction. Am Nat 2021; 197:509. [PMID: 33755544 DOI: 10.1086/713285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Elser JJ, Wu C, González AL, Shain DH, Smith HJ, Sommaruga R, Williamson CE, Brahney J, Hotaling S, Vanderwall J, Yu J, Aizen V, Aizen E, Battin TJ, Camassa R, Feng X, Jiang H, Lu L, Qu JJ, Ren Z, Wen J, Wen L, Woods HA, Xiong X, Xu J, Yu G, Harper JT, Saros JE. Key rules of life and the fading cryosphere: Impacts in alpine lakes and streams. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:6644-6656. [PMID: 32969121 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Alpine regions are changing rapidly due to loss of snow and ice in response to ongoing climate change. While studies have documented ecological responses in alpine lakes and streams to these changes, our ability to predict such outcomes is limited. We propose that the application of fundamental rules of life can help develop necessary predictive frameworks. We focus on four key rules of life and their interactions: the temperature dependence of biotic processes from enzymes to evolution; the wavelength dependence of the effects of solar radiation on biological and ecological processes; the ramifications of the non-arbitrary elemental stoichiometry of life; and maximization of limiting resource use efficiency across scales. As the cryosphere melts and thaws, alpine lakes and streams will experience major changes in temperature regimes, absolute and relative inputs of solar radiation in ultraviolet and photosynthetically active radiation, and relative supplies of resources (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus), leading to nonlinear and interactive effects on particular biota, as well as on community and ecosystem properties. We propose that applying these key rules of life to cryosphere-influenced ecosystems will reduce uncertainties about the impacts of global change and help develop an integrated global view of rapidly changing alpine environments. However, doing so will require intensive interdisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation. More broadly, the alpine cryosphere is an example of a system where improving our understanding of mechanistic underpinnings of living systems might transform our ability to predict and mitigate the impacts of ongoing global change across the daunting scope of diversity in Earth's biota and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, USA
| | - Chenxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Angélica L González
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel H Shain
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Heidi J Smith
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Ruben Sommaruga
- Lake and Glacier Research Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Janice Brahney
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Joseph Vanderwall
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, USA
| | - Jinlei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Vladimir Aizen
- Department of Geography, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Elena Aizen
- Department of Geography, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Tom J Battin
- Stream Biofilm and Ecosystem Research Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Camassa
- Department of Mathematics, Carolina Center for Interdisciplinary Applied Mathematics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xiu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- State Key Lab of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lixin Lu
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - John J Qu
- Global Environment and Natural Resources Institute (GENRI) and Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science (GGS), George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Ze Ren
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, USA
| | - Jun Wen
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Plateau Atmosphere and Environment, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chendu, China
| | - Lijuan Wen
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Region, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - H Arthur Woods
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Xiong Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Gongliang Yu
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Joel T Harper
- Department of Geosciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Jasmine E Saros
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
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Wang Y, Ren Z, Ma P, Wang Z, Niu D, Fu H, Elser JJ. Effects of grassland degradation on ecological stoichiometry of soil ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sci Total Environ 2020; 722:137910. [PMID: 32192971 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands across the world are being degraded due to the impacts of overgrazing and climate change. However, the influences of grassland degradation on carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) dynamics and stoichiometry in soil ecosystems are not well studied, especially at high elevations where ongoing climate change is most pronounced. Ecological stoichiometry facilitates understanding the biogeochemical cycles of multiple elements by studying their balance in ecological systems. This study sought to assess the responses of these soil elements to grassland degradation in the Qinghai Lake watershed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), which has an average elevation of >4000 m and is experiencing serious grassland degradation due to its sensitivity and vulnerability to external disturbances. Substituting space for time, we quantified normalized difference vegetation index to gauge grassland degradation. C, N, and P concentrations and their molar ratios in soil and in soil microbial biomass were also measured. The results showed that grassland degradation decreased the concentrations of C and N, as well as the ratios of C:P and N:P in soil. The soil became relatively more P rich and thus N limitation is anticipated to be more apparent with grassland degradation. Moreover, C, N, and P concentrations in soil microbial biomass decreased with increased grassland degradation. C:N:P ratios of soil microbial biomass were highly constrained, suggesting that soil microorganisms exhibited a strong homeostatic behavior, while the variations of microbial biomass C:N:P ratios suggest changes in microbial activities and community structure. Overall, our study revealed that grassland degradation differentially affects soil C, N, and P, leading to decreased C:N and N:P in soil, as well as decreased C, N, and P concentrations in soil microbial biomass. This study provides insights from a stoichiometric perspective into microbial and biogeochemical responses of grassland ecosystems as they undergo degradation on the QTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, PR China.
| | - Ze Ren
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860, USA; Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, PR China.
| | - Panpan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, PR China
| | - Zhaomin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, PR China
| | - Decao Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, PR China.
| | - Hua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, PR China.
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860, USA; Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
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13
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Ren Z, Niu D, Ma P, Wang Y, Wang Z, Fu H, Elser JJ. Bacterial Communities in Stream Biofilms in a Degrading Grassland Watershed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1021. [PMID: 32582054 PMCID: PMC7290132 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Grassland is among the largest terrestrial biomes and is experiencing serious degradation, especially on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). However, the influences of grassland degradation on microbial communities in stream biofilms are largely unknown. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we investigated the bacterial communities in stream biofilms in sub-basins with different grassland status in the Qinghai Lake watershed. Grassland status in the sub-basins was quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were the dominant bacterial phyla. OTUs, 7,050, were detected in total, within which 19 were abundant taxa, and 6,922 were rare taxa. Chao 1, the number of observed OTUs, and phylogenetic diversity had positive correlations with carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and/or phosphorus (P) in biofilms per se. The variation of bacterial communities in stream biofilms was closely associated with the rate of change in NDVI, pH, conductivity, as well as C, N, P, contents and C:N ratio of the biofilms. Abundant subcommunities were more influenced by environmental variables relative to the whole community and to rare subcommunities. These results suggest that the history of grassland degradation (indicated as the rate of change in NDVI) influences bacterial communities in stream biofilms. Moreover, the bacterial community network showed high modularity with five major modules (>50 nodes) that responded differently to environmental variables. According to the module structure, only one module connector and 12 module hubs were identified, suggesting high fragmentation of the network and considerable independence of the modules. Most of the keystone taxa were rare taxa, consistent with fragmentation of the network and with adverse consequences for bacterial community integrity and function in the biofilms. By documenting the properties of bacterial communities in stream biofilms in a degrading grassland watershed, our study adds to our knowledge of the potential influences of grassland degradation on aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.,Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Decao Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Panpan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhaomin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
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14
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Qin B, Zhou J, Elser JJ, Gardner WS, Deng J, Brookes JD. Water Depth Underpins the Relative Roles and Fates of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Lakes. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:3191-3198. [PMID: 32073831 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Eutrophication mitigation is an ongoing priority for aquatic ecosystems. However, the current eutrophication control strategies (phosphorus (P) and/or nitrogen (N)) are guided mainly by nutrient addition experiments in small waters without encompassing all in-lake biogeochemical processes that are associated largely with lake morphological characteristics. Here, we use a global lake data set (573 lakes) to show that the relative roles of N vs P in affecting eutrophication are underpinned by water depth. Mean depth and maximum depth relative to mixing depth were used to distinguish shallow (mixing depth > maximum depth), deep (mixing depth < mean depth), and transitional (mean depth ≤ mixing depth ≤ maximum depth) lakes in this study. TN/TP ratio (by mass) was used as an indicator of potential lake nutrient limitation, i.e., N only limitation if N/P < 9, N + P colimitation if 9 ≤ N/P < 22.6, and P only limitation if N/P ≥ 22.6. The results show that eutrophication is favored in shallow lakes, frequently (66.2%) with N limitation while P limitation predominated (94.4%) in most lakes but especially in deep ones. The importance of N limitation increases but P limitation decreases with lake trophic status while N and P colimitation occurs primarily (59.4%) in eutrophic lakes. These results demonstrate that phosphorus reduction can mitigate eutrophication in most large lakes but a dual N and P reduction may be needed in eutrophic lakes, especially in shallow ones (or bays). Our analysis helps clarify the long debate over whether N, P, or both control primary production. While these results imply that more resources be invested in nitrogen management, given the high costs of nitrogen pollution reduction, more comprehensive results from carefully designed experiments at different scales are needed to further verify this modification of the existing eutrophication mitigation paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boqiang Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
- School of Geography & Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Street, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana 59860, United States
- School of Life Sciences & School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-4501, United States
| | - Wayne S Gardner
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, United States
| | - Jianming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
| | - Justin D Brookes
- Water Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Benham Building, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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15
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Okie JG, Poret-Peterson AT, Lee ZM, Richter A, Alcaraz LD, Eguiarte LE, Siefert JL, Souza V, Dupont CL, Elser JJ. Genomic adaptations in information processing underpin trophic strategy in a whole-ecosystem nutrient enrichment experiment. eLife 2020; 9:49816. [PMID: 31989922 PMCID: PMC7028357 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Several universal genomic traits affect trade-offs in the capacity, cost, and efficiency of the biochemical information processing that underpins metabolism and reproduction. We analyzed the role of these traits in mediating the responses of a planktonic microbial community to nutrient enrichment in an oligotrophic, phosphorus-deficient pond in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico. This is one of the first whole-ecosystem experiments to involve replicated metagenomic assessment. Mean bacterial genome size, GC content, total number of tRNA genes, total number of rRNA genes, and codon usage bias in ribosomal protein sequences were all higher in the fertilized treatment, as predicted on the basis of the assumption that oligotrophy favors lower information-processing costs whereas copiotrophy favors higher processing rates. Contrasting changes in trait variances also suggested differences between traits in mediating assembly under copiotrophic versus oligotrophic conditions. Trade-offs in information-processing traits are apparently sufficiently pronounced to play a role in community assembly because the major components of metabolism-information, energy, and nutrient requirements-are fine-tuned to an organism's growth and trophic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan G Okie
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | | | - Zarraz Mp Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | | | - Luis D Alcaraz
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Janet L Siefert
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, United States
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, United States
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16
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17
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Ren Z, Niu D, Ma P, Wang Y, Fu H, Elser JJ. Cascading influences of grassland degradation on nutrient limitation in a high mountain lake and its inflow streams. Ecology 2019; 100:e02755. [PMID: 31087341 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are key growth-limiting nutrients for organisms and their absolute and relative supplies regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. Landcover changes lead to modifications of terrestrial biogeochemistry, consequently influencing aquatic nutrient conditions. This study sought to evaluate the potential impacts of grassland degradation on nutrient availability and nutrient limitation in the Qinghai Lake (China) and its inflow streams. We sampled nutrient concentrations and tested stream nutrient limitation by conducting nutrient diffusing substrata (NDS) bioassays in streams flowing through subbasins with different grassland status. To test nutrient limitation and the responses of lake phytoplankton to stream inflows, bioassays were conducted by adding different nutrients (N, P, and joint NP) as well as water from different streams to lake water with phytoplankton, respectively. In general, N concentrations as well as N:P ratios decreased while P concentrations increased with decreased normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, an index of vegetation status), especially in September, suggesting that grassland degradation (low NDVI) has the potential to differentially decrease N availability and increase P availability in streams. Consistent with this, relative responses (RR) of stream periphyton to P and combined NP enrichments in the NDS bioassays decreased with stream P concentrations while increased with stream water N:P ratios. Lake phytoplankton responded strongly to P and combined NP addition indicating strong P-limitation of lake phytoplankton. RR of lake phytoplankton to stream water decreased with nitrate concentration and N:P ratios in stream water and increased with the concentrations of ammonium, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus, indicating that stream water with higher P but lower N and N:P from degraded subcatchments is associated with increased impact on P-limited Lake phytoplankton. Overall, this study suggests that grassland degradation has the potential to differentially influence the nutrients delivered to streams with substantial increases in P but decreases in N and N:P, alleviating P limitation of stream periphyton and, ultimately, stimulating P-limited phytoplankton growth in the lake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, 59860, USA.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Decao Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Panpan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Hua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, 59860, USA.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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18
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Butler OM, Lewis T, Rezaei Rashti M, Maunsell SC, Elser JJ, Chen C. The stoichiometric legacy of fire regime regulates the roles of micro‐organisms and invertebrates in decomposition. Ecology 2019; 100:e02732. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orpheus M. Butler
- Griffith School of Environment and Science and the Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Tom Lewis
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and University of the Sunshine Coast Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
| | - Mehran Rezaei Rashti
- Griffith School of Environment and Science and the Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Sarah C. Maunsell
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station University of Montana Polson Montana USA
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Griffith School of Environment and Science and the Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
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19
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Xiong X, Wu C, Elser JJ, Mei Z, Hao Y. Occurrence and fate of microplastic debris in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River - From inland to the sea. Sci Total Environ 2019; 659:66-73. [PMID: 30597469 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Based on field investigations and modeling estimates, rivers are considered an important route taken by microplastics to reach the sea. However, only a few studies have directly assessed occurrence and fate of microplastics in rivers. In this study, we surveyed the occurrence and fate of microplastic debris in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which was estimated to be the largest riverine source of plastic debris to the sea. The abundance of microplastics at 15 sites along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River ranged from 1.95 × 105 to 9.00 × 105 items/km2 with an average of 4.92 × 105 items/km2. The abundance of microplastics was positively correlated with the abundance of mesoplastics. Megacities, large riparian lakes, and seawater encroachment appeared to be main factors affecting the distribution of microplastics in the Yangtze River, while the deposition to benthic and riparian sediments likely led to observed decreases in microplastics in some sections of the river. The results of this study indicate that a considerable amount of microplastics generated in large river catchments are not transported to the sea and past modeling estimates of microplastic flux may contain biases. The flux of microplastics reaching the sea should be calculated based on long-term monitoring at the tidal limit of rivers. More importantly, the fate and effects of microplastics retained in the river system should receive more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860, USA
| | - Chenxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860, USA
| | - Zhigang Mei
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yujiang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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20
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Niu D, Zhang C, Ma P, Fu H, Elser JJ. Responses of leaf C:N:P stoichiometry to water supply in the desert shrub Zygophyllum xanthoxylum. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2019; 21:82-88. [PMID: 30102826 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Based on the elemental composition of major biochemical molecules associated with different biological functions, the 'growth rate hypothesis' proposed that organisms with a higher growth rate would be coupled to lower C:N, especially lower C:P and N:P ratios. However, the applicability of the growth rate hypothesis for plants is unclear, especially for shrubs growing under different water supply. We performed an experiment with eight soil moisture levels (soil water content: 4%, 6%, 8%, 13%, 18%, 23%, 26% and 28%) to evaluate the effects of water availability on leaf C:N:P stoichiometry in the shrub Zygophyllum xanthoxylum. We found that leaves grew slowly and favored accumulation of P over C and N under both high and low water supply. Thus, leaf C:P and N:P ratios were unimodally related to soil water content, in parallel with individual leaf area and mass. As a result, there were significant positive correlations between leaf C:P and N:P with leaf growth (u). Our result that slower-growing leaves had lower C:P and N:P ratios does not support the growth rate hypothesis, which predicted a negative association of N:P ratio with growth rate, but it is consistent with recent theoretical derivations of growth-stoichiometry relations in plants, where N:P ratio is predicted to increase with increasing growth for very low growth rates, suggesting leaf growth limitation by C and N rather than P for drought and water saturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - C Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - P Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - H Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - J J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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21
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Pan Q, Tian D, Naeem S, Auerswald K, Elser JJ, Bai Y, Huang J, Wang Q, Wang H, Wu J, Han X. Effects of functional diversity loss on ecosystem functions are influenced by compensation. Ecology 2018; 97:2293-2302. [PMID: 27859077 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning and services has been a central issue in ecology. Experiments in synthetic communities suggest that biodiversity loss may erode a set of ecosystem functions, but studies in natural communities indicate that the effects of biodiversity loss are usually weak and that multiple functions can be sustained by relatively few species. Yet, the mechanisms by which natural ecosystems are able to maintain multiple functions in the face of diversity loss remain poorly understood. With a long-term and large-scale removal experiment in the Inner Mongolian grassland, here we showed that losses of plant functional groups (PFGs) can reduce multiple ecosystem functions, including biomass production, soil NO3 -N use, net ecosystem carbon exchange, gross ecosystem productivity, and ecosystem respiration, but the magnitudes of these effects depended largely on which PFGs were removed. Removing the two dominant PFGs (perennial rhizomatous grasses and perennial bunchgrasses) simultaneously resulted in dramatic declines in all examined functions, but such declines were circumvented when either dominant PFG was present. We identify the major mechanism for this as a compensation effect by which each dominant PFG can mitigate the losses of others. This study provides evidence that compensation ensuing from PFG losses can mitigate their negative consequence, and thus natural communities may be more resilient to biodiversity loss than currently thought if the remaining PFGs have strong compensation capabilities. On the other hand, ecosystems without well-developed compensatory functional diversity may be much more vulnerable to biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmin Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China
| | - Dashuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Shahid Naeem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, Schermerhorn Extension, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Karl Auerswald
- Lehrstuhl für Grünlandlehre, Department of Plant Science, Technische Universität München, Alte Akademie 12, 85350, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - Yongfei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China
| | - Qibing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Box 1030, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, S9H 3X2, Canada
| | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 110016, Shenyang, China
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22
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Van de Waal DB, Elser JJ, Martiny AC, Sterner RW, Cotner JB. Editorial: Progress in Ecological Stoichiometry. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1957. [PMID: 30233506 PMCID: PMC6134043 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dedmer B Van de Waal
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States
| | - Adam C Martiny
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Robert W Sterner
- Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - James B Cotner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States
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23
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Moody EK, Carson EW, Corman JR, Espinosa-Pérez H, Ramos J, Sabo JL, Elser JJ. Consumption explains intraspecific variation in nutrient recycling stoichiometry in a desert fish. Ecology 2018; 99:1552-1561. [PMID: 29882955 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Consumer-driven nutrient recycling can have substantial effects on primary production and patterns of nutrient limitation in aquatic ecosystems by altering the rates as well as the relative supplies of the key nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). While variation in nutrient recycling stoichiometry has been well-studied among species, the mechanisms that explain intraspecific variation in recycling N:P are not well-understood. We examined the relative importance of potential drivers of variation in nutrient recycling by the fish Gambusia marshi among aquatic habitats in the Cuatro Ciénegas basin of Coahuila, Mexico. There, G. marshi inhabits warm thermal springs with high predation pressure as well as cooler, surface runoff-fed systems with low predation pressure. We hypothesized that variation in food consumption among these habitats would drive intraspecific differences in excretion rates and N:P ratios. Stoichiometric models predicted that temperature alone should not cause substantial variation in excretion N:P, but that further reducing consumption rates should substantially increase excretion N:P. We performed temperature and diet ration manipulation experiments in the laboratory and found strong support for model predictions. We then tested these predictions in the field by measuring nutrient recycling rates and ratios as well as body stoichiometry of fish from nine sites that vary in temperature and predation pressure. Fish from warm, high-predation sites excreted nutrients at a lower N:P ratio than fish from cool, low-predation sites, consistent with the hypothesis that reduced consumption under reduced predation pressure had stronger consequences for P retention and excretion among populations than did variation in body stoichiometry. These results highlight the utility of stoichiometric models for predicting variation in consumer-driven nutrient recycling within a phenotypically variable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric K Moody
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - Evan W Carson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office, Sacramento, California, 95814, USA
| | - Jessica R Corman
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - Hector Espinosa-Pérez
- Colecciόn Nacional de Peces, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autόnoma de México, México D.F, México
| | - Jorge Ramos
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - John L Sabo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, 59860, USA
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24
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Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limit primary production in many aquatic ecosystems, with major implications for ecological interactions in plankton communities. Yet it remains unclear how evolution may affect the N∶P stoichiometry of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions. Here, we address this issue by analyzing an eco-evolutionary model of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions with explicit nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics. In our model, investment of phytoplankton in nitrogen versus phosphorus uptake is an evolving trait, and zooplankton display selectivity for phytoplankton with N∶P ratios matching their nutritional requirements. We use this model to explore implications of the contrasting N∶P requirements of copepods versus cladocerans. The model predicts that selective zooplankton strongly affect the N∶P ratio of phytoplankton, resulting in deviations from their optimum N∶P ratio. Specifically, selective grazing by nitrogen-demanding copepods favors dominance of phytoplankton with low N∶P ratios, whereas phosphorus-demanding cladocerans favor dominance of phytoplankton with high N∶P ratios. Interestingly, selective grazing by nutritionally balanced zooplankton leads to the occurrence of alternative stable states, where phytoplankton may evolve either low, optimum, or high N∶P ratios, depending on the initial conditions. These results offer a new perspective on commonly observed differences in N∶P stoichiometry between plankton of freshwater and those of marine ecosystems and indicate that selective grazing by zooplankton can have a major impact on the stoichiometric composition of phytoplankton.
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25
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Niu D, Yuan X, Cease AJ, Wen H, Zhang C, Fu H, Elser JJ. The impact of nitrogen enrichment on grassland ecosystem stability depends on nitrogen addition level. Sci Total Environ 2018; 618:1529-1538. [PMID: 29054613 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition may affect plant biodiversity, subsequently altering ecosystem stability. While a few studies have explored how simulated N deposition affects community stability and its underlying mechanisms, the experimental levels of N addition used are usually higher than current and future N deposition rates. Thus, their results could produce highly uncertain predictions of ecosystem function, especially if the responses to N deposition are nonlinear. We conducted a manipulative experiment that simulated elevated atmospheric N deposition with several N addition levels to evaluate the effect of N deposition on ecosystem stability and its underlying mechanisms in a semiarid grassland in northern China. Here we show that N addition altered community diversity, reducing species richness, evenness, diversity and dominance. In addition, we found that N addition at current N deposition levels had no significant impact on community stability. In contrast, N addition at levels from 4.6 to 13.8gNm-2yr-1 significantly decreased community stability, although community stability for the 13.8gNm-2yr-1 treatment was higher than that for the 4.6gNm-2yr-1 treatment. These results indicate that the response of community stability to N enrichment is nonlinear. This nonlinear change in community stability was positively correlated with species asynchrony, species richness, and species diversity as well as the stability of dominant species and the stability of the grass functional group. Our data suggest a need to re-evaluate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of N deposition on natural ecosystem stability across multiple levels of N enrichment and that additional experimentation with gradients of N loads more similar to future atmospheric N deposition rates is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Decao Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaobo Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Arianne J Cease
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
| | - Haiyan Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Chunping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Hua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 32125, USA.
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26
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Butler OM, Elser JJ, Lewis T, Mackey B, Chen C. The phosphorus‐rich signature of fire in the soil–plant system: a global meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:335-344. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Orpheus M. Butler
- Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith School of Environment Griffith University Nathan QLD Australia
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station University of Montana Polson MT
| | - Tom Lewis
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries University of the Sunshine Coast Sippy Downs QLD
| | - Brendan Mackey
- Griffith Climate Change Response Program Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith School of Environment Griffith University Nathan QLD Australia
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Dedmer B Van de Waal
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States
| | - Adam C Martiny
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Robert W Sterner
- Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - James B Cotner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States
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28
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Ren Z, Wang F, Qu X, Elser JJ, Liu Y, Chu L. Taxonomic and Functional Differences between Microbial Communities in Qinghai Lake and Its Input Streams. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2319. [PMID: 29213266 PMCID: PMC5702853 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding microbial communities in terms of taxon and function is essential to decipher the biogeochemical cycling in aquatic ecosystems. Lakes and their input streams are highly linked. However, the differences between microbial assemblages in streams and lakes are still unclear. In this study, we conducted an intensive field sampling of microbial communities from lake water and stream biofilms in the Qinghai Lake watershed, the largest lake in China. We determined bacterial communities using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and predicted functional profiles using PICRUSt to determine the taxonomic and functional differences between microbial communities in stream biofilms and lake water. The results showed that stream biofilms and lake water harbored distinct microbial communities. The microbial communities were different taxonomically and functionally between stream and lake. Moreover, streams biofilms had a microbial network with higher connectivity and modularity than lake water. Functional beta diversity was strongly correlated with taxonomic beta diversity in both the stream and lake microbial communities. Lake microbial assemblages displayed greater predicted metabolic potentials of many metabolism pathways while the microbial assemblages in stream biofilms were more abundant in xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, lake microbial assemblages had stronger predicted metabolic potentials in amino acid metabolism, carbon fixation, and photosynthesis while stream microbial assemblages were higher in carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and nitrogen metabolism. This study adds to our knowledge of stream-lake linkages from the functional and taxonomic composition of microbial assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States
| | - Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Department of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
| | - James J. Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, United States
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Department of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
| | - Limin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Department of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
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29
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Ren Z, Gao H, Elser JJ, Zhao Q. Microbial functional genes elucidate environmental drivers of biofilm metabolism in glacier-fed streams. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12668. [PMID: 28978929 PMCID: PMC5627277 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13086-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic biofilms in glacier-fed streams harbor diverse microorganisms driving biogeochemical cycles and, consequently, influencing ecosystem-level processes. Benthic biofilms are vulnerable to glacial retreat induced by climate change. To investigate microbial functions of benthic biofilms in glacier-fed streams, we predicted metagenomes from 16s rRNA gene sequence data using PICRUSt and identified functional genes associated with nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms based on KEGG database and explored the relationships between metabolic pathways and abiotic factors in glacier-fed streams in the Tianshan Mountains in Central Asia. Results showed that the distribution of functional genes was mainly associated with glacier area proportion, glacier source proportion, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, and pH. For nitrogen metabolism, the relative abundance of functional genes associated with dissimilatory pathways was higher than those for assimilatory pathways. The relative abundance of functional genes associated with assimilatory sulfate reduction was higher than those involved with the sulfur oxidation system and dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Hydrological factors had more significant correlations with nitrogen metabolism than physicochemical factors and anammox was the most sensitive nitrogen cycling pathway responding to variation of the abiotic environment in these glacial-fed streams. In contrast, sulfur metabolism pathways were not sensitive to variations of abiotic factors in these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA
| | - Hongkai Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cryosheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China. .,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA. .,School of Geography and Planing, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT, 59860, USA
| | - Qiudong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cryosheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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30
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Abstract
Surveys of carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus ratios are available now for major groups of biota and for various aquatic and terrestrial biomes. However, while fungi play an important role in nutrient cycling in ecosystems, relatively little is known about their C:N:P stoichiometry and how it varies across taxonomic groups, functional guilds, and environmental conditions. Here we present the first systematic compilation of C:N:P data for fungi including four phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota, and Zygomycota). The C, N, and P contents (percent of dry mass) of fungal biomass varied from 38 to 57%, 0.23 to 15%, and 0.040 to 5.5%, respectively. Median C:N:P stoichiometry for fungi was 250:16:1 (molar), remarkably similar to the canonical Redfield values. However, we found extremely broad variation in fungal C:N:P ratios around the central tendencies in C:N:P ratios. Lower C:P and N:P ratios were found in Ascomycota fungi than in Basidiomycota fungi while significantly lower C:N ratios (p < 0.05) and higher N:P ratios (p < 0.01) were found in ectomycorrhizal fungi than in saprotrophs. Furthermore, several fungal stoichiometric ratios were strongly correlated with geographic and abiotic environmental factors, especially latitude, precipitation, and temperature. The results have implications for understanding the roles that fungi play in function in symbioses and in soil nutrient cycling. Further work is needed on the effects of actual in situ growth conditions of fungal growth on stoichiometry in the mycelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Plants, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural SciencesKunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, TempeAZ, United States
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, TempeAZ, United States
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, PolsonMT, United States
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31
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Guignard MS, Leitch AR, Acquisti C, Eizaguirre C, Elser JJ, Hessen DO, Jeyasingh PD, Neiman M, Richardson AE, Soltis PS, Soltis DE, Stevens CJ, Trimmer M, Weider LJ, Woodward G, Leitch IJ. Impacts of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: From Genomes to Natural Ecosystems and Agriculture. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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32
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Cease AJ, Harrison JF, Hao S, Niren DC, Zhang G, Kang L, Elser JJ. Nutritional imbalance suppresses migratory phenotypes of the Mongolian locust ( Oedaleus asiaticus). R Soc Open Sci 2017; 4:161039. [PMID: 28680661 PMCID: PMC5493903 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
For many species, migration evolves to allow organisms to access better resources. However, the proximate factors that trigger these developmental changes, and how and why these vary across species, remain poorly understood. One prominent hypothesis is that poor-quality food promotes development of migratory phenotypes and this has been clearly shown for some polyphenic insects. In other animals, particularly long-distance bird migrants, it is clear that high-quality food is required to prepare animals for a successful migration. We tested the effect of diet quality on the flight behaviour and morphology of the Mongolian locust, Oedaleus asiaticus. Locusts reared at high population density and fed low-N grass (performance-enhancing for this species) had enhanced migratory morphology relative to locusts fed high-N grass. Furthermore, locusts fed synthetic diets with an optimal 1 : 2 protein : carbohydrate ratio flew for longer times than locusts fed diets with lower or higher protein : carbohydrate ratios. In contrast to the hypothesis that performance-degrading food should enhance migration, our results support the more nuanced hypothesis that high-quality diets promote development of migratory characteristics when migration is physiologically challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianne J. Cease
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Jon F. Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Shuguang Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People Republic of China
| | - Danielle C. Niren
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Guangming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People Republic of China
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People Republic of China
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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33
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Lee ZMP, Poret-Peterson AT, Siefert JL, Kaul D, Moustafa A, Allen AE, Dupont CL, Eguiarte LE, Souza V, Elser JJ. Nutrient Stoichiometry Shapes Microbial Community Structure in an Evaporitic Shallow Pond. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:949. [PMID: 28611750 PMCID: PMC5447685 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient availability and ratios can play an important role in shaping microbial communities of freshwater ecosystems. The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) in Mexico is a desert oasis where, perhaps paradoxically, high microbial diversity coincides with extreme oligotrophy. To better understand the effects of nutrients on microbial communities in CCB, a mesocosm experiment was implemented in a stoichiometrically imbalanced pond, Lagunita, which has an average TN:TP ratio of 122 (atomic). The experiment had four treatments, each with five spatial replicates – unamended controls and three fertilization treatments with different nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) regimes (P only, N:P = 16 and N:P = 75 by atoms). In the water column, quantitative PCR of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that P enrichment alone favored proliferation of bacterial taxa with high rRNA gene copy number, consistent with a previously hypothesized but untested connection between rRNA gene copy number and P requirement. Bacterial and microbial eukaryotic community structure was investigated by pyrosequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes from the planktonic and surficial sediment samples. Nutrient enrichment shifted the composition of the planktonic community in a treatment-specific manner and promoted the growth of previously rare bacterial taxa at the expense of the more abundant, potentially endemic, taxa. The eukaryotic community was highly enriched with phototrophic populations in the fertilized treatment. The sediment microbial community exhibited high beta diversity among replicates within treatments, which obscured any changes due to fertilization. Overall, these results showed that nutrient stoichiometry can be an important factor in shaping microbial community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarraz M-P Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, TempeAZ, United States
| | | | - Janet L Siefert
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, HoustonTX, United States
| | - Drishti Kaul
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La JollaCA, United States
| | - Ahmed Moustafa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Graduate Program, American University in CairoNew Cairo, Egypt
| | - Andrew E Allen
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La JollaCA, United States.,Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La JollaCA, United States
| | | | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de México, Mexico
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de México, Mexico
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, TempeAZ, United States.,Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, PolsonMT, United States
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34
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Corman
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona 85287 USA
| | - Eric K. Moody
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona 85287 USA
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona 85287 USA
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35
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Yan Z, Han W, Peñuelas J, Sardans J, Elser JJ, Du E, Reich PB, Fang J. Phosphorus accumulates faster than nitrogen globally in freshwater ecosystems under anthropogenic impacts. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:1237-46. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengbing Yan
- Department of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Peking University Beijing 100871 China
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences China Agricultural University Beijing 100193 China
| | - Wenxuan Han
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences China Agricultural University Beijing 100193 China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 USA
| | - Enzai Du
- College of Resources Science & Technology and State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology Beijing Normal University Beijing 100875 China
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St. Paul MN 55108 USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith 2751 NSW Australia
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Department of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Peking University Beijing 100871 China
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36
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Elser JJ, Foster DK. N:P stoichiometry of sedimentation in lakes of the Canadian shield: Relationships with seston and zooplankton elemental composition. Écoscience 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.1998.11682440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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37
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Corman JR, Poret-Peterson AT, Uchitel A, Elser JJ. Interaction between lithification and resource availability in the microbialites of Río Mesquites, Cuatro Ciénegas, México. Geobiology 2016; 14:176-189. [PMID: 26663088 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Lithified microbial structures (microbialites) have been present on Earth for billions of years. Lithification may impose unique constraints on microbes. For instance, when CaCO3 forms, phosphate may be captured via coprecipitation and/or adsorption and potentially rendered unavailable for biological uptake. Therefore, the growth of microbes associated with CaCO3 may be phosphorus-limited. In this study, we compared the effects of resource addition on biogeochemical functions of microbial communities associated with microbialites and photoautotrophic microbial communities not associated with CaCO3 deposition in Río Mesquites, Cuatro Ciénegas, México. We also manipulated rates of CaCO3 deposition in microbialites to determine whether lithification reduces the bioavailability of phosphorus (P). We found that P additions significantly increased rates of gross primary production (F2,13 = 103.9, P < 0.001), net primary production (F2,13 = 129.6, P < 0.0001) and ecosystem respiration (F2,13 = 6.44, P < 0.05) in the microbialites, while P addition had no effect on photoautotrophic production in the non-CaCO3 -associated microbial communities. Growth of the non-CaCO3-associated phototrophs was only marginally stimulated when nitrogen and P were added simultaneously (F1,36 = 3.98, P = 0.053). In the microbialites, resource additions led to some shifts in the abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria but mostly had little effect on bacterial community composition. Ca(2+) uptake rates increased significantly with organic carbon additions (F1,13 = 8.02, P < 0.05). Lowering of CaCO3 deposition by decreasing calcium concentrations in the water led to increased microbial biomass accumulation rates in terms of both organic carbon (F4,48 = 5.23, P < 0.01) and P (F6,48 = 13.91, P < 0.001). These results provide strong evidence in support of a role of lithification in controlling P limitation of microbialite communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Corman
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A T Poret-Peterson
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A Uchitel
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - J J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Valdivia-Anistro JA, Eguiarte-Fruns LE, Delgado-Sapién G, Márquez-Zacarías P, Gasca-Pineda J, Learned J, Elser JJ, Olmedo-Alvarez G, Souza V. Variability of rRNA Operon Copy Number and Growth Rate Dynamics of Bacillus Isolated from an Extremely Oligotrophic Aquatic Ecosystem. Front Microbiol 2016; 6:1486. [PMID: 26779143 PMCID: PMC4700252 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ribosomal RNA (rrn) operon is a key suite of genes related to the production of protein synthesis machinery and thus to bacterial growth physiology. Experimental evidence has suggested an intrinsic relationship between the number of copies of this operon and environmental resource availability, especially the availability of phosphorus (P), because bacteria that live in oligotrophic ecosystems usually have few rrn operons and a slow growth rate. The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is a complex aquatic ecosystem that contains an unusually high microbial diversity that is able to persist under highly oligotrophic conditions. These environmental conditions impose a variety of strong selective pressures that shape the genome dynamics of their inhabitants. The genus Bacillus is one of the most abundant cultivable bacterial groups in the CCB and usually possesses a relatively large number of rrn operon copies (6–15 copies). The main goal of this study was to analyze the variation in the number of rrn operon copies of Bacillus in the CCB and to assess their growth-related properties as well as their stoichiometric balance (N and P content). We defined 18 phylogenetic groups within the Bacilli clade and documented a range of from six to 14 copies of the rrn operon. The growth dynamic of these Bacilli was heterogeneous and did not show a direct relation to the number of operon copies. Physiologically, our results were not consistent with the Growth Rate Hypothesis, since the copies of the rrn operon were decoupled from growth rate. However, we speculate that the diversity of the growth properties of these Bacilli as well as the low P content of their cells in an ample range of rrn copy number is an adaptive response to oligotrophy of the CCB and could represent an ecological mechanism that allows these taxa to coexist. These findings increase the knowledge of the variability in the number of copies of the rrn operon in the genus Bacillus and give insights about the physiology of this bacterial group under extreme oligotrophic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A Valdivia-Anistro
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Luis E Eguiarte-Fruns
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Delgado-Sapién
- Laboratorio de Genómica Bacteriana, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, Mexico
| | | | - Jaime Gasca-Pineda
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Jennifer Learned
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
| | - Gabriela Olmedo-Alvarez
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Molecular, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV - Unidad Irapuato Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Valeria Souza
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, Mexico
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Modenutti BE, Balseiro EG, Bastidas Navarro MA, Lee ZM, Souza MS, Corman JR, Elser JJ. Effects of Volcanic Pumice Inputs on Microbial Community Composition and Dissolved C/P Ratios in Lake Waters: an Experimental Approach. Microb Ecol 2016; 71:18-28. [PMID: 26563321 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Volcanic eruptions discharge massive amounts of ash and pumice that decrease light penetration in lakes and lead to concomitant increases in phosphorus (P) concentrations and shifts in soluble C/P ratios. The consequences of these sudden changes for bacteria community composition, metabolism, and enzymatic activity remain unclear, especially for the dynamic period immediately after pumice deposition. Thus, the main aim of our study was to determine how ambient bacterial communities respond to pumice inputs in lakes that differ in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and P concentrations and to what extent these responses are moderated by substrate C/P stoichiometry. We performed an outdoor experiment with natural lake water from two lakes that differed in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. We measured nutrient concentrations, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), and DOC consumption rates and assessed different components of bacterial community structure using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Pumice inputs caused a decrease in the C/P ratio of dissolved resources, a decrease in APA, and an increase in DOC consumption, indicating reduced P limitation. These changes in bacteria metabolism were coupled with modifications in the assemblage composition and an increase in diversity, with increases in bacterial taxa associated with biofilm and sediments, in predatory bacteria, and in bacteria with gliding motility. Our results confirm that volcanic eruptions have the potential to alter nutrient partitioning and light penetration in receiving waterways which can have dramatic impacts on microbial community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Modenutti
- Laboratorio de Limnología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-University of Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina.
| | - E G Balseiro
- Laboratorio de Limnología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-University of Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - M A Bastidas Navarro
- Laboratorio de Limnología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-University of Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Z M Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - M S Souza
- Laboratorio de Limnología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-University of Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - J R Corman
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - J J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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Neveu M, Poret-Peterson AT, Anbar AD, Elser JJ. Ordinary stoichiometry of extraordinary microorganisms. Geobiology 2016; 14:33-53. [PMID: 26311124 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
All life on Earth seems to be made of the same chemical elements in relatively conserved proportions (stoichiometry). Whether this stoichiometry is conserved in settings that differ radically in physicochemical conditions (extreme environments) from those commonly encountered elsewhere on the planet provides insight into possible stoichiometries for putative life beyond Earth. Here, we report measurements of elemental stoichiometry for extremophile microbes from hot springs of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Phototrophic and chemotrophic microbes were collected in locations spanning large ranges of temperature (24 °C to boiling), pH (1.6-9.6), redox (0.1-7.2 mg L(-1) dissolved oxygen), and nutrient concentrations (0.01-0.25 mg L(-1) NO2-, 0.7-12.9 mg L(-1) NO3-, 0.01-42 mg L(-1) NH4 (+), 0.003-1.1 mg L(-1) P mostly as phosphate). Despite these extreme conditions, the microbial cells sampled had a major and trace element stoichiometry within the ranges commonly encountered for microbes living in the more moderate environments of lakes and surface oceans. The cells did have somewhat high C:P and N:P ratios that are consistent with phosphorus (P) limitation. Furthermore, chemotrophs and phototrophs had similar compositions with the exception of Mo content, which was enriched in cells derived from chemotrophic sites. Thus, despite the extraordinary physicochemical and biological diversity of YNP environments, life in these settings, in a stoichiometric sense, remains much the same as we know it elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Neveu
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A T Poret-Peterson
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A D Anbar
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - J J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Cease AJ, Fay M, Elser JJ, Harrison JF. Dietary phosphate affects food selection, post-ingestive phosphorus fate, and performance of a polyphagous herbivore. J Exp Biol 2015; 219:64-72. [PMID: 26567345 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.126847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Comparisons of the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (P) content of plants and insect herbivores suggests that P limitation and herbivore foraging to balance P intake could be common. However, the lack of synthetic diets for testing the effects of lower ranges of dietary P has been a major impediment to experimental assessment of the ecological importance of, and physiological responses to, P limitation for terrestrial herbivores. We manipulated dietary P content (%P) over its observed range in terrestrial foliage using artificial diets containing near-optimal content of other nutrients for the grasshopper Schistocerca americana. Over much of the ecologically relevant range, when consuming single diets over a lifetime, higher P stimulated growth rates and increased survival, with an optimal dietary %P of 0.25-0.50% when measured throughout development. Excessive dietary P (1%) reduced growth and survival. However, with only short-term (3 day) confinement to single diets, dietary P had no effect on food consumption or growth rates. During these short exposures, fifth (but not third) instar hoppers increased the proportion of P excreted relative to P assimilated as dietary P increased. Target experiments demonstrated that, when given a choice, grasshoppers select among foods to attain a P intake target of 0.6%. These data suggest that P limitation could be common for terrestrial insect herbivores and that they can exhibit ingestive and post-ingestive mechanisms to attain sufficient but not excessive P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianne J Cease
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Michelle Fay
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Jon F Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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42
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Goloran JB, Chen C, Phillips IR, Elser JJ. Shifts in leaf N:P stoichiometry during rehabilitation in highly alkaline bauxite processing residue sand. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14811. [PMID: 26443331 PMCID: PMC4595801 DOI: 10.1038/srep14811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Large quantities of sodic and alkaline bauxite residue are produced globally as a by-product from alumina refineries. Ecological stoichiometry of key elements [nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)] plays a critical role in establishing vegetation cover in bauxite residue sand (BRS). Here we examined how changes in soil chemical properties over time in rehabilitated sodic and alkaline BRS affected leaf N to P stoichiometry of native species used for rehabilitation. Both Ca and soil pH influenced the shifts in leaf N:P ratios of the study species as supported by consistently significant positive relationships (P < 0.001) between these soil indices and leaf N:P ratios. Shifts from N to P limitation were evident for N-fixing species, while N limitation was consistently experienced by non-N-fixing plant species. In older rehabilitated BRS embankments, soil and plant indices (Ca, Na, pH, EC, ESP and leaf N:P ratios) tended to align with those of the natural ecosystem, suggesting improved rehabilitation performance. These findings highlight that leaf N:P stoichiometry can effectively provide a meaningful assessment on understanding nutrient limitation and productivity of native species used for vegetating highly sodic and alkaline BRS, and is a crucial indicator for assessing ecological rehabilitation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnvie B. Goloran
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia
| | - Ian R. Phillips
- Environmental Research Department, Alcoa World Alumina Australia, Huntly Mine, P.O. Box 172, WA 6208, Australia
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
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43
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Alijani MK, Wang H, Elser JJ. Modeling the bacterial contribution to planktonic community respiration in the regulation of solar energy and nutrient availability. Ecological Complexity 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Van de Waal DB, Smith VH, Declerck SAJ, Stam ECM, Elser JJ. Corrigendum to Van de Waalet al. 2014: stoichiometric regulation of phytoplankton toxins. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:983-4. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dedmer B. Van de Waal
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW); Post Office Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Val H. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Kansas; Lawrence Kansas 66045 USA
| | - Steven A. J. Declerck
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW); Post Office Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Eva C. M. Stam
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW); Post Office Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe AZ 85287-4501 USA
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Cease AJ, Elser JJ, Fenichel EP, Hadrich JC, Harrison JF, Robinson BE. Living With Locusts: Connecting Soil Nitrogen, Locust Outbreaks, Livelihoods, and Livestock Markets. Bioscience 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biv048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Lee ZM, Steger L, Corman JR, Neveu M, Poret-Peterson AT, Souza V, Elser JJ. Response of a stoichiometrically imbalanced ecosystem to manipulation of nutrient supplies and ratios. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123949. [PMID: 25881015 PMCID: PMC4399942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is a desert ecosystem that hosts a large diversity of water bodies. Many surface waters in this basin have imbalanced nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) stoichiometry (total N:P > 100 by atoms), where P is likely to be a limiting nutrient. To investigate the effects of nutrient stoichiometry on planktonic and sediment ecosystem components and processes, we conducted a replicated in situ mesocosm experiment in Lagunita, a shallow pond located in the southwest region of the basin. Inorganic N and P were periodically added to mesocosms under three different N:P regimes (P only, N:P = 16 and N:P = 75) while the control mesocosms were left unamended. After three weeks of fertilization, more than two thirds of the applied P was immobilized into seston or sediment. The rapid uptake of P significantly decreased biomass C:P and N:P ratios, supporting the hypothesis that Lagunita is P-limited. Meanwhile, simultaneous N and P enrichment significantly enhanced planktonic growth, increasing total planktonic biomass by more than 2-fold compared to the unenriched control. With up to 76% of added N sequestered into the seston, it is suspected that the Lagunita microbial community also experienced strong N-limitation. However, when N and P were applied at N:P = 75, the microbes remained in a P-limitation state as in the untreated control. Two weeks after the last fertilizer application, seston C:P and N:P ratios returned to initial levels but chlorophyll a and seston C concentrations remained elevated. Additionally, no P release from the sediment was observed in the fertilized mesocosms. Overall, this study provides evidence that Lagunita is highly sensitive to nutrient perturbation because the biota is primarily P-limited and experiences a secondary N-limitation despite its high TN:TP ratio. This study serves as a strong basis to justify the need for protection of CCB ecosystems and other low-nutrient microbe-dominated systems from anthropogenic inputs of both N and P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarraz M. Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Laura Steger
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jessica R. Corman
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Marc Neveu
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Amisha T. Poret-Peterson
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D. F., México
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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47
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Ponce-Soto GY, Aguirre-von-Wobeser E, Eguiarte LE, Elser JJ, Lee ZMP, Souza V. Enrichment experiment changes microbial interactions in an ultra-oligotrophic environment. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:246. [PMID: 25883593 PMCID: PMC4381637 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase of nutrients in water bodies, in particular nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) due to the recent expansion of agricultural and other human activities is accelerating environmental degradation of these water bodies, elevating the risk of eutrophication and reducing biodiversity. To evaluate the ecological effects of the influx of nutrients in an oligotrophic and stoichiometrically imbalanced environment, we performed a replicated in situ mesocosm experiment. We analyzed the effects of a N- and P-enrichment on the bacterial interspecific interactions in an experiment conducted in the Cuatro Cienegas Basin (CCB) in Mexico. This is a desert ecosystem comprised of several aquatic systems with a large number of microbial endemic species. The abundance of key nutrients in this basin exhibits strong stoichiometric imbalance (high N:P ratios), suggesting that species diversity is maintained mostly by competition for resources. We focused on the biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of 960 strains of cultivated bacteria in two habitats, water and sediment, before and after 3 weeks of fertilization. The water habitat was dominated by Pseudomonas, while Halomonas dominated the sediment. Strong antibiotic resistance was found among the isolates at time zero in the nutrient-poor bacterial communities, but resistance declined in the bacteria isolated in the nutrient-rich environments, suggesting that in the nutrient-poor original environment, negative inter-specific interactions were important, while in the nutrient-rich environments, competitive interactions are not so important. In water, a significant increase in the percentage of biofilm-forming strains was observed for all treatments involving nutrient addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Y Ponce-Soto
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, México
| | | | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, México
| | - James J Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Zarraz M-P Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Valeria Souza
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán, México
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Bracken MES, Hillebrand H, Borer ET, Seabloom EW, Cebrian J, Cleland EE, Elser JJ, Gruner DS, Harpole WS, Ngai JT, Smith JE. Signatures of nutrient limitation and co-limitation: responses of autotroph internal nutrient concentrations to nitrogen and phosphorus additions. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. S. Bracken
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of California; Irvine CA 93923-2525 USA
| | - Helmut Hillebrand
- Inst. for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky Univ. Oldenburg; Schleusenstrasse 1 DE-26382 Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Elizabeth T. Borer
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Univ. of Minnesota; Minneapolis MN 55108 USA
| | - Eric W. Seabloom
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Univ. of Minnesota; Minneapolis MN 55108 USA
| | - Just Cebrian
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab; Dauphin Island AL 36528 USA
- Dept of Marine Sciences; Univ. of South Alabama; Mobile AL 36688 USA
| | - Elsa E. Cleland
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, Univ. of California - San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0116 USA
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State Univ.; Tempe AZ 85287 USA
| | - Daniel S. Gruner
- Dept of Entomology; Univ. of Maryland; College Park MD 20742-4454 USA
| | - W. Stanley Harpole
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology; Iowa State Univ.; Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Jacqueline T. Ngai
- Dept of Zoology; Univ. of British Columbia; 6270 University Boulevard Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Jennifer E. Smith
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, Univ. of California - San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0202 USA
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49
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Toberman H, Chen C, Lewis T, Elser JJ. High-frequency fire alters C : N : P stoichiometry in forest litter. Glob Chang Biol 2014; 20:2321-2331. [PMID: 24132817 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Fire is a major driver of ecosystem change and can disproportionately affect the cycling of different nutrients. Thus, a stoichiometric approach to investigate the relationships between nutrient availability and microbial resource use during decomposition is likely to provide insight into the effects of fire on ecosystem functioning. We conducted a field litter bag experiment to investigate the long-term impact of repeated fire on the stoichiometry of leaf litter C, N and P pools, and nutrient-acquiring enzyme activities during decomposition in a wet sclerophyll eucalypt forest in Queensland, Australia. Fire frequency treatments have been maintained since 1972, including burning every 2 years (2yrB), burning every 4 years (4 yrB) and no burning (NB). C : N ratios in freshly fallen litter were 29-42% higher and C : P ratios were 6-25% lower for 2 yrB than NB during decomposition, with correspondingly lower 2yrB N : P ratios (27-32) than for NB (34-49). Trends in litter soluble and microbial N : P ratios were similar to the overall litter N : P ratios across fire treatments. Consistent with these, the ratio of activities for N-acquiring to P-acquiring enzymes in litter was higher for 2 yrB than NB, whereas 4 yrB was generally intermediate between 2 yrB and NB. Decomposition rates of freshly fallen litter were significantly lower for 2 yrB (72 ± 2% mass remaining at the end of experiment) than for 4 yrB (59 ± 3%) and NB (62 ± 3%), a difference that may be related to effects of N limitation, lower moisture content, and/or litter C quality. Results for older mixed-age litter were similar to those for freshly fallen litter although treatment differences were less pronounced. Overall, these findings show that frequent fire (2 yrB) decoupled N and P cycling, as manifested in litter C : N : P stoichiometry and in microbial biomass N : P ratio and enzymatic activities. Furthermore, these data indicate that fire induced a transient shift to N-limited ecosystem conditions during the postfire recovery phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Toberman
- Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Qld, Australia
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50
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Nie Y, Zhang Z, Raubenheimer D, Elser JJ, Wei W, Wei F. Obligate herbivory in an ancestrally carnivorous lineage: the giant panda and bamboo from the perspective of nutritional geometry. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Nie
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Veterinary Science and School of Biological Science The University of Sydney Sydney New South WalesAustralia
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
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