Bimodality in stable isotope composition facilitates the tracing of carbon transfer from macrophytes to higher trophic levels

Mendonça, Raquel; Kosten, Sarian; Lacerot, Gissell; Mazzeo, Néstor; Roland, Fábio; Ometto, Jean Pierre; Paz, Aline; Bueno, Norma Catarina; Gomes, Ananias; Scheffer, Marten

doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1366-8

Cited by 34 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Interestingly, the d 13 C ORG values obtained for C. tomentosa are similar to those of 13 C-enriched vascular macrophytes, which have an average value of -13.5% (Mendonça et al, 2013). On the other hand, the cited authors provide a value of -27.2% as the average d 13 C value of 13 C-depleted plants, similar to our results for C. globularis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…For aquatic environments, many authors have recorded different d 13 C ORG values of autotrophic organisms such as marine phytoplankton or freshwater macrophytes and found smaller and larger offsets of d 13 C ORG within the same investigated groups of organisms (e.g., Keeley, & Sandquist, 1992 and reference therein;Rau et al, 1992;Fry, 1996 and reference therein;Rau et al, 2001;Herzschuh et al, 2010;Mendonça et al, 2013). In the following discussion, we will try to explain the observed differences between the d 13 C CARB , d 13 C ORG and d 13 C DIC values of the two studied charophyte species in light of CO 2 source used for their photosynthetic activity, 13 C-enriched DIC from well-mixed waters above and penetrating Chara tomentosa stand and, for Chara globularis, 13 C-depleted DIC from near-bottom waters with a higher proportion of 12 C released by organic matter decomposition and carbonate dissolution in surface sediments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because both studied Chara species are members of the same genus and exhibit similar physiological photosynthetic patterns, the aforementioned comparisons point to the possible risk of misinterpreting the carbon source in palaeoecological studies. In terrestrial plants, the differing d 13 C values of organic matter are the result of the photosynthetic pathways used for CO 2 fixation and the isotopic signature of the atmospheric CO 2 used for photosynthesis (Fry, 1996 and references therein; Mendonça et al, 2013). In C 3 plants, large fractionation associated with the enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), which catalyses the first step in CO 2 fixation, are observed (e.g., O'Leary et al, 1992;Hayes, 1993;Fry, 1996 and reference therein).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes

et al. 2016

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The stable carbon isotope composition of the carbonate encrustations (d 13 C CARB ), organic matter (d 13 C ORG ) and the dissolved inorganic carbon (d 13 C DIC ) in the ambient lake waters were analysed for two common but morphologically different and, thus, representing different growth forms of Chara species. We hypothesized that the relationships between d 13 C CARB , d 13 C ORG and d 13 C DIC are species specific and related to the different growth forms of the studied charophytes. For each species (Chara tomentosa and Chara globularis), 10 individuals and water samples from above the macrophytes were collected in five lakes at three sites per lake in mid-summer. Opposing shifts were found between d 13 C CARB and d 13 C DIC values with 13 C enrichment in C. tomentosa and 13 C depletion in C. globularis. In addition, C. globularis exhibited more negative values of d 13 C ORG than C. tomentosa, even under similar conditions. The d 13 C CARB and d 13 C ORG values were positively correlated in both species, but d 13 C CARB and d 13 C DIC as well as d 13 C ORG and d 13 C DIC were positively correlated in C. tomentosa only. The differences found result from the different proportions between 13 C and 12 C in DIC used as a CO 2 source for photosynthesis, which is linked to the different growth forms represented by the two studied charophytes and, thus, are species specific as we hypothesized.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes

et al. 2016

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“…Our results point to the possibility that carbon from macrophytes and/or associated periphyton supplies consumers more directly as macrophytes, periphyton, or plant detritus dominated the gut content of fish in MDB (Table 3 and [19]). Several other studies suggest that the macrophyte-derived carbon supply to fish is higher in (sub)tropical lakes than in temperate lakes [16,34,[67][68][69]. Moreover, a parallel study of zooplankton and bacterioplankton in the two basins strongly indicates that also zooplankton and bacterioplankton are mainly fueled by carbon from the benthic macrophyte-periphyton complex in MDB [40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Herbivory of Omnivorous Fish Shapes the Food Web Structure of a Chinese Tropical Eutrophic Lake: Evidence from Stable Isotope and Fish Gut Content Analyses

Gao

Zhong

Ning

et al. 2017

Water

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Studies suggest that, unlike the situation in temperate lakes, high biomasses of omnivorous fish are maintained in subtropical and tropical lakes when they shift from a turbid phytoplankton-dominated state to a clear water macrophyte-dominated state, and the predation pressure on large-bodied zooplankton therefore remains high. Whether this reflects a higher degree of herbivory in warm lakes than in temperate lakes is debatable. We combined food web studies using stable isotopes with gut content analyses of the most dominant fish species to elucidate similarities and differences in food web structure between a clear water macrophyte-dominated basin (MDB) and a turbid phytoplankton-dominated basin (PDB) of Huizhou West Lake, a shallow tropical Chinese lake. The δ 13 C-δ 15 N biplot of fish and invertebrates revealed community-wide differences in isotope-based metrics of the food webs between MDB and PDB. The range of consumer δ 15 N (NR) was lower in MDB than in PDB, indicating shorter food web length in MDB. The mean nearest neighbor distance (MNND) and standard deviation around MNND (SDNND) were higher in MDB than in PDB, showing a markedly low fish trophic overlap and a more uneven packing of species in niches in MDB than in PDB. The range of fish δ 13 C (CR) of consumers was more extensive in MDB than in PDB, indicating a wider feeding range for fish in MDB. Mixing model results showed that macrophytes and associated periphyton constituted a large fraction of basal production sources for the fish in MDB, while particulate organic matter (POM) contributed a large fraction in PDB. In MDB, the diet of the dominant fish species, crucian carp (Carassius carassius), consisted mainly of vegetal matter (macrophytes and periphyton) and zooplankton, while detritus was the most important food item in PDB. Our results suggest that carbon from macrophytes with associated periphyton may constitute an important food resource for omnivorous fish, and this may strongly affect the feeding niche and the strength of the top-down trophic cascade between fish and zooplankton in the restored, macrophyte-dominated basin of the lake. This dual effect (consumption of macrophytes and zooplankton) may reduce the chances of maintaining the clear water state at the prevailing nutrient levels in the lake, and regular removal of large crucian carp may therefore be needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem state.

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“…This variation reflected taxonomic differences, probably due to the differences in the mechanisms adopted by the primary producers for use of CO 2 and HCO 3 − for photosynthesis, and their abilities in this regard (Maberly et al 1992, Michener & Lajtha 2008, Mendonça et al 2013, as well as the site-specific physicochemistry and biogeochemistry, particularly with regard to concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon and flow rates (Finlay et al 2002, Graham et al 2014. Accordingly, such distinct isotopic signatures provided an opportunity to infer the dietary preferences of A. japonicus for the 3 macroalgal species using carbon stables isotope as trophic tracers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of different macroalgae by sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus revealed by carbon stable isotope analysis

Wen¹,

Gao²,

Dong³

et al. 2016

Aquacult. Environ. Interact.

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Understanding the feeding habit of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) is crucial for improving aquaculture techniques of this commercially important species. In the present study, carbon stable isotopes were used as trophic tracers to investigate the uptake of different macroalgae, including brown alga Sargassum muticum, red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis and green alga Ulva lactuca by A. japonicus. A 70 d experiment was conducted to examine the carbon isotopic signatures of A. japonicus feeding on 6 different types of diets containing either pure powder of a single alga species or mixtures of 2 algae species. After the feeding trial, carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) of A. japonicus showed significant changes and reflected the isotopic compositions of corresponding diets. An isotope mixing model revealed the dietary preferences of A. japonicus between the 3 species of macroalgae, suggesting that green alga U. lactuca was the preferentially utilized food source of A. japonicus, followed by brown alga S. muticum. A. japonicus tended to reject red alga G. lemaneiformis in the presence of multiple macroalgae choices. Moreover, the specific growth rates of A. japonicus fed on S. muticum and U. lactuca were similar, but were both significantly higher than those fed on G. lemaneiformis, indicating the direct link between the feeding preferences and growth performance of A. japonicus.

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Bimodality in stable isotope composition facilitates the tracing of carbon transfer from macrophytes to higher trophic levels

Cited by 34 publications

References 58 publications

Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes

Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes

Herbivory of Omnivorous Fish Shapes the Food Web Structure of a Chinese Tropical Eutrophic Lake: Evidence from Stable Isotope and Fish Gut Content Analyses

Utilization of different macroalgae by sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus revealed by carbon stable isotope analysis

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