Body size and shape responses to warming and resource competition

Tan, Hanrong; Hirst, Andrew G.; Atkinson, David; Kratina, Pavel

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13789

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Lastly, our results showed that the traits of both protist predators also responded to imposed experimental conditions, albeit in different ways. While size is well known to influence consumer-resource interactions ( Gilbert et al, 2014 ; DeLong et al, 2015 ; Gauzens et al, 2020 ), protist size and shape can and often do respond to foraging ( Atkinson et al, 2006 ; DeLong et al, 2014 ; Gibert et al, 2017 ; Tan et al, 2021 ), thus potentially resulting in a feedback between predator and prey phenotypes. Since the microbial communities themselves changed in structure with time and temperature, this study cannot tease apart the direct effects of temperature on protist responses from those mediated by microbial community temperature responses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protist Predation Influences the Temperature Response of Bacterial Communities

et al. 2022

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Temperature strongly influences microbial community structure and function, in turn contributing to global carbon cycling that can fuel further warming. Recent studies suggest that biotic interactions among microbes may play an important role in determining the temperature responses of these communities. However, how predation regulates these microbiomes under future climates is still poorly understood. Here, we assess whether predation by a key global bacterial consumer—protists—influences the temperature response of the community structure and function of a freshwater microbiome. To do so, we exposed microbial communities to two cosmopolitan protist species—Tetrahymena thermophila and Colpidium sp.—at two different temperatures, in a month-long microcosm experiment. While microbial biomass and respiration increased with temperature due to community shifts, these responses changed over time and in the presence of protists. Protists influenced microbial biomass and respiration rate through direct and indirect effects on bacterial community structure, and predator presence actually reduced microbial respiration at elevated temperature. Indicator species analyses showed that these predator effects were mostly determined by phylum-specific bacterial responses to protist density and cell size. Our study supports previous findings that temperature is an important driver of microbial communities but also demonstrates that the presence of a large predator can mediate these responses to warming.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protist Predation Influences the Temperature Response of Bacterial Communities

et al. 2022

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“…The spatial distribution of roots into the soil is of fundamental importance for a tree’s ability to both search for resources ( Yang et al, 2014 , 2017 ; Tan et al, 2021 ) and anchor to the soil ( Dumroese et al, 2019 ; Saint Cast et al, 2019 ; Montagnoli et al, 2020 ). This ability is determined by the high degree of plasticity that characterizes the root system and that represents a compromise between optimum nutrient foraging and plant mechanical stability to face external mechanical forces such as prevailing winds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization reduces root architecture plasticity in Ulmus pumila used for afforesting Mongolian semi-arid steppe

et al. 2022

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In this study, we assessed the functional and architectural traits in the coarse roots of Ulmus pumila trees, which are used for afforesting the semi-arid steppe of Mongolia. Tree growth was supported by different watering regimes (no watering, 2, 4, and 8 L h−1) and by two types of soil fertilization (NPK and compost). In July, 2019, for each of these treatments six trees, outplanted in 2011 as 2-year-old seedlings from a container nursery, were randomly selected, excavated by hand, and digitized. The build-up of root length correlated positively with increasing levels of watering for both soil depths analyzed. The application of fertilizers led to root growth suppression resulting in a general reduction of root length in a lowered rooting depth. When root system characteristics were analyzed in relation to wind direction, unfertilized trees showed higher root diameter values in both soil layers of leeward quadrants, likely a response to mechanical forces to improve stability. On the contrary, fertilized trees did not show differences in root diameter among the different quadrants underscoring a strong reduction in root plasticity with a lack of morpho-architectural response to the mechanical forces generated by the two prevailing winds. Finally, the root branching density, another important trait for fast dissipation of mechanical forces, was significantly reduced by the fertilization, independently of the quadrants and watering regime. Our results suggest that knowledge of the root response to the afforestation techniques applied in the semi-arid steppe of Mongolia is a necessary step for revealing the susceptibility of this forest shelterbelt to the exacerbating environmental conditions caused by climate change and, thus, to the development of a sustainable and successful strategy to restore degraded lands.

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“…The temperature-size rule and temperature-induced changes in community composition led to the suggestion that declining body mass may be a universal response to climate warming (Atkinson, 1994;Daufresne et al, 2009;Evans et al, 2020), although there are some emerging examples of the contrary (Gardner et al, 2011;Ruger and Sommer, 2012;O'Gorman et al, 2017). Smaller organisms can change their body size and shape in response to warming more rapidly than larger organisms due to their higher mass-specific metabolic rates and shorter generation times (Gillooly, 2000;Savage et al, 2004;Tan et al, 2021). This would result in differential temperature-size responses across trophic levels and an increase in predator-prey body mass ratios under the future warmer climate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Combined Effects of Warming and Body Size on the Stability of Predator-Prey Interactions

et al. 2022

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Environmental temperature and body size are two prominent drivers of predation. Despite the ample evidence of their independent effects, the combined impact of temperature and predator-prey body size ratio on the strength and stability of trophic interactions is not fully understood. We experimentally tested how water temperature alters the functional response and population stability of dragonfly nymphs (Cordulegaster boltonii) feeding on freshwater amphipods (Gammarus pulex) across a gradient of their body size ratios. Attack coefficients were highest for small predators feeding on small prey at low temperatures, but shifted toward the largest predators feeding on larger prey in warmer environments. Handling time appeared to decrease with increasing predator and prey body size in the cold environment, but increase at higher temperatures. These findings indicate interactive effects of temperature and body size on functional responses. There was also a negative effect of warming on the stability of predator and prey populations, but this was counteracted by a larger predator-prey body size ratio at higher temperatures. Here, a greater Hill exponent reduced feeding at low prey densities when predators were much larger than their prey, enhancing the persistence of both predator and prey populations in the warmer environment. These experimental findings provide new mechanistic insights into the destabilizing effect of warming on trophic interactions and the key role of predator-prey body size ratios in mitigating these effects.

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Body size and shape responses to warming and resource competition

Abstract: This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 20 publications

References 72 publications

Protist Predation Influences the Temperature Response of Bacterial Communities

Protist Predation Influences the Temperature Response of Bacterial Communities

Fertilization reduces root architecture plasticity in Ulmus pumila used for afforesting Mongolian semi-arid steppe

The Combined Effects of Warming and Body Size on the Stability of Predator-Prey Interactions

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