Detritivory: stoichiometry of a neglected trophic level

Martinson, Holly M.; Schneider, Katie; Gilbert, James D. J.; Hines, Jes; Hambäck, Peter A.; Fagan, William F.

doi:10.1007/s11284-008-0471-7

Cited by 88 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…While P concentration differs markedly between autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms (Fanin et al 2013), it does not show considerable changes between insect consumers of different trophic levels (Woods et al 2004;Martinson et al 2008). In order to assess multitrophic responses to differing resource stoichiometry, we therefore focused on C∶N ratios, since N concentration differs both between autotrophs and heterotrophs (Fanin et al 2013) and between consumers of different trophic levels (Fagan et al 2002).…”

Section: Stoichiometric Analyses Of Animal and Leaf-litter Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, with better resolved trophic structure of these communities, investigating how relative amounts of N, P, Na, and Ca vary along the food chain (Martinson et al 2008) and differently alter consumer responses to resource depletion across trophic levels seems promising. Furthermore, investigating the effects of variation in other elements on consumer diversity and feeding rates across trophic levels will be a future challenge to unravel new patterns in community structure.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Decreasing Stoichiometric Resource Quality Drives Compensatory Feeding across Trophic Levels in Tropical Litter Invertebrate Communities

Eisenhauer

Barnes

Ott

et al. 2017

The American Naturalist

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Online enhancements: appendix. Dryad data: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n5h64.abstract: Living organisms are constrained by both resource quantity and quality. Ecological stoichiometry offers important insights into how the elemental composition of resources affects their consumers. If resource quality decreases, consumers can respond by shifting their body stoichiometry, avoiding low-quality resources, or up-regulating feeding rates to maintain the supply of required elements while excreting excess carbon (i.e., compensatory feeding). We analyzed multitrophic consumer body stoichiometry, biomass, and feeding rates along a resource-quality gradient in the litter of tropical forest and rubber and oil-palm plantations. Specifically, we calculated macroinvertebrate feeding rates based on consumer metabolic demand and assimilation efficiency. Using linear mixed effects models, we assessed resource-quality effects on macroinvertebrate detritivore and predator communities. We did not detect shifts in consumer body stoichiometry or decreases in consumer biomass in response to declining resource quality, as indicated by increasing carbon-to-nitrogen ratios. However, across trophic levels, we found a strong indication of decreasing resource quality leading to increased consumer feeding rates through altered assimilation efficiency and community body size structure. Our study reveals the influence of resource quality on multitrophic consumer feeding rates and suggests compensatory feeding to be more common across consumer trophic levels than was formerly known.

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Section: Stoichiometric Analyses Of Animal and Leaf-litter Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreasing Stoichiometric Resource Quality Drives Compensatory Feeding across Trophic Levels in Tropical Litter Invertebrate Communities

Eisenhauer

Barnes

Ott

et al. 2017

The American Naturalist

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“…With respect to zooplankton-C composition, our δ 13 C results were relatively surprising because several studies have shown that bacterial growth based on humic DOC may contribute significantly to zooplankton diet and growth (Karlsson et al, 2003, Daniel et al, 2005, and zooplankton may directly consume terrestrial POC (Cole et al, 2006). Stoichiometric imbalances between detritivores and herbivores in relation to primary producers are a widespread pattern in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (Martinson et al, 2008). These imbalances can explain the N and P depletion in sediments when compared to the composition of aquatic macrophyte tissues and the almost absolute predominance of phytoplankton C in zooplankton tissues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…This suggests a coupling between the absorption of these nutrients by decomposers or an N and P link to a C-rich structure that is resistent to decompose. Them both appear to be the case in E. interstincta stands once it have high N:P ratios, which are limiting nutrients to decomposers (Martinson et al, 2008), and have the highest cellwall fraction according to Suhett (2007). Weak correlations between C and N and a low C:N ratio suggest an enhancement of the influence of had a high C:nutrient ratios.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Aquatic macrophytes drive sediment stoichiometry and the suspended particulate organic carbon composition of a tropical coastal lagoon

Marinho¹,

Meirelles-Pereira²,

Gripp³

et al. 2010

Acta

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Aquatic macrophytes drive sediment stoichiometry and the suspended particulate organic carbon composition of a tropical coastal lagoonMacrófitas aquáticas determinam a estequiometria do sedimento e a composição do carbono orgânico particulado em suspensão de uma lagoa costeira tropical (2) the contribution of these aquatic macrophytes to organic carbon composition in different compartments of a tropical coastal lagoon (Cabiúnas Lagoon, Macaé-RJ); Methods: The concentration of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) was determined in 2-cm intervals in the first 10 cm of sediment in both littoral and limnetic regions. In the littoral region, the sediment was collected in three different sites: T. domingensis, E. interstincta and P. stenostachys stands. In order to know the pathways of C in Cabiunas lagoon, the isotopic signature (δ 13 C) of restinga terrestrial vegetation, zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophytes, dissolved and suspended material on water were evaluated; Results: The concentrations of C and N in the sediment of the E. interstincta and T. domingensis stands were significantly higher than in the sediment of the limnetic region. The concentration of phosphorus in the sediment colonized by T. domingensis was higher than in the limnetic region and in P. stenostachys stand. The highest molar C:P ratios were found in E. interstincta and P. stenostachys stands. The highest N:P ratios were also found in the littoral region. Carbon stable isotopic analysis (δ 13 C signatures) showed that a majority of the particulate organic carbon (POC) in the water column had aquatic macrophyte tissues origin; Conclusions: Emergent macrophytes strongly contribute to nutrient enrichment of the sediment of Cabiúnas lagoon. In general, macrophyte detritus alters the littoral region sediment stoichiometry and quality for decomposers, by accumulating much more C in relation to N and P when compared to limnetic region. However, macrophytes importance isn't restricted to the sediment once they have a central role in the composition of suspended POC, thus representing an important coupling between compartments in this lagoon.Keywords: coastal lagoon, aquatic macrophytes, organic matter, isotopic signature, stoichiometry.Resumo: Objetivo: O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar: (1) a influência das macrófitas aquáticas Typha domingensis Pers., Eleocharis interstincta (Vahl) Roem. & Schult.(emergentes) e Potamogeton stenostachys K. Schum. (submersa), sobre a estequiometria do sedimento e (2) a contribuição desta comunidade para a composição do carbono orgânico de diferentes compartimentos de uma lagoa costeira tropical, Lagoa de Cabiúnas (Macaé, RJ); Métodos: Perfis de sedimento de 10 cm, fracionados de 2 em 2 cm foram coletados nas regiões litorânea e limnética para análises de nutrientes (C, N e P). Na região litorânea, o sedimento foi coletado em três estações: bancos de T. domingensis, E. interstincta e P. stenostachys. Para avaliação da ciclagem do C na lagoa Cabiúnas foi determinada a assinatura δ 13 C de diversos comparti...

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“…For example, the oxygen content (O) of organisms may be a signature of their physiological conditions and of the type of molecules they store (Fagerbakke et al, 1996; Table 1; see also Han et al, 2011). Biases in the groups of organisms represented in datasets also exist, with unicellular algae, terrestrial vascular plants, crustacean zooplankton-mostly herbivorous-and insects overrepresented (but see Amatangelo and Vitousek, 2008;Martinson et al, 2008;Xia et al, 2014;Danger et al, 2016 for examples of recent attempts at evening the balance).…”

Section: Organismmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Operational Framework for the Advancement of a Molecule-to-Biosphere Stoichiometry Theory

et al. 2017

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Biological stoichiometry is an approach that focuses on the balance of elements in biological interactions. It is a theory that has the potential to causally link material processes at all biological levels-from molecules to the biosphere. But the lack of a coherent operational framework has so far restricted progress in this direction. Here, we provide a framework to help infer how a stoichiometric imbalance observed at one level impacts all other biological levels. Our framework enables us to highlight the areas of the theory in need of completion, development and integration at all biological levels. Our hope is that this framework will contribute to the building of a more predictive theory of elemental transfers within the biosphere, and thus, to a better understanding of human-induced perturbations to the global biogeochemical cycles.

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Detritivory: stoichiometry of a neglected trophic level

Cited by 88 publications

References 37 publications

Decreasing Stoichiometric Resource Quality Drives Compensatory Feeding across Trophic Levels in Tropical Litter Invertebrate Communities

Decreasing Stoichiometric Resource Quality Drives Compensatory Feeding across Trophic Levels in Tropical Litter Invertebrate Communities

Aquatic macrophytes drive sediment stoichiometry and the suspended particulate organic carbon composition of a tropical coastal lagoon

An Operational Framework for the Advancement of a Molecule-to-Biosphere Stoichiometry Theory

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