Effects of Community Richness and Competitive Asymmetry on Protozoa Evolution in <i>Sarracenia purpurea</i> Leaves

Miller, Thomas E.; Pastore, Abigail I.; Cuellar-Gempeler, Catalina; Canter, Erin J.; Mason, Olivia U.

doi:10.1086/721010

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This result suggests that dispersal differences and occurrence patterns in the focal species (PS and TA) did not influence colonization dynamics or interactions with other bacterivores. This unexpected result contrasts with TA's strong competitive abilities in laboratory microcosms (Miller et al, 2022), yet confirms previous work showing no trade‐offs between colonization and competitive abilities (Kneitel, 2012). These results also echo trends in plant communities, suggesting that dispersal limitation can play a minor role in species regional coexistence in diverse assemblages (Brewer et al, 1998; Coomes et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…TA is a large filter feeding ciliate (20–50 μm) that selects for small food particles, including bacteria, based on size, biochemistry, and motility (Montagnes et al, 2008; Thurman et al, 2010; Verni & Gualtieri, 1997). In addition, TA and PS are dominant competitors within the pitcher plant protozoans (Miller et al, 2022) and recurrent inhabitants of pitcher plants in the field (Miller & terHorst, 2012; note that TA was identified as Colpidium sp.). Importantly, all these inquiline organisms must be able to colonize new leaves to persist.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(TA) and the flagellate Poterioochromonas sp. (PS), two dominant competitors against other protozoa in the system (Miller et al, 2022). We hypothesize that their dispersal will depend on size, with the larger TA remaining clustered in space and the smaller PS being widely distributed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predator dispersal influences predator distribution but not prey diversity in pitcher plant microbial metacommunities

Cuellar-Gempeler

terHorst

Mason

et al. 2023

Ecology

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The spatial distribution of predators can affect both the distribution and diversity of their prey. Therefore, differences in predator dispersal ability that affect their spatial distribution, could also affect prey communities. Here, we use the microbial communities within pitcher plant leaves as a model system to test the relationship between predator (protozoa) dispersal ability and distribution, and its consequences for prey (bacteria) diversity and composition. We hypothesized that limited predator dispersal results in clustered distributions and heterogeneous patches for prey species, whereas wide predator dispersal and distribution could homogenize prey metacommunities. We analyzed the distribution of two prominent bacterivore protozoans from a 2‐year survey of an intact field of Sarracenia purpurea pitcher plants, and found a clustered distribution of Tetrahymena and homogeneous distribution of Poterioochromonas. We manipulated the sources of protozoan colonists and recorded protozoan recruitment and bacterial diversity in target leaves in a field experiment. We found the large ciliate, Tetrahymena, was dispersal limited and occupied few leaves, whereas the small flagellate Poterioochromonas was widely dispersed. However, the bacterial communities these protozoans feed on was unaffected by clustering of Tetrahymena, but likely influenced by Poterioochromonas and other bacterivores dispersing in the field. We propose that bacterial communities in this system are structured by a combination of well dispersed bacterivores, bacterial dispersal, and bottom‐up mechanisms. Clustered predators could become strong drivers of prey communities if they were specialists or keystone predators, or if they exerted a dominant influence on other predators in top‐down controlled systems. Linking dispersal ability within trophic levels and its consequences for trophic dynamics can lead to a more robust perspective on trophic metacommunities.

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