Effects of predation risk on invertebrate leaf-litter shredders in headwater streams in three Brazilian biomes

Ferreira, Wanyr Romero; Rezende, Renan de Souza; Martins, Renato Tavares; Gonçalves, José Francisco; Hamada, Neusa; Callisto, Marcos

doi:10.1007/s00027-022-00927-7

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…This pattern is somewhat unexpected, as shredder invertebrates typically exhibit aggregated and interspeci c distributions (Rezende et al 2014;Leite et al 2016). The aggregation pattern may be a response to the trade-off between the effects of competition and predation on foraging activity in the search for food resources (Rezende et al 2015;Ferreira et al 2023). Consequently, the organism may reduce its search and feeding efforts to minimize the effects of competition and/or predation (Rezende et al 2015;Ferreira et al 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of intraspecific and interspecific competition on the facultative and obligatory shredders forage activity in subtropical system

Durigon,

Cararo,

Lima-Rezende

et al. 2024

Preprint

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While the significance of competition for resources in shaping the structure of aquatic ecosystems is well recognized, its specific effects on the dynamics of allochthonous matter in streams have received limited attention and remain poorly understood, mainly between interspecific and intraspecific competition. In this study, we investigated the effects of interspecific and intraspecific competition on the shredder organisms Phylloicus and Aegla in leaf litter banks. The impact of competition was assessed through experimental treatments: i - Phylloicus competition-free; ii - Aeglacompetition-free; iii - intraspecific competition within Aegla; iv - intraspecific competition within Phylloicus; v - interspecific competition. In the competition-free treatment, a single organism was placed in a 2-L microcosm, whereas in the competitive pressure treatments, two organisms were placed in a 4-L microcosm, with a 0.05-mm mesh separating them. Our results revealed that interspecific competition had a greater impact on Phylloicus, while intraspecific competition exerted a stronger influence on Aegla. Phylloicusexhibited higher efficiency as a shredder compared to Aegla, which can be attributed to its broader feeding range and unique strategies in leaf litter utilization. The presence of potential competitors led to a reduction in consumption rates in Phylloicus, indicating its sensitivity to competition. Moreover, Aegla's predatory behavior and cannibalism may intensified intraspecific competition within the species. The findings highlight the importance of competition in shaping the feeding activity of shredder organisms in leaf litter banks, which ultimately affects nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of intraspecific and interspecific competition on the facultative and obligatory shredders forage activity in subtropical system

Durigon,

Cararo,

Lima-Rezende

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Future studies should consider the feasibility of assessing the consumption of Phylloicus and Triplectides species sampled in the same biome or region to broaden the general understanding of these shredders for Neotropical stream ecosystems, given that studies often compare only one congener in different biomes (e.g., Phylloicus sp. ; Sena et al 2020;Rezende et al 2021;Ferreira et al 2023). In addition, in the experiments that use Phylloicus as a model organism and that evaluate foliar consumption, attention should be paid to the possible consumption of the cases themselves, as well as the use of discs to expand the cases, to avoid underestimating or overestimating the consumption.…”

Section: Experiments 4: Lightnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do methodological differences in experiments with stream shredders imply variability in outputs? A microcosm approach

Firmino

Brasil

Juen

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Experiments are useful scientific tools for testing hypotheses by manipulating variables of interest while controlling for other factors that can bias or confuse the results and their interpretation. However, to ensure accuracy and reproducibility, experiments must have transparent and repeatable methodologies. We experimentally tested the effect of different methodological approaches in microcosm experiments on the consumption and survival of shredders. We found that the shredder species, the presence or absence of the case in the shredders, and the use or non-use of air-pumps in the microcosms did not affect the shredder performance (i.e., consumption and survival). Furthermore, the type of water (stream or bottled) did not affect shredder performance. On the other hand, the amount of light had a negative effect on shredder performance, with constant light (i.e., 24 hours) reducing shredder consumption and survival. Our results highlight the importance of transparent and repeatable methodologies in experiments. Different methodological approaches in microcosm experiments can influence the results and their interpretation. This finding is especially worrying when we measure gains and losses in ecosystem functions by recreating natural conditions in the laboratory, where factors that are not of interest may affect or interact with the results. In addition, our findings offer valuable insights that can help researchers design experiments with shredders from neotropical streams.

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“…Aquatic environments are systems characterized by intricate interspecific interactions, promoting a range of ecosystem services (Ferreira et al 2023). In this context, shredder aquatic insects play a fundamental role in aquatic ecosystems by directly contributing to the organic matter decomposition process (Graça 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food preference of Phylloicus sp. (Insecta: Trichoptera): experimental study with plant species from the Cerrado

Almeida,

Brito,

Leite

et al. 2024

Biota Neotrop.

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The aquatic insects of the genus Phylloicus play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems, shredding leaves and contributing to nutrient cycling in streams. Therefore, this genus is often used in laboratory experiments. However, in Cerrado regions such as Araguaia, these studies are impractical due to a lack of knowledge about basic aspects, such as their feeding preferences for local plants. Hence, our objective is to determine the native plant species in the Araguaia region preferred as food by Phylloicus. We conducted an experimental study comparing the consumption of three native Cerrado plant species: Casearia sylvestris, Astronium fraxinifolium, and Ficus guaranítica by Phylloicus. To assess differences in consumption, we performed an Analysis of Variance. The results revealed that Phylloicus larvae exhibited a feeding preference for Casearia sylvestris (F = 9.71; p = 0.004). This finding will contribute to the development of future experimental studies using Phylloicus in the Araguaia region, as understanding the feeding preferences of animals used in experiments is essential for their maintenance in the laboratory.

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Effects of predation risk on invertebrate leaf-litter shredders in headwater streams in three Brazilian biomes

Cited by 7 publications

References 45 publications

Effect of intraspecific and interspecific competition on the facultative and obligatory shredders forage activity in subtropical system

Effect of intraspecific and interspecific competition on the facultative and obligatory shredders forage activity in subtropical system

Do methodological differences in experiments with stream shredders imply variability in outputs? A microcosm approach

Food preference of Phylloicus sp. (Insecta: Trichoptera): experimental study with plant species from the Cerrado

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