Leaf-conditioning by microorganisms

Bärlocher, Feli×; Kendrick, Bryce

doi:10.1007/bf00345526

Cited by 162 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Fungal and bacterial cues, therefore, may be more specific cues for decaying leaves than algal cues, since algae also grow on mineral substrates and then do not contribute to leaf decomposition. Our findings are consistent with other observations that all showed a preference of Gammarus to fungi-conditioned leaves (Ba¨rlocher & Kendrick, 1975;Sutcliffe et al, 1981;Grac¸a et al, 1993a). This preference is explained from the presence of aquatic hyphomycetes that degrade the pectic polymers in leaf cell walls (Chamier & Dixon, 1982).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Attraction of the amphipod Gammarus pulex to water-borne cues of food

et al. 2005

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We examined the ability of the amphipod Gammarus pulex to detect chemical cues released from potential food sources. Therefore, response of G. pulex to chemical cues from food was tested in paired-choice laboratory experiments. Comparisons were made between artificial and natural leaves, with and without the importance of aufwuchs, and with different components of the aufwuchs community. Our study demonstrated that G. pulex actively chose its food and that G. pulex is most strongly attracted to the aufwuchs on discs rather than to the leaf itself. Fungi and bacteria are more important in the food selection process than algae probably because fungal and bacterial cues are more specific cues for decaying leaves than algal cues, since algae also grow on mineral substrates and then do not contribute to leaf decomposition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Attraction of the amphipod Gammarus pulex to water-borne cues of food

et al. 2005

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“…Shredder feeding rates are indirectly influenced by the activity and diversity of microbial decomposers that enhance leaf palatability and can also modulate leaf consumption by shredders through selective feeding on particular hyphomycete taxa (Bärlocher and Kendrick, 1975, Arsuffi and Suberkropp, 1989. Consequently, any modification in the structure and function of leaf-associated microbial communities can potentially alter the transfer of matter and energy to the upper trophic levels in detrital foodwebs .…”

Section: Drought and Tbz Stress Effects Along The Aquatic Detrital Fomentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined effects of drought and the fungicide tebuconazole on aquatic leaf litter decomposition

et al. 2016

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Highlights• The combined effects of drought and the fungicide tebuconazole on aquatic leaf litter decomposition (LLD) were assessed.• TBZ applied alone had no significant effect on LLD.• Drought strongly impacted the microbial LLD process and led to cascading effects on Gammarus feeding.• Structural and functional effects increased when drought and TBZ were applied simultaneously. AbstractLoss of biodiversity and altered ecosystem functioning are driven by the cumulative effects of multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors affecting both quantity and quality of water resources. Here we performed a 40-day laboratory microcosm experiment to assess the individual and combined effects of drought and the model fungicide tebuconazole (TBZ) on leaf litter decomposition (LLD), a fundamental biogeochemical process in freshwater ecosystems. Starting out from a worst-case scenario perspective, leaf-associated microbial communities were exposed to severe drought conditions (four 5-day drought periods alternated with 4-day immersion periods) and/or a chronic exposure to TBZ (nominal concentration of 20 µg L−1). We assessed the direct effects of drought and fungicide on the structure (biomass, diversity) and activity (extracellular enzymatic potential) of fungal and bacterial assemblages colonizing leaves. We also investigated indirect effects on the feeding rates of the amphipod Gammarus fossarum on leaves previously exposed to drought and/or TBZ contamination. Results indicate a stronger effect of drought stress than fungicide contamination under the experimental conditions applied. Indeed, the drought stress strongly impacted microbial community structure and activities, inhibiting the LLD process and leading to cascading effects on macroinvertebrate feeding. However, despite the lack of significant effect of TBZ applied alone, the effects of drought on microbial functions (i.e., decrease in LLD and in enzymatic activities) and on Gammarus feeding rates were more pronounced when drought and TBZ stresses were applied together. In a perspective of ecological risk assessment and ecosystem management for sustainability, these findings stress the need for deeper insight into how multiple stressors can affect the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and associated services.

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“…Microbes, aquatic hyphomycetes in particular, macerate the leaf matrix by the activities of extracellular enzymes (Chamier and Dixon 1982), convert organic carbon into fungal biomass (mycelium and conidia; Gessner and Chauvet 1994;Gulis and Suberkropp 2003;Ferreira et al 2012), and mineralize it (Gulis and Suberkropp 2003), which leads to litter mass loss (Hieber and Gessner 2002). The accumulation of fungal biomass and the maceration of litter increase the litter quality for invertebrate detritivores, whose feeding activities lead to further litter mass loss (Bärlocher and Kendrick 1975;Graça et al 2001;Chung and Suberkropp 2009). Therefore, any changes in microbial colonization and conditioning of submerged leaf litter can be carried over to higher trophic levels, with effects on litter decomposition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of experimental and seasonal warming on litter decomposition in a temperate stream

Ferreira

Canhoto

2013

Aquat Sci

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Litter decomposition, a fundamental ecosystem process in woodland streams, is potentially affected by the predicted increase in water temperature. Here, we assessed the effects of experimental and seasonal warming on oak litter decomposition and on the relative contributions of microbes and invertebrates to this process. Experimental warming (*3°C) stimulated litter decomposition in the coldest, but not in the warmest, months. This may be attributed to (1) higher temperature sensitivity of decomposition at lower ambient temperature due to temperature limitation of enzymatic activity, (2) higher relative temperature increase in winter than in warmer months, (3) existence of a previous warming period in winter, and (4) stronger stimulation of the activity of detritivores by warming in winter due to the prevalence of earlier (smaller) instars than in warmer months. The low response of litter decomposition to warming may have been due to the low nutrient availability in the study stream. The 30-day litter decomposition was stimulated over the seasonal gradient (monthly mean temperature: 6-16°C), which may be attributed to a stimulation of metabolic activities by warming and to changes in detritivore life history over the seasons. The stimulation of litter decomposition with temperature suggests that the rate of CO 2 release from freshwaters will increase under global warming. However, invertebrate-driven litter decomposition was more responsive to warming than microbial-driven litter decomposition, suggesting that a larger fraction of litter carbon may be converted into secondary production and stored in the system for longer periods.

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Leaf-conditioning by microorganisms

Cited by 162 publications

References 9 publications

Attraction of the amphipod Gammarus pulex to water-borne cues of food

Attraction of the amphipod Gammarus pulex to water-borne cues of food

Combined effects of drought and the fungicide tebuconazole on aquatic leaf litter decomposition

Effect of experimental and seasonal warming on litter decomposition in a temperate stream

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