Using a gradient in food quality to infer drivers of fatty acid content in two filter-feeding aquatic consumers

Larson, James H.; Richardson, William B.; Vallazza, Jon M.; Bartsch, Lynn A.; Bartsch, Michelle R.

doi:10.1007/s00027-017-0537-0

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The reason that dreissenid mussels were generally avoided by round gobies may be because the invasive mussels are characterised by a hard shell with byssal threads that can increase the round goby handling time compared to benthic prey, such as Gastropoda, which have a thinner shell and lack of attachment making them a more energetically profitable prey (Kipp et al., 2012). Also, dreissenid mussels can accumulate a lesser total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids and be of lower nutritional value compared to other macroinvertebrates (Larson et al., 2017). Round gobies may not have been able to spend additional energy diverting to pelagic prey, such as visually hunting for crustacean zooplankton and handling dreissenid mussels, at low water‐conductivity sites and opted for easily available benthic prey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological impact of a generalist invader in the aquatic food web is mediated by environmental context

Charette,

Derry

2024

Freshwater Biology

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Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by the introduction of invasive species. Generalist invaders often compete with native species for shared resources, resulting in possible native species niche displacement. However, environmental heterogeneity may modulate the level of individual specialisation in invasive species, altering the outcome of interspecific competition between invasive and native species. The objectives of our study were to (1) evaluate the environmental context of dietary specialisation and trophic position of an invasive species according to the Environmental Matching Hypothesis (EMH), and (2) consider how the environmental context of invasive species dietary resource use may influence the dietary niche of native species competing for similar resources. Resource use, trophic position and dietary niche were determined using gut content and stable isotope analyses for the invasive round goby (Negobius melanostomus) and the native yellow perch (Perca flavescens), along environmental gradients in an invaded fluvial ecosystem. Our results were in support of EMH for the invader diet and resource specialisation, but not trophic position. Under environmental conditions of high water‐conductivity, round gobies were generalists feeding mostly on pelagic prey. Under more challenging environmental conditions of low water‐conductivity, the invader specialised on preferred high‐quality benthic prey. The ecological impact of the round goby was greatest at low water‐conductivity sites where the invader was a benthic specialist; there was a greater relative dietary niche overlap between the invader and the native species. Our study uniquely illustrates how invasive species’ resource specialisation can be modulated by spatial environmental heterogeneity within ecosystems, and how this can subsequently alter the ecological impact of the invader on native species in aquatic food webs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological impact of a generalist invader in the aquatic food web is mediated by environmental context

Charette,

Derry

2024

Freshwater Biology

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“…As HUFAs are vital for organismal functioning, they are bio‐accumulated, preferentially stored, and spared in fat burning as compared to other FAs (Twining et al ., 2016). As a result, carnivores are expected to be less prone to HUFA deficiencies compared to first‐order consumers (Larson et al ., 2017). Animals that have diets typically rich in HUFAs and/or DHA have poor to no capacity to make these compounds from PUFA precursors (Twining et al ., 2016), including aquatic first‐order consumers like Daphnia (Larson et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Essential Micronutrients Responses To Increased N Depositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, carnivores are expected to be less prone to HUFA deficiencies compared to first‐order consumers (Larson et al ., 2017). Animals that have diets typically rich in HUFAs and/or DHA have poor to no capacity to make these compounds from PUFA precursors (Twining et al ., 2016), including aquatic first‐order consumers like Daphnia (Larson et al ., 2017). If N deposition promotes protein synthesis and cellular growth, thereby increasing HUFA demand, this may lead to HUFA deficiencies, particularly in aquatic consumers, which will be aggravated when N deposition favours low‐HUFA‐containing species like diatoms (Gomes et al ., 2016).…”

Section: Essential Micronutrients Responses To Increased N Depositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a mechanistic understanding of the impacts of nitrogen deposition on producer–consumer interactions

et al. 2023

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Nitrogen (N) deposition has increased substantially since the second half of the 20th century due to human activities. This increase of reactive N into the biosphere has major implications for ecosystem functioning, including primary production, soil and water chemistry and producer community structure and diversity. Increased N deposition is also linked to the decline of insects observed over recent decades. However, we currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the effects of high N deposition on individual fitness, species richness and community structure of both invertebrate and vertebrate consumers. Here, we review the effects of N deposition on producer–consumer interactions, focusing on five existing ecological frameworks: C:N:P ecological stoichiometry, trace element ecological stoichiometry, nutritional geometry, essential micronutrients and allelochemicals. We link reported N deposition‐mediated changes in producer quality to life‐history strategies and traits of consumers, to gain a mechanistic understanding of the direction of response in consumers. We conclude that high N deposition influences producer quality via eutrophication and acidification pathways. This makes oligotrophic poorly buffered ecosystems most vulnerable to significant changes in producer quality. Changes in producer quality between the reviewed frameworks are often interlinked, complicating predictions of the effects of high N deposition on producer quality. The degree and direction of fitness responses of consumers to changes in producer quality varies among species but can be explained by differences in life‐history traits and strategies, particularly those affecting species nutrient intake regulation, mobility, relative growth rate, host‐plant specialisation, ontogeny and physiology. To increase our understanding of the effects of N deposition on these complex mechanisms, the inclusion of life‐history traits of consumer species in future study designs is pivotal. Based on the reviewed literature, we formulate five hypotheses on the mechanisms underlying the effects of high N deposition on consumers, by linking effects of nutritional ecological frameworks to life‐history strategies. Importantly, we expect that N‐deposition‐mediated changes in producer quality will result in a net decrease in consumer community as well as functional diversity. Moreover, we anticipate an increased risk of outbreak events of a small subset of generalist species, with concomitant declines in a multitude of specialist species. Overall, linking ecological frameworks with consumer life‐history strategies provides a mechanistic understanding of the impacts of high N deposition on producer–consumer interactions, which can inform management towards more effective mitigation strategies.

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Quality and contribution of food sources to Australian lungfish evaluated using fatty acids and stable isotopes

et al. 2019

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Using a gradient in food quality to infer drivers of fatty acid content in two filter-feeding aquatic consumers

Cited by 4 publications

References 37 publications

Ecological impact of a generalist invader in the aquatic food web is mediated by environmental context

Ecological impact of a generalist invader in the aquatic food web is mediated by environmental context

Towards a mechanistic understanding of the impacts of nitrogen deposition on producer–consumer interactions

Quality and contribution of food sources to Australian lungfish evaluated using fatty acids and stable isotopes

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