Biological Stoichiometry: The Elements at the Heart of Biological Interactions

Cherif, Mehdi

doi:10.5772/34528

Cited by 6 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…In this context, the growth and development of dead wood-eating beetles may be co-limited by the scarcity of non-sugar nutrients in dead wood, including essential bioelements such as N, P, K, Na, Mg, Zn, and Cu (Filipiak andWeiner 2014, 2017a;Filipiak et al 2016). The limitations imposed by differences between nutritional demand (the nutritional needs of growing organisms) and supply (the availability of the nutrients required in an environment) can determine the fitness of an organism and may influence its ecological interactions (Haack and Slansky 1987;Sterner and Elser 2002;Pokarzhevskii et al 2003;Cherif 2012;Kaspari and Powers 2016). A mismatch between the nutritional composition of food and the requirements of a consumer can limit the growth and development of the consumer even when potential foods are available in excess (Haack and Slansky 1987;Sterner and Elser 2002), which raises the following question: How do wood-eating insects obtain the nutrients required for growth and development?…”

Section: Background: Nutritional Scarcity In Dead Wood and Why It Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the growth and development of an organism may be compromised when food sources are nutrient limited, so adult fitness may be affected when deficiencies occur during the juvenile stage. Herbivores and detritivores rely on diets that are rich in energy but scarce in the components used for development and maintenance (e.g., metalloproteins, phospholipids, and amino acids, i.e., molecules rich in N, P, S, and metals), so the development and growth of these organisms may be limited by food quality, which is defined by the availability of (1) the nutrients required for growth and development and (2) the energy needed to fuel the biochemical processes contributing to growth and development as well as movement and foraging or, more simply, any action undertaken by an organism (Sterner and Hessen 1994;Sterner and Elser 2002;Pokarzhevskii et al 2003;Cherif 2012;Kaspari and Powers 2016). Accordingly, saproxylophages (organisms that consume dead wood at any stage of decomposition) experience extremely severe nutritional limitations because their food (dead wood) almost exclusively consists of polysaccharides and lignin and therefore lacks other nutrients (Filipiak andWeiner 2014, 2017a).…”

Section: Background: Nutritional Scarcity In Dead Wood and Why It Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nutrient Dynamics in Decomposing Dead Wood in the Context of Wood Eater Requirements: The Ecological Stoichiometry of Saproxylophagous Insects

Filipiak

2018

Zoological Monographs

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Dead wood is rich in sugars and can serve as an energy source when digested, but it lacks other nutrients, preventing the growth, development, and maturation of saproxylophages (saproxylic organisms that consume dead wood at any stage of decomposition). Split into atoms, sugars only serve as a source of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, thereby providing insufficient nutrition for saproxylophages and for their digestive tract symbionts, despite the ability of certain symbionts to assimilate nitrogen directly from the air. Ecological stoichiometry framework was applied to understand how nutritional scarcity shapes saproxylophage-dead wood interactions. Dead wood is 1-3 orders of magnitude inadequate in biologically essential elements (N, P, K, Na, Mg, Zn, and Cu), compared to requirements of its consumers, preventing the production of necessary organic compounds, thus limiting saproxylophages' growth, development, and maintenance. However, the wood is nutritionally unstable. During decomposition, concentrations of the biologically essential elements increase promoting saproxylophage development. Three mechanisms contribute to the nutrient dynamics in dead wood: (1) C loss, which increases the concentration of other essential elements, (2) N fixation by prokaryotes, and (3) fungal transport of outside nutrients. Prokaryotic N fixation partially mitigates the limitations on saproxylophages by the scarcity of N, often the most limiting nutrient, but co-limitation by seven elements (N, P, K, Na, Mg, Zn, and Cu) may occur. Fungal transport can shape nutrient dynamics early in wood decay, rearranging extremely scarce nutritional composition of dead wood environment during its initial stage of decomposition and assisting saproxylophage growth and development. This transport considerably alters the relative and total amounts of non-C elements, mitigating also nutritional constraints experienced by saproxylophages inhabiting such nutritionally enriched wood during

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Section: Background: Nutritional Scarcity In Dead Wood and Why It Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background: Nutritional Scarcity In Dead Wood and Why It Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient Dynamics in Decomposing Dead Wood in the Context of Wood Eater Requirements: The Ecological Stoichiometry of Saproxylophagous Insects

Filipiak

2018

Zoological Monographs

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“…The framework of ecological stoichiometry was introduced to elucidate the ecological interactions resulting from the fundamental need for elements and energy. Ecological stoichiometry extends the traditional approach focused on energy flows by introducing the concepts of mass flow and element cycling in ecosystems [1,2,4,9]. In this context, key life-history traits (growth rate, body size, trophic position, etc.)…”

Section: Ecological Stoichiometry Is An Elementary Approach To Balancmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, limitations imposed by the differences between demand and supply may determine the fitness of an organism and influence its ecological interactions [1][2][3][4]. The framework of ecological stoichiometry was introduced to elucidate the ecological interactions resulting from the fundamental need for elements and energy.…”

Section: Ecological Stoichiometry Is An Elementary Approach To Balancmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the diversity and complexity of structures, forms, and functions, all organisms consist of exactly the same building blocks of approximately 25 chemical elements, and these blocks are completed and maintained with the use of energy [1][2][3]. These elements, however, compose the bodies of living organisms in various proportions, what is crucial for ecological interactions and influence the function of whole ecosystems (e.g., [1,2,4,[9][10][11][12]). The most influential feature of the elements that shape ecological interactions is that specific atoms must not be transformed into different atoms during processed by the organism.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Plant–insect interactions: the role of ecological stoichiometry

Filipiak

Weiner

2017

Acta Agrobot

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The energy budget of organisms is a primary factor used to generate hypotheses in ecosystem ecology and evolutionary theory. Therefore, previous studies have focused on the energy costs and benefits of adaptations, the efficiency of energy acquisition and investment, and energy budget limitations. The maintenance of stoichiometric balance is equally important because inconsistency between the chemical composition of the consumer's tissues and that of its food sources strongly affects the major life-history traits of the consumer and may influence the consumer's fitness and shape plant-herbivore interactions. In this short review, the framework of ecological stoichiometry is introduced, focusing on plant-insect interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. The use of the trophic stoichiometric ratio (TSR) index is presented as a useful tool for indicating the chemical elements that are scarce in food and have the potential to limit the growth and development of herbivores, thereby influencing plant -herbivorous insect interactions. As an example, the elemental composition and stoichiometry of a pollen consumer (mason bee Osmia bicornis) and its preferred pollen are compared. The growth and development of O. bicornis may be colimited by the scarcity of K, Na, and N in pollen, whereas the development of the cocoon might be colimited by the scarcity of P, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Ca, and N. A literature review of the elemental composition of pollen shows high taxonomical variability in the concentrations of bee-limiting elements. The optimized collection of pollen species based on the elemental composition may represent a strategy used by bees to overcome stoichiometric mismatches, influencing their interactions with plants. It is concluded that the dependence of life-history traits on food stoichiometry should be considered when discussing life history evolution and plant-herbivore interactions. The TSR index may serve as a convenient and powerful tool in studies investigating plant-insect interactions.

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