Elemental concentrations in the frass of saproxylic insects suggest a role in micronutrient cycling

Chen, Yi‐an; Forschler, Brian T.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.1300

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Some studies have focused on long-term patterns of nutrient mineralization, mobilization, input, and accumulation (e.g., Swift et al 1979;Boddy and Watkinson 1995;Laiho and Prescott 2004;Strukelj et al 2017;Yuan et al 2017), and their emphasis on C sequestration and nutrient availability in entire ecosystems leaves open the possibility of deeper investigation of the nutritional relationships between wood and saproxylophagous insects. These relationships may be central to the decomposition of dead wood and nutrient cycling in ecosystems (Chen and Forschler 2016). Phosphorous is one of the most limiting elements for organisms feeding on dead plant matter, and this limitation is considerably mitigated by decomposing fungi (Filipiak 2016;Filipiak et al 2016).…”

Section: Nitrogen Is An Important But Not the Only Important Elemenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, many researchers continue to focus on C:N:P stoichiometry (e.g., Sitters et al 2017;Meunier et al 2017;Welti et al 2017;Zhang and Elser 2017;Cherif et al 2017, but see Jeyasingh et al 2017, which discusses shifts from single-nutrient models to more complex, multiplenutrient models that predict co-limitation), so future studies should fill this gap. Considering a larger number of limiting elements may elucidate the mechanisms that shape ecological interactions and the functioning of food webs (Chen and Forschler 2016;Filipiak 2016;Filipiak and Weiner 2017b), thus illuminating the multielemental nutritional limitations imposed on the growth and development of saproxylophagous insects that include P, N, K, Na, Mg, Zn, and Cu (Filipiak and Weiner 2017a).…”

Section: Nitrogen Is An Important But Not the Only Important Elemenmentioning

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: Nitrogen Is An Important But Not the Only Important Elemenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nitrogen Is An Important But Not the Only Important Elemenmentioning

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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“…This difference subsequently affects the nutritional limitations of producers (for a detailed analysis see [45]). This phenomenon regulates the flow of matter in ecosystems [46][47][48][49]. A nutritional limitation may also travel up the food chain [50].…”

Section: Plant-herbivore Interactions In the Framework Of Ecological mentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…The richness and abundance of some taxons may not be directly related to the extent or complexity of the fragment but they are influenced by other factors, such as habitat heterogeneity, food availability and the microclimate inside of the forest fragment [45]. Thus, different litterfall conditions and management can directly interfere with the distribution of species abundance, which may, in turn, interfere with the patterns of nutrient recycling [46], given the particular ecological niches of arthropod species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Biodiversity in Urban Forests as a Consequence of Litterfall Management: Implications for São Paulo’s Ecosystem Services

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The growth of urban centers, along with the fragmentation of natural habitats, can interfere with the distribution pattern of species and their abundance, thus compromising the conservation of urban biodiversity. Principal players in this biodiversity are arthropods that help to decompose litterfall, favoring the recycling of nutrients and, hence, are an important part in sustaining the forest fragments that remain in urban areas. Therefore, it is important to study arthropod biodiversity in green urban areas, especially those areas where litterfall management is an important part of maintaining biodiversity. Accordingly, this study evaluated arthropod diversity associated with litterfall in three urban forests with different size and litterfall management practices, including Água Branca Park (ABP) and Tietê Ecological Park (TEP)-Núcleo Engenheiro Goulart in São Paulo City and Chico Mendes Park (CMP) in Osasco City, all belonging to the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil. Four litterfall harvests were carried out in each park between April and August of 2015 with twelve samples collected with a wood mold (30-cmx30-cm) at randomly points on the forest floor. The collected material was then screened in the laboratory and the arthropods were visually separated and preserved in alcohol 70%. Arthropods were classified by the order to which they belonged. Litterfall was dried in a forced air oven at 65 • C for seven days. Dried litterfall was then separated into leaves, branches, reproductive parts and miscellaneous fragments and weighed. Arthropod diversity was measured by Shannon, Margalef and Pielou indexes and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) using the Manhattan distance index. Litterfall weight was compared by one-way ANOVA. The orders Hymenoptera, Collembola and Isopoda were dominant in CMP, ABP and TEP, respectively but multiple rare orders had a presence in all parks, albeit at different abundance. NMDS showed abundance similarity among the parks; however, TEP showed greater richness, Shannon diversity and evenness. The fractions of leaf litterfall and reproductive parts were different between the CMP and TEP. Overall, our results confirm that neither litterfall management, nor park size, is a final determinant of arthropod distribution, even though the abundance of dominant species was shown to differ in each park.

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Elemental concentrations in the frass of saproxylic insects suggest a role in micronutrient cycling

Cited by 17 publications

References 60 publications

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

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

Plant–insect interactions: the role of ecological stoichiometry

Soil Biodiversity in Urban Forests as a Consequence of Litterfall Management: Implications for São Paulo’s Ecosystem Services

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