Light and nutrients regulate energy transfer through benthic and pelagic food chains

Rowland, Freya E.; Bricker, Kelley J.; Vanni, Michael J.; González, María J.

doi:10.1111/oik.02106

Cited by 23 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(98 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition, in contrast to several previous studies (Malzahn et al, 2007;Boersma et al, 2008;Dickman et al, 2008;Rowland et al, 2015), we found no strong evidence to support a carryover effect of food quality to carnivores, i.e. Interestingly, we found differential support for the role of food quantity and quality as potential drivers of carnivore production.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Previous experiments in these mesocosms have reported similar difficulty in collecting zooplankton for body nutrient analysis (Dickman et al, 2008;Rowland et al, 2015). Previous experiments in these mesocosms have reported similar difficulty in collecting zooplankton for body nutrient analysis (Dickman et al, 2008;Rowland et al, 2015).…”

Section: Chlorophyll and Nutrient Analysesmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Mesocosms were gravityfilled with water from a mesotrophic fishless pond at the ERC (hereafter the ERC pond) and are the same as those used in Dickman et al (2008) and Rowland et al (2015). Mesocosms were gravityfilled with water from a mesotrophic fishless pond at the ERC (hereafter the ERC pond) and are the same as those used in Dickman et al (2008) and Rowland et al (2015).…”

Section: Experimental Design and Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phytoplankton primary production (PPr) was quantified weekly using the 14 C uptake method of Fee (1990) as described by Dickman et al (2008) and Rowland et al (2015). This method uses chlorophyll-specific photosynthesis-irradiance curves (from 14 C incubations), as well as chlorophyll and light intensity from the mesocosms, to generate primary production rates.…”

Section: Phytoplankton Compositional Food Quality and Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food chain efficiency (FCE), i.e. In aquatic ecosystems, primary production, algal stoichiometry and species composition, and hence energy flow to higher trophic levels, are often constrained by light and/or nutrient supply (Sterner et al, 1997;Urabe et al, 2002;Dickman et al, 2008;van de Waal et al, 2010;Mette et al, 2011;Rowland et al, 2015), thus it is important to understand how these environmental drivers may impact FCE. In aquatic ecosystems, primary production, algal stoichiometry and species composition, and hence energy flow to higher trophic levels, are often constrained by light and/or nutrient supply (Sterner et al, 1997;Urabe et al, 2002;Dickman et al, 2008;van de Waal et al, 2010;Mette et al, 2011;Rowland et al, 2015), thus it is important to understand how these environmental drivers may impact FCE.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Carnivore identity mediates the effects of light and nutrients on aquatic food‐chain efficiency

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Food chain efficiency (FCE), the proportion of primary production converted to production of the top trophic level, can influence several ecosystem services as well as the biodiversity and productivity of each trophic level. Aquatic FCE is affected by light and nutrient supply, largely via effects on primary producer stoichiometry that propagate to herbivores and then carnivores. Here, we test the hypothesis that the identity of the top carnivore mediates FCE responses to changes in light and nutrient supply. We conducted a large‐scale, 6‐week mesocosm experiment in which we manipulated light and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) supply and the identity of the carnivore in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. We quantified the response of FCE and the biomass and productivity of each trophic level (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and carnivore). We used an invertebrate, Chaoborus americanus, and a vertebrate, bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), as the two carnivores in this study because of the large difference in phosphorus requirements between these taxa. We predicted that bluegill would be more likely to experience P‐limitation due to higher P requirements, and hence that FCE would be lower in the bluegill treatments than in the Chaoborus treatments. We also expected the interactive effect of light and nutrients to be stronger in the bluegill treatments. Within a carnivore treatment, we predicted highest FCE under low light and high nutrient supply, as these conditions would produce high‐quality (low C:nutrient) algal resources. In contrast, if food quantity had a stronger effect on carnivore production than food quality, carnivore production would increase proportionally with primary production, thus FCE would be similar across light and nutrient treatments. Carnivore identity mediated the effects of light and nutrients on FCE, and as predicted FCE was higher in food chains with Chaoborus than with bluegill. Also as predicted, FCE in Chaoborus treatments was higher under low light. However, FCE in bluegill treatments was higher at high light supply, opposite to our predictions. In addition, bluegill production increased proportionally with primary production, while Chaoborus production was not correlated with primary production, suggesting that bluegill responded more strongly to food quantity than to food quality. These carnivore taxa differ in traits other than body stoichiometry, for example, feeding selectivity, which may have contributed to the observed differences in FCE between carnivores. Comparison of our results with those from previous experiments showed that FCE responds similarly to light and nutrients in food chains with Chaoborus and larval fish (gizzard shad: Clupeidae), but very differently in food chains with bluegill. These findings warrant further investigation into the mechanisms related to carnivore identity (e.g., developmental stage, feeding selectivity) underlying these responses, and highlight the importance of considering both top‐down and bottom‐up effects when evaluating food c...

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Chlorophyll and Nutrient Analysesmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Experimental Design and Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Phytoplankton Compositional Food Quality and Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Carnivore identity mediates the effects of light and nutrients on aquatic food‐chain efficiency

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Light and nutrient supply mediate intraspecific variation in the nutrient stoichiometry of juvenile fish

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Intraspecific variation in the nutrient stoichiometry of animals and their waste products can be substantial, but the factors mediating this variation are unclear. We experimentally manipulated light, nutrient supply, and nutrient ratio (N:P) in a field experiment to generate variation in algal quantity and elemental composition, and assessed the stoichiometric responses of juvenile carnivorous fish (bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus). Algal quantity (primary production) and stoichiometry (ratios of carbon [C], nitrogen [N], and phosphorus [P]) varied greatly in response to manipulations, as did bluegill body and excretion stoichiometry. Algal primary production (PPr) was greatest at high light and high P supply (HL HP). Algal stoichiometry responded in accordance with the light:nutrient hypothesis; that is, C:P ratios were highest at HL LP and lowest at LL HP. Variation in fish body stoichiometry was strongly related to basal resource supply (PPr), while excretion stoichiometry was driven by both PPr and algal stoichiometry. Bluegill growth and body C and N concentrations were highest at HL HN and lowest at LL LN, whereas body P showed the opposite pattern. Thus, bluegill body C:P, C:N, and N:P were highest under HL HN and lowest under LL LN. Per capita excretion rates of bluegill were strongly related to body mass and hence were highest at HL HN, where fish grew largest. However, P excretion rates normalized for body mass increased with phytoplankton P and zooplankton production. In accordance with ecological stoichiometry theory, N:P excretion ratio increased with basal resource (algal) N:P and decreased with estimated bluegill P ingestion. Variation in both body and excretion stoichiometry in this single cohort of fish was comparable to or exceeded variation observed in other studies of bluegill stoichiometry across multiple ecosystems. Our results illustrate the pronounced intraspecific variation in carnivore nutrient stoichiometry as a function of basal resource quantity and quality.

show abstract

Litter P content drives consumer production in detritus‐based streams spanning an experimental N:P gradient

Demi

Benstead

Rosemond

et al. 2018

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecological stoichiometry theory (EST) is a key framework for predicting how variation in N:P supply ratios influences biological processes, at molecular to ecosystem scales, by altering the availability of C, N, and P relative to organismal requirements. We tested EST predictions by fertilizing five forest streams at different dissolved molar N:P ratios (2, 8, 16, 32, 128) for two years and tracking responses of macroinvertebrate consumers to the resulting steep experimental gradient in basal resource stoichiometry (leaf litter %N, %P, and N:P). Nitrogen and P content of leaf litter, the dominant basal resource, increased in all five streams following enrichment, with steepest responses in litter %P and N:P ratio. Additionally, increases in primary consumer biomass and production occurred in all five streams following N and P enrichment (averages across all streams: biomass by 1.2×, production by 1.6×). Patterns of both biomass and production were best predicted by leaf litter N:P and %P and were unrelated to leaf litter %N. Primary consumer production increased most in streams where decreases in leaf litter N:P were largest. Macroinvertebrate predator biomass and production were also strongly positively related to litter %P, providing robust experimental evidence for the primacy of P limitation at multiple trophic levels in these ecosystems. However, production of predatory macroinvertebrates was not related directly to primary consumer production, suggesting the importance of additional controls for macroinvertebrates at upper trophic positions. Our results reveal potential drivers of animal production in detritus-based ecosystems, including the relative importance of resource quality vs. quantity. Our study also sheds light on the more general impacts of variation in N:P supply ratio on nutrient-poor ecosystems, providing strong empirical support for predictions that nutrient enrichment increases food web productivity whenever large elemental imbalances between basal resources and consumer demand are reduced.

show abstract

Light and nutrients regulate energy transfer through benthic and pelagic food chains

Cited by 23 publications

References 59 publications

Carnivore identity mediates the effects of light and nutrients on aquatic food‐chain efficiency

Carnivore identity mediates the effects of light and nutrients on aquatic food‐chain efficiency

Light and nutrient supply mediate intraspecific variation in the nutrient stoichiometry of juvenile fish

Litter P content drives consumer production in detritus‐based streams spanning an experimental N:P gradient

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About