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Effects of connectivity, dispersal directionality and functional traits on the metacommunity structure of river benthic diatoms
No full textAim
Dendritic ecological networks (DENs), such as river systems, combine features that challenge the traditional conceptual views and empirical approaches applied to metacommunities. As a result of their dendritic branching geometry and stream flow directionality, they are strongly hierarchical and asymmetrical. We analysed the metacommunity structure of benthic diatoms in a large-scale river system with the aim of evaluating the importance of potential causal influences. Furthermore, we hypothesized that metacommunities of diatoms that are strongly attached to their substrata show a different spatial structure than metacommunities of other, more weakly attached diatoms.
Location
The study was carried out in the Dong River, a 32,275 km2 subtropical river network located in southern China.
Methods
We surveyed benthic diatom communities during three seasons (dry, intermediate and wet). Using partial redundancy analysis, we partitioned community variation among environmental models and different spatial eigenfunction models to evaluate the influence of alternative dispersal pathways (overland versus water course dispersal), stream directionality, man-made dams and diatom functional traits on diatom metacommunity structure.
Results
Models based on hydrological connections and water directionality represent spatial patterns better than overland distances, suggesting that the dynamics of benthic diatom metacommunities are mainly confined to the river network and influenced by the prevailing water flow. We found significant effects of man-made dams on the spatial structure of important limnological variables and diatom metacommunity structure. The metacommunity of strongly attached diatoms also showed a weaker signature of flow directionality than that of other growth forms, especially in seasons with high water levels.
Main conclusions
We conclude that the consideration of among-site connectivity, flow directionality and species traits is key to a better understanding of the spatial ecology of passively dispersing microbial organisms in river systems.
Soil microbial community structure of range-expanding plant species differs from co-occurring natives
No full text1.
Due to global warming and other changes in the environment, many native and exotic plant species show range expansion from lower to higher latitudes. In the new range, the (in)ability of range-expanding plants to establish associations with local soil microbes can have important consequences for plant abundance; however, very little information exists on rhizosphere communities of range-expanding plant species. Here, we examine the rhizosphere microbial community composition of range-expanding plant species in comparison with phylogenetically related species that are native in the invaded range.
2.
We tested the hypothesis that range-expanding plants species would promote fewer shifts in rhizosphere communities than congeneric natives would. In order to test this, soil was collected from the invaded habitat and six range-expanding and nine congeneric natives were planted individually in pots to condition soil microbial communities.
3.
After harvesting, individuals of the same species were planted in conditioned own and control soils to test the legacy effects of soil conditioning on biomass production. The control soils were mixtures of soils conditioned by all other plant species, except congenerics. After 10 weeks of plant growth, we determined the rhizosphere community composition of bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Fusarium spp.
4.
All groups of microbes were analysed qualitatively using denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Ergosterol was determined as a quantitative measure of nonarbuscular mycorrhizal fungal biomass, and real-time PCR was applied to detect amounts of Fusarium spp.
5.
Range-expanding plants had less fungal hyphal biomass and lower amounts of Fusarium spp. in the rhizosphere than congenerics. Bacterial community composition was influenced by a combination of soil conditioning and plant origin, whereas fungal communities, AMF and Fusarium spp. were less pronounced in their responses to the experimental treatments.
6.
Synthesis. We conclude that the lack of legacy effects in range-expanding plant species compared with natives may be due to differences in bacterial rhizosphere community composition, or to different quantities of potential pathogenic fungi. If the range-expanding plant species were benefiting more from AMF, effects will not have been due to differences in community composition, but we cannot exclude other options, such as different effectiveness of AMF or other soil biota in the rhizosphere of range-expanding vs. native plant species. The greater accumulation of bacterial and fungal pathogens in the rhizosphere of natives in relation to range expanders might explain the successful establishment of range-expanding plants.
Plankton dynamics under different climate conditions in tropical freshwater systems (a reply to the comment by Sarmento et al. 2013)
No full text1.In our recent contribution to the special issue on plankton dynamics in a fast-changing world, we outlined some general predictions of plankton dynamics in different climate regions now and in future, building on the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model (de Senerpont Domis et al., 2013).
2.We proposed a stylised version of plankton dynamics in Fig. 3 of our article and stated that these patterns need to be further elaborated. Our figure displays annual plankton dynamics now and in future in oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes in arctic, temperate and tropical climate zones.
3.We fully agree with Sarmento, Amado & Descy (2013) that more data on tropical regions are needed, and we are looking forward to the emergence of published data from tropical regions to extend our still-limited understanding of plankton dynamics in these regions.
4.Sarmento et al. (2013) did not agree with our predictions on plankton dynamics for hydrology-driven water systems in the tropics. Unfortunately, however, Sarmento et al. (2013) did not substantiate their statements with the much-needed data on plankton dynamics in the tropics. Moreover, they merely provide an overview of precipitation patterns in the tropics, not an alternative hypothesis for our predictions.
Soil microbial diversity patterns of a lowland spring environment
No full textThe Po river plain lowland springs represent unique paradigms of managed environments. Their current locations used to be swamps that were drained 6–7 centuries ago, and they have been in constant use ever since. Our aims were to identify the effects of land use on the microbial communities of these soils, look for associated diversity drivers, and assess the applicability of ecology theories with respect to identified patterns. We screened the microbial diversity across a land use transect via high-throughput sequencing of partial 16S rrRNA gene amplicons. Land use had a major effect on soil properties and microbial community structures. Total organic carbon and pH were major diversity drivers for Bacteria, and pH was important for Archaea. We identified the potential contribution of soil amendments to the indigenous microbial communities, and also gained insights into potential roles of taxa in the organic carbon turnover. Verrucomicrobia coincided with the higher values of the recalcitrant organic carbon. Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria correlated with the more labile organic carbon. Finally, the higher diversity found in the soils less enzymatically active and relatively poorer in nutrients, may be explained to an extent by niche-based theories such as the resource heterogeneity hypothesis and Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis.
Soil Bacterial Diversity and Structure not Necessarily Reflect the Community Function in the Pampa Biome
No full textThe Pampa biome is considered one of the main hotspots of the world’s biodiversity and it is estimated that half of its original vegetation was removed and converted to agricultural land and tree plantations. Although an increasing amount of knowledge is being assembled regarding the response of soil bacterial communities to land use change, to the associated plant community and to soil properties, our understanding about how these interactions affect the microbial community from the Brazilian Pampa is still poor and incomplete. In this study, we hypothesized that the same soil type from the same geographic region but under distinct land use present dissimilar soil bacterial communities. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the soil bacterial communities from four land-uses within the same soil type by 454-pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene and by soil microbial activity analyzes. We found that the same soil type under different land uses harbor similar (but not equal) bacterial communities and the differences were controlled by many microbial taxa. No differences regarding diversity and richness between natural areas and areas under anthropogenic disturbance were detected. However, the measures of microbial activity did not converge with the 16S rRNA data supporting the idea that the coupling between functioning and composition of bacterial communities is not necessarily correlated.
Geography and Cartography of the Left Periphery. The Case of Dutch and German Imperatives.
No full textComplete genome sequence of Nitrosomonas sp. Is79, an ammonia oxidizing bacterium adapted to low ammonium concentrations
No full textNitrosomonas sp. Is79 is a chemolithoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium that belongs to the family Nitrosomonadaceae within the phylum Proteobacteria. Ammonia oxidation is the first step of nitrification, an important process in the global nitrogen cycle ultimately resulting in the production of nitrate. Nitrosomonas sp. Is79 is an ammonia oxidizer of high interest because it is adapted to low ammonium and can be found in freshwater environments around the world. The 3,783,444-bp chromosome with a total of 3,553 protein coding genes and 44 RNA genes was sequenced by the DOE-Joint Genome Institute Program CSP 2006. [KEYWORDS: Nitrosomonas Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria Ammonia oxidation nitrification nitrogen cycle freshwater oligotrophic DIFFERENT SENSITIVITIES KDP-ATPASE RNA GENES NOV-SP EUROPAEA NICHE MODEL PROTEOBACTERIA MULTIFORMIS EXPRESSION]
Integrating movement ecology with biodiversity research-exploring new avenues to address spatiotemporal biodiversity dynamics
No full textMovement of organisms is one of the key mechanisms shaping biodiversity, e.g. the distribution of genes, individuals and species in space and time. Recent technological and conceptual advances have improved our ability to assess the causes and consequences of individual movement, and led to the emergence of the new field of ‘movement ecology’. Here, we outline how movement ecology can contribute to the broad field of biodiversity research, i.e. the study of processes and patterns of life among and across different scales, from genes to ecosystems, and we propose a conceptual framework linking these hitherto largely separated fields of research. Our framework builds on the concept of movement ecology for individuals, and demonstrates its importance for linking individual organismal movement with biodiversity. First, organismal movements can provide ‘mobile links’ between habitats or ecosystems, thereby connecting resources, genes, and processes among otherwise separate locations. Understanding these mobile links and their impact on biodiversity will be facilitated by movement ecology, because mobile links can be created by different modes of movement (i.e., foraging, dispersal, migration) that relate to different spatiotemporal scales and have differential effects on biodiversity. Second, organismal movements can also mediate coexistence in communities, through ‘equalizing’ and ‘stabilizing’ mechanisms. This novel integrated framework provides a conceptual starting point for a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics in light of individual movement and space-use behavior across spatiotemporal scales. By illustrating this framework with examples, we argue that the integration of movement ecology and biodiversity research will also enhance our ability to conserve diversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
