Species-specific biomagnification and habitat-dependent trophic transfer of halogenated organic pollutants in insect-dominated food webs from an e-waste recycling site
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Abstract:
Aquatic, amphibious, and terrestrial organisms in or around a pond that was contaminated by e-waste were collected and persistent halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs) for these species were analyzed. Based on the stable isotope and dietary composition, the aquatic and terrestrial food webs and several insect-dominated food chains including insects - toads, insects - lizards, and insects - birds were constructed. Biomagnification factors (BMFs) for insect-dominated food chains and trophic magnification factors (TMFs) in aquatic and terrestrial food webs were calculated. The BMFs of HOPs (except DBDPE) in insect - bird food chains were significantly higher than those in insect - toad and insect - lizard food chains, indicating that HOPs accumulated more easily in homeotherms than in poikilotherms. Trophic magnification was present for most of the PCB congeners in both aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Differences between the trophic transfer of halogenated flame retardant in terrestrial and aquatic food webs were observed, with trophic magnification in the terrestrial food web but trophic dilution in the aquatic food web for most of chemicals (except for lower brominated PBDE congeners). Meanwhile, the contour plots of TMFs across combinations of log KOW and log KOA for terrestrial food web were distinct from those for aquatic food web. These results indicate that the biomagnification mechanisms of HOPs in aquatic food webs are different from those in terrestrial food webs, and further suggest that the bioaccumulation of contaminants in terrestrial ecosystems cannot be directly deduced from aquatic ecosystems.Keywords:
Biomagnification
Terrestrial ecosystem
Aquatic insect
Terrestrial plant
Isotope Analysis
Emergent insects represent a key vector through which aquatic nutrients are transferred to adjacent terrestrial food webs. Aquatic fluxes of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from emergent insects are particularly important subsidies for terrestrial ecosystems due to high PUFA contents in several aquatic insect taxa and their physiological importance for riparian predators. While recent meta-analyses have shown the general dichotomy in fatty acid profiles between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, differences in fatty acid profiles between aquatic and terrestrial insects have been insufficiently explored. We examined the differences in fatty acid profiles between aquatic and terrestrial insects at a single aquatic-terrestrial interface over an entire growing season to assess the strength and temporal consistency of the dichotomy in fatty acid profiles. Non-metric multidimensional scaling clearly separated aquatic and terrestrial insects based on their fatty acid profiles regardless of season. Aquatic insects were characterized by high proportions of long-chain PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), and α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3); whereas terrestrial insects were characterized by high proportions of linoleic acid (18:2n-6). Our results provide detailed information on fatty acid profiles of a diversity of aquatic and terrestrial insect taxa and demonstrate that the fundamental differences in fatty acid content between aquatic and terrestrial insects persist throughout the growing season. However, the higher fatty acid dissimilarity between aquatic and terrestrial insects in spring and early summer emphasizes the importance of aquatic emergence as essential subsidies for riparian predators especially during the breading season.
Terrestrial ecosystem
Aquatic insect
Terrestrial plant
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Terrestrial ecosystem
Isotope Analysis
Guano
Marine ecosystem
Terrestrial plant
δ15N
Primary producers
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Abstract Living beings inhabit heterogeneous environments, in which communities that are classified as discrete can be continuous and connected in innumerable ways. The components of food webs can cross borders between ecosystems, and as result, the structure and trophic dynamics of ecosystems can change. The goal of this study was to evaluate trophic connectivity between the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of Malpelo Island, Colombia (4º00’05.63” N; 81º36’36.41” W), based on the isotopic (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) assessment of 403 samples (107 terrestrial and 296 marine). Samples were collected in 2017–2021. δ 13 C Terrestrial values ranged from − 30.3‰ to − 15.0‰ and δ 13 C Marine ranged from − 24.0‰ to − 9.8‰; δ 15 N Terrestrial ranged from 3.7‰ to 21.3‰ and δ 15 N Marine ranged from 4.5 to 16.9‰. The mixing model (simmr package) indicated that detritus Terrestrial (δ 13 C = − 18.9 ± 0.30‰ SE) contributed more to the food web than C 3 plants (–29.4 ± 0.22‰), and reflected high δ 13 C Marine content. There was high isotopic overlap (65–82%) and a high trophic connection between environments of Malpelo Island due to high similarity between isospaces. These results evidence the role of the donor habitat (marine) on the receptor habitat (terrestrial) and the role of the Nazca booby Sula granti regarding nutrient transfers between the two environments. The presence and preservation of this seabird is essential to maintain the balance of this insular ecosystem. The analysis of δ 13 C and δ 15 N tracers was useful to establish the trophic relationships between small oceanic island environments with presence of large seabird communities.
Terrestrial ecosystem
Marine ecosystem
Detritus
Isotope Analysis
Terrestrial plant
Marine habitats
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Organisms that move across ecosystem boundaries connect food webs in apparently disparate locations. As part of their life cycle, aquatic insects transition from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults, thereby linking freshwater ecosystem processes and terrestrial insectivore dynamics. These linkages are strongly affected by contamination of freshwater ecosystems, which can reduce production of adult aquatic insects (i.e., emergence), increase contaminant concentrations in adult insect tissues, and alter contaminant flux to terrestrial ecosystems. Despite the potential impact of contaminants on adult aquatic insects, little is known about predicting these effects. Here, I develop a heuristic model based on contaminant properties and ecotoxicological principles to predict the effects of various classes of aquatic contaminants on adult aquatic insects and discuss implications for terrestrial insectivores living near contaminated freshwaters. The main finding is that contaminant classes vary greatly in how their biologically-mediated effects on aquatic insects affect terrestrial insectivores. Highly bioaccumulative contaminants that are well retained during metamorphosis, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are often non-toxic to aquatic insect larvae at concentrations commonly found in the environment. Such contaminants flux from aquatic ecosystems in large quantities in the bodies of emerging adult aquatic insects and expose terrestrial insectivores to toxic levels of pollution. On the other hand, contaminants that are less bioaccumulative, excreted during metamorphosis, and more toxic to insects, like trace metals, tend to affect terrestrial insectivores by reducing production of adult aquatic insects on which they prey. Management applications of this model illustrate type and severity of risk of aquatic contaminants to consumers of adult aquatic insects.
Terrestrial ecosystem
Aquatic insect
Insectivore
Terrestrial plant
Freshwater ecosystem
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Biomagnification
Isotope Analysis
Mercury
δ15N
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Ecological subsidies are materials and energy that cross a boundary between two ecosystems. An example is terrestrial leaf litter that falls into a stream to ultimately become the basis of the stream food web. Terrestrial arthropods that fall into streams are often an important food resource for fishes, but variation in the nutritional quality of aquatic versus terrestrial items has not been fully assessed. Carbon and nitrogen ratios in invertebrates roughly reflect relative amounts of structural chitin and since chitin is mostly indigestible to fishes, it can be an indicator of food quality, where a greater amount of chitin (or greater C:N) indicates lower quality. To better understand potential differences in the quality of terrestrial versus aquatic arthropods, we sampled terrestrial and aquatic arthropods during winter, spring, and summer, and measured their molar C:N values. We tested arthropod C:N values for origin (terrestrial vs. aquatic), taxonomy (order level), and time of year (winter, spring, and summer). We did not detect significant differences in any of these comparisons. The average molar C:N (± 1 SD) for aquatic arthropods (n = 81 samples) was 5.0 ± 0.6 and ranged from 4.7 to 5.6 and that for terrestrial arthropods (n = 42 samples) was 5.1 ± 0.7 and ranged from 4.4 to 5.6. Molar C:N values were not different among aquatic and terrestrial arthropods (df = 74.3, t = −0.995, p = 0.418) and did not differ across arthropod taxa (F7,50 = 1.9, p = 0.087). Any trends in molar C:N variability in arthropods, whether they be aquatic or terrestrial, are probably due to relative amounts of structural chitin. Since chitin is largely undigested in fish diets, molar C:N might be important in considering the true benefits of terrestrial subsidies on fish life histories.
Terrestrial ecosystem
Arthropod
Aquatic insect
Terrestrial plant
Detritivore
Litter
Freshwater ecosystem
Caddisfly
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Biomagnification
Terrestrial plant
Biota
Terrestrial ecosystem
Bioconcentration
Tolerable daily intake
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ABSTRACT River regulation can alter the structural complexity and natural dynamics of river ecosystems substantially with negative consequences for aquatic insects. However, there have been few studies of regulation effects on the export of emergent insects into terrestrial ecosystems. In northern Scandinavia, we compared emerged aquatic insect and terrestrial invertebrate biomass between four strongly regulated and four free‐flowing rivers using fortnightly measurements at three upland‐forest blocks in each over one summer. The biomass of emerged aquatic insects was significantly lower along regulated rivers than free‐flowing rivers. Biomass in Linyphiidae, Opiliones, Staphylinidae, total Coleoptera, Formicidae and total terrestrial invertebrates was also lower along regulated rivers. Aquatic insect biomass did not explain the entire regulation effect on terrestrial invertebrates but did explain significant variations among Linyphiidae, total Coleoptera, Formicidae and total terrestrial biomass. Variations in Formicidae also explained significant variance among several terrestrial taxa, suggesting some keystone role in this group. Overall, our results suggest that river regulation affects upland‐forest invertebrate communities, with at least some of these effects arising from links between aquatic emergence and terrestrial predators. The data highlight the need to consider areas beyond the riparian zone when assessing the effects of river regulation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linyphiidae
Terrestrial ecosystem
Aquatic insect
Terrestrial plant
River ecosystem
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Better understanding of the responses of terrestrial plant species under global nitrogen (N) enrichment is critical for projection of changes in structure, functioning, and service of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, a meta-analysis of data from 304 studies was carried out to reveal the general response patterns of terrestrial plant species to the addition of N. Across 456 terrestrial plant species included in the analysis, biomass and N concentration were increased by 53.6 and 28.5%, respectively, under N enrichment. However, the N responses were dependent upon plant functional types, with significantly greater biomass increases in herbaceous than in woody species. Stimulation of plant biomass by the addition of N was enhanced when other resources were improved. In addition, the N responses of terrestrial plants decreased with increasing latitude and increased with annual precipitation. Dependence of the N responses of terrestrial plants on biological realms, functional types, tissues, other resources, and climatic factors revealed in this study can help to explain changes in species composition, diversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning under global N enrichment. These findings are critical in improving model simulation and projection of terrestrial carbon sequestration and its feedbacks to global climate change, especially when progressive N limitation is taken into consideration.
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Terrestrial ecosystem
Terrestrial plant
Aquatic insect
Detritus
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