Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis

Abstract Matter and energy flow across ecosystem boundaries. Transfers from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems are frequent and have been widely studied, but the flow of matter from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is less known. Large numbers of midges emerge from some lakes in northern Iceland and...

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Published in:Ecosphere
Main Authors: Bartrons, Mireia, Sardans, Jordi, Hoekman, David, Peñuelas, Josep
Other Authors: National Science Foundation, European Research Council
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2338
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spelling crwiley:10.1002/ecs2.2338 2024-09-15T18:13:38+00:00 Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis Bartrons, Mireia Sardans, Jordi Hoekman, David Peñuelas, Josep National Science Foundation European Research Council 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2338 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fecs2.2338 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.2338 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ecs2.2338 http://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/chorus/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fecs2.2338 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.2338 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Ecosphere volume 9, issue 7 ISSN 2150-8925 2150-8925 journal-article 2018 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2338 2024-08-22T04:17:42Z Abstract Matter and energy flow across ecosystem boundaries. Transfers from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems are frequent and have been widely studied, but the flow of matter from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is less known. Large numbers of midges emerge from some lakes in northern Iceland and fly to land. These lakes differ in their levels of eutrophication due to different intensities of geothermal warming and nutrient inputs. In the context of this material transfer from an aquatic to a terrestrial ecosystem, we investigated the relationships between the deposition of midges and the elemental composition and stoichiometry of organisms in low‐productivity terrestrial ecosystems. We analyzed several terrestrial food webs in northeastern Iceland with similar food web compositions of terrestrial arthropods but different inputs of midges and analyzed the stoichiometric composition of the different trophic groups. Elemental composition differed among trophic groups and taxa much more than within each trophic group or taxa across the midge deposition gradient. Specifically, the change in N concentration was significant in plants (up to 70% increase in the site with maximum input) but not in predators, which had a more homeostatic elemental composition. These results thus show (1) a significant movement of matter and nutrients from an aquatic to a terrestrial habitat via the emergence of aquatic insects and the deposition of insect carcasses, (2) a larger impact on the elemental composition of plants than arthropods, and (3) support for the biogeochemical niche hypothesis, which predicts that different species should have a specific elemental composition, stoichiometry, and allocation as a consequence of their particular metabolism, physiology, and structure. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Wiley Online Library Ecosphere 9 7
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language English
description Abstract Matter and energy flow across ecosystem boundaries. Transfers from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems are frequent and have been widely studied, but the flow of matter from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is less known. Large numbers of midges emerge from some lakes in northern Iceland and fly to land. These lakes differ in their levels of eutrophication due to different intensities of geothermal warming and nutrient inputs. In the context of this material transfer from an aquatic to a terrestrial ecosystem, we investigated the relationships between the deposition of midges and the elemental composition and stoichiometry of organisms in low‐productivity terrestrial ecosystems. We analyzed several terrestrial food webs in northeastern Iceland with similar food web compositions of terrestrial arthropods but different inputs of midges and analyzed the stoichiometric composition of the different trophic groups. Elemental composition differed among trophic groups and taxa much more than within each trophic group or taxa across the midge deposition gradient. Specifically, the change in N concentration was significant in plants (up to 70% increase in the site with maximum input) but not in predators, which had a more homeostatic elemental composition. These results thus show (1) a significant movement of matter and nutrients from an aquatic to a terrestrial habitat via the emergence of aquatic insects and the deposition of insect carcasses, (2) a larger impact on the elemental composition of plants than arthropods, and (3) support for the biogeochemical niche hypothesis, which predicts that different species should have a specific elemental composition, stoichiometry, and allocation as a consequence of their particular metabolism, physiology, and structure.
author2 National Science Foundation
European Research Council
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Bartrons, Mireia
Sardans, Jordi
Hoekman, David
Peñuelas, Josep
spellingShingle Bartrons, Mireia
Sardans, Jordi
Hoekman, David
Peñuelas, Josep
Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
author_facet Bartrons, Mireia
Sardans, Jordi
Hoekman, David
Peñuelas, Josep
author_sort Bartrons, Mireia
title Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
title_short Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
title_full Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
title_fullStr Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
title_full_unstemmed Trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
title_sort trophic transfer from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems: a test of the biogeochemical niche hypothesis
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2018
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2338
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op_source Ecosphere
volume 9, issue 7
ISSN 2150-8925 2150-8925
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