Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey
Effects of predation may cascade down the food web. By alleviating interspecific competition among prey, predators may promote biodiversity, but the precise mechanisms of how predators alter competition have remained elusive. Here we report on a predator‐exclosure experiment carried out in a tropica...
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crwiley:10.1890/11-1282.1 2024-09-15T18:00:48+00:00 Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey van Gils, Jan A. van der Geest, Matthijs Jansen, Erik J. Govers, Laura L. de Fouw, Jimmy Piersma, Theunis 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1282.1 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1890%2F11-1282.1 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1890/11-1282.1 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ecology volume 93, issue 5, page 1143-1152 ISSN 0012-9658 1939-9170 journal-article 2012 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1282.1 2024-08-06T04:13:51Z Effects of predation may cascade down the food web. By alleviating interspecific competition among prey, predators may promote biodiversity, but the precise mechanisms of how predators alter competition have remained elusive. Here we report on a predator‐exclosure experiment carried out in a tropical intertidal ecosystem, providing evidence for a three‐level trophic cascade induced by predation by molluscivore Red Knots ( Calidris canutus ) that affects pore water biogeochemistry. In the exclosures the knots' favorite prey ( Dosinia isocardia ) became dominant and reduced the individual growth rate in an alternative prey ( Loripes lucinalis ). Dosinia , a suspension feeder, consumes suspended particulate organic matter (POM), whereas Loripes is a facultative mixotroph, partly living on metabolites produced by sulfur‐oxidizing chemoautotrophic bacteria, but also consuming suspended POM. Reduced sulfide concentrations in the exclosures suggest that, without predation on Dosinia , stronger competition for suspended POM forces Loripes to rely on energy produced by endosymbiotic bacteria, thus leading to an enhanced uptake of sulfide from the surrounding pore water. As sulfide is toxic to most organisms, this competition‐induced diet shift by Loripes may detoxify the environment, which in turn may facilitate other species. The inference that predators affect the toxicity of their environment via a multi‐level trophic cascade is novel, but we believe it may be a general phenomenon in detritus‐based ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Calidris canutus Wiley Online Library Ecology 93 5 1143 1152 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Effects of predation may cascade down the food web. By alleviating interspecific competition among prey, predators may promote biodiversity, but the precise mechanisms of how predators alter competition have remained elusive. Here we report on a predator‐exclosure experiment carried out in a tropical intertidal ecosystem, providing evidence for a three‐level trophic cascade induced by predation by molluscivore Red Knots ( Calidris canutus ) that affects pore water biogeochemistry. In the exclosures the knots' favorite prey ( Dosinia isocardia ) became dominant and reduced the individual growth rate in an alternative prey ( Loripes lucinalis ). Dosinia , a suspension feeder, consumes suspended particulate organic matter (POM), whereas Loripes is a facultative mixotroph, partly living on metabolites produced by sulfur‐oxidizing chemoautotrophic bacteria, but also consuming suspended POM. Reduced sulfide concentrations in the exclosures suggest that, without predation on Dosinia , stronger competition for suspended POM forces Loripes to rely on energy produced by endosymbiotic bacteria, thus leading to an enhanced uptake of sulfide from the surrounding pore water. As sulfide is toxic to most organisms, this competition‐induced diet shift by Loripes may detoxify the environment, which in turn may facilitate other species. The inference that predators affect the toxicity of their environment via a multi‐level trophic cascade is novel, but we believe it may be a general phenomenon in detritus‐based ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van Gils, Jan A. van der Geest, Matthijs Jansen, Erik J. Govers, Laura L. de Fouw, Jimmy Piersma, Theunis |
spellingShingle |
van Gils, Jan A. van der Geest, Matthijs Jansen, Erik J. Govers, Laura L. de Fouw, Jimmy Piersma, Theunis Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
author_facet |
van Gils, Jan A. van der Geest, Matthijs Jansen, Erik J. Govers, Laura L. de Fouw, Jimmy Piersma, Theunis |
author_sort |
van Gils, Jan A. |
title |
Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
title_short |
Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
title_full |
Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
title_fullStr |
Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
title_sort |
trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters pore‐water biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1282.1 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1890%2F11-1282.1 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1890/11-1282.1 |
genre |
Calidris canutus |
genre_facet |
Calidris canutus |
op_source |
Ecology volume 93, issue 5, page 1143-1152 ISSN 0012-9658 1939-9170 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1282.1 |
container_title |
Ecology |
container_volume |
93 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1143 |
op_container_end_page |
1152 |
_version_ |
1810437966816870400 |