Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content
Lemmings are key herbivores in many arctic food webs, and their population dynamics have major impacts on the functioning of tundra systems. However, current knowledge of lemming diet is limited, hampering evaluation of lemming–vegetation interactions. This lack of knowledge is mainly due to methodo...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5888 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/5888 2023-05-15T15:10:03+02:00 Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content Soininen, Eeva Marjatta Zinger, Lucie Gielly, Ludovic Bellemain, Eva Bråthen, Kari Anne Brochmann, Christian Epp, Laura Gusarova, Galina Hassel, Kristian Henden, John-André Killengreen, Siw Turid Rämä, Teppo Stenøien, Hans Yoccoz, Nigel Ims, Rolf Anker 2013 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5888 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 eng eng Springer Verlag Polar Biology 36(2013) nr. 7 s. 1069-1076 FRIDAID 1025530 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 0722-4060 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5888 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_5587 openAccess VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Basic biosciences: 470::Genetics and genomics: 474 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Basale biofag: 470::Genetikk og genomikk: 474 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed 2013 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 2021-06-25T17:53:47Z Lemmings are key herbivores in many arctic food webs, and their population dynamics have major impacts on the functioning of tundra systems. However, current knowledge of lemming diet is limited, hampering evaluation of lemming–vegetation interactions. This lack of knowledge is mainly due to methodological challenges, as previously used microhistological methods result in large proportions of poorly resolved plant taxa. We analyzed diets of Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) in three different habitats using a new method, DNA metabarcoding of stomach contents. To achieve detailed information on ingested vascular plants, bryophytes, and fungi, we amplified short fragments of chloroplast DNA (for plants; P6 loop of the trnL intron) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (for fungi; ITS1-region). Our results revealed that lemming diets were dominated by grasses, mainly Avenella flexuosa, and mosses, mainly Dicranum spp., but that a variety of other food items were also eaten. Vascular plant composition of the diets differed between heath, meadow, and wetland habitats, whereas bryophyte composition did not. Also, a variety of fungal taxa were retrieved, but as most of the identified taxa belong to micromycetes, they were unlikely to be consumed as food. The role of fungi in the diet of lemmings remains to be investigated. We suggest that there may be substantial variation between habitats and regions in lemming diet. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Lemmus lemmus Polar Biology Tundra University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Arctic Polar Biology 36 7 1069 1076 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Basic biosciences: 470::Genetics and genomics: 474 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Basale biofag: 470::Genetikk og genomikk: 474 |
spellingShingle |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Basic biosciences: 470::Genetics and genomics: 474 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Basale biofag: 470::Genetikk og genomikk: 474 Soininen, Eeva Marjatta Zinger, Lucie Gielly, Ludovic Bellemain, Eva Bråthen, Kari Anne Brochmann, Christian Epp, Laura Gusarova, Galina Hassel, Kristian Henden, John-André Killengreen, Siw Turid Rämä, Teppo Stenøien, Hans Yoccoz, Nigel Ims, Rolf Anker Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
topic_facet |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Basic biosciences: 470::Genetics and genomics: 474 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Basale biofag: 470::Genetikk og genomikk: 474 |
description |
Lemmings are key herbivores in many arctic food webs, and their population dynamics have major impacts on the functioning of tundra systems. However, current knowledge of lemming diet is limited, hampering evaluation of lemming–vegetation interactions. This lack of knowledge is mainly due to methodological challenges, as previously used microhistological methods result in large proportions of poorly resolved plant taxa. We analyzed diets of Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) in three different habitats using a new method, DNA metabarcoding of stomach contents. To achieve detailed information on ingested vascular plants, bryophytes, and fungi, we amplified short fragments of chloroplast DNA (for plants; P6 loop of the trnL intron) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (for fungi; ITS1-region). Our results revealed that lemming diets were dominated by grasses, mainly Avenella flexuosa, and mosses, mainly Dicranum spp., but that a variety of other food items were also eaten. Vascular plant composition of the diets differed between heath, meadow, and wetland habitats, whereas bryophyte composition did not. Also, a variety of fungal taxa were retrieved, but as most of the identified taxa belong to micromycetes, they were unlikely to be consumed as food. The role of fungi in the diet of lemmings remains to be investigated. We suggest that there may be substantial variation between habitats and regions in lemming diet. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Soininen, Eeva Marjatta Zinger, Lucie Gielly, Ludovic Bellemain, Eva Bråthen, Kari Anne Brochmann, Christian Epp, Laura Gusarova, Galina Hassel, Kristian Henden, John-André Killengreen, Siw Turid Rämä, Teppo Stenøien, Hans Yoccoz, Nigel Ims, Rolf Anker |
author_facet |
Soininen, Eeva Marjatta Zinger, Lucie Gielly, Ludovic Bellemain, Eva Bråthen, Kari Anne Brochmann, Christian Epp, Laura Gusarova, Galina Hassel, Kristian Henden, John-André Killengreen, Siw Turid Rämä, Teppo Stenøien, Hans Yoccoz, Nigel Ims, Rolf Anker |
author_sort |
Soininen, Eeva Marjatta |
title |
Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
title_short |
Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
title_full |
Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
title_fullStr |
Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
title_full_unstemmed |
Shedding new light on the diet of Norwegian lemmings: DNA metabarcoding of stomach content |
title_sort |
shedding new light on the diet of norwegian lemmings: dna metabarcoding of stomach content |
publisher |
Springer Verlag |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5888 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Lemmus lemmus Polar Biology Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Lemmus lemmus Polar Biology Tundra |
op_relation |
Polar Biology 36(2013) nr. 7 s. 1069-1076 FRIDAID 1025530 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 0722-4060 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5888 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_5587 |
op_rights |
openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1328-2 |
container_title |
Polar Biology |
container_volume |
36 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
1069 |
op_container_end_page |
1076 |
_version_ |
1766341118519148544 |