Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrianne P. Smits, Bryan Currinder, Nicholas Framsted, Luke C. Loken, Delores Lucero, Kelly A. Neal, Christine A. Parisek, Jim Sickman, Steven Sadro
Summary: The study found that the size and composition of carbon pools in lakes were more strongly influenced by watershed or lake features rather than elevation. Terrestrial contributions to lake resource pools and pelagic consumers were more related to local-scale watershed features such as vegetation cover or watershed area rather than elevation.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Jacob E. Lerner, Christian Marchese, Brian P. Hunt
Summary: In coastal marine food webs, food chain length and trophic level distribution are crucial elements of ecosystem-based management. This study evaluates the hypothesis that high primary production leads to lower trophic levels and shorter food chain length in British Columbia coast. The results support this hypothesis, showing a significant inverse relationship between primary production and food chain length as well as trophic level.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
D. Knorr, M. A. Augustin
Summary: This review highlights the transitions needed from linear food chains to closed loop systems and wider food webs for more sustainable food systems, emphasizing the importance of considering the complexities in food value chains. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the planet, globally accepted definitions and indicators for sustainability need to be developed, and a systems-based approach is required for developing sustainable food systems.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Emily S. Choy, Louise K. Blight, John E. Elliott, Keith A. Hobson, Michelle Zanuttig, Kyle H. Elliott
Summary: The shift in diet of glaucous-winged gulls from mainly marine to including more terrestrial/freshwater inputs may have counteracted the increased deposition of mercury from long-range transport. No significant trend was observed in the concentrations of methylmercury and total mercury in glaucous-winged gull feathers from 1887 to 1996. However, the concentrations of total mercury in eggs of two species of cormorants decreased, potentially due to a decrease in local mercury sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Erik Jeppesen, Thomas A. Davidson, Mariana Meerhoff, Luc De Meester, Ivan Gonzalez-Bergonzoni, Nicolas Vidal, Hartmut Arndt, Klaus Juergens, Ruben Sommaruga, Korhan Ozkan, Torben L. Lauridsen, Sh Tserenpil
Summary: With the retreat of glaciers, new ponds and lakes are formed, which become more productive as vegetation develops. Our study in West Greenland found that older lakes had higher nutrient concentrations and organic matter content, as well as higher biomass and richness of certain aquatic organisms. The food web in the older lakes was more complex, with a longer food chain and higher taxonomic diversity, suggesting a succession process following glacial retreat.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maciej Karpowicz, Magdalena Grabowska, Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin, Agnieszka Ochocka
Summary: Humic compounds and related factors limit the development of zooplankton in humic lakes, resulting in low transfer efficiency in food webs. This study found that certain zooplankton species, such as Asplanchna priodonta, could thrive in these conditions. The dominance of high nutritional algae like Gonyostomum semen and Botryococcus braunii in temperate humic lakes contributes to the mass development of A. priodonta, which can feed on a wide range of particles. In humic lakes dominated by picoplankton and small algae, small cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia, Bosmina) may dominate. This suggests that some zooplankton species have an advantage in controlling the development of phytoplankton, leading to efficient matter and energy transfer in humic lake food webs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. Bada, Z. Da Ros, F. Rindi, S. Busi, E. Azzurro, F. Derbal, E. Fanelli
Summary: The study revealed significant seasonal variations in the diet of the sally lightfoot crab, improving understanding of its trophic plasticity and potential dietary overlaps with other herbivore species. This feeding plasticity is advantageous for the successful spread of the species in the Mediterranean Sea.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jessica Trout-Haney, Kathryn L. Cottingham
Summary: Research has found that microcystins are prevalent in multiple components of Arctic aquatic food webs. The concentration of microcystins generally decreases with increasing trophic position, suggesting that biomagnification does not occur in these lakes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabriel Gellner, Kevin McCann, Alan Hastings
Summary: This study uses an inverse approach to investigate the relationship between diversity and stability. By comparing classic random matrix models with energetically constrained feasible models, it is found that the latter produces more stable high-diversity food webs. These energetically constrained webs show an increasing number of weak interactions, which can enhance local stability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauren Negrazis, Karen A. Kidd, Maitane Erdozain, Erik J. S. Emilson, Carl P. J. Mitchell, Michelle A. Gray
Summary: Forest management affects the transport of mercury and its conversion to methylmercury in water systems, which in turn affects the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of methylmercury in aquatic organisms. The type of disturbance from forestry has an impact on the accumulation of methylmercury and the trophic transfer along the river continuum.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Matthew R. D. Cobain, Rona A. R. McGill, Clive N. Trueman
Summary: Seasonal variations in the availability of resources can affect the structure of food webs. This study used stable isotope analysis to investigate the temporal dynamics of a fish community in a temperate estuary. The results showed limited seasonal variation in sulphur isotope values, indicating little change in the consumption of different resources by the fish community. However, carbon and nitrogen isotope values exhibited seasonality, reflecting changes in phytoplankton biomass and nitrogen sources. Isotope shifts in fish muscle occurred rapidly during periods of high phytoplankton production. This study emphasizes the importance of considering temporal variability in stable isotope-based studies.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Tyler R. Steube, Matthew E. Altenritter, Benjamin D. Walther
Summary: Environmental stress can lead to changes in trophic interactions by excluding predators or making prey vulnerable. Individual responses to stress can vary, potentially resulting in a distributive stress model where predators expand their trophic niche.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charles-Andre Timmerman, Carolina Giraldo, Pierre Cresson, Bruno Ernande, Morgane Travers-Trolet, Manuel Rouquette, Margaux Denamiel, Sebastien Lefebvre
Summary: This study found that the coupling between benthic and pelagic habitats in the Eastern English Channel is a permanent feature, potentially favored by shallow depth and driven by two trophic processes. Resource partitioning and the presence of generalist species allow fish to fully utilize available resources, maintaining the coupling between benthic and pelagic habitats.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ping Guo, Cui Li, Jinxain Liu, Baofeng Chai
Summary: Microbial food webs play a crucial role in material circulation and energy flow in lake ecosystems. This study investigated the diversity and structure of protist and bacterial communities in subalpine lakes, revealing the key factors influencing the complexity and stability of microbial food webs. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding the interactions within microbial food webs for ecosystem management and predicting the ecological consequences of climate change in aquatic ecosystems.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sonia Valladares, Miquel Planas
Summary: Stable isotopes were used to assess the assimilation of food in early juvenile seahorses reared under two feeding conditions, with copepods being more efficiently assimilated than Artemia. The stable carbon isotopes could trace the consumption and assimilation of preys by juvenile seahorses, offering insights into nutrient processes and ontogeny in the early life stages of the species. The study highlights the importance of nutrient assimilation in the initial survival and growth of juvenile seahorses.