Predation by a ciliate community mediates temperature and nutrient effects on a peatland prey prokaryotic community.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 10, 2024

Abstract Temperature significantly impacts microbial communities’ composition and function, which subsequently plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle that ultimately fuels climate change. Interactions between different microorganisms might be critical shaping how these communities react to both temperature changes. Additionally, rising temperatures are occurring context of increasingly nutrient-rich ecosystems due human activity. Nonetheless, we lack comprehensive understanding predation influences future scenarios an world. Here, assess whether by key bacterial consumers—ciliates—influences community’s freshwater nutrient response regarding biomass, diversity, structure, function. In three-week microcosm experiment, exposed mostly prokaryotic community ciliate predators at two (ambient +3°C, i.e., conservative projection change 2050) levels (low elevated). Nutrients, temperature, presence influenced biomass function separately, but their interaction had largest explanatory power over observed changes Our study supports previous findings nutrients essential drivers structure also demonstrates can mediate effects, indicating biotic is as important abiotic understand responses novel climates. Importance While importance environment has long been studied, prevalent ecological interactions, like broader context, may influence largely unknown. disentangles complex interplay nutrients, joint effects on diversity The suggest while fundamental dynamics, mediates responses. underscores profound impact factors communities, properly understand, let alone predict, responses, need account for occurring.

Language: Английский

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Microbial Evolution Drives Adaptation of Substrate Degradation on Decadal to Centennial Time Scales Relevant to Global Change

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 27(10)

Published: Oct. 1, 2024

ABSTRACT Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of decomposition, along with empirical mutation dispersal rates, explore roles in populations shifts litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated climate‐driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change generally allows higher rate decomposition than dispersal, especially when predominantly introduces genotypes already present population. These findings challenge common idea rates too low affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. results demonstrate evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain functioning changes.

Language: Английский

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Eco‐phenotypic feedback loops differ in multistressor environments

Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Nov. 26, 2024

Abstract Natural communities are exposed to multiple environmental stressors, which simultaneously impact the population and trait dynamics of species embedded within these communities. Given that certain traits, such as body size, known rapidly respond change, given they can strongly influence density populations, this raises question whether strength eco‐phenotypic feedback loop depends on environment, stressful environments would enhance or disrupt causal linkage. We use two competing freshwater ciliates— Colpidium striatum Paramecium aurelia —and expose their populations a full‐factorial design increasing salinity temperature conditions well interspecific competition. found salinity, temperature, competition significantly affected cell size both species. Cell influenced dynamics; however, weakened in with Our study highlights importance studying different comprising abiotic interactions.

Language: Английский

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Climate Change Factors Interactively Shift Peatland Functional Microbial Composition in a Whole-Ecosystem Warming Experiment

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 8, 2023

Microbes affect the global carbon cycle that influences climate change and are in turn influenced by environmental change. Here, we use data from a long-term whole-ecosystem warming experiment at boreal peatland to answer how temperature CO 2 jointly influence communities of abundant, diverse, yet poorly understood, non-fungi microbial Eukaryotes (protists). These microbes ecosystem function directly through photosynthesis respiration, indirectly, predation on decomposers (bacteria, fungi). Using combination high-throughput fluid imaging 18S amplicon sequencing, report large climate-induced, community-wide shifts community functional composition these (size, shape, metabolism) could alter overall peatlands. Importantly, demonstrate taxonomic convergence but divergence response elevated with most responses being contingent organismal size: effects reversed amplified larger not smaller ones. findings show interactive rising structure food webs — fragile stores 25% terrestrial is increasingly threatened human exploitation.

Language: Английский

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