Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

Beth C Norman¹, Matt R Whiles², Sarah M Collins³, Alexander S Flecker⁴, Steve K Hamilton⁵, Sherri L Johnson⁶, Emma J Rosi⁷, Linda R Ashkenas⁸, William B Bowden⁹, Chelsea L Crenshaw¹⁰, Todd Crowl¹¹, Walter K Dodds¹², Robert O Hall¹³, Rana El-Sabaawi¹⁴, Natalie A Griffiths¹⁵, Eugènia Marti¹⁶, William H McDowell¹⁷, Scot D Peterson¹⁸, Heidi M Rantala¹⁹, Tenna Riis²⁰, Kevin S Simon²¹, Jennifer L Tank²², Steven A Thomas²³, Daniel von Schiller²⁴, Jackson R Webster²⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA.
² Department of Zoology, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA.
³ Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA.
⁴ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.
⁵ Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, 49060, USA.
⁶ USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
⁷ Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, 12545, USA.
⁸ Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
⁹ Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 303D Aiken Center, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA.
¹¹ Southeast Environmental Research Center and Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33199, USA.
¹² Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506, USA.
¹³ Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
¹⁵ Climate Change Science Institute & Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA.
¹⁶ Freshwater Integrative Ecology Group, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain.
¹⁷ Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA.
¹⁸ Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, 42071, USA.
¹⁹ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55155, USA.
²⁰ Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
²¹ School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
²² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46656, USA.
²³ School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583, USA.
²⁴ Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, 48080, Spain.
²⁵ Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.

PMID: 28881008
DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2009

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

Beth C Norman et al. Ecology. 2017 Dec.

. 2017 Dec;98(12):3044-3055.

doi: 10.1002/ecy.2009. Epub 2017 Oct 25.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA.
² Department of Zoology, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA.
³ Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA.
⁴ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.
⁵ Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, 49060, USA.
⁶ USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
⁷ Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, 12545, USA.
⁸ Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
⁹ Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 303D Aiken Center, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA.
¹¹ Southeast Environmental Research Center and Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33199, USA.
¹² Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506, USA.
¹³ Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
¹⁵ Climate Change Science Institute & Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA.
¹⁶ Freshwater Integrative Ecology Group, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain.
¹⁷ Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA.
¹⁸ Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, 42071, USA.
¹⁹ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55155, USA.
²⁰ Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
²¹ School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
²² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46656, USA.
²³ School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583, USA.
²⁴ Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, 48080, Spain.
²⁵ Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.

PMID: 28881008
DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2009

Abstract

Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen ¹⁵ N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean 11.5%, range <1% to 43%) than N transfer efficiencies from primary consumers to predators (mean 80%, range 5% to >100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and percent canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels.

Keywords: 15N; food chain efficiency; food webs; isotope tracer experiment; nitrogen; stream.

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Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

Affiliations

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

MeSH terms

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