Nutrient deficiencies and the restriction of compensatory mechanisms in copepods
Journal article
Authors | Burian, Alfred, Grosse, Julia, Winder, Monika, Boschker, Henricus T.S. and Burian, A. |
---|---|
Abstract | The flexible regulation of feeding behaviour and nutrient metabolism is a prerequisite for consumers to grow and survive under variable food conditions. Thus, it is essential to understand the ecological trade-offs that restrict regulatory mechanisms in consumers to evaluate the consequences of nutrient limitations for trophic interactions. Here, we assessed behavioural and physiological adjustments to nutrient deficiencies in copepods and examined whether energy limitation, food digestibility or co-limitation with a second nutrient restricted compensatory mechanisms. A combination of C-13-labelling and compound-specific stable isotope measurements revealed that copepods compensated nitrogen deficiencies by raising retention efficiencies of amino acids (AA). The costs of higher retention efficiencies were reflected in the doubling of structural fatty acids (FA), probably required for morphological adaptations of the gut. A depletion of highly unsaturated FA in storage lipids and their selective retention suggested that these FA became co-limiting and restricted a further increase in AA retention efficiencies. Copepods feeding on phosphorus-limited algae showed a marked increase in ingestion rates but were not fully able to compensate dietary deficiencies. The increase in ingestion rates was thereby not restricted by higher foraging costs because energy storage in copepods increased. Instead, thicker cell walls of nutrient-limited algae indicated that algal digestion resistance restricted the extent of surplus feeding. The strongly nutrient-specific response of copepods had large implications for recycling rates, growth efficiencies and the potential top-down control at the plant-animal interface. Compensatory mechanisms to mitigate nutrient deficiencies are therefore an essential aspect of trophic interactions and have the potential to alter the structure of food web. |
Keywords | amino acid; co-limitation; compound-specific stable isotopes; elemental stoichiometry; fatty acid; food quality; predator–prey interaction; zooplankton |
Year | 2017 |
Journal | Functional Ecology |
Journal citation | 32 |
Publisher | British Ecological Society |
ISSN | 02698463 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13016 |
Web address (URL) | http://hdl.handle.net/10545/624302 |
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ | |
hdl:10545/624302 | |
Publication dates | 14 Nov 2017 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 02 Dec 2019, 11:08 |
Accepted | 10 Oct 2017 |
Series | 3 |
Rights | CC0 1.0 Universal |
Contributors | Stockholm University and Utrecht University |
File | File Access Level Open |
File | File Access Level Open |
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/92zqv/nutrient-deficiencies-and-the-restriction-of-compensatory-mechanisms-in-copepods
Download files
6
total views0
total downloads0
views this month0
downloads this month
Export as
Related outputs

Corals as canaries in the coalmine: Towards the incorporation of marine ecosystems into the ‘One Health’ concept
Sweet, Michael, Burian, Alfred and Bulling, Mark 2021. Corals as canaries in the coalmine: Towards the incorporation of marine ecosystems into the ‘One Health’ concept. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2021.107538
Improving the reliability of eDNA data interpretation
Burian, Alfred, Mauvisseau, Quentin, Bulling, Mark, Domisch, Sami, Qian, Song and Sweet, Michael 2021. Improving the reliability of eDNA data interpretation. Molecular Ecology Resources. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13367
Seasonality, DNA degradation and spatial heterogeneity as drivers of eDNA detection dynamics
Troth, Christopher R., Sweet, Michael J., Nightingale, Jen and Burian, Alfred 2021. Seasonality, DNA degradation and spatial heterogeneity as drivers of eDNA detection dynamics. Science of The Total Environment. 768, p. 144466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144466Development and application of eDNA-based tools for the conservation of white-clawed crayfish
Troth, Christopher R., Burian, Alfred, Mauvisseau, Quentin, Bulling, Mark, Nightingale, Jen, Mauvisseau, Christophe and Sweet, Michael J. 2020. Development and application of eDNA-based tools for the conservation of white-clawed crayfish. Science of The Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141394The potential of fatty acid isotopes to trace trophic transfer in aquatic food-webs
Burian, Alfred, Nielsen, Jens M., Hansen, Thomas, Bermudez, Rafael and Winder, Monika 2020. The potential of fatty acid isotopes to trace trophic transfer in aquatic food-webs. Phylosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 375 (1804), p. 20190652. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0652
Tracing the origin of olive ridley turtles entangled in ghost nets in the Maldives: A phylogeographic assessment of populations at risk
Stelfox, Martin, Burian, Alfred, Shanker, Kartik, Rees, Alan F., Jean, Claire, Willson, Maïa S., Manik, Nashwa Ahmed and Sweet, Michael 2020. Tracing the origin of olive ridley turtles entangled in ghost nets in the Maldives: A phylogeographic assessment of populations at risk. Biological Conservation. 245, p. 108499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108499
The development of an eDNA based detection method for the invasive shrimp Dikerogammarus haemobaphes
Mauvisseau, Quentin, Troth, Chris, Young, Emily, Burian, Alfred and Sweet, Michael 2019. The development of an eDNA based detection method for the invasive shrimp Dikerogammarus haemobaphes. Management of Biological Invasions. 10 (3), pp. 449-460. https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2019.10.3.03
Compositional homogeneity in the pathobiome of a new, slow-spreading coral disease
Sweet, Michael, Burian, Alfred, Fifer, James, Bulling, Mark, Elliott, David and Raymundo, Laurie 2019. Compositional homogeneity in the pathobiome of a new, slow-spreading coral disease. Microbiome. 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-019-0759-6
Influence of accuracy, repeatability and detection probability in the reliability of species-specific eDNA based approaches
Mauvisseau, Quentin, Burian, Alfred, Gibson, Ceri, Brys, Rein, Ramsey, Andrew and Sweet, Michael 2019. Influence of accuracy, repeatability and detection probability in the reliability of species-specific eDNA based approaches. Scientific Reports. 9 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37001-y
Elemental ratios link environmental change and human health
Paseka, Rachel E., Bratt, Anika R., MacNeill, Keeley L., Burian, Alfred, See, Craig R. and Paseka, R. 2019. Elemental ratios link environmental change and human health. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00378A community-based evaluation of population growth and agro-pastoralist resilience in Sub-Saharan drylands
Karaya, Rebecca, Wernersson, Julia E.V., Egberth, Mikael, Lokorwa, Benjamin, Nyberg, Gert, Alfred, Burian and Alfred, Burian 2018. A community-based evaluation of population growth and agro-pastoralist resilience in Sub-Saharan drylands. Environmental Science & Policy. 92, pp. 323-330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.10.021