Dataset Information

Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius): The animal silicon pump.

ABSTRACT: While the importance of grasslands in terrestrial silicon (Si) cycling and fluxes to rivers is established, the influence of large grazers has not been considered. Here, we show that hippopotamuses are key actors in the savannah biogeochemical Si cycle. Through a detailed analysis of Si concentrations and stable isotope compositions in multiple ecosystem compartments of a savannah-river continuum, we constrain the processes influencing the Si flux. Hippos transport 0.4 metric tons of Si day^-1 by foraging grass on land and directly egesting in the water. As such, they bypass complex retention processes in secondary soil Si pools. By balancing internal processes of dissolution and precipitation in the river sediment, we calculate that hippos affect up to 76% of the total Si flux. This can have a large impact on downstream lake ecosystems, where Si availability directly affects primary production in the diatom-dominated phytoplankton communities.

SUBMITTER: Schoelynck J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6494503 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Hippos (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>): The animal silicon pump.

Schoelynck Jonas J Subalusky Amanda L AL Struyf Eric E Dutton Christopher L CL Unzué-Belmonte Dácil D Van de Vijver Bart B Post David M DM Rosi Emma J EJ Meire Patrick P Frings Patrick P

Science advances 20190501 5

While the importance of grasslands in terrestrial silicon (Si) cycling and fluxes to rivers is established, the influence of large grazers has not been considered. Here, we show that hippopotamuses are key actors in the savannah biogeochemical Si cycle. Through a detailed analysis of Si concentrations and stable isotope compositions in multiple ecosystem compartments of a savannah-river continuum, we constrain the processes influencing the Si flux. Hippos transport 0.4 metric tons of Si day<sup> ...[more]

PMID: 31049394

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundHumans impose a significant pressure on large herbivore populations, such as hippopotami, through hunting, poaching, and habitat destruction. Anthropogenic pressures can also occur indirectly, such as artificial lake creation and the subsequent introduction of invasive species that alter the ecosystem. These events can lead to drastic changes in parasite diversity and transmission, but generally receive little scientific attention.ResultsIn order to document and identify trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in artificial water systems of Zimbabwe, we applied an integrative taxonomic approach, combining molecular diagnostics and morphometrics on archived and new samples. In doing so, we provide DNA reference sequences of the hippopotamus liver fluke Fasciola nyanzae, enabling us to construct the first complete Fasciola phylogeny. We describe parasite spillback of F. nyanzae by the invasive freshwater snail Pseudosuccinea columella, as a consequence of a cascade of biological invasions in Lake Kariba, one of the biggest artificial lakes in the world. Additionally, we report an unknown stomach fluke of the hippopotamus transmitted by the non-endemic snail Radix aff. plicatula, an Asian snail species that has not been found in Africa before, and the stomach fluke Carmyerius cruciformis transmitted by the native snail Bulinus truncatus. Finally, Biomphalaria pfeifferi and two Bulinus species were found as new snail hosts for the poorly documented hippopotamus blood fluke Schistosoma edwardiense.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that artificial lakes are breeding grounds for endemic and non-endemic snails that transmit trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus. This has important implications, as existing research links trematode parasite infections combined with other stressors to declining wild herbivore populations. Therefore, we argue that monitoring the anthropogenic impact on parasite transmission should become an integral part of wildlife conservation efforts.

Dataset Information

Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius): The animal silicon pump.

Publications

Hippos (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>): The animal silicon pump.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets