Dataset Information

Effects of macroconsumers on benthic communities: Rapid increases in dry-season accrual of calcium in a tropical karst stream.

ABSTRACT: Species loss from upper trophic levels can result in some major changes in community structure and ecosystem functions. Here, we experimentally excluded macroconsumers (e.g., fish and shrimp) in a Brazilian karst tropical stream during the dry season to investigate if their loss affected the accrual of calcium, dry mass (DM) and ash-free dry mass (AFDM) of sediment, benthic invertebrates, and chlorophyll-a. We found that the exclusion of macroconsumers decreased accrual of calcium. The absence of fish and shrimp may have promoted increased grazing by mayflies and snails in the electrified treatment as expressed by the depressed calcium accrual and shift in periphyton community composition. However, the exclusion of macroconsumers had no effect on DM and AFDM, chlorophyll-a, or total abundance of invertebrates. Our findings shed new light on the impact of macroconsumer loss and consequences for calcium accrual in karstic streams.

SUBMITTER: Correa EC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6303065 | biostudies-other | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Effects of macroconsumers on benthic communities: Rapid increases in dry-season accrual of calcium in a tropical karst stream.

Corrêa Elaine Cristina EC Roque Fabio de Oliveira FO Utz Ryan Michael RM Correa Jonas de Sousa JS de Souza Franco Leandro FL Covich Alan Paul AP

PloS one 20181221 12

Species loss from upper trophic levels can result in some major changes in community structure and ecosystem functions. Here, we experimentally excluded macroconsumers (e.g., fish and shrimp) in a Brazilian karst tropical stream during the dry season to investigate if their loss affected the accrual of calcium, dry mass (DM) and ash-free dry mass (AFDM) of sediment, benthic invertebrates, and chlorophyll-a. We found that the exclusion of macroconsumers decreased accrual of calcium. The absence o ...[more]

PMID: 30576363

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Dataset Information

Effects of macroconsumers on benthic communities: Rapid increases in dry-season accrual of calcium in a tropical karst stream.

Publications

Effects of macroconsumers on benthic communities: Rapid increases in dry-season accrual of calcium in a tropical karst stream.

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