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Published on: May 13, 2016
Ecological and evolutionary effects of stickleback on community structure
Simone Des Roches1, Jonathan B Shurin, Dolph Schluter
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America. simone.desroches@gmail.com
Plos One
|April 11, 2013
Summary
Ecological and evolutionary changes in top predators like stickleback fish significantly impact freshwater communities. Understanding these combined effects is crucial for community structure and function.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Freshwater Community Dynamics
Background:
- Species' ecological and evolutionary traits influence community structure.
- Little is known about the combined impact of ecological and evolutionary changes on communities during species colonization.
- Top predators play a key role in structuring aquatic ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the simultaneous effects of top-predator ecology and evolution on freshwater community parameters.
- To examine how ecological factors (presence, density) and evolutionary factors (phenotypic diversity, specialization) of stickleback influence lower trophic levels.
- To understand the combined effects of ecological and evolutionary changes on community structure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a mesocosm experiment to simulate colonization by three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).
- Manipulated stickleback presence, density, phenotypic diversity, and specialization (ecotypes).
- Assessed zooplankton biomass and composition, chlorophyll-a concentration (periphyton and phytoplankton), and net primary production.
Main Results:
- Top-predator ecology (presence and density) affected overall community structure, specifically trophic level abundance.
- Top-predator evolution (diversity and specialization) influenced zooplankton composition.
- Ecological factors, but not evolutionary factors, impacted primary productivity (chlorophyll-a and net production).
Conclusions:
- Both ecological and evolutionary changes in top predators significantly affect different aspects of community structure and composition.
- Stickleback presence and density drive changes in trophic structure.
- Stickleback diversity and specialization shape zooplankton community composition.
- Primary productivity is primarily influenced by ecological factors, not evolutionary ones in this context.
- Concurrent evaluation of density and phenotypic diversity is essential for understanding community dynamics.
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