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Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers

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Prey diversity effects on ecosystem functioning depend on consumer identity and prey composition.

Daniel Wohlgemuth^1,2, Joanna Filip¹, Helmut Hillebrand¹

¹Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

|June 14, 2017

Summary

Prey diversity impacts consumer dynamics and ecosystem function, with effects varying based on consumer specialization and prey composition. Loss of prey species can reduce consumer diversity, highlighting complex food web interactions.

Keywords:

Consumer specialization Edibility Evenness Grazing impact Prey diversity

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Microbial Ecology
Food Web Dynamics

Background:

Consumer diversity's impact on ecosystem functioning is context-dependent, influenced by consumer and prey traits.
Few studies explore prey diversity effects on consumer dynamics and trophic transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate how algal prey diversity affects ciliate consumer production, evenness, and grazing rates.
Determine the role of consumer specialization and prey selectivity in mediating these effects.

Main Methods:

Utilized microbial microcosms with varying algal prey diversity (1, 2, and 4 species).
Monitored production, evenness, and grazing rates of four distinct ciliate consumers.
Analyzed consumer responses based on grazing preferences and rates.

Main Results:

Prey diversity increased total prey biovolume without consumers.
Consumer responses to prey diversity were species-specific, depending on specialization and preferred prey.
Consumers benefited from prey mixtures over non-preferred monocultures but suffered if preferred prey were mixed.
Prey diversity enhanced consumer evenness by inhibiting dominance, suggesting prey loss can reduce consumer diversity.

Conclusions:

Consumer specialization and prey selectivity significantly alter the consequences of prey diversity changes in food webs.
Changes in prey diversity can have cascading effects on consumer communities and ecosystem functioning.