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A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
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Refining trophic dynamics through multi-factor Bayesian mixing models: A case study of subterranean beetles.

Mattia Saccò1, Alison J Blyth1, William F Humphreys2,3

  • 1WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre The Institute for Geoscience Research School of Earth and Planetary Sciences Curtin University Perth WA Australia.

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|September 5, 2020
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Summary

This study reveals that subterranean beetles primarily consume amphipods, with genetic data refining diet estimations. Integrating stable isotopes, radiocarbon, and genetic data provides precise insights into groundwater food webs.

Keywords:
Bayesian mixing modelsfood websgroundwatermetagenomicsradiocarbonstygofauna

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Isotope Geochemistry
  • Molecular Ecology

Background:

  • Groundwater ecosystems are crucial but poorly understood due to their cryptic nature.
  • Trophic interactions within these subterranean environments remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Accurate assessment of food web dynamics is essential for understanding ecosystem function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To unravel trophic interactions between subterranean beetles and their prey in a Western Australian calcrete.
  • To compare the efficacy of different Bayesian mixing model designs for diet reconstruction.
  • To assess the contribution of stable isotopes, radiocarbon, and metagenomic data in elucidating feeding ecology.

Main Methods:

  • Applied an interdisciplinary Bayesian mixing model (multi-factor BMM) integrating stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) and radiocarbon (Δ14C) data with metagenomic priors.
  • Compared multi-factor BMM with conventional stable isotope analysis (SIA BMM), triple proxy (multi-proxy BMM), and SIA + DNA BMM designs.
  • Analyzed three beetle species (Paroster spp.) and their prey (amphipods, cyclopoids, harpacticoids) from a calcrete environment.

Main Results:

  • Stable isotope-only models showed modest amphipod consumption.
  • Multi-proxy and SIA + DNA models indicated increased predation on amphipods and some interspecific scavenging.
  • Multi-factorial BMM provided the most precise diet estimations, confirming consistent preference for specific amphipod species (AM1) across all beetles and minimal interspecific interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Incorporating genetic priors significantly refines feeding preference estimations in subterranean food webs.
  • Radiocarbon data, while improving precision, yielded similar dietary reconstructions to SIA + DNA BMM.
  • Multidisciplinary modeling approaches are vital for advancing our understanding of groundwater ecosystem feeding ecology.