Journal article
Evidence for extensive but variable nutrient limitation in New Zealand lakes
Evolutionary ecology, Vol.30(5), pp.973-990
08/24/2016
DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9855-2
Abstract
Nutrient limitation causes reduced growth of organisms, which can translate into far-reaching consequences for populations, communities, and ecosystems. Phosphorus (P) limitation, in particular, is associated with reductions in organismal growth because ribosomes, upon which growth depends, require abundant phosphorus to be produced. Chromosomes are also relatively rich in P, meaning that organisms with relatively high chromosome complements (e.g. polyploids) might be especially dependent on abundant environmental P. Here we address the likelihood of nutrient limitation in multiple populations of
Potamopyrgus antipodarum
, a New Zealand freshwater snail featuring wide ploidy variation. We found that some form of P limitation is very likely in many, but not all, populations of this snail that we surveyed. We also detected extensive across-population variation in P and nitrogen (N) content and N and P limitation and co-limitation in the algae that
P. antipodarum
eat. Accordingly, we then experimentally evaluated how P and N alone and together influenced growth rate in
P. antipodarum
. We found that response to nutrients differed by lineage and that dietary P content was more important than dietary N content as a determinant of growth rate, a trait closely tied to fitness in
P. antipodarum
. The widespread likelihood of (1) P limitation and (2) variation in dietary P availability across New Zealand lakes, along with (3), evidence for lineage-level variation in sensitivity to P limitation, sets the stage for the possibility that variation in nutrient availability contributes to the distribution and maintenance of ploidy variation in
P. antipodarum
.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evidence for extensive but variable nutrient limitation in New Zealand lakes
- Creators
- Amy C Krist - Department of Zoology and Physiology & Program in Ecology, University of WyomingAdam D Kay - Department of Biology, University of St. ThomasElizabeth Scherber - Department of Biology, University of St. ThomasKatelyn Larkin - Department of Biology, University of IowaBennett J Brown - Optical Science and Technology Center, University of IowaDiana Lu - Detroit County Day SchoolDonald T Warren - Department of Biology, University of IowaRuth Riedl - Biology Department, Grinnell CollegeMaurine Neiman - Department of Biology, University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Evolutionary ecology, Vol.30(5), pp.973-990
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10682-016-9855-2
- ISSN
- 0269-7653
- eISSN
- 1573-8477
- Grant note
- 8976-11 / National Geographic Society (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100006363) 1122176 / Directorate for Biological Sciences (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000076)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/24/2016
- Academic Unit
- Office Of The Provost; Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies; Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984217532002771
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