| Title | Climate-related drivers of nutrient inputs and food web structure in shallow Arctic lake ecosystems |
| Abstract | In order to predict the effects of climate change on polar ecosystems, disentangling mechanisms of
nutrient transfer in food webs is crucial. We investigated sources of nutrients in tundra lakes, tracing
their transfer through the food web and relating the observed patterns to runoff, snow coverage,
and the presence of migratory geese in lake catchments. C and N content (elemental and isotopic) of
several food web components including Lepidurus arcticus (Notostraca, at the top of the lake food
webs) in 18 shallow Arctic lakes was compared. Terrestrial productivity and geese abundance were
key biotic factors that interacted with abiotic variables (snow coverage, lake and catchment size)
in determining the amount and origin of nutrient inputs, affecting the trophic interactions among
aquatic species, food chain length and nutrient flow in Arctic lake food webs. Decreasing snow
coverage, increasing abundance and expansion of the geese's range are expected across the Arctic due
to climate warming. By relating nutrient inputs and food web structure to snow coverage, vegetation
and geese, this study contributes to our mechanistic understanding of the cascade effects of climate
change in tundra ecosystems, and may help predict the response of lakes to changes in nutrient inputs
at lower latitudes |
| Source | Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group) 12 |
| Keywords | artic lake ecosistemsnow coverSvalbard |
| Journal | Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group) |
| Editor | Nature Publishing Group, London, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2022 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-022-06136-4 |
| Authors | Edoardo Calizza1,2, Rosamaria Salvatori3, David Rossi4, Vittorio Pasquali5, Giulio Careddu1,2, Simona Sporta Caputi1,2, Deborah Maccapan1, Luca Santarelli1, Pietro Montemurro1, Loreto Rossi1,2 & Maria Letizia Costantini1,2 |
| Text | 463781 2022 10.1038/s41598 022 06136 4 artic lake ecosistem snow cover Svalbard Climate related drivers of nutrient inputs and food web structure in shallow Arctic lake ecosystems Edoardo Calizza1,2, Rosamaria Salvatori3, David Rossi4, Vittorio Pasquali5, Giulio Careddu1,2, Simona Sporta Caputi1,2, Deborah Maccapan1, Luca Santarelli1, Pietro Montemurro1, Loreto Rossi1,2 Maria Letizia Costantini1,2 Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy. 2CoNISMa, National Inter University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy. 3ISP CNR, Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Monterotondo, RM, Italy. 4IRSA CNR, Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Monterotondo, RM, Italy. 5Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. In order to predict the effects of climate change on polar ecosystems, disentangling mechanisms of nutrient transfer in food webs is crucial. We investigated sources of nutrients in tundra lakes, tracing their transfer through the food web and relating the observed patterns to runoff, snow coverage, and the presence of migratory geese in lake catchments. C and N content elemental and isotopic of several food web components including Lepidurus arcticus Notostraca, at the top of the lake food webs in 18 shallow Arctic lakes was compared. Terrestrial productivity and geese abundance were key biotic factors that interacted with abiotic variables snow coverage, lake and catchment size in determining the amount and origin of nutrient inputs, affecting the trophic interactions among aquatic species, food chain length and nutrient flow in Arctic lake food webs. Decreasing snow coverage, increasing abundance and expansion of the geese s range are expected across the Arctic due to climate warming. By relating nutrient inputs and food web structure to snow coverage, vegetation and geese, this study contributes to our mechanistic understanding of the cascade effects of climate change in tundra ecosystems, and may help predict the response of lakes to changes in nutrient inputs at lower latitudes 12 Published version s41598 022 06136 4.pdf articolo s41598 022 06136 4.pdf Articolo in rivista Nature Publishing Group 2045 2322 Scientific reports Nature Publishing Group Scientific reports Nature Publishing Group Scientific reports Nature Publishing Group rosamaria.salvatori SALVATORI ROSAMARIA david rossi ROSSI DAVID |
