Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities

Abstract To understand energy and material cycles on surface Earth, it is important yet challenging to estimate trophic transfer through ecosystems. To address this issue, the integrated trophic position (iTP), defined as a biomass-weighted average TP of a given food web, is useful because the iTP c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Naoto F. Ishikawa, Yoshitoshi Uehara, Takuya Ishida, Tohru Ikeya, Satoshi Asano, Chia-Ying Ko, Tomoya Iwata, Ichiro Tayasu, Naohiko Ohkouchi, Noboru Okuda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-01-01
Series:Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00671-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850075738621870080
author Naoto F. Ishikawa
Yoshitoshi Uehara
Takuya Ishida
Tohru Ikeya
Satoshi Asano
Chia-Ying Ko
Tomoya Iwata
Ichiro Tayasu
Naohiko Ohkouchi
Noboru Okuda
author_facet Naoto F. Ishikawa
Yoshitoshi Uehara
Takuya Ishida
Tohru Ikeya
Satoshi Asano
Chia-Ying Ko
Tomoya Iwata
Ichiro Tayasu
Naohiko Ohkouchi
Noboru Okuda
author_sort Naoto F. Ishikawa
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To understand energy and material cycles on surface Earth, it is important yet challenging to estimate trophic transfer through ecosystems. To address this issue, the integrated trophic position (iTP), defined as a biomass-weighted average TP of a given food web, is useful because the iTP can be a proxy for the configuration of ecological pyramid. Here we conducted the compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids for macroinvertebrate communities collected from the Ado and Yasu Rivers in the Lake Biwa watershed, Japan, to estimate their iTP values. Unlike previous studies, no clear relationships between iTP and biodiversity (Shannon index H’) were found. However, by comparing the irrigated period and the non-irrigated period within the Yasu River, the decrease in iTP values was fairly characterized by the increase in H’. A significant difference in the observed iTP values compared to those reported in the previous study suggests that the configuration of ecological pyramid in stream ecosystems is dynamic rather than static. We also found that the iTP values of stream macroinvertebrate communities (2.37 ± 0.24) (n = 43), marine mesozooplankton communities (2.33 ± 0.34) (n = 14), and animal communities with various taxonomic groups (2.42 ± 0.21) (n = 158) are all comparable with each other, suggesting that partial communities involving macroinvertebrates well represent the configuration of total ecological pyramid. This finding clearly delineates the promising performance of the iTP index for the trophic transfer of energy, which should be further explored in a variety of ecosystems.
format Article
id doaj-art-253bb1adaf9f408693eaab79ca76d343
institution DOAJ
issn 2197-4284
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
spelling doaj-art-253bb1adaf9f408693eaab79ca76d3432025-08-20T02:46:13ZengSpringerOpenProgress in Earth and Planetary Science2197-42842025-01-0112111010.1186/s40645-024-00671-6Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communitiesNaoto F. Ishikawa0Yoshitoshi Uehara1Takuya Ishida2Tohru Ikeya3Satoshi Asano4Chia-Ying Ko5Tomoya Iwata6Ichiro Tayasu7Naohiko Ohkouchi8Noboru Okuda9Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyResearch Institute for Humanity and NatureGraduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima UniversityRitsumeikan UniversityKyoto UniversityInstitute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan UniversityUniversity of YamanashiResearch Institute for Humanity and NatureJapan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyKobe UniversityAbstract To understand energy and material cycles on surface Earth, it is important yet challenging to estimate trophic transfer through ecosystems. To address this issue, the integrated trophic position (iTP), defined as a biomass-weighted average TP of a given food web, is useful because the iTP can be a proxy for the configuration of ecological pyramid. Here we conducted the compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids for macroinvertebrate communities collected from the Ado and Yasu Rivers in the Lake Biwa watershed, Japan, to estimate their iTP values. Unlike previous studies, no clear relationships between iTP and biodiversity (Shannon index H’) were found. However, by comparing the irrigated period and the non-irrigated period within the Yasu River, the decrease in iTP values was fairly characterized by the increase in H’. A significant difference in the observed iTP values compared to those reported in the previous study suggests that the configuration of ecological pyramid in stream ecosystems is dynamic rather than static. We also found that the iTP values of stream macroinvertebrate communities (2.37 ± 0.24) (n = 43), marine mesozooplankton communities (2.33 ± 0.34) (n = 14), and animal communities with various taxonomic groups (2.42 ± 0.21) (n = 158) are all comparable with each other, suggesting that partial communities involving macroinvertebrates well represent the configuration of total ecological pyramid. This finding clearly delineates the promising performance of the iTP index for the trophic transfer of energy, which should be further explored in a variety of ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00671-6BiomassCSIA-AAEcological pyramidTrophic transferOperationally defined community
spellingShingle Naoto F. Ishikawa
Yoshitoshi Uehara
Takuya Ishida
Tohru Ikeya
Satoshi Asano
Chia-Ying Ko
Tomoya Iwata
Ichiro Tayasu
Naohiko Ohkouchi
Noboru Okuda
Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Biomass
CSIA-AA
Ecological pyramid
Trophic transfer
Operationally defined community
title Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
title_full Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
title_short Spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
title_sort spatiotemporal variations in integrated trophic positions of stream macroinvertebrate communities
topic Biomass
CSIA-AA
Ecological pyramid
Trophic transfer
Operationally defined community
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00671-6
work_keys_str_mv AT naotofishikawa spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT yoshitoshiuehara spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT takuyaishida spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT tohruikeya spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT satoshiasano spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT chiayingko spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT tomoyaiwata spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT ichirotayasu spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT naohikoohkouchi spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities
AT noboruokuda spatiotemporalvariationsinintegratedtrophicpositionsofstreammacroinvertebratecommunities