Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat
ABSTRACT Large mammalian herbivores influence grassland ecosystems through plant consumption, return of excreta and trampling, and by altering nutrient cycles and soil properties. These herbivore‐mediated changes impact other animals in the habitat, particularly plant‐dwelling arthropods. While plan...
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71681 |
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| author | Roi Forman Maya Lalzar Zhiwei Zhong Deli Wang Moshe Inbar Tali S. Berman |
| author_facet | Roi Forman Maya Lalzar Zhiwei Zhong Deli Wang Moshe Inbar Tali S. Berman |
| author_sort | Roi Forman |
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| description | ABSTRACT Large mammalian herbivores influence grassland ecosystems through plant consumption, return of excreta and trampling, and by altering nutrient cycles and soil properties. These herbivore‐mediated changes impact other animals in the habitat, particularly plant‐dwelling arthropods. While plant‐mediated effects of large mammalian herbivores on arthropod populations are well documented, direct effects, such as incidental ingestion of arthropods, remain understudied. Large mammalian herbivores incidentally ingest a variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods; however, it remains unclear how this interaction is influenced by the dietary choices of different mammal species within the same habitat. Using a DNA metabarcoding analysis of fecal samples, we investigated the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods by sheep and cattle grazing in northeast Asian grasslands. Fecal samples were collected from replicated plots throughout the grazing season, including previously grazed and ungrazed plots. A COI marker was used to amplify arthropod DNA, followed by high‐throughput sequencing. Results revealed that both sheep and cattle ingest a variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods, including herbivores, parasitoids, and predators, with a high proportion of endophages (species developing in plant tissue). Significant differences were observed in ingestion between sheep and cattle—sheep (selective grazers) ingested a wider variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods compared to cattle, whose diet consisted primarily of grasses, highlighting the impact of dietary choices on arthropod ingestion. Grazing regime influenced the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods in sheep, with differences observed between previously grazed and ungrazed plots. Our findings demonstrate that the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods by large mammalian herbivores is a dynamic and widespread phenomenon, varying across mammalian species and seasons. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-4bd5bd5e97844fd691077b571c1706072025-08-20T03:35:01ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-07-01157n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71681Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same HabitatRoi Forman0Maya Lalzar1Zhiwei Zhong2Deli Wang3Moshe Inbar4Tali S. Berman5Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology University of Haifa Haifa IsraelBioinformatics Services Unit University of Haifa Haifa IsraelKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, School of Biological Sciences/Institute of Grassland Science/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun People's Republic of ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, School of Biological Sciences/Institute of Grassland Science/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology University of Haifa Haifa IsraelDepartment of Animal Sciences Hula Research Centre, Tel‐Hai Academic College Kiryat Shmona IsraelABSTRACT Large mammalian herbivores influence grassland ecosystems through plant consumption, return of excreta and trampling, and by altering nutrient cycles and soil properties. These herbivore‐mediated changes impact other animals in the habitat, particularly plant‐dwelling arthropods. While plant‐mediated effects of large mammalian herbivores on arthropod populations are well documented, direct effects, such as incidental ingestion of arthropods, remain understudied. Large mammalian herbivores incidentally ingest a variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods; however, it remains unclear how this interaction is influenced by the dietary choices of different mammal species within the same habitat. Using a DNA metabarcoding analysis of fecal samples, we investigated the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods by sheep and cattle grazing in northeast Asian grasslands. Fecal samples were collected from replicated plots throughout the grazing season, including previously grazed and ungrazed plots. A COI marker was used to amplify arthropod DNA, followed by high‐throughput sequencing. Results revealed that both sheep and cattle ingest a variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods, including herbivores, parasitoids, and predators, with a high proportion of endophages (species developing in plant tissue). Significant differences were observed in ingestion between sheep and cattle—sheep (selective grazers) ingested a wider variety of plant‐dwelling arthropods compared to cattle, whose diet consisted primarily of grasses, highlighting the impact of dietary choices on arthropod ingestion. Grazing regime influenced the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods in sheep, with differences observed between previously grazed and ungrazed plots. Our findings demonstrate that the ingestion of plant‐dwelling arthropods by large mammalian herbivores is a dynamic and widespread phenomenon, varying across mammalian species and seasons.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71681DNA metabarcodingfood websgrazinginsectslarge mammalian herbivorestrophic interactions |
| spellingShingle | Roi Forman Maya Lalzar Zhiwei Zhong Deli Wang Moshe Inbar Tali S. Berman Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat Ecology and Evolution DNA metabarcoding food webs grazing insects large mammalian herbivores trophic interactions |
| title | Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat |
| title_full | Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat |
| title_fullStr | Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat |
| title_short | Incidental Ingestion of Plant‐Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat |
| title_sort | incidental ingestion of plant dwelling arthropods by sheep and cattle in the same habitat |
| topic | DNA metabarcoding food webs grazing insects large mammalian herbivores trophic interactions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71681 |
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