Nutritional Quality of Basal Resource in Stream Food Webs Increased with Light Reduction-Implications for Riparian Revegetation.

ABSTRACT: Biofilms are considered a basal resource with high nutritional quality in stream food webs, as periphytic algae are abundant of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential for growth and reproduction of consumers who cannot or have very limited capacity to biosynthesize. Yet, how the nutritional quality based on PUFA of basal food sources changes with light intensity remains unclear. We conducted a manipulative experiment in mesocosms to explore the response and mechanisms of nutritional quality to shading, simulating riparian restoration. We found a significant increase in PUFA% (including arachidonic acid, ARA) under shading conditions. The increased PUFA is caused by the algal community succession from Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta to Bacillariophyta which is abundant of PU

SUBMITTER: Zhang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11390794 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature