Consumer Aggregations Drive Nutrient Dynamics and Ecosystem Metabolism in Nutrient-Limited Systems.

ABSTRACT: Differences in animal distributions and metabolic demands can influence energy and nutrient flow in an ecosystem. Through taxa-specific nutrient consumption, storage, and remineralization, animals may influence energy and nutrient pathways in an ecosystem. Here we show these taxa-specific traits can drive biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and alter ecosystem primary production and metabolism, using riverine systems that support heterogeneous freshwater mussel aggregations. Freshwater unionid mussels occur as distinct, spatially heterogeneous, dense aggregations in rivers. They may influence rates of production and respiration because their activities are spatially concentrated within given stream reaches. Previous work indicates that mussels influence nutrient limitation patterns, algal s

SUBMITTER: Atkinson CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7252507 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature