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Effects of light and nutrients on periphyton and the fatty acid composition and somatic growth of invertebrate grazers in subtropical streams

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Abstract

Algal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), essential for somatic growth and reproduction of aquatic animals, are influenced by ambient environmental conditions, including light and nutrients. Few studies have addressed the extent to which changes in algal PUFA can influence stream herbivore PUFA profiles and the implications for stream food webs. We manipulated subtropical stream periphyton by applying two light levels (open and shaded canopy) and two nutrient regimes (ambient and enriched) to investigate the response of PUFA and somatic growth in stream herbivores. After 6 weeks, the relative content of periphyton PUFA (%) changed distinctly and differed among treatments. Periphyton in the control treatment with open canopy showed a decline in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) relative to initial conditions, whereas shading increased EPA and total highly unsaturated FA (HUFA), but decreased α-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid and total C18 PUFA. The interaction of open canopy and added nutrients increased periphyton ALA compared with initial conditions, while the combined effects of shading and added nutrients led to greater total HUFA. FA similarity between stream grazers (the mayfly Austrophlebioides and caddisfly Helicopsyche) and periphyton increased with periphyton HUFA content. In addition, the growth of large instars of both grazers also increased in response to increased periphyton HUFA %. Our findings show that environmental changes, associated with riparian canopy and nutrients, can lead to changes in periphyton PUFA composition that in turn affect growth and PUFA composition in stream grazers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the landowners, Scott and Lynn Woolbank, Rob and Janice McLauchlan and Jeff Waggstaff, for access to their properties, and the members of Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group that contributed to the fieldwork, in particular Mark Amos. The authors are grateful for Dominic Valdez, Wei Wu, Jing Lu, Juan Tao, Francisco Villamarin and Carolyn Polson for their assistance with sample collection and water nutrient analysis. The authors also thank Katharina Winter and Katharina Hader for their help with lipid analysis.

Author contribution statement

F. G., F. S. and S. E. B. conceived and designed the experiments. F. G. performed the experiments. F. G. and M. J. K. analysed the data. F. G. drafted the original manuscript and other authors provided comments and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia

    Fen Guo, Fran Sheldon & Stuart E. Bunn

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Fen Guo

  3. WasserCluster Lunz Inter-University Centre for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz am See, Austria

    Martin J. Kainz

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  1. Fen Guo
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Correspondence to Fen Guo.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

The research was supported by a Ph.D. grant (ENV1010ASBFG) from Griffith University to F. G.

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Communicated by Robert O. Hall.

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Guo, F., Kainz, M.J., Sheldon, F. et al. Effects of light and nutrients on periphyton and the fatty acid composition and somatic growth of invertebrate grazers in subtropical streams. Oecologia 181, 449–462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3573-x

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