Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze: Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze

In den gemäßigten Breiten zeigte sich die allgemeine Erwärmung der letzten Jahrzehnte insbesondere im Winter und im zeitigen Frühjahr. Dementsprechend traten Veränderungen in der Phänologie, dem zeitlichen Verlauf von Populations- und Entwicklungsprozessen von Organismen (z. B. Zeitpunkt der Knospung bei Pflanzen oder der Laichperiode bei Fischen), vor allem im Frühjahr auf. Obwohl generell eine frühere und beschleunigte Entwicklung als Reaktion auf die Erwärmung beobachtet wurde, zeigten sich doch Unterschiede in der Sensitivität von Organismen. Dadurch kann es in Nahrungsnetzen zu Match- oder Mismatch- Situationen in Räuber-Beute Beziehungen kommen. Am Beispiel der komplexen Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz der Talsperre Saidenbach wird der Einfluss verschiedener Erwärmungsszenarien auf Schlüsselorganismen und deren Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz und letztlich auf die Wassergüte in dieser Trinkwassertalsperre im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms AQUASHIFT analysiert.In temperate regions, the warming trends of the last decades have been observed primarily in winter and early spring. Accordingly, changes in the phenology of individual species, e.g. sprouting in plants or spawning of fish, occurred mainly in spring. Although the general pattern is earlier and faster development in response to warming, differences in sensitivity have been apparent between species, potentially giving rise to match or mismatch scenarios in predator-prey relations. The impact of warming scenarios on key species, their interactions and ultimately on the water quality is studied at Saidenbach Reservoir within the framework of the DFG priority program AQUASHIFT

Size-dependent Predator-prey Relationships between Pikeperch and their Prey Fish

Predator-prey interactions in aquatic food webs depend on the sizes of both predator and prey. In the present study size-dependent interactions between > 70 mm total length pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.) and four prey fish species in the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir were investigated. Gape widths of 597 pikeperch were measured, and the stomach contents of 806 specimens were analysed. Additionally, total lengths (TL) and body depths of 1,448 prey fish were determined. The highest prey length to predator length ratio (PPR) was 0.63. Total lengths of piscivorous pikeperch and total lengths of prey fish (pikeperch, ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus (L.) and roach Rutilus rutilus (L.)) were positively and linearly related. This was not the case for prey perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) as all size groups of pikeperch fed strongly on age-0 perch. This study coupled with results of previous studies suggests that predation by pikeperch can have major impact on the population dynamics of especially perch.JRC.G.3-Agricultur

Riparian detritus vs. stream detritus: food quality determines fitness of juveniles of the highly endangered freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)

Detritus is an important energy source of stream food webs. Being a mix of allochthonous and autochthonous sources, it is often unknown, which components contribute to the growth of stream organisms. This study focussed on the comparison of two different detritus types (riparian detritus and stream detritus) with respect to food quality and effects on growth as a fitness parameter of juvenile freshwater pearl mussels (FPM). We performed feeding experiments with juvenile FPM under laboratory conditions using the two detritus types from four different natural sources each. Food quality was determined by analysing the fatty acid composition. Stream detritus (conditioned to stream environment including autochthonous microbes) resulted in significantly higher growth rates of juvenile FPM than predominately terrestrial-based riparian detritus indicating higher food quality. Significantly positive correlations were found between mussel growth and different groups of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). This suggests that especially trace substances such as long-chained n-3 PUFAs and a high ratio of n-3 to n-6 PUFAs enhance the food quality of stream detritus for juvenile FPM. These results highlight the importance of instream conditioning of detritus for the food mix in headwater streams and the importance of PUFAs for the development of juvenile FPM

Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze: Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze

In den gemäßigten Breiten zeigte sich die allgemeine Erwärmung der letzten Jahrzehnte insbesondere im Winter und im zeitigen Frühjahr. Dementsprechend traten Veränderungen in der Phänologie, dem zeitlichen Verlauf von Populations- und Entwicklungsprozessen von Organismen (z. B. Zeitpunkt der Knospung bei Pflanzen oder der Laichperiode bei Fischen), vor allem im Frühjahr auf. Obwohl generell eine frühere und beschleunigte Entwicklung als Reaktion auf die Erwärmung beobachtet wurde, zeigten sich doch Unterschiede in der Sensitivität von Organismen. Dadurch kann es in Nahrungsnetzen zu Match- oder Mismatch- Situationen in Räuber-Beute Beziehungen kommen. Am Beispiel der komplexen Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz der Talsperre Saidenbach wird der Einfluss verschiedener Erwärmungsszenarien auf Schlüsselorganismen und deren Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz und letztlich auf die Wassergüte in dieser Trinkwassertalsperre im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms AQUASHIFT analysiert.In temperate regions, the warming trends of the last decades have been observed primarily in winter and early spring. Accordingly, changes in the phenology of individual species, e.g. sprouting in plants or spawning of fish, occurred mainly in spring. Although the general pattern is earlier and faster development in response to warming, differences in sensitivity have been apparent between species, potentially giving rise to match or mismatch scenarios in predator-prey relations. The impact of warming scenarios on key species, their interactions and ultimately on the water quality is studied at Saidenbach Reservoir within the framework of the DFG priority program AQUASHIFT

Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze Der Einfluss von Klimavariabilität auf aquatische Nahrungsnetze

In den gemäßigten Breiten zeigte sich die allgemeine Erwärmung der letzten Jahrzehnte insbesondere im Winter und im zeitigen Frühjahr. Dementsprechend traten Veränderungen in der Phänologie, dem zeitlichen Verlauf von Populations- und Entwicklungsprozessen von Organismen (z. B. Zeitpunkt der Knospung bei Pflanzen oder der Laichperiode bei Fischen), vor allem im Frühjahr auf. Obwohl generell eine frühere und beschleunigte Entwicklung als Reaktion auf die Erwärmung beobachtet wurde, zeigten sich doch Unterschiede in der Sensitivität von Organismen. Dadurch kann es in Nahrungsnetzen zu Match- oder Mismatch- Situationen in Räuber-Beute Beziehungen kommen. Am Beispiel der komplexen Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz der Talsperre Saidenbach wird der Einfluss verschiedener Erwärmungsszenarien auf Schlüsselorganismen und deren Interaktionen im Nahrungsnetz und letztlich auf die Wassergüte in dieser Trinkwassertalsperre im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms AQUASHIFT analysiert.In temperate regions, the warming trends of the last decades have been observed primarily in winter and early spring. Accordingly, changes in the phenology of individual species, e.g. sprouting in plants or spawning of fish, occurred mainly in spring. Although the general pattern is earlier and faster development in response to warming, differences in sensitivity have been apparent between species, potentially giving rise to match or mismatch scenarios in predator-prey relations. The impact of warming scenarios on key species, their interactions and ultimately on the water quality is studied at Saidenbach Reservoir within the framework of the DFG priority program AQUASHIFT

Prognostic significance of ALDH1A1-positive cancer stem cells in patients with locally advanced, metastasized head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1A1) has now been recognized as a cancer stem(-like) cells (CSCs) marker in various tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The objective of this study was to examine the expression of ALDH1A1 in patients with locally advanced, metastasized HNSCC and to determine its prognostic value. Human papillomavirus genotypes and expression of ALDH1A1, Twist1, and p16 were analyzed in specimens of 81 patients with primary HNSCC and 49 lymph node metastases. Patient clinicopathologic and follow-up data were analyzed. Expression of ALDH1A1 was observed in 38 (46.9 %) of 81 primary tumors and 26 (53 %) of 49 lymph node metastases, respectively. Notably, the expression of ALDH1A1 was correlated significantly with poor tumor differentiation grade (p = 0.011). Interestingly, ALDH1A1 was observed co-expressed with Twist1 in primary tumor and lymph node metastases. Multivariate analysis showed that ALDH1A1 expression predicted poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC (p = 0.011) and the subgroup of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.001). In the patient cohort with advanced, metastasized tumors, ALDH1A1 was identified as independent predictor of overall survival in both groups. Our results provide evidence for the prognostic value of ALDH1A1 as a CSC marker in patients with locally advanced, metastasized HNSCC

Integrating aquatic and terrestrial perspectives to improve insights into organic matter cycling at the landscape scale

Across a landscape, aquatic-terrestrial interfaces within and between ecosystems are hotspots of organic matter (OM) mineralization. These interfaces are characterized by sharp spatio-temporal changes in environmental conditions, which affect OM properties and thus control OM mineralization and other transformation processes. Consequently, the extent of OM movement at and across aquatic-terrestrial interfaces is crucial in determining OM turnover and carbon (C) cycling at the landscape scale. Here, we propose expanding current concepts in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem sciences to comprehensively evaluate OM turnover at the landscape scale. We focus on three main concepts toward explaining OM turnover at the landscape scale: the landscape spatio-temporal context, OM turnover described by priming and ecological stoichiometry, and anthropogenic effects as a disruptor of natural OM transfer magnitudes and pathways. A conceptual framework is introduced that allows for discussing the disparities in spatial and temporal scales of OM transfer, changes in environmental conditions, ecosystem connectivity, and microbial–substrate interactions. The potential relevance of priming effects in both terrestrial and aquatic systems is addressed. For terrestrial systems, we hypothesize that the interplay between the influx of OM and its corresponding elemental composition and the elemental demand of the microbial communities – stoichiometric question – may alleviate spatial and metabolic thresholds. In comparison, substrate level OM dynamics may be substantially different in aquatic systems due to matrix effects that accentuate the role of abiotic conditions, substrate quality, and microbial community dynamics. We highlight the disproportionate impact anthropogenic activities can have on OM cycling across the landscape including reversing natural OM flows through the landscape, disrupting ecosystem connectivity, and nutrient additions that cascade across the landscape. This knowledge is crucial for a better understanding of OM cycling in a landscape context, in particular since terrestrial and aquatic compartments may respond differently to the ongoing changes in climate, land use, and other anthropogenic interferences