Food supply and size class depending variations in phytodetritus intake in the benthic foraminifer Ammonia tepida
- Author(s)
- Julia Wukovits, Patrick Bukenberger, Annekatrin Enge, Maximilian Gerg, Wolfgang Wanek, Margarete Watzka, Petra Heinz
- Abstract
Ammonia tepida is a common and abundant benthic foraminifer in intertidal mudflats. Benthic foraminifera are primary consumers and detritivores and act as key players in sediment nutrient fluxes. In this study, laboratory feeding experiments using isotope-labeled phytodetritus were carried out with A. tepida collected at the German Wadden Sea, to investigate the response of A. tepida to varying food supply. Feeding mode (single pulse, constant feeding; different incubation temperatures) caused strong variations in cytoplasmic carbon and nitrogen cycling, suggesting generalistic adaptations to variations in food availability. To study the influence of intraspecific size to foraminiferal carbon and nitrogen cycling, three size fractions (125–250 µm, 250–355 µm, >355 µm) of A. tepida specimens were separated. Small individuals showed higher weight specific intake for phytodetritus, especially for phytodetrital nitrogen, highlighting that size distribution within foraminiferal populations is relevant to interpret foraminiferal carbon and nitrogen cycling. These results were used to extrapolate the data to natural populations of living A. tepida in sediment cores, demonstrating the impact of high abundances of small individuals on phytodetritus processing and nutrient cycling. It is estimated that at high abundances of individuals in the 125–250 µm size fraction, Ammonia populations can account for more than 11% of phytodetritus processing in intertidal benthic communities.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- University of Vienna
- Journal
- The Open Biology Journal
- Volume
- 7
- No. of pages
- 10
- ISSN
- 1874-1967
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.030056
- Publication date
- 03-2018
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106021 Marine biology, 105118 Palaeontology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/02f36b1a-c0a5-4f13-9579-fbf3435f0e67