TY - JOUR
T1 - The Good, the Bad and the Plenty: Interactive Effects of Food Quality and Quantity on the Growth of Different Daphnia Species
AU - Bukovinszky, T.
AU - Verschoor, A.M.
AU - Helmsing, N.R.
AU - Bezemer, T.M.
AU - Bakker, E.S.
AU - Vos, M.
AU - De Senerpont Domis, L.N.
N1 - Reporting year: 2012
Metis note: 5319; WAG; TE; AqE
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Effects of food quality and quantity on consumers are neither independent nor interchangeable. Although consumer
growth and reproduction show strong variation in relation to both food quality and quantity, the effects of food quality or
food quantity have usually been studied in isolation. In two experiments, we studied the growth and reproduction in three
filter-feeding freshwater zooplankton species, i.e. Daphnia galeata x hyalina, D. pulicaria and D. magna, on their algal food
(Scenedesmus obliquus), varying in carbon to phosphorus (C:P) ratios and quantities (concentrations). In the first experiment,
we found a strong positive effect of the phosphorus content of food on growth of Daphnia, both in their early and late
juvenile development. Variation in the relationship between the P-content of animals and their growth rate reflected
interspecific differences in nutrient requirements. Although growth rates typically decreased as development neared
maturation, this did not affect these species-specific couplings between growth rate and Daphnia P-content. In the second
experiment, we examined the effects of food quality on Daphnia growth at different levels of food quantity. With the same
decrease in P-content of food, species with higher estimated P-content at zero growth showed a larger increase in threshold
food concentrations (i.e. food concentration sufficient to meet metabolic requirements but not growth). These results
suggest that physiological processes such as maintenance and growth may in combination explain effects of food quality
and quantity on consumers. Our study shows that differences in response to variation in food quality and quantity exist
between species. As a consequence, species-specific effects of food quality on consumer growth will also determine how
species deal with varying food levels, which has implications for resource-consumer interactions.
AB - Effects of food quality and quantity on consumers are neither independent nor interchangeable. Although consumer
growth and reproduction show strong variation in relation to both food quality and quantity, the effects of food quality or
food quantity have usually been studied in isolation. In two experiments, we studied the growth and reproduction in three
filter-feeding freshwater zooplankton species, i.e. Daphnia galeata x hyalina, D. pulicaria and D. magna, on their algal food
(Scenedesmus obliquus), varying in carbon to phosphorus (C:P) ratios and quantities (concentrations). In the first experiment,
we found a strong positive effect of the phosphorus content of food on growth of Daphnia, both in their early and late
juvenile development. Variation in the relationship between the P-content of animals and their growth rate reflected
interspecific differences in nutrient requirements. Although growth rates typically decreased as development neared
maturation, this did not affect these species-specific couplings between growth rate and Daphnia P-content. In the second
experiment, we examined the effects of food quality on Daphnia growth at different levels of food quantity. With the same
decrease in P-content of food, species with higher estimated P-content at zero growth showed a larger increase in threshold
food concentrations (i.e. food concentration sufficient to meet metabolic requirements but not growth). These results
suggest that physiological processes such as maintenance and growth may in combination explain effects of food quality
and quantity on consumers. Our study shows that differences in response to variation in food quality and quantity exist
between species. As a consequence, species-specific effects of food quality on consumer growth will also determine how
species deal with varying food levels, which has implications for resource-consumer interactions.
KW - international
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0042966
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0042966
M3 - Article
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 7
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
IS - 9
M1 - e42966
ER -