Premium
Nutritional quality of leaf detritus altered by elevated atmospheric CO 2 : effects on development of mosquito larvae
Author(s) -
Tuchman Nancy C.,
Wahtera Kirk A.,
Wetzel Robert G.,
Russo Nicole M.,
Kilbane Grace M.,
Sasso Lisa M.,
Teeri James A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2003.01102.x
Subject(s) - biology , plant litter , detritus , larva , litter , aedes albopictus , productivity , detritivore , ecosystem , ecology , microcosm , botany , zoology , aedes aegypti , macroeconomics , economics
Summary 1. Populus tremuloides leaf litter was produced under elevated (ELEV = 720 ppm) and ambient (AMB = 360 ppm) atmospheric CO 2 conditions. Leaf chemical quality was significantly altered by CO 2 enrichment. ELEV leaves had significantly higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and lignins, and higher C : N ratios than AMB. 2. Leaf litter was incubated in a headwater stream for 14 days to become colonised by microorganisms; aquatic bacterial productivity was significantly lower on ELEV than on AMB leaf litter. Colonised leaves were fed to four species of detritivorous mosquito larvae to assess their survivorship and development rates. 3. Larval mortality was 2.2 times higher for Aedes albopictus fed ELEV litter when compared with AMB. Although mortality of A. triseriatus , A. aegypti and Armigeres subalbatus was not affected by treatment, larval development rate was delayed by 78, 25 and 27%, respectively, when fed ELEV litter. 4. Increased mosquito mortality and/or delayed larval development rates are more likely to have negative implications for food web structure and productivity in ecosystems where immature stages of mosquitoes are an important food source of predators.