Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada

Northern peatlands, which are highly heterogeneous ecosystems, are a globally important carbon (C) store. Understanding the drivers and predicting the future trajectory of the peatland C store requires upscaling from cores and sites to regions and continents, alongside a detailed understanding of th...

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Main Authors: Hui Zhang, Matthew J. Amesbury, Sanna R. Piilo, Michelle Garneau, Angela Gallego-Sala, Minna M. Väliranta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2020.00228/full
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spelling doaj-4ddadd28772f4807b82d83bab2d343ce2020-11-25T03:42:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2020-07-01810.3389/fevo.2020.00228556293Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, CanadaHui Zhang0Hui Zhang1Hui Zhang2Matthew J. Amesbury3Matthew J. Amesbury4Sanna R. Piilo5Sanna R. Piilo6Michelle Garneau7Angela Gallego-Sala8Minna M. Väliranta9Minna M. Väliranta10ECRU, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, FinlandInstitute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandECRU, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandGeography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United KingdomECRU, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Geography, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaGeography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United KingdomECRU, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, FinlandNorthern peatlands, which are highly heterogeneous ecosystems, are a globally important carbon (C) store. Understanding the drivers and predicting the future trajectory of the peatland C store requires upscaling from cores and sites to regions and continents, alongside a detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing their C sequestration. Studies incorporating replication are therefore important to quantify how peatland heterogeneity may affect upscaling from local-scale dynamics to models. In addition, we need to better understand the processes driving observed variability, but the interplay between plants, microbes and C cycling in peatlands remains poorly understood. One approach to address both issues is to examine replicated microbiological functional traits within a multi-proxy framework to provide an ecosystem-level perspective on ecological and biogeochemical processes. Peatland testate amoebae are a functionally important group of protists that are well suited to such an approach. Analysing testate amoeba functional traits provides an opportunity to examine processes that may affect key peatland ecosystem services, such as C sequestration. Here, we compared four key testate amoeba functional traits (mixotrophy, biovolume, aperture size and aperture position) to C accumulation, hydrological and vegetation changes in 12 post-Little Ice Age peat records. Samples were collected from high-boreal and low-subarctic regions in northwestern Québec, Canada in an experimental design that includes internal and external replication at both site and regional scales. Our results showed that correspondence between C accumulation, hydrology and testate amoeba functional traits varied, but recent changes in mixotrophy and aperture size, which may affect peatland C sequestration potential and microbial food web structure, respectively, showed tentative links to recent C accumulation increases. Vegetation, especially Sphagnum abundance was important in promoting mixotrophy and small aperture size in testate amoeba communities. Future impacts of climate change on peatland vegetation will further influence the functional role of testate amoebae on C sequestration through changing mixotrophic testate amoeba abundance.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2020.00228/fulltestate amoebaefunctional traitspalaeohydrologyvegetationcarbon accumulationreplicated sites
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Matthew J. Amesbury
Matthew J. Amesbury
Sanna R. Piilo
Sanna R. Piilo
Michelle Garneau
Angela Gallego-Sala
Minna M. Väliranta
Minna M. Väliranta
spellingShingle Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Matthew J. Amesbury
Matthew J. Amesbury
Sanna R. Piilo
Sanna R. Piilo
Michelle Garneau
Angela Gallego-Sala
Minna M. Väliranta
Minna M. Väliranta
Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
testate amoebae
functional traits
palaeohydrology
vegetation
carbon accumulation
replicated sites
author_facet Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang
Matthew J. Amesbury
Matthew J. Amesbury
Sanna R. Piilo
Sanna R. Piilo
Michelle Garneau
Angela Gallego-Sala
Minna M. Väliranta
Minna M. Väliranta
author_sort Hui Zhang
title Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
title_short Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
title_full Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
title_fullStr Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
title_full_unstemmed Recent Changes in Peatland Testate Amoeba Functional Traits and Hydrology Within a Replicated Site Network in Northwestern Québec, Canada
title_sort recent changes in peatland testate amoeba functional traits and hydrology within a replicated site network in northwestern québec, canada
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
issn 2296-701X
publishDate 2020-07-01
description Northern peatlands, which are highly heterogeneous ecosystems, are a globally important carbon (C) store. Understanding the drivers and predicting the future trajectory of the peatland C store requires upscaling from cores and sites to regions and continents, alongside a detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing their C sequestration. Studies incorporating replication are therefore important to quantify how peatland heterogeneity may affect upscaling from local-scale dynamics to models. In addition, we need to better understand the processes driving observed variability, but the interplay between plants, microbes and C cycling in peatlands remains poorly understood. One approach to address both issues is to examine replicated microbiological functional traits within a multi-proxy framework to provide an ecosystem-level perspective on ecological and biogeochemical processes. Peatland testate amoebae are a functionally important group of protists that are well suited to such an approach. Analysing testate amoeba functional traits provides an opportunity to examine processes that may affect key peatland ecosystem services, such as C sequestration. Here, we compared four key testate amoeba functional traits (mixotrophy, biovolume, aperture size and aperture position) to C accumulation, hydrological and vegetation changes in 12 post-Little Ice Age peat records. Samples were collected from high-boreal and low-subarctic regions in northwestern Québec, Canada in an experimental design that includes internal and external replication at both site and regional scales. Our results showed that correspondence between C accumulation, hydrology and testate amoeba functional traits varied, but recent changes in mixotrophy and aperture size, which may affect peatland C sequestration potential and microbial food web structure, respectively, showed tentative links to recent C accumulation increases. Vegetation, especially Sphagnum abundance was important in promoting mixotrophy and small aperture size in testate amoeba communities. Future impacts of climate change on peatland vegetation will further influence the functional role of testate amoebae on C sequestration through changing mixotrophic testate amoeba abundance.
topic testate amoebae
functional traits
palaeohydrology
vegetation
carbon accumulation
replicated sites
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2020.00228/full
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