Rainfall as a trigger of ecological cascade effects in an Australian groundwater ecosystem

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dc.contributor.authorSaccò, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorBlyth, AJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHumphreys, WFen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCooper, SJBen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWhite, NEen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMousavi-Derazmahalleh, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorHua, Qen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMazumder, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGriebler, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGrice, Ken_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-08-19T06:48:28Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-08-19T06:48:28Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2021-02-12en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-08-13en_AU
dc.description.abstractGroundwaters host vital resources playing a key role in the near future. Subterranean fauna and microbes are crucial in regulating organic cycles in environments characterized by low energy and scarce carbon availability. However, our knowledge about the functioning of groundwater ecosystems is limited, despite being increasingly exposed to anthropic impacts and climate change-related processes. In this work we apply novel biochemical and genetic techniques to investigate the ecological dynamics of an Australian calcrete under two contrasting rainfall periods (LR—low rainfall and HR—high rainfall). Our results indicate that the microbial gut community of copepods and amphipods experienced a shift in taxonomic diversity and predicted organic functional metabolic pathways during HR. The HR regime triggered a cascade effect driven by microbes (OM processors) and exploited by copepods and amphipods (primary and secondary consumers), which was finally transferred to the aquatic beetles (top predators). Our findings highlight that rainfall triggers ecological shifts towards more deterministic dynamics, revealing a complex web of interactions in seemingly simple environmental settings. Here we show how a combined isotopic-molecular approach can untangle the mechanisms shaping a calcrete community. This design will help manage and preserve one of the most vital but underrated ecosystems worldwide. © 2021 The Authors Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.en_AU
dc.identifier.articlenumber3694en_AU
dc.identifier.citationSaccò, M., Blyth, A. J., Humphreys, W. F., Cooper, S. J. B., White, N. E., Campbell, M., Mousavi-Derazmahalleh, M., Hua, Q., Mazumder, D., Smith, C., Griebler, C., & Grice, K. (2021). Rainfall as a trigger of ecological cascade effects in an Australian groundwater ecosystem. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 3694. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-83286-xen_AU
dc.identifier.issn2045-2322en_AU
dc.identifier.issue1en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleScientific Reportsen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83286-xen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/11393en_AU
dc.identifier.volume11en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSpringer Nature Limiteden_AU
dc.subjectGround wateren_AU
dc.subjectMicroorganismsen_AU
dc.subjectEcosystemsen_AU
dc.subjectRainen_AU
dc.subjectRain wateren_AU
dc.subjectClimatic changeen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectCalcretesen_AU
dc.titleRainfall as a trigger of ecological cascade effects in an Australian groundwater ecosystemen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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