Search results for "food source"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
Differing trophic niches of three French stygobionts and their implications for conservation of endemic stygofauna
2019
1. Groundwater ecosystems represent the greatest proportion of unfrozen freshwa- ter on Earth and harbour high numbers of rare taxa with restricted distributions. Stygofaunal abundance, species richness, and ecology play essential roles in groundwater ecosystem services and functioning, as well as providing an impor- tant contribution to global biodiversity. However, as global depletion and contam- ination of groundwater pose serious and often irreversible threats to stygofauna, more information is urgently needed about the ecology of rare groundwater spe- cies to guide effective strategies for their conservation or restoration. 2. In this study, analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable isoto…
Parasite infection alters host stable-isotope composition under controlled feeding
2016
1) Stable isotopes are widely used for studying trophic relationships, but variation driven by environmental conditions or food availability complicates the interpretation of trophic dynamics. Parasites are ubiquitous and known to affect physiological functions of their hosts, but only few studies have assessed the effects of parasites on isotope composition of hosts. 2) We measured the changes in two of the most commonly used stable isotopes in food-web studies, nitrogen (i.e. 15N:14N ratio; denoted as δ15N) and carbon (13C:12C; δ13C) in Daphnia hosts exposed to infection by a parasitic micosporidian in the laboratory. Isotopic signatures of hosts fed a standardised controlled diet were co…
Intake of Total Polyphenols and Some Classes of Polyphenols Is Inversely Associated with Diabetes in Elderly People at High Cardiovascular Disease Ri…
2016
Background: Higher consumption of some polyphenols has been associated with a reduced risk of diabetes. However, no studies have evaluated the relation between all polyphenol subclasses and the incidence of diabetes.Objective: We aimed to prospectively examine the associations between the intake of total polyphenols and different groups of polyphenols (flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, lignans, and others) on the risk of incident diabetes in the PREDIMED (Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea) trial.Methods: This was an observational cohort analysis of the nondiabetic participants in the PREDIMED trial. This study was a multicenter, controlled, randomized, parallel-group feeding trial to a…
Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea as a potential source of organic matter for benthic consumers: evidences from a stable isotope analysis.
2008
Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea has been invading various types of substrates in wide areas throughout the Mediterranean Sea. However, the effects of the distribution of this alga on zoobenthos are scanty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of C. racemosa invasion on the feeding habits of some zoobenthic taxa inhabiting the upper infralittoral rocky shores. This was done by identifying the isotopic N and C ratios of several potential food sources and testing differences in isotope composition among the taxa collected from areas invaded and not-invaded areas by C. racemosa. Results suggest that C. racemosa detritus was a significant food source for the polychaete Syllis pro…
Chemical Ecology of Floral Resources in Conservation Biological Control.
2023
Conservation biological control aims to enhance populations of natural enemies of insect pests in crop habitats, typically by intentional provision of flowering plants as food resources. Ideally, these flowering plants should be inherently attractive to natural enemies to ensure that they are frequently visited. We review the chemical ecology of floral resources in a conservation biological control context, with a focus on insect parasitoids. We highlight the role of floral volatiles as semiochemicals that attract parasitoids to the food resources. The discovery that nectar-inhabiting microbes can be hidden players in mediating parasitoid responses to flowering plants has highlighted the co…