Ecological role of grapsid crabs in mangrove ecosystems: a review

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 335 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Y. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Organic Matter Production ◽  
Mangrove Ecosystems ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Feeding Activities ◽  
And Function ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

Recent research on Indo–Pacific mangroves has confirmed the significant role played by grapsid crabs in the structure and function of these ecosystems. Through the feeding activities of the crabs, large proportions of organic matter production, i.e. mangrove leaves, are recycled within the forest. This initial retention of production in the forest refines earlier estimates of tidal export from the mangroves. Crab-processed organic matter could also form the basis of a coprophagous food chain involving small invertebrates, or be re-exported as micro-particulates. Differential consumption by crabs of mangrove propagules also affects mangrove community structure by diminishing the relative abundance of species whose propagules are preferred foods. Bioturbation by the crabs also results in changes in surface topography, particle size distribution and degree of aeration and, thus, the concentration of phytotoxins in the substratum. Such changes could affect growth and production of the mangroves. Growth and reproduction of the crabs may in turn be influenced by the associated mangrove species, mainly through the provision of food. The semi-terrestrial and air-breathing habit of the grapsid crabs probably makes them tolerant of deoxygenation caused by organic enrichment, but development of the landward mangroves will strongly affect survival of the crabs.

scholarly journals Baltic Earth Assessment Report on the biogeochemistry of the Baltic Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karol Kuliński ◽  
Gregor Rehder ◽  
Eero Asmala ◽  
Alena Bartosova ◽  
Jacob Carstensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Oxygen Availability ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Organic Matter Production ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Location, specific topography and hydrographic setting together with climate change and strong anthropogenic pressure are the main factors shaping the biogeochemical functioning and thus also the ecological status of the Baltic Sea. The recent decades have brought significant changes in the Baltic Sea. First, the rising nutrient loads from land in the second half of the 20th century led to eutrophication and spreading of hypoxic and anoxic areas, for which permanent stratification of the water column and limited ventilation of deep water layers made favourable conditions. Since the 1980s the nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea have been continuously decreasing. This, however, has so far not resulted in significant improvements in oxygen availability in the deep regions, which has revealed a slow response time of the system to the reduction of the land-derived nutrient loads. Responsible for that is the low burial efficiency of phosphorus at anoxic conditions and its remobilization from sediments when conditions change from oxic to anoxic. This results in a stoichiometric excess of phosphorus available for organic matter production, which promotes the growth of N2-fixing cyanobacteria and in turn supports eutrophication. This assessment reviews the available and published knowledge on the biogeochemical functioning of the Baltic Sea. In its content, the paper covers the aspects related to changes in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (C, N and P) external loads, their transformations in the coastal zone, changes in organic matter production (eutrophication) and remineralization (oxygen availability), and the role of sediments in burial and turnover of C, N and P. In addition to that, this paper focuses also on changes in the marine CO2 system, structure and functioning of the microbial community and the role of contaminants for biogeochemical processes. This comprehensive assessment allowed also for identifying knowledge gaps and future research needs in the field of marine biogeochemistry in the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Essential Role of Septin 7 in Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 258a
Author(s):  
Laszlo Csernoch ◽  
Mónika Gönczi ◽  
Zsolt Ráduly ◽  
László Szabó ◽  
Nóra Dobrosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Muscle Structure ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals Effects of Dysbiosis and Dietary Manipulation on the Digestive Microbiota of a Detritivorous Arthropod

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Marius Bredon ◽  
Elisabeth Depuydt ◽  
Lucas Brisson ◽  
Laurent Moulin ◽  
Ciriac Charles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Dietary Manipulation ◽  
Biotic Factors ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
And Function ◽  
Multicellular Organisms ◽  
Over Time

The crucial role of microbes in the evolution, development, health, and ecological interactions of multicellular organisms is now widely recognized in the holobiont concept. However, the structure and stability of microbiota are highly dependent on abiotic and biotic factors, especially in the gut, which can be colonized by transient bacteria depending on the host’s diet. We studied these impacts by manipulating the digestive microbiota of the detritivore Armadillidium vulgare and analyzing the consequences on its structure and function. Hosts were exposed to initial starvation and then were fed diets that varied the different components of lignocellulose. A total of 72 digestive microbiota were analyzed according to the type of the diet (standard or enriched in cellulose, lignin, or hemicellulose) and the period following dysbiosis. The results showed that microbiota from the hepatopancreas were very stable and resilient, while the most diverse and labile over time were found in the hindgut. Dysbiosis and selective diets may have affected the host fitness by altering the structure of the microbiota and its predicted functions. Overall, these modifications can therefore have effects not only on the holobiont, but also on the “eco-holobiont” conceptualization of macroorganisms.

scholarly journals Neuroplacentology in congenital heart disease: placental connections to neurodevelopmental outcomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Leon ◽  
Imran N. Mir ◽  
Christina L. Herrera ◽  
Kavita Sharma ◽  
Catherine Y. Spong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Congenital Heart ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Brain Growth ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Fetal Brain Development ◽  
And Function

Abstract Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are living longer due to effective medical and surgical management. However, the majority have neurodevelopmental delays or disorders. The role of the placenta in fetal brain development is unclear and is the focus of an emerging field known as neuroplacentology. In this review, we summarize neurodevelopmental outcomes in CHD and their brain imaging correlates both in utero and postnatally. We review differences in the structure and function of the placenta in pregnancies complicated by fetal CHD and introduce the concept of a placental inefficiency phenotype that occurs in severe forms of fetal CHD, characterized by a myriad of pathologies. We propose that in CHD placental dysfunction contributes to decreased fetal cerebral oxygen delivery resulting in poor brain growth, brain abnormalities, and impaired neurodevelopment. We conclude the review with key areas for future research in neuroplacentology in the fetal CHD population, including (1) differences in structure and function of the CHD placenta, (2) modifiable and nonmodifiable factors that impact the hemodynamic balance between placental and cerebral circulations, (3) interventions to improve placental function and protect brain development in utero, and (4) the role of genetic and epigenetic influences on the placenta–heart–brain connection. Impact Neuroplacentology seeks to understand placental connections to fetal brain development. In fetuses with CHD, brain growth abnormalities begin in utero. Placental microstructure as well as perfusion and function are abnormal in fetal CHD.

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