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Nutritional quality of leaf detritus altered by elevated atmospheric CO2: effects on development of mosquito larvae

TitleNutritional quality of leaf detritus altered by elevated atmospheric CO2: effects on development of mosquito larvae
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2003
AuthorsTuchman NCrandall, Wahtera KA, Wetzel RG, Russo NM, Kilbane GM, Sasso LM, Teeri JA
JournalFreshwater Biology
Volume48
Pagination1432-1439
KeywordsVASCULAR PLANTS
Abstract
  1. Populus tremuloides leaf litter was produced under elevated (ELEV = 720 ppm) and ambient (AMB = 360 ppm) atmospheric CO2 conditions. Leaf chemical quality was significantly altered by CO2 enrichment. ELEV leaves had significantly hihgher 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 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.