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Mitchell, Edward

Nom
Mitchell, Edward
Affiliation principale
Site web
Fonction
Professeur ordinaire
Email
edward.mitchell@unine.ch
Identifiants
https://libra.unine.ch/handle/123456789/357
_
0000-0003-0358-506X

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  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Effects of decomposing cadavers on soil nematode communities over a one-year period
    (2016-12-1)
    Szelecz, Ildikò 
    ;
    Sorge, Franziska 
    ;
    Seppey, Christophe 
    ;
    Mulot, Matthieu 
    ;
    Steel, Hanne
    ;
    Neilson, Roy
    ;
    Griffiths, Bryan S.
    ;
    Amendt, Jens
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    In terrestrial ecosystems decomposing cadavers act as resource patches affecting nutrient cycling and soil communities, but the effects on soil communities are not well known. In this study we investigated nematode community response to decomposing pig cadavers (Sus scrofa) over a one-year period. As nematodes play key roles in soil food webs and are known to respond to disturbances and nutrient enrichment, we hypothesised that they would respond to decomposing cadavers and that this response would change over time. We compared the temporal patterns of nematode density and community structure under pig cadavers, either placed directly on the ground or hung 1 m aboveground (for effects of cadaveric fluids only), with two controls, i.e., bare soil and bags filled with soil placed on the ground (fake pigs e for microclimatic effects only). In the control and fake pig treatments nematode densities, community patterns and maturity indices did not change significantly. In contrast, density increased significantly underneath the ground and hanging pigs two weeks after the beginning of the experiment, and nematode family richness, Simpson diversity and maturity index were sgnificantly reduced in the cadaver treatments. Most nematode families responded negatively to cadavers with the notable exceptions of Rhabditidae, Neodiplogasteridae and Diplogasteroididae. The latter two were found exclusively underneath the decomposing cadavers and are promising bioindicators of vertebrate cadaver decomposition. Even though diversity, density and communities were recovering after one year, the impact of cadavers was still significant for the maturity index. These contrasting patterns illustrate how decomposing cadavers contribute to increasing local biodiversity and suggest that soil nematodes could be used as a tool to document the presence of a decomposing cadaver, or to estimate the time elapsed since death (post-mortem interval). Patterns should, however, be compared in different settings and seasons before such a tool can be validated.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Response of forest soil euglyphid testate amoebae (Rhizaria: Cercozoa) to pig cadavers assessed by high-throughput sequencing
    (2016-3-1)
    Seppey, Christophe 
    ;
    Fournier, Bertrand 
    ;
    Szelecz, Ildikò 
    ;
    Singer, David 
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Lara, Enrique 
    Decomposing cadavers modify the soil environment, but the effect on soil organisms and especially on soil protists is still poorly documented. We conducted a 35-month experiment in a deciduous forest where soil samples were taken under pig cadavers, control plots and fake pigs (bags of similar volume as the pigs). We extracted total soil DNA, amplified the SSU ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene V9 region and sequenced it by Illumina technology and analysed the data for euglyphid testate amoebae (Rhizaria: Euglyphida), a common group of protozoa known to respond to micro- environmental changes. We found 51 euglyphid operational taxonomic units (OTUs), 45 of which did not match any known sequence. Most OTUs decreased in abundance underneath cadavers between days 0 and 309, but some responded positively after a time lag. We sequenced the full-length SSU rRNA gene of two common OTUs that responded positively to cadavers; a phylogenetic analysis showed that they did not belong to any known euglyphid family. This study confirmed the existence of an unknown diversity of euglyphids and that they react to cadavers. Results suggest that metabarcoding of soil euglyphids could be used as a forensic tool to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) particularly for long-term (>2 months) PMI, for which no reliable tool exists.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Indicators for taxonomic and functional aspects of biodiversity in vineyard agro-ecosystem of Southern Switzerland
    (2014-3-11)
    Trivellone, Valeria
    ;
    Schoenenberger, Nicola
    ;
    Bellosi, Bruno
    ;
    Jermini, Mauro
    ;
    de Bello, Francesco
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Moretti, Marco
    t is widely accepted that the concept of biodiversity embraces two essential and complementary com- ponents: taxonomic and functional diversity. Our goal is to produce a list of plant species predictive of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity values and discuss their use within biodiversity monitoring programmes. We selected a representative sample of 48 vineyard areas from Southern Switzerland, and vegetation from the ground cover was sampled from within a total of 120 sampling plots. We con- sidered ten widely used functional traits and selected six taxonomic and functional indices. We applied a two-step analysis: (i) using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) based on the above mentioned bio- diversity indices, we defined 3 groups of sampling plots with low (L), medium (M) and high (H) biodiver- sity values; (ii) using the Indicator Value analysis, we identify indicator species that are significantly associated with the above-mentioned groups and their combinations. In total, 259 vascular plants were identified across the sampling plots. As a whole, 52 species were significant indicators for groups with high and mid-to-high biodiversity values. Out of all indicator species, 24 (46%) were exclusively selected by functional biodiversity indices whereas only 10 (19%) were associated with taxonomic indices. Eigh- teen (35% of the total) species were selected by both types of indices. We point out that indicator species associated with two different aspects of biodiversity show a high degree of complementarity. Our results emphasize the need to consider functional aspects of biodiversity in diversity-conservation strategies when the objectives are to preserve both taxonomic diversity and ecosystem functioning.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Can soil testate amoebae be used for estimating the time since death? A field experiment in a deciduous forest
    (2014)
    Szelecz, Ildikò 
    ;
    Fournier, Bertrand 
    ;
    Seppey, Christophe 
    ;
    Amendt, Jens
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    Estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI, the time interval between death and recovery of a body) can be crucial in solving criminal cases. Today minimum PMI calculations rely mainly on medical and entomological evidence. However, beyond 4-6 weeks even entomological methods become less accurate. Thus additional tools are needed. Cadaveric fluids released by decomposing cadavers modify the soil environment and thus impact soil organisms, which may thus be used to estimate the PMI. Although the response of bacteria or fungi to the presence of a corpse has been studied, to the best of our knowledge nothing is known about other soil organisms. Testate amoebae, a group of shelled protozoa, are sensitive bioindicators of soil physico-chemical and micro-climatic conditions and are therefore good potential PMI indicators. We investigated the response of testate amoebae to three decomposing pig cadavers, and compared the pattern to two controls each, bare soils and fake cadavers, in a beach-oak forest near Neuchatel, Switzerland. Forest litter samples collected in the three treatments over 10 months were analysed by microscopy. The pig treatment significantly impacted the testate amoeba community: after 22 and 33 days no living amoeba remained underneath the pig cadavers. Communities subsequently recovered but 10 months after the beginning of the experiment recovery was not complete. The fake cadavers also influenced the testate amoeba communities by altering the soil microclimate during a dry hot period, but less than the cadavers. These results confirm the sensitivity of soil testate amoebae to micro-climatic conditions and show that they respond fast to the presence of cadavers -and that this effect although decreasing over time lasts for months, possibly several years. This study therefore confirms that soil protozoa could potentially be useful as forensic indicators, especially in cases with a longer PMI. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Ecology of testate amoebae in peatlands of central China and development of a transfer function for paleohydrological reconstruction
    (2013)
    Qin, Yangmin 
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Lamentowicz, Mariusz
    ;
    Payne, Richard J.
    ;
    Lara, Enrique 
    ;
    Gu, Yansheng
    ;
    Huang, Xianyu
    ;
    Wang, Hongmei
    Testate amoebae are a diverse and abundant group of protozoa that constitute a large proportion of biomass in many ecosystems and probably fill important roles in ecosystem function. These microorganisms have attracted the interest of paleoecologists because the preserved shells of testate amoebae and their known hydrological preferences enable reconstruction of past hydrological change. In ombrotrophic peatlands, surface wetness reflects hydroclimate, so testate amoebae can play an important role in reconstruction of Holocene climate change. Previous studies, however, have been geographically restricted, mostly to North America and Europe. We studied the ecology of testate amoebae in peatlands from central China in relation to hydrology, pH and metal concentrations. We found that testate amoeba community structure was correlated with depth to water table (DWT) and that the hydrological preferences of species generally matched those of previous studies. We developed a weighted average DWT transfer function that enables prediction of water table depth with a cross-validated mean error of < 5 cm. Our results demonstrate the potential for using testate amoebae to reconstruct paleohydrology in China. Such studies could contribute to our understanding of Holocene climate changes in China, particularly regarding past Asian monsoon activity.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Using DNA-barcoding for sorting out protist species complexes: A case study of the Nebela tincta-collaris-bohemica group (Amoebozoa; Arcellinida, Hyalospheniidae)
    (2013)
    Kosakyan, Anush 
    ;
    Gomaa, Fatma
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Heger, Thierry J.
    ;
    Lara, Enrique 
    Species identification by means of morphology is often problematic in protists. Nebela tincta-collaris-bohemica (Arcellinida) is a species complex of small to medium-sized (ca. 100 mu m) testate amoebae common in peat bogs and forest soils. The taxonomic validity of characters used to define species within this group is debated and causes confusion in studies of biogeography, and applications in palaeoecology. We examined the relationship between morphological and genetic diversity within this species complex by combined analyses of light microscopy imaging and Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1(COI) sequences obtained from the same individual amoeba cells. Our goals were (1) to clarify the taxonomy and the phylogenetic relationships within this group, and (2) to evaluate if individual genotypes corresponded to specific morphotypes and the extent of phenotypic plasticity. We show here that small variations in test morphology that have been often overlooked by traditional taxonomy correspond to distinct haplotypes. We therefore revise the taxonomy of the group. We redefine Nebela tincta (Leidy) Kosakyan et Lara and N. collaris (Ehrenberg 1848) Kosakyan et Gomaa, change N. tincta var. rotunda Penard to N. rotunda (Penard 1890), describe three new species: N. guttata n. sp. Kosakyan et Lara, N. pechorensis n. sp. Kosakyan et Mitchell, and N. aliciae n. sp. Mitchell et Lara. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Relationships between testate amoeba communities and water quality in Lake Donghu, a large alkaline lake in Wuhan, China
    (2013)
    Qin, Yangmin 
    ;
    Fournier, Bertrand 
    ;
    Lara, Enrique 
    ;
    Gu, Yansheng
    ;
    Wang, Hongmei
    ;
    Cui, Yongde
    ;
    Zhang, Xiaoke
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    The middle Yangtze Reach is one of the most developed regions of China. As a result, most lakes in this area have suffered from eutrophication and serious environmental pollution during recent decades. The aquatic biodiversity in the lakes of the area is thus currently under significant threat from continuous human activities. Testate amoebae (TA) are benthic (rarely planktonic) microorganisms characterized by an agglutinated or autogenous shell. Owing to their high abundance, preservation potential in lacustrine sediments, and distinct response to environmental stress, they are increasingly used as indicators for monitoring water quality and reconstructing palaeoenvironmental changes. However this approach has not yet been developed in China. This study presents an initial assessment of benthic TA assemblages in eight lakes of Lake Donghu in the region of Wuhan, China. Testate amoeba community structure was most strongly correlated to water pH. In more alkaline conditions, communities were dominated by Centropyxis aculeata, Difflugia oblonga, Pontigulasia compressa, Pon. elisa and Lesquereusia modesta. These results are consistent with previous studies and show that TA could be useful for reconstructing past water pH fluctuations in China. To achieve this, the next step will be to expand the database and build transfer function models.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    The performance of single- and multi-proxy transfer functions (testate amoebae, bryophytes, vascular plants) for reconstructing mire surface wetness and pH
    (2013)
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Payne, Richard J.
    ;
    van der Knaap, Willem O.
    ;
    Lamentowicz, Lukasz
    ;
    Gabka, Maciej
    ;
    Lamentowicz, Mariusz
    Peatlands are widely exploited archives of paleoenvironmental change. We developed and compared multiple transfer functions to infer peatland depth to the water table (DWT) and pH based on testate amoeba (percentages, or presence/absence), bryophyte presence/absence, and vascular plant presence/absence data from sub-alpine peatlands in the SE Swiss Alps in order to 1) compare the performance of single-proxy vs. multi-proxy models and 2) assess the performance of presence/absence models. Bootstrapping cross-validation showing the best performing single-proxy transfer functions for both DWT and pH were those based on bryophytes. The best performing transfer functions overall for DWF were those based on combined testate amoebae percentages, bryophytes and vascular plants; and, for pH, those based on testate amoebae and bryophytes. The comparison of DWT and pH inferred from testate amoeba percentages and presence/absence data showed similar general patterns but differences in the magnitude and timing of some shifts. These results show new directions for paleoenvironmental research, 1) suggesting that it is possible to build good-performing transfer functions using presence/absence data, although with some loss of accuracy, and 2) supporting the idea that multi-proxy inference models may improve paleoecological reconstruction. The performance of multi-proxy and single-proxy transfer functions should be further compared in paleoecological data. (C) 2012 University of Washington. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Seasonal patterns of testate amoeba diversity, community structure and species-environment relationships in four Sphagnum-dominated peatlands along a 1300 m altitudinal gradient in Switzerland
    (2013)
    Lamentowicz, Mariusz
    ;
    Bragazza, Luca
    ;
    Buttler, Alexandre
    ;
    Jassey, V. E. J.
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    Altitudinal gradients are useful to study the potential effects of climate change on ecosystems. Historically, studies on elevation gradients have primarily focused on macro-organisms and ecosystem processes, while microorganisms have been mostly ignored despite their ubiquity and functional importance. We studied the temporal (about every two months from June 2008 until May 2009) variation of testate amoeba communities in four Sphagnum-dominated peatlands along a 1300 to elevation gradient in the Swiss Mountains (580-1880 m) in relation to water table depth and hydrochemistry with special focus on dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a useful proxy for changes in C-cycling in peatlands. The lowest site had significantly (P < 0.01) lowest testate amoeba density, species richness. The highest site had highest testate amoeba density (38 ind mg(-1) dry mass of Sphagnum). Seasonal fluctuations in testate amoeba species richness and diversity were not consistent among sites but density tended to peak in spring at all sites, autumn in the three highest sites and mid-winter in the upper two sites. In a redundancy analysis (RDA) community structure was more strongly correlated to altitude (33.8% of variance explained in living community) than to soil hydrological and hydro-chemical variables (together explaining 16.2% of variance). In a partial RDA with altitude used as covariable, the four sites were separated by DOP, DOC, DON, pH and average depth to water table. The abundance of high trophic level testate amoeba species (shell-aperture over their body size >0.20; i.e. primarily predators of protists and micro-metazoa) as well as the community size structure increased from lowest to highest elevation (respectively by 3.7x and 6x) and followed the seasonal patterns of total density, while DOC, DON, and DOC/DON decreased with elevation. These results agree with previously reported alteration of peatland microbial food chains in response to experimental warming, suggesting that climate-induced changes in microbial community structure (here a shortening of microbial food chains) represent a mechanism controlling the carbon balance of peatlands. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    To What Extent Do Food Preferences Explain the Trophic Position of Heterotrophic and Mixotrophic Microbial Consumers in a Sphagnum Peatland?
    (2013)
    Jassey, Vincent E. J.
    ;
    Meyer, Caroline
    ;
    Dupuy, Christine
    ;
    Bernard, Nadine
    ;
    Mitchell, Edward 
    ;
    Toussaint, Marie-Laure
    ;
    Metian, Marc
    ;
    Chatelain, Auriel P.
    ;
    Gilbert, Daniel
    Although microorganisms are the primary drivers of biogeochemical cycles, the structure and functioning of microbial food webs are poorly studied. This is the case in Sphagnum peatlands, where microbial communities play a key role in the global carbon cycle. Here, we explored the structure of the microbial food web from a Sphagnum peatland by analyzing (1) the density and biomass of different microbial functional groups, (2) the natural stable isotope (delta C-13 and delta N-15) signatures of key microbial consumers (testate amoebae), and (3) the digestive vacuole contents of Hyalosphenia papilio, the dominant testate amoeba species in our system. Our results showed that the feeding type of testate amoeba species (bacterivory, algivory, or both) translates into their trophic position as assessed by isotopic signatures. Our study further demonstrates, for H. papilio, the energetic benefits of mixotrophy when the density of its preferential prey is low. Overall, our results show that testate amoebae occupy different trophic levels within the microbial food web, depending on their feeding behavior, the density of their food resources, and their metabolism (i.e., mixotrophy vs. heterotrophy). Combined analyses of predation, community structure, and stable isotopes now allow the structure of microbial food webs to be more completely described, which should lead to improved models of microbial community function.