Freshwater mussels promote functional redundancy in sediment microbial communities under different nutrient regimes

Abstract Animals are a critical component of biogeochemical cycles. While animal mediated fluxes nutrients and energy have received considerable attention, the impacts these on microbial community structure function comparatively understudied. Here, we investigated if freshwater mussel influences cycling in stream sediment accompanied by changes composition ecoenzymatic activity, relationships change under different nutrient regimes. We predicted that effects ecosystem reflected modified communities. hypothesized either or driven mussel‐derived amendments, should see muted assemblages when given is abundant. However, communities influenced other functions, then uniform regardless availability. transplanted mussels natural river to flow‐through mesocosms monitored over 1 week. Our results indicate always changed composition, but way was dependent ambient concentrations. On final day measured activity ecoenzymes known correlate Mussels homogenized stoichiometric ratios ecoenzyme activities, indicating consistent microbes associated with mussels. suggest may promote functional redundancy highlight importance animals controlling transformations changing conditions. Read free Plain Language Summary for this article Journal blog.