Metals are essential for microbial metabolism, yet their role as limiting nutrients in freshwater streams remains poorly understood. We quantified the prevalence of metal and nutrient (co‐)limitation of primary producers in 41 streams. Metal limitation was widespread with Fe limitation eliciting the strongest and most consistent biomass responses (50% of streams). Zn limitation was also common (33% of streams), marking the fir...

The decision to establish a network of researchers centers on identifying shared research goals. Ecologically specific regions, such as the USA’s National Ecological Observatory Network’s (NEON’s) eco-climatic domains, are ideal locations by which to assemble researchers with a diverse range of expertise but focused on the same set of ecological challenges. The recently established Great Lakes User Group (GLUG) is NEON’s first...

Networks of direct and indirect biotic interactions underpin the complex dynamics and stability of ecological systems, yet experimental and theoretical studies often yield conflicting evidence regarding the direction (positive or negative) or magnitude of these interactions. We revisited pioneering data sets collected at the deciduous forested Horonai Stream and conducted ecosystem‐level syntheses to demonstrate that the direc...

We examined the effect of agricultural land use on whole‐stream nutrient availability, biofilm standing crop, and biofilm nutrient limitation and uptake in 21 stream locations in southeastern Idaho. Higher stream water concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), but not nitrate (NO 3 ‐N) or phosphate (PO 4 ‐P), were associated with % agriculture in the watershed. Streambed chlorophyll a (Chl a ) and ash free dry weight (...

A disturbance, such as species invasion, can alter the exchange of materials and organisms between ecosystems, with potential consequences for the function of both ecosystems. Russian olive ( Elaeagnus angustifolia ) is an exotic tree invading riparian corridors in the western United States, and may alter stream organic matter budgets by increasing allochthonous litter and by reducing light via shading, in turn decreasing in‐s...

Although the study of resource subsidies has emerged as a key topic in both ecosystem and food web ecology, the dialogue over their role has been limited by separate approaches that emphasize either subsidy quantity or quality. Considering quantity and quality together may provide a simple, but previously unexplored, framework for identifying the mechanisms that govern the importance of subsidies for recipient food webs and ec...