Effects Of Abiotic Conditions Research Articles

Home Sweet Home: Setting the Best Thriving Conditions for the Ad Hoc Engineered Microbial Consortium in the Zero Mile System

Wastewaters from household appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, are an untapped resource of recoverable water and/or nutrients. The Zero Mile system has been developed to reuse/upcycle dishwasher wastewaters through bioremediation activity carried out by an ad hoc engineered phototrophic/heterotrophic microbial consortium. The choice of both suitable microorganisms for engineering consortia and detailed knowledge on their structure, behaviour and interaction are essential to optimising consortium culture conditions and drive the biofilter container design (structure and topology). To these aims, the effect of abiotic conditions (i.e., irradiance, pH and organic load) on the microbial consortium growth and its capability to survive and thrive in different dishwasher wastewater dilutions have been evaluated. At the same time, the crucial interplay between biological and design research has allowed us to define the characteristics of the biofilter container and plan its development for the industrial application of the Zero Mile system, bringing sustainability benefits as it moves household wastewater from a traditional linear model to a more sustainable, circular approach.

Fatty Acid Profiling as a Tool for Fostering the Traceability of the Halophyte Plant Salicornia ramosissima and Contributing to Its Nutritional Valorization.

Salicornia ramosissima, commonly known as glasswort or sea asparagus, is a halophyte plant cultivated for human consumption that is often referred to as a sea vegetable rich in health-promoting n-3 fatty acids (FAs). Yet, the effect of abiotic conditions, such as salinity and temperature, on the FA profile of S. ramosissima remains largely unknown. These factors can potentially shape its nutritional composition and yield unique fatty acid signatures that can reveal its geographical origin. In this context, samples of S. ramosissima were collected from four different locations along the coastline of mainland Portugal and their FAs were profiled through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The lipid extracts displayed a high content of essential FAs, such as 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3. In addition to an epoxide fatty acid exclusively identified in samples from the Mondego estuary, the relative abundance of FAs varied between origin sites, revealing that FA profiles can be used as site-specific lipid fingerprints. This study highlights the role of abiotic conditions on the nutritional profile of S. ramosissima and establishes FA profiling as a potential avenue to trace the geographic origin of this halophyte plant. Overall, the present approach can make origin certification possible, safeguard quality, and enhance consumers' trust in novel foods.

Effect of Abiotic Conditions on Growth, Mycotoxin Production, and Gene Expression by Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex Strains from Maize.

Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) strains are a major concern for food quantity and quality due to their strong ability to synthesize mycotoxins. The effects of interacting conditions of water activity, temperature, and incubation time on the growth rate, toxin production, and expression level of biosynthetic genes were examined. High temperature and water availability increased fungal growth. Higher water activity was in favor of toxin accumulation. The maximum amounts of fusaric acid (FA) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were usually observed at 20-25 °C. F. andiyazi could produce a higher content of moniliformin (MON) in the cool environment than F. fujikuroi. The expression profile of biosynthetic genes under environmental conditions varied wildly; it was suggested that these genes might be expressed in a strain-dependent manner. FB1 concentration was positively related to the expression of FUM1, while a similar correlation of FUB8 and FUB12 with FA production could be observed in F. andiyazi, F. fujikuroi, and F. subglutinans. This study provides useful information in the monitoring and prevention of such toxins entering the maize production chain.

Abiotic Treatment to Common Bean Plants Results in an Altered Endophytic Seed Microbiome.

ABSTRACTThere has been a growing interest in the seed microbiome due to its important role as an end and starting point of plant microbiome assembly that can have consequences for plant health. However, the effect of abiotic conditions on the seed microbial community remains unknown. We performed a pilot study in a controlled growth chamber to investigate how the endophytic seed microbiome of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. [var. Red Hawk]) was altered under abiotic treatments relevant for crop management with changing climate. Bean plants were subjected to one of three treatments: 66% water withholding to simulate mild drought, 50% Hoagland nutrient solution to simulate fertilization, or control with sufficient water and baseline nutrition. We performed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) amplicon sequencing of the endophytic DNA to assess seed bacterial/archaeal and fungal community structure, respectively. We found that variability in the seed microbiome structure was high, while α-diversity was low, with tens of taxa present. Water withholding and nutrient addition significantly altered the seed microbiome structure for bacterial/archaeal communities compared to the control, and each treatment resulted in a distinct microbiome structure. Conversely, there were no statistically supported differences in the fungal microbiome across treatments. These promising results suggest that further investigation is needed to better understand abiotic or stress-induced changes in the seed microbiome, the mechanisms that drive those changes, and their implications for the health and stress responses of the next plant generation.IMPORTANCE Seed microbiome members initiate the assembly of plant-associated microbial communities, but the environmental drivers of endophytic seed microbiome composition are unclear. Here, we exposed plants to short-term drought and fertilizer treatments during early vegetative growth and quantified the microbiome composition of the seeds that were ultimately produced. We found that seeds produced by plants stressed by water limitation or receiving nutrient addition had statistically different endophytic bacterial/archaeal microbiome compositions from each other and from seeds produced by control plants. This work suggests that the abiotic experience of a parental plant can influence the composition of its seed microbiome, with unknown consequences for the next plant generation.

Optimizing sexual reproduction of Montipora capitata for restoration: effects of abiotic conditions and light acclimation on juvenile survival and growth

The worldwide decline of coral reefs necessitates development of tools and methods for active conservation of reef structures and their ecological function. Aquaculture of sexually produced corals is a potential strategy for reef restoration efforts, but existing methods require greater scalability and optimization. To address these needs, we reared Montipora capitata larvae from Kāne’ohe Bay and raised them in an ex situ facility to examine patterns of growth and survivorship under different abiotic conditions, building from previous best practices and manipulating light levels during early life-history stages. Larvae were reared using different stocking densities and settled at varied densities (25, 125, and 225 larvae per plug) on conditioned plugs (1 or 4 wk). Juveniles were raised and tracked under different flow, shade, and light acclimation regimes for 135 d. Results show that recruitment increased with settlement density. Juvenile survivorship was maximized in high flow and intermediate shade levels, while growth was maximized by low shade environments in both aggregate and individual settlers. Light acclimation treatments yielded intermediate survivorship and tradeoffs between growth and survival compared to corals reared in static shade conditions. Importantly, no abiotic treatment combinations optimized growth and survivorship simultaneously. This study demonstrates interactions of abiotic factors and provides insight into how they can be manipulated to scale the sexual reproduction of corals for conservation.

Root morphological responses to population density vary with soil conditions and growth stages: The complexity of density effects.

AimHow plants cope with increases in population density via root plasticity is not well documented, although abiotic environments and plant ontogeny may have important roles in determining root response to density. To investigate how plant root plasticity in response to density varies with soil conditions and growth stages, we conducted a field experiment with an annual herbaceous species (Abutilon theophrasti).MethodsPlants were grown at low, medium, and high densities (13.4, 36.0, and 121.0 plants m−2, respectively), under fertile and infertile soil conditions, and a series of root traits were measured after 30, 50, and 70 days.ResultsRoot allocation increased, decreased, or canalized in response to density, depending on soil conditions and stages of plant growth, indicating the complex effects of population density, including both competitive and facilitative effects.Main conclusionsRoot allocation was promoted by neighbor roots at early stages and in abundant resource availability, due to low‐to‐moderate belowground interactions among smaller plants, leading to facilitation. As plants grew, competition intensified and infertile soil aggravated belowground competition, leading to decreased root allocation in response to density. Root growth may be more likely restricted horizontally rather than vertically by the presence of neighbor, suggesting a spatial orientation effect in their responses to density. We emphasized the importance of considering effects of abiotic conditions and plant growth stages in elucidating the complexity of density effects on root traits.

Landscape heterogeneity strengthens the relationship between β-diversity and ecosystem function.

Consensus has emerged in the literature that increased biodiversity enhances the capacity of ecosystems to perform multiple functions. However, most biodiversity/ecosystem function studies focus on a single ecosystem, or on landscapes of homogenous ecosystems. Here, we investigate how increased landscape-level environmental dissimilarity may affect the relationship between different metrics of diversity (α, β, or γ) and ecosystem function. We produced a suite of simulated landscapes, each of which contained four experimental outdoor aquatic mesocosms. Differences in temperature and nutrient conditions of the mesocosms allowed us to simulate landscapes containing a range of within-landscape environmental heterogeneities. We found that the variation in ecosystem functions was primarily controlled by environmental conditions, with diversity metrics accounting for a smaller (but significant) amount of variation in function. When landscapes were more homogeneous, α, β, and γ diversity was not associated with differences in primary production, and only γ was associated with changes in decomposition. In these homogeneous landscapes, differences in these two ecosystem functions were most strongly related to nutrient and temperature conditions in the ecosystems. However, as landscape-level environmental dissimilarity increased, the relationship between α, β, or γ and ecosystem functions strengthened, with β being a greater predictor of variation in decomposition at the highest levels of environmental dissimilarity than α or γ. We propose that when all ecosystems in a landscape have similar environmental conditions, species sorting is likely to generate a single community composition that is well suited to those environmental conditions, β is low, and the efficiency of diversity-ecosystem function couplings is similar across communities. Under this low β, the effect of abiotic conditions on ecosystem function will be most apparent. However, when environmental conditions vary among ecosystems, species sorting pressures are different among ecosystems, producing different communities among locations in a landscape. These conditions lead to stronger relationships between β and the magnitude of ecosystem functions. Our results illustrate that abiotic conditions and the homogeneity of communities influence ecosystem function expressed at the landscape scale.

Embryonic stage of obligatory diapause and effects of abiotic conditions on egg hatching in the balsam twig aphid, Mindarus abietinus

AbstractDiapause‐mediated dormancy in overwintering insect eggs has rarely been studied with regard to the ecological factors controlling postdiapause development. In insects of temperate latitudes, water availability at the end of winter, in interaction with temperature, could control the resumption of development for insect stages in postdiapause quiescence. The balsam twig aphid, Mindarus abietinus Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), overwinters as eggs in southern Québec, Canada, on balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Miller (Pinaceae), in Christmas tree plantations, where it is known as a pest. Previous work has shown that eggs of this aphid maintain low water content during winter, presumably to survive sub‐zero temperatures. Conversely, in late winter and early spring, they passively or actively absorb surrounding moisture, which is accompanied by notable changes in size, shape, and fresh mass. The primary objective here was to determine the embryonic stage at which winter diapause starts and is maintained in M. abietinus, a relatively primitive aphid. Secondly, we tested the hypothesis that free water availability to postdiapause eggs, in combination with temperatures above developmental threshold, is essential for embryonic development and hatching, by experimentally soaking field‐collected eggs in water at controlled frequencies. We observed that embryogenesis starts at the time of egg laying and stops after a few days, before the anatrepsis stage of blastokinesis is complete, when the germ band has not yet entirely immersed itself into the yolk. We also found that water surrounding overwintered eggs on fir shoots, in interaction with temperature regime, significantly increases M. abietinus egg hatching rates. Potential impacts of environmental factors such as precipitation are discussed in relation to M. abietinus egg hatching rates and potential for population growth in spring.

Differential effects of abiotic conditions on fitness-related parameters of two Euseius species inhabiting avocado agro-ecosystems

Temperature and relative humidity are important factors in shaping the structure and dynamics of communities composed of ectothermic species, as they directly affect fitness-related parameters and biotic interactions. In a climate change context, increased warming and dryness will likely affect arthropod communities of agro-ecosystems managed by biological pest control. In this work, we compare, at the individual level, the functional relation between temperature and relative humidity and different life-history parameters in two sister predatory mite species that inhabit Spanish avocado crops, Euseius stipulatus and E. scutalis (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). We found that negative effects of high temperature and low relative humidity were stronger in E. stipulatus than in E. scutalis. That E. scutalis tolerates very well hot and dry environments makes the species a good candidate to be considered in the future as a biocontrol agent against pests in subtropical and Mediterranean orchards.

Assessing the effects of seawater temperature and pH on the bioaccumulation of emerging chemical contaminants in marine bivalves

Emerging chemical contaminants [e.g. toxic metals speciation, flame retardants (FRs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), among others], that have not been historically recognized as pollutants nor their toxicological hazards, are increasingly more present in the marine environment. Furthermore, the effects of environmental conditions (e.g. temperature and pH) on bioaccumulation and elimination mechanisms of these emerging contaminants in marine biota have been poorly studied until now. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess, for the first time, the effect of warmer seawater temperatures (Δ = + 4°C) and lower pH levels (Δ = − 0.4 pH units), acting alone or combined, on the bioaccumulation and elimination of emerging FRs (dechloranes 602, 603 and 604, and TBBPA), inorganic arsenic (iAs), and PFCs (PFOA and PFOS) in two estuarine bivalve species (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum). Overall, results showed that warming alone or combined with acidification promoted the bioaccumulation of some compounds (i.e. dechloranes 602, 604, TBBPA), but also facilitated the elimination of others (i.e. iAs, TBBPA). Similarly, lower pH also resulted in higher levels of dechloranes, as well as enhanced iAs, PFOA and PFOS elimination. Data also suggests that, when both abiotic stressors are combined, bivalves' capacity to accumulate contaminants may be time-dependent, considering significantly drastic increase observed with Dec 602 and TBBPA, during the last 10 days of exposure, when compared to reference conditions. Such changes in contaminants' bioaccumulation/elimination patterns also suggest a potential increase of human health risks of some compounds, if the climate continues changing as forecasted. Therefore, this first study pointed out the urgent need for further research on the effects of abiotic conditions on emerging contaminants kinetics, to adequately estimate the potential toxicological hazards associated to these compounds and develop recommendations/regulations for their presence in seafood, considering the prevailing environmental conditions expected in tomorrow's ocean.

Different seasonal feeding activity of diverse herbivores in two temperate forests

The aim of the present study was to understand the effects of abiotic conditions on seasonal feeding activity of diverse herbivores on the same oak tree species in two different forests. We tracked changes in herbivore feeding activities on an oak tree species (Quercus serrata) in two localities: a low elevation small hillock forest patch (Muan, MN) and a middle elevation mountain forest patch (Mt. Jirisan, JR). A total of five sites were selected in each of two forest localities. Data for leaf expansion, leaf chemical qualities, leaf damage ratio, and numbers of lepidopteran caterpillars were collected during spring (May) and summer (July to August), 2012. Leaf expansion rate was higher at the low hillock forest than the mid-mountain forest from spring to summer. Nitrogen and carbon content decreased seasonally at both localities. Lepidopteran larval diversity was high in the mid-mountain forest, and two-way ANOVA showed that species richness of lepidopteran larvae was significantly affected by the interaction between season and locality. Leaf damage by all herbivores was higher in the low hillock forest than the mid-mountain forest in spring, but was higher in the mid-mountain forest in summer. Relative proportion of general herbivores increased from spring to summer in the mid-mountain forest, but not in the low hillock forest. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) ordination showed that altitude- and season-related variables were significant species and environment interaction factors. Our data indicate that locality and temperature disproportionally affected the feeding activities of diverse herbivores in two different temperate forests.

Effect of temperature, photoperiod, flooding, and drying on the hatching pattern of the eggs of Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda: Mermithidae)

We assessed the number of Strelkovimermis spiculatus preparasites obtained from a known initial number of nematode eggs and the effect of abiotic conditions (temperature, photoperiod, flooding–drying) on the number of emerged preparasites. Two egg groups were maintained: one continuously flooded, another with flooding–drying cycles (every 15, 30, 60days). Each egg group was studied at 25°C and 14:10 (L:D) and 16°C and 12:12 (L:D). The flooded eggs contained a higher overall percentage of S. spiculatus preparasites compared to the wet–dry-cycle eggs. The conditions of continuous flooding at 16°C and 12:12 (L:D) produced the maximum percent of emerged J2s (30±15%). Preparasites were recorded by 7 (25°C) and 14 (16°C) days, suggesting this period as the minimum time for embryonic development. The preparasite-emergence time observed from the same flooded-egg batch (98 and 112days at 25°C and 16°C, respectively) suggested a nonsynchronous hatching, possibly through nonuniform egg embryonation. The time of exposure to drought in the assays did not significantly affect the total average percentage of J2s obtained at 25°C and 14:10 (L:D), whereas at 16°C the number of emerged J2s diminished with a prolongation of the drying period. The oviposition period was also recorded only at 16°C and 12:12 (L:D): S. spiculatus eggs were detected at 12.6days after postparasite emergence, and oviposition was complete at 51days under those conditions. We propose a flooding schedule to optimize the mass-rearing of S. spiculatus.

Escape from floral herbivory by early flowering in Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera

Natural selection on flowering phenology has been studied primarily in terms of plant-pollinator interactions and effects of abiotic conditions. Little is known, however, about geographic variation in other biotic factors such as herbivores and its consequence for differential selection on flowering phenology among populations. Here, we examine selection by floral herbivores on the flowering phenology of Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera using two adjacent populations with contrasting herbivory regimes. Intensive floral herbivory by the leaf beetle Phaedon brassicae occurs in one population, while the beetle is absent in another population. We tested the hypothesis that the two populations experience differential selection on flowering time that is attributable to the presence or absence of floral herbivory. A two-year field study showed that early flowering was favoured in the population under intensive floral herbivory, whereas selection for early flowering was not found in one year in the population where floral herbivory was absent. Selection for early flowering disappeared when the abundance of floral herbivores was artificially decreased in a field experiment. Thus, the heterogeneous distribution of P. brassicae was a major agent for differential selection on flowering time. However, flowering time did not differ between the two populations when plants were grown in the laboratory. The lack of genetic differentiation in flowering time may be explained by ongoing gene flow or recent invasion of P. brassicae. This study illustrates that the role of floral herbivory in shaping geographic variation in selection on flowering phenology may be more important than previously thought.

Effects of abiotic conditions on Phragmites australis along geographic gradients in Lake Burullus, Egypt

Stand structure and biomass production of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. were analyzed along north–south and east–west transects in the Burullus coastal lagoon (N Egypt, 410 km 2) at monthly intervals over a period of 1 year (February 2003 until January 2004). For this purpose, young and old stands were selected at eight different locations in the lagoon. It was found that the north–south transect mainly represented a fertility gradient (207–286 mg l −1 TN, 30–106 mg l −1 TP), while the east–west transect was associated with significantly decreasing salinity (7–4 ppt). All morphological and biomass variables of P. australis were significantly different between young and old stands. On average, the old (7.3 ± 0.2 kg DW m −2) accumulated three times more total above-ground biomass than the young stands (2.5 ± 0.1 kg DW m −2). Shoot height, diameter and shoot dry weight significantly increased by 25–50% with increasing fertility along the north–south transect. Shoot density significantly decreased from north to south, while it almost doubled in the north sites from 109 ± 6 to 216 ± 7 shoots m −2 along the west–east transect. In separate stepwise multiple regressions, variation in water quality explained 34–63% of the variation in morphology and total above-ground biomass in the old stands (salinity and water level were most important for biomass, transparency also for height and density) while it explained 16–42% of variation in young stands (mainly transparency).

Allelopathic interactions in benthic biofilms: effects of abiotic conditions on production of and sensitivity to allelochemicals

Algal and cyanobacterial composition in biofilms is controlled by several factors, including light, nutrients, substratum, hydrodynamics, and grazing. Another potential determinant rarely taken into account is allelopathy, i.e., negative chemical interactions between competitors. We examined the interaction between abiotic variables (light, nutrients, and salt stress) and allelopathy by analyzing the effects of culture conditions on production of allelochemicals by 2 green algal species (Uronema confervicolum and Desmodesmus quadrispina). Production of allelochemicals was greater during the exponential growth phase than during other growth phases and was affected by light, nutrients, and salt concentrations, albeit differently for the 2 species. We then exposed 3 target species (D. quadrispina, Nitzschia palea, and Nostoc PCC 7120) to compounds produced by D. quadrispina, Monoraphidium aff. dybowski, or U. confervicolum. Nutrient-depleted conditions decreased sensitivity, whereas elevated salt concentrations increased sensitivity of D. quadrispina and N. palea to extracts from each of the 3 donor species. Effects of light conditions on sensitivity of target species to donor algal extracts varied among target species. Our results showed that, in benthic biofilms, the magnitude of response to allelochemicals depends on the target species, the donor species, and the abiotic conditions under which they are growing. The role of allelopathy in controlling species composition of biofilms probably is underestimated because the outcome of such complex interactions is difficult to predict.

The effects of abiotic conditions on release of biogenic substances from bottom sediments

Abstract The effects of abiotic environmental conditions, such as water oxygen content, pH and temperature, on the release of biogenic substances (mainly orthophosphates) from bottom sediments were examined in freshly collected samples from Lake Góreckie, Wielkopolski National Park. It was observed that their release was favoured by anaerobic conditions, alkaline pH and elevated temperatures, which are conditions naturally occurring in surface waters, especially in reservoirs of higher trophy.

Biotic interactions and plant invasions

Introduced plant populations lose interactions with enemies, mutualists and competitors from their native ranges, and gain interactions with new species, under new abiotic conditions. From a biogeographical perspective, differences in the assemblage of interacting species, as well as in abiotic conditions, may explain the demographic success of the introduced plant populations relative to conspecifics in their native range. Within invaded communities, the new interactions and conditions experienced by the invader may influence both its demographic success and its effects on native biodiversity. Here, we examine indirect effects involving enemies, mutualists and competitors of introduced plants, and effects of abiotic conditions on biotic interactions. We then synthesize ideas building on Darwin's idea that the kinds of new interactions gained by an introduced population will depend on its relatedness to native populations. This yields a heuristic framework to explain how biotic interactions and abiotic conditions influence invader success. We conclude that species introductions generally alter plants' interactions with enemies, mutualists and competitors, and that there is increasing evidence that these altered interactions jointly influence the success of introduced populations.

Plant community structure in a freshwater tidal wetland

The vascular plant community in a freshwater tidal wetland on the lower Connecticut River was studied in 2000. The effects of abiotic conditions on density and species density of plants in 70 samples, each 0.25 m2 in area, were characterized. Sixty species were recorded. The mean species density was highest in shallow water because the number of emergent species in the community was far greater than the number of submerged species, which occurred with higher frequency in deeper water. Plant density had a bimodal distribution because of the different responses of emergent and submerged plants to water depth and was lowest in shallow water, where physiological stress, physical disturbance, and possibly herbivory are suspected of being limiting. Ordination and regression analyses found that water depth and the amount of organic matter and nitrogen in the sediment had the greatest effect on wetland plant density, although other variables also were influential. Abundance of emergent and submerged species differed in their responses to ammonium and nitrate levels. Overall species density was most strongly correlated with water depth. Several plant associations, including associations of submerged and emergent species, were identified, based on shared affinities for environmental conditions.

Daily Fish and Zooplankton Abundances in the Littoral Zone of Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas, in Relation to Abiotic Variables

Many studies have shown the effects of yearly or monthly environmental conditions on the structure of fish and zooplankton communities. Environmental conditions can also vary greatly on much shorter time scales. We tested the effects of abiotic conditions on the daily abundance of fish and zooplankton in the littoral zone of Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas. After date was removed statistically from the analysis, no environmental variables were particularly important in determining the daily abundance of zooplankton, whereas, numbers of fish in the littoral zone were related to changes in wind velocity and wave height. Regressions of daily fish abundance against wave height showed that the response differed among species and among life-history intervals within species. Numbers of juvenile Dorosoma petenense, Notropis atherinoides, and Morone chrysops were positively correlated with wave height, whereas juvenile Menidia beryllina were negatively correlated with wave height. We suggest that changes in the abundance of particular species may be associated with (1) avoidance of inshore areas to escape possible physical damage by wave induced turbulence, (2) attraction to inshore areas to feed on prey organisms suspended in the water column by wave induced turbulence, and (3) avoidance of inshore areas to escape high predator abundance and increased possibility of being eaten due to turbulence.

Selection on life-history traits across a wave exposure gradient in the tidepool copepod Tigriopus californicus (Baker)

Marine intertidal organisms inhabiting different wave exposure regimes can face different abiotic conditions and selection regimes. In this paper, salinity and temperature conditions for the tidepool habitat of the marine copepod Tigriopus californicus (Baker) are described across a wave exposure gradient, and the selective impact of salinity on life-history traits is inferred from laboratory and field studies. I found that desiccation and osmotic stress in the tidepool habitat of T. californicus were higher at an outer coast compared to a protected site in California. In the outer coast area with high wave action, tidepool salinity varied spatially, fluctuated temporally, and was at least two times greater than seawater salinity on average; tidepools frequently dried completely. Conversely, tidepool salinity in the protected area with low wave action was moderate and did not vary spatially or temporally. Culturing females at different salinities and temperatures suggested that there is a trade-off between osmoregulatory maintenance and growth or reproduction. At high salinity age of first reproduction and interclutch interval increased, and reproductive rate decreased. Extreme salinity produced age-specific mortality in the laboratory, where juveniles suffered significantly greater mortality than adults in salinity stress experiments. Hypersaline conditions in seven natural tidepool populations were associated with a decrease in the proportion of the population composed of juveniles, and an increase in the proportion of adult females, suggesting that juveniles experienced higher mortality. Unlike previous studies of benthic organisms outside tidepools, I found that higher osmotic and desiccation stress occurred in T. californicus tidepool habitats in areas exposed to high wave energy, not in protected areas. The effects of abiotic conditions on life history traits and age-specific mortality suggest the selection exists for local adaptation to different wave exposure regimes.