We sampled 16 wild lake char (Salvelinus umbla) and used their gametes to investigate the genetic consequences of different mating scenarios. A full-factorial breeding was used to separate additive genetic from maternal environmental effects, and embryos were raised singly after sublethal exposures to a pathogen, a common pollutant, or water only. In all treatment groups, embryo development was strongly reduced with increased genetic relatedness between the parents. Contrary to predictions of ‘good genes’ sexual selection,...

Herbivory can have contrasted impacts on soil microbes and nutrient cycling, which has stimulated the development of conceptual frameworks exploring the links between below- and aboveground processes. The “productivity model” predicts that herbivores stimulate microbial activities and accelerate nutrient mineralization in productive ecosystems, while they have an opposite effect in less productive ecosystems. In parallel, the “diet model” predicts that herbivores feeding on conservative plants accelerate nutrient cycling while those feeding on exploitative plants decelerate...