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Martins LP, Garcia-Callejas D, Lai HR, Wootton KL, Tylianakis JM. The propagation of disturbances in ecological networks. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:558-570. [PMID: 38402007 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Despite the development of network science, we lack clear heuristics for how far different disturbance types propagate within and across species interaction networks. We discuss the mechanisms of disturbance propagation in ecological networks, and propose that disturbances can be categorized into structural, functional, and transmission types according to their spread and effect on network structure and functioning. We describe the properties of species and their interaction networks and metanetworks that determine the indirect, spatial, and temporal extent of propagation. We argue that the sampling scale of ecological studies may have impeded predictions regarding the rate and extent that a disturbance spreads, and discuss directions to help ecologists to move towards a predictive understanding of the propagation of impacts across interacting communities and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas P Martins
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand.
| | - David Garcia-Callejas
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Hao Ran Lai
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Kate L Wootton
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
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Costa RR, Ferreira A, de Souza MS, Tavano VM, Kerr R, Secchi ER, Brotas V, Dotto TS, Brito AC, Mendes CRB. Physical-biological drivers modulating phytoplankton seasonal succession along the Northern Antarctic Peninsula. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116273. [PMID: 37257748 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Northern Antarctic Peninsula (NAP) shows shifts in phytoplankton distribution and composition along its warming marine ecosystems. However, despite recent efforts to mechanistically understand these changes, little focus has been given to the phytoplankton seasonal succession, remaining uncertainties regarding to distribution patterns of emerging taxa along the NAP. To fill this gap, we collected phytoplankton (pigment and microscopy analysis) and physico-chemical datasets during spring and summer (November, February and March) of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 off the NAP. Satellite measurements (sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and chlorophyll-a) were used to extend the temporal coverage of analysis associated with the in situ sampling. We improved the quantification and distribution pattern of emerging taxa, such as dinoflagellates and cryptophytes, and described a contrasting seasonal behavior and distinct fundamental niche between centric and pennate diatoms. Cryptophytes and pennate diatoms preferentially occupied relatively shallower mixing layers compared with centric diatoms and dinoflagellates, suggesting differences between these groups in distribution and environment occupation over the phytoplankton seasonal succession. Under colder conditions, negative sea surface temperature anomalies were associated with positive anomalies of sea ice concentration and duration. Therefore, based on sea ice-phytoplankton growth relationship, large phytoplankton biomass accumulation was expected during the spring/summer of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 along the NAP. However, there was a decoupling between sea ice concentration/duration and phytoplankton biomass, characterizing two seasonal periods of low biomass accumulation (negative chlorophyll-a anomalies), associated with the top-down control in the region. These results provide an improved mechanistic understanding on physical-biological drivers modulating phytoplankton seasonal succession along the Antarctic coastal waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Rodrigo Costa
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil.
| | - Afonso Ferreira
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Márcio S de Souza
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Virginia M Tavano
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Kerr
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Eduardo R Secchi
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Vanda Brotas
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tiago S Dotto
- National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Ana C Brito
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos Rafael B Mendes
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
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Mendes CRB, Costa RR, Ferreira A, Jesus B, Tavano VM, Dotto TS, Leal MC, Kerr R, Islabão CA, Franco ADODR, Mata MM, Garcia CAE, Secchi ER. Cryptophytes: An emerging algal group in the rapidly changing Antarctic Peninsula marine environments. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1791-1808. [PMID: 36656050 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a climatically sensitive region where foundational changes at the basis of the food web have been recorded; cryptophytes are gradually outgrowing diatoms together with a decreased size spectrum of the phytoplankton community. Based on a 11-year (2008-2018) in-situ dataset, we demonstrate a strong coupling between biomass accumulation of cryptophytes, summer upper ocean stability, and the mixed layer depth. Our results shed light on the environmental conditions favoring the cryptophyte success in coastal regions of the WAP, especially during situations of shallower mixed layers associated with lower diatom biomass, which evidences a clear competition or niche segregation between diatoms and cryptophytes. We also unravel the cryptophyte photo-physiological niche by exploring its capacity to thrive under high light stress normally found in confined stratified upper layers. Such conditions are becoming more frequent in the Antarctic coastal waters and will likely have significant future implications at various levels of the marine food web. The competitive advantage of cryptophytes in environments with significant light level fluctuations was supported by laboratory experiments that revealed a high flexibility of cryptophytes to grow in different light conditions driven by a fast photo-regulating response. All tested physiological parameters support the hypothesis that cryptophytes are highly flexible regarding their growing light conditions and extremely efficient in rapidly photo-regulating changes to environmental light levels. This plasticity would give them a competitive advantage in exploiting an ecological niche where light levels fluctuate quickly. These findings provide new insights on niche separation between diatoms and cryptophytes, which is vital for a thorough understanding of the WAP marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Rafael Borges Mendes
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Raul Rodrigo Costa
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Afonso Ferreira
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Faculdade de Ciências, MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno Jesus
- Laboratoire Mer Molécules Santé, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Virginia Maria Tavano
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Tiago Segabinazzi Dotto
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Miguel Costa Leal
- Departamento de Biologia, ECOMARE, CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Kerr
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Carolina Antuarte Islabão
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Andréa de Oliveira da Rocha Franco
- Laboratório de Fitoplâncton e Microorganismos Marinhos, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Mauricio M Mata
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Eiras Garcia
- Laboratório de Estudo dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Resende Secchi
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil
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Abstract
In this article marking the 40th anniversary of the US National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, we describe how a long-term ecological research perspective facilitates insights into an ecosystem's response to climate change. At all 28 LTER sites, from the Arctic to Antarctica, air temperature and moisture variability have increased since 1930, with increased disturbance frequency and severity and unprecedented disturbance types. LTER research documents the responses to these changes, including altered primary production, enhanced cycling of organic and inorganic matter, and changes in populations and communities. Although some responses are shared among diverse ecosystems, most are unique, involving region-specific drivers of change, interactions among multiple climate change drivers, and interactions with other human activities. Ecosystem responses to climate change are just beginning to emerge, and as climate change accelerates, long-term ecological research is crucial to understand, mitigate, and adapt to ecosystem responses to climate change.
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