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James WR, Furman BT, Rodemann JR, Costa SV, Fratto ZW, Nelson JA, Rehage JS, Santos RO. Widespread habitat loss leads to ecosystem-scale decrease in trophic function. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17263. [PMID: 38556772 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Natural and anthropogenic disturbances have led to rapid declines in the amount and quality of available habitat in many ecosystems. Many studies have focused on how habitat loss has affected the composition and configuration of habitats, but there have been fewer studies that investigate how this loss affects ecosystem function. We investigated how a large-scale seagrass die-off altered the distribution of energetic resources of three seagrass-associated consumers with varied resource use patterns. Using long-term benthic habitat monitoring data and resource use data from Bayesian stable isotope mixing models, we generated energetic resource landscapes (E-scapes) annually between 2007 and 2019. E-scapes link the resources being used by a consumer to the habitats that produce those resources to calculate a habitat resource index as a measurement of energetic quality of the landscape. Overall, our results revealed that following the die-off there was a reduction in trophic function across all species in areas affected by the die-off event, but the response was species-specific and dependent on resource use and recovery patterns. This study highlights how habitat loss can lead to changes in ecosystem function. Incorporating changes in ecosystem function into models of habitat loss could improve understanding of how species will respond to future change.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Ryan James
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Bradley T Furman
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
| | - Jonathan R Rodemann
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Sophia V Costa
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Zachary W Fratto
- South Florida Natural Resources Center, National Park Service, Homestead, Florida, USA
| | - James A Nelson
- Department of Marine Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jennifer S Rehage
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Rolando O Santos
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
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