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Olin AB, Bergström U, Bodin Ö, Sundblad G, Eriksson BK, Erlandsson M, Fredriksson R, Eklöf JS. Predation and spatial connectivity interact to shape ecosystem resilience to an ongoing regime shift. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1304. [PMID: 38347008 PMCID: PMC10861472 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45713-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem regime shifts can have severe ecological and economic consequences, making it a top priority to understand how to make systems more resilient. Theory predicts that spatial connectivity and the local environment interact to shape resilience, but empirical studies are scarce. Here, we use >7000 fish samplings from the Baltic Sea coast to test this prediction in an ongoing, spatially propagating shift in dominance from predatory fish to an opportunistic mesopredator, with cascading effects throughout the food web. After controlling for the influence of other drivers (including increasing mesopredator densities), we find that predatory fish habitat connectivity increases resilience to the shift, but only when densities of fish-eating top predators (seals, cormorants) are low. Resilience also increases with temperature, likely through boosted predatory fish growth and recruitment. These findings confirm theoretical predictions that spatial connectivity and the local environment can together shape resilience to regime shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes B Olin
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Ulf Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Örjan Bodin
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Sundblad
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Britas Klemens Eriksson
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mårten Erlandsson
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ronny Fredriksson
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan S Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Huang YJ, Chang CW, Hsieh CH. Detecting shifts in nonlinear dynamics using Empirical Dynamic Modeling with Nested-Library Analysis. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011759. [PMID: 38181051 PMCID: PMC10795988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Abrupt changes in system states and dynamical behaviors are often observed in natural systems; such phenomena, named regime shifts, are explained as transitions between alternative steady states (more generally, attractors). Various methods have been proposed to detect regime shifts from time series data, but a generic detection method with theoretical linkage to underlying dynamics is lacking. Here, we provide a novel method named Nested-Library Analysis (NLA) to retrospectively detect regime shifts using empirical dynamic modeling (EDM) rooted in theory of attractor reconstruction. Specifically, NLA determines the time of regime shift as the cutting point at which sequential reduction of the library set (i.e., the time series data used to reconstruct the attractor for forecasting) optimizes the forecast skill of EDM. We illustrate this method on a chaotic model of which changing parameters present a critical transition. Our analysis shows that NLA detects the change point in the model system and outperforms existing approaches based on statistical characteristics. In addition, NLA empirically detected a real-world regime shift event revealing an abrupt change of Pacific Decadal Oscillation index around the mid-1970s. Importantly, our method can be easily generalized to various systems because NLA is equation-free and requires only a single time series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Jin Huang
- National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Chang
- National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-hao Hsieh
- National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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3
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Kytinou E, Issaris Y, Sini M, Salomidi M, Katsanevakis S. ECOfast - An integrative ecological evaluation index for an ecosystem-based assessment of shallow rocky reefs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118323. [PMID: 37354588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118323] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of marine ecosystems is a growing concern worldwide, emphasizing the need for efficient tools to assess their ecological status. Herein, a novel ecosystem-based ecological evaluation index of shallow rocky reefs is introduced and tested in the Aegean and Ionian Seas (NE Mediterranean). The index focuses on a specific set of pre-selected species, including habitat-forming, key, commercially important, and non-indigenous species, across a wide range of trophic levels (1.00-4.53). Data acquisition is conducted through rapid non-destructive SCUBA diving surveys to assess all macroscopic food web components (macroalgae, invertebrates, and fish). Two versions of the index, ECOfast and ECOfast-NIS, were developed, each applying a different approach to account for the impact of non-indigenous species. In our case study, the correlations between the two versions of the index and sea surface temperature, protection status, occurrence of carnivorous fish, and non-indigenous herbivores were assessed through generalized additive models (GAMs). The assessment assigned 93% (ECOfast) or 96% (ECOfast-NIS) of the sites to a moderate to bad ecological status, indicating an alarming situation in the shallow rocky reefs of the NE Mediterranean. Sites evaluated as poor or bad were characterized by extensive coverage of ephemeral macroalgae, absence or minimal presence of large indigenous carnivorous fish, and complete absence of one to three out of five invertebrate functional trophic groups. The community composition of macroalgae, herbivorous species, and carnivorous fishes differed between the 5 m and 15 m depth zones. Surface temperature and carnivorous fish occurrence were the most important tested predictors of the ecological status of shallow rocky reefs. The best GAMs showed that the ECOfast score declined with sea surface temperature and increased with the occurrence of carnivorous fish; ECOfast-NIS declined with sea surface temperature and the occurrence of non-indigenous fish and increased with the occurrence of carnivorous fish. The non-destructive and integrative nature of this approach, its speed of data acquisition and analysis, and its capacity to account for highly mobile predatory fish and non-indigenous species render the ECOfast index a novel, robust, and valuable tool for assessing the ecological status of shallow rocky reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Kytinou
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece; Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece.
| | - Yiannis Issaris
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Maria Salomidi
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece
| | - Stelios Katsanevakis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
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Brewton RA, Lapointe BE. Eutrophication leads to food web enrichment and a lack of connectivity in a highly impacted urban lagoon. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 195:115441. [PMID: 37683393 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115441] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) loading can affect estuarine food webs through alteration of primary producers. In the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida there has been long-term N enrichment, worsening phytoplankton blooms, large-scale macroalgal blooms, and catastrophic seagrass losses. To investigate how N enrichment affects higher trophic levels and food webs in the IRL, nutrient availability was compared to primary producer and faunal stable N (δ15N) isotope values. Seawater samples were collected in the IRL for dissolved nutrient, chlorophyll-a, and particulate organic matter δ15N analyses. Macrophytes and fauna were also collected for δ15N analyses. Throughout the IRL, N was elevated but was highest in the northern IRL and Banana River Lagoon. δ15N was enriched in these segments for most samples to levels characteristic of human-waste impacted estuaries. Variability in δ15N among lagoon segments suggests a low level of trophic connectivity. Decreasing N loading to the IRL and other eutrophic estuaries may help improve resiliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Brewton
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600 US-1, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946, USA.
| | - Brian E Lapointe
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600 US-1, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946, USA
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5
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Nativ H, Galili O, Almuly R, Einbinder S, Tchernov D, Mass T. New Record of Dendronephthya sp. (Family: Nephtheidae) from Mediterranean Israel: Evidence for Tropicalization? BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1220. [PMID: 37759619 PMCID: PMC10525964 DOI: 10.3390/biology12091220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Bio-invasions have the potential to provoke cascade effects that can disrupt natural ecosystems and cause ecological regime shifts. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly prone to bio-invasions as the changing water conditions, evoked by climate change, are creating advantageous conditions for Lessepsian migrants from the Red Sea. Recently, in May 2023, a new alien species was documented in the Mediterranean Sea-a soft coral of the genus Dendronephthya. This discovery was made by divers conducting 'Long-Term Ecological Research' surveys, along the coast of Israel, at a depth of 42 m. Genetic and morphological testing suggest that the species identity may be Dendronepthya hemprichi, an Indo-Pacific coral, common in the Red Sea. According to life history traits of this species, such as accelerated attachment to available surfaces and fast growth, we expect it to rapidly expand its distribution and abundance across the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Nativ
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (H.N.); (R.A.); (S.E.); (D.T.)
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3780400, Israel;
| | - Ori Galili
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3780400, Israel;
| | - Ricardo Almuly
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (H.N.); (R.A.); (S.E.); (D.T.)
| | - Shai Einbinder
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (H.N.); (R.A.); (S.E.); (D.T.)
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3780400, Israel;
| | - Dan Tchernov
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (H.N.); (R.A.); (S.E.); (D.T.)
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3780400, Israel;
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (H.N.); (R.A.); (S.E.); (D.T.)
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3780400, Israel;
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6
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Calvo Martín M, Rodriguez Palacio E, Deneubourg JL, Nicolis SC. Emergence and retention of a collective memory in cockroaches. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287845. [PMID: 37410767 PMCID: PMC10325095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The stability of collective decisions-making in social systems is crucial as it can lead to counterintuitive phenomena such as collective memories, where an initial choice is challenged by environmental changes. Many social species face the challenge to perform collective decisions under variable conditions. In this study, we focused on situations where isolated individuals and groups of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) had to choose between two shelters with different luminosities that were inverted during the experiment. The darker shelter was initially preferred, but only groups that reached a consensus within that shelter maintain their choice after the light inversion, while isolated individuals and small groups lacked site fidelity. Our mathematical model, incorporating deterministic and probabilistic elements, sheds light on the significance interactions and their stochasticity in the emergence and retention of a collective memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Calvo Martín
- Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems (CENOLI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Jean-Louis Deneubourg
- Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems (CENOLI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stamatios C. Nicolis
- Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems (CENOLI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Illa‐López L, Aubach‐Masip À, Alcoverro T, Ceccherelli G, Piazzi L, Kleitou P, Santamaría J, Verdura J, Sanmartí N, Mayol E, Buñuel X, Minguito‐Frutos M, Bulleri F, Boada J. Nutrient conditions determine the strength of herbivore‐mediated stabilizing feedbacks in barrens. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9929. [PMID: 36969938 PMCID: PMC10030269 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Abiotic environmental conditions can significantly influence the way species interact. In particular, plant–herbivore interactions can be substantially dependent on temperature and nutrients. The overall product of these relationships is critical for the fate and stability of vegetated ecosystems like marine forests. The last few decades have seen a rapid spread of barrens on temperate rocky reefs mainly as a result of overgrazing. The ecological feedbacks that characterize the barren state involve a different set of interactions than those occurring in vegetated habitats. Reversing these trends requires a proper understanding of the novel feedbacks and the conditions under which they operate. Here, we explored the role of a secondary herbivore in reinforcing the stability of barrens formed by sea urchin overgrazing under different nutrient conditions. Combining comparative and experimental studies in two Mediterranean regions characterized by contrasting nutrient conditions, we assessed: (i) if the creation of barren areas enhances limpet abundance, (ii) the size‐specific grazing impact by limpets, and (iii) the ability of limpets alone to maintain barrens. Our results show that urchin overgrazing enhanced limpet abundance. The effects of limpet grazing varied with nutrient conditions, being up to five times more intense under oligotrophic conditions. Limpets were able to maintain barrens in the absence of sea urchins only under low‐nutrient conditions, enhancing the stability of the depauperate state. Overall, our study suggests a greater vulnerability of subtidal forests in oligotrophic regions of the Mediterranean and demonstrates the importance of environment conditions in regulating feedbacks mediated by plant–herbivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Illa‐López
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM_CSIC)Passeig Marítim de la BarcelonetaBarcelonaSpain
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
| | - Àlex Aubach‐Masip
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
- Nature Conservation FoundationMysoreKarnatakaIndia
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, FisicheMatematiche e NaturaliUniversità di SassariSassariItaly
| | - Luigi Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, FisicheMatematiche e NaturaliUniversità di SassariSassariItaly
| | | | | | - Jana Verdura
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRSUMR 7035 ECOSEASNiceFrance
- Federative Research Institute ‐ Marine ResourcesUniversité Côte d'AzurNiceFrance
| | - Neus Sanmartí
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Elvira Mayol
- Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA‐CSIC)EsporlesSpain
| | - Xavi Buñuel
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsFacultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | | | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di BiologiaUniversità di PisaCoNISMaPisaItaly
| | - Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
- Laboratorie d'Océanographie de Villefranche‐sur‐MerCNRSSorbonne UniversitéVillefranche sur merFrance
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8
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Rocha CMC, Sampaio CLS. A review of the knowledge of reef fish in the Southwest Atlantic. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 182:105769. [PMID: 36272222 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105769] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reef environments are rapidly transforming worldwide, and these changes are causing major impacts to the reef ecosystem. Scientific knowledge is strategic for marine conservation and management in these scenarios. Aiming to contribute to this subject, a systematic review from 1967 to 2020 was conducted, in order to identify gaps in studies regarding reef fish species, ecosystem components and processes. Multidisciplinary sciences concerning reef fish have been rising, mainly in the fields of basic biology and ecology. Besides that, phase shifts and ecosystem services were absent terms in the analyzes of co-occurrence. Research in the ethnosciences needs to be increased, and will improve access to local ecological knowledge, which can be used as a tool to address issues in reef environments. Socio-ecological systems are components of this landscape that has had few publications. The participation in the elaboration of public policies can be a new avenue to foster the biodiversity of reef environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cacilda M C Rocha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Instituto de Biologia e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas. Av. Lourival Melo Mota - Tabuleiro do Martins, Maceió, 57072-900, AL, Brazil; Laboratório de Ictiologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas. Av. Beira Rio, Centro Histórico, Penedo, 57200-000, AL, Brazil.
| | - Cláudio L S Sampaio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Instituto de Biologia e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas. Av. Lourival Melo Mota - Tabuleiro do Martins, Maceió, 57072-900, AL, Brazil; Laboratório de Ictiologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas. Av. Beira Rio, Centro Histórico, Penedo, 57200-000, AL, Brazil.
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9
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El-Khaled YC, Daraghmeh N, Tilstra A, Roth F, Huettel M, Rossbach FI, Casoli E, Koester A, Beck M, Meyer R, Plewka J, Schmidt N, Winkelgrund L, Merk B, Wild C. Fleshy red algae mats act as temporary reservoirs for sessile invertebrate biodiversity. Commun Biol 2022; 5:579. [PMID: 35697788 PMCID: PMC9192683 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03523-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows, currently experience overgrowth by fleshy algae due to the interplay of local and global stressors. This is usually accompanied by strong decreases in habitat complexity and biodiversity. Recently, persistent, mat-forming fleshy red algae, previously described for the Black Sea and several Atlantic locations, have also been observed in the Mediterranean. These several centimetre high mats may displace seagrass meadows and invertebrate communities, potentially causing a substantial loss of associated biodiversity. We show that the sessile invertebrate biodiversity in these red algae mats is high and exceeds that of neighbouring seagrass meadows. Comparative biodiversity indices were similar to or higher than those recently described for calcifying green algae habitats and biodiversity hotspots like coral reefs or mangrove forests. Our findings suggest that fleshy red algae mats can act as alternative habitats and temporary sessile invertebrate biodiversity reservoirs in times of environmental change. Comparative analyses of fleshy red algae mats and seagrass meadows highlight their value in fostering sessile invertebrate biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Nauras Daraghmeh
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.,Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Huettel
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4520, USA
| | - Felix I Rossbach
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Edoardo Casoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Koester
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Milan Beck
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Raïssa Meyer
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Julia Plewka
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Neele Schmidt
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lisa Winkelgrund
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Benedikt Merk
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
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10
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Di Pane J, Wiltshire KH, McLean M, Boersma M, Meunier CL. Environmentally induced functional shifts in phytoplankton and their potential consequences for ecosystem functioning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2804-2819. [PMID: 35068029 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplanktonic organisms are particularly sensitive to environmental change, and, as they represent a direct link between abiotic and biotic compartments within the marine food web, changes in the functional structure of phytoplankton communities can result in profound impacts on ecosystem functioning. Using a trait-based approach, we examined changes in the functional structure of the southern North Sea phytoplankton over the past five decades in relation to environmental conditions. We identified a shift in functional structure between 1998 and 2004 which coincides with a pronounced increase in diatom and decrease in dinoflagellate abundances, and we provide a mechanistic explanation for this taxonomic change. Early in the 2000s, the phytoplankton functional structure shifted from slow growing, autumn blooming, mixotrophic organisms, towards earlier blooming and faster-growing microalgae. Warming and decreasing dissolved phosphorus concentrations were linked to this rapid reorganization of the functional structure. We identified a potential link between this shift and dissolved nutrient concentrations, and we hypothesise that organisms blooming early and displaying high growth rates efficiently take up nutrients which then are no longer available to late bloomers. Moreover, we identified that the above-mentioned functional change may have bottom-up consequences, through a food quality-driven negative influence on copepod abundances. Overall, our study highlights that, by altering the phytoplankton functional composition, global and regional changes may have profound long-term impacts on coastal ecosystems, impacting both food-web structure and biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Di Pane
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Karen Helen Wiltshire
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Wadden Sea Station, Sylt, Germany
| | - Matthew McLean
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- University of Bremen, FB 2, Bremen, Germany
| | - Cédric Léo Meunier
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
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11
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Reverter M, Helber SB, Rohde S, de Goeij JM, Schupp PJ. Coral reef benthic community changes in the Anthropocene: Biogeographic heterogeneity, overlooked configurations, and methodology. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1956-1971. [PMID: 34951504 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Non-random community changes are becoming more frequent in many ecosystems. In coral reefs, changes towards communities dominated by other than hard corals are increasing in frequency, with severe impacts on ecosystem functioning and provision of ecosystem services. Although new research suggests that a variety of alternative communities (i.e. not dominated by hard corals) exist, knowledge on the global diversity and functioning of alternative coral reef benthic communities, especially those not dominated by algae, remains scattered. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 523 articles, we analyse the different coral reef benthic community changes reported to date and discuss the advantages and limitations of the methods used to study these changes. Furthermore, we used field cover data (1116 reefs from the ReefCheck database) to explore the biogeographic and latitudinal patterns in dominant benthic organisms. We found a mismatch between literature focus on coral-algal changes (over half of the studies analysed) and observed global natural patterns. We identified strong biogeographic patterns, with the largest and most biodiverse biogeographic regions (Western and Central Indo-Pacific) presenting previously overlooked soft-coral-dominated communities as the most abundant alternative community. Finally, we discuss the potential biases associated with methods that overlook ecologically important cryptobenthic communities and the potential of new technological advances in improving monitoring efforts. As coral reef communities inevitably and swiftly change under changing ocean conditions, there is an urgent need to better understand the distribution, dynamics as well as the ecological and societal impacts of these new communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Stephanie B Helber
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Sven Rohde
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Jasper M de Goeij
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Schupp
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany
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12
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Tirronen M, Perälä T, Kuparinen A. Temporary Allee effects among non-stationary recruitment dynamics in depleted gadid and flatfish populations. FISH AND FISHERIES (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2022; 23:392-406. [PMID: 35875511 PMCID: PMC9298083 DOI: 10.1111/faf.12623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many considerably declined fish populations have not fully recovered despite reductions in fishing pressure. One of the possible causes of impaired recovery is the (demographic) Allee effect. To investigate whether low-abundance recruitment dynamics can switch between compensation and depensation, the latter implying the presence of the Allee effect, we analysed the stock-recruitment time series of 17 depleted cod-type and flatfish populations using a Bayesian change point model. The recruitment dynamics were represented with the sigmoidal Beverton-Holt and the Saila-Lorda stock-recruitment models, allowing the parameters of the models to shift at a priori unknown change points. Our synthesis study questions the common assumption that recruitment is stationary and compensatory and the high amount of scatteredness often present in stock-recruitment data is only due to random variation. When a moderate amount of such variation was assumed, stock-recruitment dynamics were best explained by a non-stationary model for 53% of the populations, which suggests that these populations exhibit temporal changes in the stock-recruitment relationship. For four populations, we found shifts between compensation and depensation, suggesting the presence of temporary Allee effects. However, the evidence of Allee effects was highly dependent on the priors of the stock-recruitment model parameters and the amount of random variation assumed. Nonetheless, detection of changes in low-abundance recruitment is essential in stock assessment since such changes affect the renewal ability of the population and, ultimately, its sustainable harvest limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tirronen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Tommi Perälä
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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13
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Atkinson A, Hill SL, Reiss CS, Pakhomov EA, Beaugrand G, Tarling GA, Yang G, Steinberg DK, Schmidt K, Edwards M, Rombolá E, Perry FA. Stepping stones towards Antarctica: Switch to southern spawning grounds explains an abrupt range shift in krill. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1359-1375. [PMID: 34921477 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Poleward range shifts are a global-scale response to warming, but these vary greatly among taxa and are hard to predict for individual species, localized regions or over shorter (years to decadal) timescales. Moving poleward might be easier in the Arctic than in the Southern Ocean, where evidence for range shifts is sparse and contradictory. Here, we compiled a database of larval Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba and, together with an adult database, it showed how their range shift is out of step with the pace of warming. During a 70-year period of rapid warming (1920s-1990s), distribution centres of both larvae and adults in the SW Atlantic sector remained fixed, despite warming by 0.5-1.0°C and losing sea ice. This was followed by a hiatus in surface warming and ice loss, yet during this period the distributions of krill life stages shifted greatly, by ~1000 km, to the south-west. Understanding the mechanism of such step changes is essential, since they herald system reorganizations that are hard to predict with current modelling approaches. We propose that the abrupt shift was driven by climatic controls acting on localized recruitment hotspots, superimposed on thermal niche conservatism. During the warming hiatus, the Southern Annular Mode index continued to become increasingly positive and, likely through reduced feeding success for larvae, this led to a precipitous decline in recruitment from the main reproduction hotspot along the southern Scotia Arc. This cut replenishment to the northern portion of the krill stock, as evidenced by declining density and swarm frequency. Concomitantly, a new, southern reproduction area developed after the 1990s, reinforcing the range shift despite the lack of surface warming. New spawning hotspots may provide the stepping stones needed for range shifts into polar regions, so planning of climate-ready marine protected areas should include these key areas of future habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christian S Reiss
- South West Fisheries Science Centre, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Evgeny A Pakhomov
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregory Beaugrand
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, UMR 8187 LOG, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Station Marine de Wimereux, Université de Lille, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Wimereux, France
| | | | - Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Deborah K Steinberg
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
| | - Katrin Schmidt
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Emilce Rombolá
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Dirección Nacional del Antártico, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifcas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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14
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Jawan Tumbahangfe, Jash Hang Limbu, Archana Prasad, Bharat Raj Subba, Limbu DK. Ichthyofaunal diversity with relation to environmental variables in the snow-fed Tamor River of eastern Nepal. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2021. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7554.13.14.20190-20200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tamor River in eastern Nepal supports diverse hill stream fishes. From winter, spring, summer, and autumn of 2020, we investigated the ichthyofaunal diversity with environmental variables in the snow-fed Tamor River covering four seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) and field surveys were carried out in January, April, July, and October 2020. We used two cast nets of different sizes, one with a mesh size of 2 cm, 6 m diameter and 6 kg weight and another having 0.5 cm, 3 m diameter and 2 kg weight. In addition, monofilament gill nets with mesh sizes of 6, 8, and 10 were used for fish sampling. A total of 6,373 fish individuals representing 28 species belonging to three orders, seven families, and 16 genera were recorded. One-way permutational multivariate analysis of variance (perMANOVA) on the Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) showed no significant (P >0.05) difference between winter, spring, and autumn season but summer season showed significant (P <0.05) difference from winter, spring, and autumn seasons. Furthermore, one-way analysis of variance on redundancy analysis (RDA) vindicated that among the selected parameters, pH, air temperature and total hardness were the influencing factors (P <0.05) to determine the fish community structure in Tamor River.
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15
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Bull JC, Jones OR, Börger L, Franconi N, Banga R, Lock K, Stringell TB. Climate causes shifts in grey seal phenology by modifying age structure. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212284. [PMID: 34847765 PMCID: PMC8634623 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous examples of phenological shifts that are recognized both as indicators of climate change and drivers of ecosystem change. A pressing challenge is to understand the causal mechanisms by which climate affects phenology. We combined annual population census data and individual longitudinal data (1992-2018) on grey seals, Halicheorus grypus, to quantify the relationship between pupping season phenology and sea surface temperature. A temperature increase of 2°C was associated with a pupping season advance of approximately seven days at the population level. However, we found that maternal age, rather than sea temperature, accounted for changes in pupping date by individuals. Warmer years were associated with an older average age of mothers, allowing us to explain phenological observations in terms of a changing population age structure. Finally, we developed a matrix population model to test whether our observations were consistent with changes to the stable age distribution. This could not fully account for observed phenological shift, strongly suggesting transient modification of population age structure, for example owing to immigration. We demonstrate a novel mechanism for phenological shifts under climate change in long-lived, age- or stage-structured species with broad implications for dynamics and resilience, as well as population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Bull
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Owen R. Jones
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPOP), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Novella Franconi
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Roma Banga
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Kate Lock
- Natural Resources Wales, Martin's Haven, Pembrokeshire, UK
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16
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Papantoniou G, Giannoulaki M, Stoumboudi MT, Lefkaditou E, Tsagarakis K. Food web interactions in a human dominated Mediterranean coastal ecosystem. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 172:105507. [PMID: 34742025 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105507] [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: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean coastal ecosystems provide various valuable ecosystem goods and services; however, they are vulnerable to ecological degradation due to a dramatic increase in resource use and environmental stress. Disentangling the effects of multiple human interventions on coastal ecosystems requires whole description of food web interactions using quantitative tools. A mass balance Ecopath model has been developed here for Saronikos Gulf, a naturally oligotrophic Mediterranean coastal ecosystem with a long history of human interventions. Our main focus was to describe the structure and functioning of the ecosystem, investigate the trophic interplay among the various compartments of the food web under the impact of mixed multi-gear fisheries, and to quantify resilience related emergent ecosystem properties. To this end, we reviewed a large amount of local and regional biological information which was integrated in 40 functional groups covering all trophic levels, while fishing activities were described with 7 fleets. The model shared characteristics of both productive (e.g., high amount of flows) and oligotrophic systems (e.g., low biomass accumulation) and presented typical features of Mediterranean ecosystem functioning, such as the importance of detritus as an energy source, strong benthic-pelagic coupling and the dominance of the pelagic compartment in terms of total production and consumption. Trophic forcing in the ecosystem of Saronikos Gulf was complex with both top-down and bottom-up drivers being important. Zooplankton was the central nexus between basal resources and higher trophic levels, while top predators such as hake, squids and anglerfish were identified as keystone species presenting a significant overall effect on the food web via direct and indirect trophic interactions. Ecological indicators depicted a moderately complex food-web of a large and immature ecosystem with its strengths in reserve being affected by environmental degradation. Additionally, exploitation indices classified fishing activities in Saronikos Gulf as unsustainable, affecting several target groups, including high trophic level species. However, the morphological and bathymetric complexity of Saronikos Gulf seems to function as a natural ecological reserve for the ecosystem by providing nursery grounds to various species (e.g., hake, small pelagic fishes) and supporting important fish stocks for local fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Papantoniou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece.
| | - Marianna Giannoulaki
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - Maria Th Stoumboudi
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece.
| | - Evgenia Lefkaditou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece.
| | - Konstantinos Tsagarakis
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, P.O. BOX 712, Anavyssos, GR19013, Greece.
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17
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Hočevar S, Kuparinen A. Marine food web perspective to fisheries-induced evolution. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2378-2391. [PMID: 34745332 PMCID: PMC8549614 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisheries exploitation can cause genetic changes in heritable traits of targeted stocks. The direction of selective pressure forced by harvest acts typically in reverse to natural selection and selects for explicit life histories, usually for younger and smaller spawners with deprived spawning potential. While the consequences that such selection might have on the population dynamics of a single species are well emphasized, we are just beginning to perceive the variety and severity of its propagating effects within the entire marine food webs and ecosystems. Here, we highlight the potential pathways in which fisheries-induced evolution, driven by size-selective fishing, might resonate through globally connected systems. We look at: (i) how a size truncation may induce shifts in ecological niches of harvested species, (ii) how a changed maturation schedule might affect the spawning potential and biomass flow, (iii) how changes in life histories can initiate trophic cascades, (iv) how the role of apex predators may be shifting and (v) whether fisheries-induced evolution could codrive species to depletion and biodiversity loss. Globally increasing effective fishing effort and the uncertain reversibility of eco-evolutionary change induced by fisheries necessitate further research, discussion and precautionary action considering the impacts of fisheries-induced evolution within marine food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hočevar
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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18
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Steyn C, Shannon L, Blamey L. Changes in food-web structure and energy flow in kelp forest ecosystems on the south-west coast of South Africa following the invasion of Jasus lalandii. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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19
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Campana S, Demey C, Busch K, Hentschel U, Muyzer G, de Goeij JM. Marine sponges maintain stable bacterial communities between reef sites with different coral to algae cover ratios. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:fiab115. [PMID: 34351429 PMCID: PMC8378938 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine sponges play a major ecological role in recycling resources on coral reef ecosystems. The cycling of resources may largely depend on the stability of the host-microbiome interactions and their susceptibility to altered environmental conditions. Given the current coral to algal phase shift on coral reefs, we investigated whether the sponge-associated bacterial communities of four sponge species, with either high or low microbial abundances (HMA and LMA), remain stable at two reefs sites with different coral to algae cover ratios. Additionally, we assessed the bacterial community composition of two of these sponge species before and after a reciprocal transplantation experiment between the sites. An overall stable bacterial community composition was maintained across the two sites in all sponge species, with a high degree of host-specificity. Furthermore, the core bacterial communities of the sponges remained stable also after a 21-day transplantation period, although a minor shift was observed in less abundant taxa (< 1%). Our findings support the conclusion that host identity and HMA-LMA status are stronger traits in shaping bacterial community composition than habitat. Nevertheless, long-term microbial monitoring of sponges along with benthic biomass and water quality assessments are needed for identifying ecosystem tolerance ranges and tipping points in ongoing coral reef phase shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Campana
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Celine Demey
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Busch
- Department of Marine Ecology, Research Unit Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Ute Hentschel
- Department of Marine Ecology, Research Unit Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Gerard Muyzer
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jasper M de Goeij
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
- CARMABI Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, P.O. Box 2090, Willemstad, Curaçao
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20
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Gebremariam SY, McCormick P, Rochelle P. Evidence of a rapid phosphorus-induced regime shift in a large deep reservoir. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 782:146755. [PMID: 33839665 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecological regime shift studies in freshwater systems are mainly limited to shallow lakes and reservoirs, while abrupt changes in deeper lakes are often attributed to climate change. Here, we demonstrate the application of regime shift theory to one of California's newest and deepest reservoirs, Diamond Valley Lake (DVL), which in recent years showed an unexpected rapid departure from its water quality conditions of the previous decade. The reservoir shifted from a well oxygenated condition with low phytoplankton growth to a hypoxic, phytoplankton-dominated turbid system. We statistically identified the critical stressor (phosphorus (P)), switch points, and its load threshold and characterized its transition to an alternative stable state and the stabilizing mechanisms contributing to hysteresis. We analyzed long-term environmental, chemical and flow data, conducted a hydrographic survey, and developed a hydrodynamic model to characterize the factors that contributed to regime shift and to evaluate different management strategies that might reverse this shift. Our findings indicate that large deep systems exhibit different transition dynamics in the presence of an acute stressor compared to regime shifts in shallow systems. A cumulative external TP load threshold of 4.6 mg m-2 d-1 added to the reservoir over nearly 11 months was identified as the critical stressor. For large deep systems, inherent morphometric features such as large relative depth combine with external stressors to drive regime shifts. Light winds, morphometric conditions impeding deep mixing, and a stable stratification that lasts up to 9 months makes DVL more susceptible to hypolimnetic hypoxia, an intrinsic factor accelerating regime shift. Results also suggest regime shift occurred in 2013, when new limnological processes were established to reinforce the new alternative stable state and existing ecosystem services were impaired. Interactions between hypoxia, internal P loading (~2.1 mg m-2 d-1), and seasonal cyanobacterial blooms were identified as mechanisms perpetuating the new alternative state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyoum Yami Gebremariam
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 Moreno Avenue, La Verne, CA 91750, USA.
| | - Paul McCormick
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 Moreno Avenue, La Verne, CA 91750, USA
| | - Paul Rochelle
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 Moreno Avenue, La Verne, CA 91750, USA
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21
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Möllmann C, Cormon X, Funk S, Otto SA, Schmidt JO, Schwermer H, Sguotti C, Voss R, Quaas M. Tipping point realized in cod fishery. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14259. [PMID: 34253825 PMCID: PMC8275682 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93843-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding tipping point dynamics in harvested ecosystems is of crucial importance for sustainable resource management because ignoring their existence imperils social-ecological systems that depend on them. Fisheries collapses provide the best known examples for realizing tipping points with catastrophic ecological, economic and social consequences. However, present-day fisheries management systems still largely ignore the potential of their resources to exhibit such abrupt changes towards irreversible low productive states. Using a combination of statistical changepoint analysis and stochastic cusp modelling, here we show that Western Baltic cod is beyond such a tipping point caused by unsustainable exploitation levels that failed to account for changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, climate change stabilizes a novel and likely irreversible low productivity state of this fish stock that is not adapted to a fast warming environment. We hence argue that ignorance of non-linear resource dynamics has caused the demise of an economically and culturally important social-ecological system which calls for better adaptation of fisheries systems to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Möllmann
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Xochitl Cormon
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Funk
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saskia A Otto
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jörn O Schmidt
- Center for Ocean and Society (CeOS), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heike Schwermer
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.,Center for Ocean and Society (CeOS), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Camilla Sguotti
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rudi Voss
- Center for Ocean and Society (CeOS), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Quaas
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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22
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Harvey BP, Allen R, Agostini S, Hoffmann LJ, Kon K, Summerfield TC, Wada S, Hall-Spencer JM. Feedback mechanisms stabilise degraded turf algal systems at a CO 2 seep site. Commun Biol 2021; 4:219. [PMID: 33594188 PMCID: PMC7901039 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01712-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities are rapidly changing the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems. Large-scale replacement of kelp forests and coral reefs with turf algal mats is resulting in homogenous habitats that have less ecological and human value. Ocean acidification has strong potential to substantially favour turf algae growth, which led us to examine the mechanisms that stabilise turf algal states. Here we show that ocean acidification promotes turf algae over corals and macroalgae, mediating new habitat conditions that create stabilising feedback loops (altered physicochemical environment and microbial community, and an inhibition of recruitment) capable of locking turf systems in place. Such feedbacks help explain why degraded coastal habitats persist after being initially pushed past the tipping point by global and local anthropogenic stressors. An understanding of the mechanisms that stabilise degraded coastal habitats can be incorporated into adaptive management to better protect the contribution of coastal systems to human wellbeing. Ben Harvey et al. use the gradient provided by a natural CO2 seep off Shikine Island, Japan and lab microcosm experiments to determine how ocean acidification promotes turf algal habitat conditions that create stabilizing feedback loops and hysteresis capable of locking turf systems in place. These results further our understanding of feedback loops initiated by ocean acidification, and can assist in the management of coastal habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben P Harvey
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan.
| | - Ro Allen
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Sylvain Agostini
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Linn J Hoffmann
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Koetsu Kon
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | | | - Shigeki Wada
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Jason M Hall-Spencer
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan.,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
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23
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Spatial and Temporal Variation of Fish Assemblages in Seti Gandaki River, Tanahu, Nepal. BORNEO JOURNAL OF RESOURCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.33736/bjrst.2048.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The space and time variations of the fish community structure in hill streams of Nepal are poorly understood. This research aims at studying the space and time variation of fish community structure in the Seti Gandaki River, Tanahu, Nepal. The field survey was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018 and the fishes were sampled from six sites using a medium size cast net of mesh size ranging from 3 mm to 6 mm mesh size, 25-33 feet length and 3.5-5 feet width, with the help of local fisher man. A total of 1,440 individuals were caught representing 46 species belonging to three order, nine families and 23 genera. The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed significant difference in space (R = 0.824, P = 0.001) but not in time (R = 0.135, P = 0.021). On the basis of similarity percentage (SIMPER) analysis, 85.43% similarity was found among the seasons and major contributing species were Barilius bendelisis (8.44%) followed by B. vagra (7.79%), Tor putitora (7.27%), Garra gotyla (7%), Acanthocobotis botia (6.7%), Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (6.64%), Barilius shacra (6%), B. barila (4.5%) and Opsarius barna (4.37%). On the other hand, 85.24% similarity was found among the sites and major contributing species were B. bendelisis (8.8%) followed by B. vagra (7.6%), G. gotyla (7.27%), T. putitora (7.17%), A. botia (6.97%), N. hexagonolepis (6.7%), B. shacra (6.34%), B. barila (4.7%) and O. barna (4.39%). Results from the Canonical Correspondence Analysis indicated that the environmental variables, such as pH, total hardness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen and water temperature have shown to determine the fish community structure of Seti Gandaki River.
Keywords: Fish diversity, freshwater, habitat, spatio-temporal, stream
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24
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Fraser KM, Lefcheck JS, Ling SD, Mellin C, Stuart-Smith RD, Edgar GJ. Production of mobile invertebrate communities on shallow reefs from temperate to tropical seas. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201798. [PMID: 33352078 PMCID: PMC7779515 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary productivity of marine ecosystems is largely driven by broad gradients in environmental and ecological properties. By contrast, secondary productivity tends to be more variable, influenced by bottom-up (resource-driven) and top-down (predatory) processes, other environmental drivers, and mediation by the physical structure of habitats. Here, we use a continental-scale dataset on small mobile invertebrates (epifauna), common on surfaces in all marine ecosystems, to test influences of potential drivers of temperature-standardized secondary production across a large biogeographic range. We found epifaunal production to be remarkably consistent along a temperate to tropical Australian latitudinal gradient of 28.6°, spanning kelp forests to coral reefs (approx. 3500 km). Using a model selection procedure, epifaunal production was primarily related to biogenic habitat group, which explained up to 45% of total variability. Production was otherwise invariant to predictors capturing primary productivity, the local biomass of fishes (proxy for predation pressure), and environmental, geographical, and human impacts. Highly predictable levels of epifaunal productivity associated with distinct habitat groups across continental scales should allow accurate modelling of the contributions of these ubiquitous invertebrates to coastal food webs, thus improving understanding of likely changes to food web structure with ocean warming and other anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. M. Fraser
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - J. S. Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - S. D. Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - C. Mellin
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - R. D. Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - G. J. Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
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25
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Future of Asian horseshoe crab conservation under explicit baseline gaps: A global perspective. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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26
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Perälä T, Olsen EM, Hutchings JA. Disentangling conditional effects of multiple regime shifts on Atlantic cod productivity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237414. [PMID: 33253180 PMCID: PMC7703953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Regime shifts are increasingly prevalent in the ecological literature. However, definitions vary and detection methods are still developing. Here, we employ a novel statistical algorithm based on the Bayesian online change-point detection framework to simultaneously identify shifts in the mean and (or) variance of time series data. We detected multiple regime shifts in long-term (59-154 years) patterns of coastal Norwegian Atlantic cod (>70% decline) and putative drivers of cod productivity: North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO); sea-surface temperature; zooplankton abundance; fishing mortality (F). The consequences of an environmental or climate-related regime shift on cod productivity are accentuated when regime shifts coincide, fishing mortality is high, and populations are small. The analyses suggest that increasing F increasingly sensitized cod in the mid 1970s and late 1990s to regime shifts in NAO, zooplankton abundance, and water temperature. Our work underscores the necessity of accounting for human-induced mortality in regime shift analyses of marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommi Perälä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Esben M. Olsen
- Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen Marine Research Station, His, Norway
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Jeffrey A. Hutchings
- Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen Marine Research Station, His, Norway
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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27
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A New Long-Term Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Program for the Knowledge and Management in Marine Protected Areas of the Mexican Caribbean. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12187814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the Mexican Caribbean, 15 marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established for managing and protecting marine ecosystems. These MPAs receive high anthropogenic pressure from coastal development, tourism, and fishing, all in synergy with climate change. To contribute to the MPAs’ effectiveness, it is necessary to provide a long-term observation system of the condition of marine ecosystems and species. Our study proposes the establishment of a new marine biodiversity monitoring program (MBMP) focusing on three MPAs of the Mexican Caribbean. Five conservation objects (COs) were defined (coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, marine turtles, and sharks-rays) for their ecological relevance and the pressures they are facing. Coral reef, seagrass and mangroves have multiple biological, biogeochemical and physical interactions. Marine turtles are listed as endangered species, and the status of their populations is unknown in the marine area of the MPAs. Elasmobranchs play a key role as top and medium predators, and their populations have been poorly studied. Indicators were proposed for monitoring each CO. As a technological innovation, all information obtained from the MBMP will be uploaded to the Coastal Marine Information and Analysis System (SIMAR), a public, user-friendly and interactive web platform that allows for automatic data management and processing.
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28
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Adamson MW, Dawes JHP, Hastings A, Hilker FM. Forecasting resilience profiles of the run-up to regime shifts in nearly-one-dimensional systems. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200566. [PMID: 32933374 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The forecasting of sudden, irreversible shifts in natural systems is a challenge of great importance, whose realization could allow pre-emptive action to be taken to avoid or mitigate catastrophic transitions, or to help systems adapt to them. In recent years, there have been many advances in the development of such early warning signals. However, much of the current toolbox is based around the tracking of statistical trends and therefore does not aim to estimate the future time scale of transitions or resilience loss. Metric-based indicators are also difficult to implement when systems have inherent oscillations which can dominate the indicator statistics. To resolve these gaps in the toolbox, we use additional system properties to fit parsimonious models to dynamics in order to predict transitions. Here, we consider nearly-one-dimensional systems-higher dimensional systems whose dynamics can be accurately captured by one-dimensional discrete time maps. We show how the nearly one-dimensional dynamics can be used to produce model-based indicators for critical transitions which produce forecasts of the resilience and the time of transitions in the system. A particularly promising feature of this approach is that it allows us to construct early warning signals even for critical transitions of chaotic systems. We demonstrate this approach on two model systems: of phosphorous recycling in a shallow lake, and of an overcompensatory fish population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Adamson
- Institute for Environmental Systems Research and Institute of Mathematics, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 12, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Jonathan H P Dawes
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Frank M Hilker
- Institute for Environmental Systems Research and Institute of Mathematics, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 12, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
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29
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A spatial regime shift from predator to prey dominance in a large coastal ecosystem. Commun Biol 2020; 3:459. [PMID: 32855431 PMCID: PMC7452892 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01180-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Regime shifts in ecosystem structure and processes are typically studied from a temporal perspective. Yet, theory predicts that in large ecosystems with environmental gradients, shifts should start locally and gradually spread through space. Here we empirically document a spatially propagating shift in the trophic structure of a large aquatic ecosystem, from dominance of large predatory fish (perch, pike) to the small prey fish, the three-spined stickleback. Fish surveys in 486 shallow bays along the 1200 km western Baltic Sea coast during 1979–2017 show that the shift started in wave-exposed archipelago areas near the open sea, but gradually spread towards the wave-sheltered mainland coast. Ecosystem surveys in 32 bays in 2014 show that stickleback predation on juvenile predators (predator–prey reversal) generates a feedback mechanism that appears to reinforce the shift. In summary, managers must account for spatial heterogeneity and dispersal to better predict, detect and confront regime shifts within large ecosystems. Eklöf et al. report a spatially propagating shift in the trophic structure along the western Baltic Sea coast. The authors use fish surveys from 1979–2017 to show a shift from dominance of large predatory fish to the small prey fish, the three-spined stickleback, starting in wave-exposed areas and gradually moving to the wave-sheltered coast.
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30
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Rillig MC, Ryo M, Lehmann A, Aguilar-Trigueros CA, Buchert S, Wulf A, Iwasaki A, Roy J, Yang G. The role of multiple global change factors in driving soil functions and microbial biodiversity. Science 2020; 366:886-890. [PMID: 31727838 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay2832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Soils underpin terrestrial ecosystem functions, but they face numerous anthropogenic pressures. Despite their crucial ecological role, we know little about how soils react to more than two environmental factors at a time. Here, we show experimentally that increasing the number of simultaneous global change factors (up to 10) caused increasing directional changes in soil properties, soil processes, and microbial communities, though there was greater uncertainty in predicting the magnitude of change. Our study provides a blueprint for addressing multifactor change with an efficient, broadly applicable experimental design for studying the impacts of global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias C Rillig
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany. .,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anika Lehmann
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlos A Aguilar-Trigueros
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Buchert
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Wulf
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Aiko Iwasaki
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Julien Roy
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaowen Yang
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
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31
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Turner MG, Calder WJ, Cumming GS, Hughes TP, Jentsch A, LaDeau SL, Lenton TM, Shuman BN, Turetsky MR, Ratajczak Z, Williams JW, Williams AP, Carpenter SR. Climate change, ecosystems and abrupt change: science priorities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190105. [PMID: 31983326 PMCID: PMC7017767 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists have long studied patterns, directions and tempos of change, but there is a pressing need to extend current understanding to empirical observations of abrupt changes as climate warming accelerates. Abrupt changes in ecological systems (ACES)-changes that are fast in time or fast relative to their drivers-are ubiquitous and increasing in frequency. Powerful theoretical frameworks exist, yet applications in real-world landscapes to detect, explain and anticipate ACES have lagged. We highlight five insights emerging from empirical studies of ACES across diverse ecosystems: (i) ecological systems show ACES in some dimensions but not others; (ii) climate extremes may be more important than mean climate in generating ACES; (iii) interactions among multiple drivers often produce ACES; (iv) contingencies, such as ecological memory, frequency and sequence of disturbances, and spatial context are important; and (v) tipping points are often (but not always) associated with ACES. We suggest research priorities to advance understanding of ACES in the face of climate change. Progress in understanding ACES requires strong integration of scientific approaches (theory, observations, experiments and process-based models) and high-quality empirical data drawn from a diverse array of ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica G. Turner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - W. John Calder
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Graeme S. Cumming
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Terry P. Hughes
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | | | - Bryan N. Shuman
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Merritt R. Turetsky
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, CanadaN1G 2W1
| | - Zak Ratajczak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - John W. Williams
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - A. Park Williams
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
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32
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Bevilacqua S, Terlizzi A. Nestedness and turnover unveil inverse spatial patterns of compositional and functional β‐diversity at varying depth in marine benthos. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stanislao Bevilacqua
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
- CoNiSMa Roma Italy
| | - Antonio Terlizzi
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
- CoNiSMa Roma Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli Italy
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33
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Sguotti C, Otto SA, Frelat R, Langbehn TJ, Ryberg MP, Lindegren M, Durant JM, Chr Stenseth N, Möllmann C. Catastrophic dynamics limit Atlantic cod recovery. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182877. [PMID: 30862289 PMCID: PMC6458326 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Collapses and regime changes are pervasive in complex systems (such as marine ecosystems) governed by multiple stressors. The demise of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks constitutes a text book example of the consequences of overexploiting marine living resources, yet the drivers of these nearly synchronous collapses are still debated. Moreover, it is still unclear why rebuilding of collapsed fish stocks such as cod is often slow or absent. Here, we apply the stochastic cusp model, based on catastrophe theory, and show that collapse and recovery of cod stocks are potentially driven by the specific interaction between exploitation pressure and environmental drivers. Our statistical modelling study demonstrates that for most of the cod stocks, ocean warming could induce a nonlinear discontinuous relationship between fishing pressure and stock size, which would explain hysteresis in their response to reduced exploitation pressure. Our study suggests further that a continuing increase in ocean temperatures will probably limit productivity and hence future fishing opportunities for most cod stocks of the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, our study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the importance of climate and fishing effects on commercially exploited fish stocks, highlighting the importance of considering discontinuous dynamics in holistic ecosystem-based management approaches, particularly under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Sguotti
- 1 Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), University of Hamburg , 22767 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Saskia A Otto
- 1 Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), University of Hamburg , 22767 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Romain Frelat
- 1 Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), University of Hamburg , 22767 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Tom J Langbehn
- 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen , 5006 Bergen , Norway
| | - Marie Plambech Ryberg
- 3 National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua) , 2800 Kgs Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Martin Lindegren
- 3 National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua) , 2800 Kgs Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Joël M Durant
- 4 Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo , 0316 Oslo , Norway
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- 4 Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo , 0316 Oslo , Norway
| | - Christian Möllmann
- 1 Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science (IMF), Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), University of Hamburg , 22767 Hamburg , Germany
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34
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Lauerburg RAM, Diekmann R, Blanz B, Gee K, Held H, Kannen A, Möllmann C, Probst WN, Rambo H, Cormier R, Stelzenmüller V. Socio-ecological vulnerability to tipping points: A review of empirical approaches and their use for marine management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135838. [PMID: 31855803 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sustainability in the provision of ecosystem services requires understanding of the vulnerability of social-ecological systems (SES) to tipping points (TPs). Assessing SES vulnerability to abrupt ecosystem state changes remains challenging, however, because frameworks do not operationally link ecological, socio-economic and cultural elements of the SES. We conducted a targeted literature review on empirical assessments of SES and TPs in the marine realm and their use in ecosystem-based management. Our results revealed a plurality of terminologies, definitions and concepts that hampers practical operationalisation of these concepts. Furthermore, we found a striking lack of socio-cultural aspects in SES vulnerability assessments, possibly because of a lack of involvement of stakeholders and interest groups. We propose guiding principles for assessing vulnerability to TPs that build on participative approaches and prioritise the connectivity between SES components by accounting for component linkages, cascading effects and feedback processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A M Lauerburg
- Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany; University of Hamburg, Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science, Olbersweg 24, 22767 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - R Diekmann
- Thünen-Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - B Blanz
- University of Hamburg, Research Unit Sustainability and Global Change, Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, Germany
| | - K Gee
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - H Held
- University of Hamburg, Research Unit Sustainability and Global Change, Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Kannen
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - C Möllmann
- University of Hamburg, Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science, Olbersweg 24, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
| | - W N Probst
- Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - H Rambo
- Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - R Cormier
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - V Stelzenmüller
- Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
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35
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Weise H, Auge H, Baessler C, Bärlund I, Bennett EM, Berger U, Bohn F, Bonn A, Borchardt D, Brand F, Chatzinotas A, Corstanje R, De Laender F, Dietrich P, Dunker S, Durka W, Fazey I, Groeneveld J, Guilbaud CSE, Harms H, Harpole S, Harris J, Jax K, Jeltsch F, Johst K, Joshi J, Klotz S, Kühn I, Kuhlicke C, Müller B, Radchuk V, Reuter H, Rinke K, Schmitt‐Jansen M, Seppelt R, Singer A, Standish RJ, Thulke H, Tietjen B, Weitere M, Wirth C, Wolf C, Grimm V. Resilience trinity: safeguarding ecosystem functioning and services across three different time horizons and decision contexts. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Weise
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Biology, Freie Univ. Berlin Germany
| | - Harald Auge
- Dept. of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Cornelia Baessler
- Dept. of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Ilona Bärlund
- Dept. of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Magdeburg Germany
| | - Elena M. Bennett
- Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill School of Environment, McGill Univ. Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue QC Canada
| | - Uta Berger
- Dept. of Forest Sciences, Inst. of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences, Technische Univ. Dresden Tharandt Germany
| | - Friedrich Bohn
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Aletta Bonn
- Dept. of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Biodiversity, Univ. of Jena Jena Germany
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Dietrich Borchardt
- Dept. of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Magdeburg Germany
| | - Fridolin Brand
- ZHAW School of Management and Law Winterthur Switzerland
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Dept. of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Ron Corstanje
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood Institute, Cranfield Univ. Cranfield Bedfordshire UK
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Namur Namur Belgium
| | - Peter Dietrich
- Dept. of Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Susanne Dunker
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Dept. of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Walter Durka
- Dept. of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Ioan Fazey
- School of the Environment, Univ. of Dundee Dundee UK
| | - Jürgen Groeneveld
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Dept. of Forest Sciences, Inst. of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences, Technische Univ. Dresden Tharandt Germany
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | | | - Hauke Harms
- Dept. of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Stanley Harpole
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Dept. of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Jim Harris
- Cranfield Inst, for Resilient Futures, Cranfield Univ. Cranfield Bedfordshire UK
| | - Kurt Jax
- Dept. of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Univ. München Freising Germany
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Karin Johst
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Inst. of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Stefan Klotz
- Dept. of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Dept. of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Halle (Saale) Germany
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Christian Kuhlicke
- Dept. of Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Birgit Müller
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Dept. of Ecological Dynammics, Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
| | - Hauke Reuter
- Dept. of Theoretical Ecology and Modelling, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) Bremen Germany
| | - Karsten Rinke
- Dept. of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Magdeburg Germany
| | - Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen
- Dept. of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Ralf Seppelt
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Dept. of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Geoscience and Geography, Martin Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenberg Germany
| | - Alexander Singer
- Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Rachel J. Standish
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch Univ. Murdoch WA Australia
| | - Hans‐H. Thulke
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Britta Tietjen
- Inst. of Biology, Freie Univ. Berlin Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Markus Weitere
- Dept. of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Magdeburg Germany
| | - Christian Wirth
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Christine Wolf
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Dept. of Environmental Politics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Dept. of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ Leipzig Germany
- C. Wirth, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
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Winter AM, Richter A, Eikeset AM. Implications of Allee effects for fisheries management in a changing climate: evidence from Atlantic cod. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e01994. [PMID: 31468660 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
There are concerns that increasing anthropogenic stressors can cause catastrophic transitions in ecosystems. Such shifts have large social, economic, and ecological consequences and therefore have important management implications. A potential mechanism behind these regime shifts is the Allee effect, which describes the decline in realized per capita growth rate at small population density. With an age-structured population model for Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, we illustrate how interactions between human-induced stressors, such as fishing and climate change, can worsen the impact of an Allee effect on populations by promoting hysteresis. Therefore, the risk of population collapse and recovery failure is exacerbated and the success of preventing and reverting collapse depends on the climate regime. We find that, in presence of the Allee effect, a fishing moratorium is only sufficient for recovery when sea surface temperature rise remains within 2°C and fishing is restricted within 10 yrs. If sea surface temperature rises beyond 2°C, even immediate banning of fishing is not sufficient to guarantee recovery. If fishing is not fully banned and a residual fishing pressure remains, the probability of recovery is further decreased, also in the absence of an Allee effect. The results underscore the decisive role of Allee effects for the management of depleted populations in an increasingly human-dominated world. Once the population collapses and its growth rate is suppressed, rebuilding measures will be squandered and collapse will very likely be irreversible. We therefore emphasize the need for proactive management involving precautionary, adaptive measures and reference points. Our studies shows that climate change has the potential to strengthen Allee effects, which could increasingly challenge fisheries management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Marie Winter
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, N-0316, Norway
| | - Andries Richter
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, N-0316, Norway
- Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group, Sub-Department of Economics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 EW, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Maria Eikeset
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, N-0316, Norway
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Todd PA, Heery EC, Loke LHL, Thurstan RH, Kotze DJ, Swan C. Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Eliza C. Heery
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Lynette H. L. Loke
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Ruth H. Thurstan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - D. Johan Kotze
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Univ. of Helsinki Lahti Finland
| | - Christopher Swan
- Dept of Geography & Environmental Systems, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA
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38
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Yletyinen J, Brown P, Pech R, Hodges D, Hulme PE, Malcolm TF, Maseyk FJF, Peltzer DA, Perry GLW, Richardson SJ, Smaill SJ, Stanley MC, Todd JH, Walsh PJ, Wright W, Tylianakis JM. Understanding and Managing Social–Ecological Tipping Points in Primary Industries. Bioscience 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Yletyinen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Philip Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Roger Pech
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | | | - Philip E Hulme
- Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, New Zealand
| | | | - Fleur J F Maseyk
- The Catalyst Group, in Wellington, New Zealand, and with the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia
| | - Duane A Peltzer
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - George L W Perry
- School of Environment at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Richardson
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | | | - Margaret C Stanley
- School of Biological Sciences, at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacqui H Todd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, Ltd., in Auckland, and Willie Wright is affiliated with the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group, in Whangarei, New Zealand
| | - Patrick J Walsh
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Willie Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
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39
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Kröncke I, Neumann H, Dippner JW, Holbrook S, Lamy T, Miller R, Padedda BM, Pulina S, Reed DC, Reinikainen M, Satta CT, Sechi N, Soltwedel T, Suikkanen S, Lugliè A. Comparison of biological and ecological long-term trends related to northern hemisphere climate in different marine ecosystems. NATURE CONSERVATION 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.34.30209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Data from five sites of the International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network in the North-Eastern Pacific, Western Arctic Ocean, Northern Baltic Sea, South-Eastern North Sea and in the Western Mediterranean Sea were analyzed by dynamic factor analysis (DFA) to trace common multi-year trends in abundance and composition of phytoplankton, benthic fauna and temperate reef fish. Multiannual trends were related to climate and environmental variables to study interactions. Two common trends in biological responses were detected, with temperature and climate indices as explanatory variables in four of the five LTER sites considered. Only one trend was observed at the fifth site, the Northern Baltic Sea, where no explanatory variables were identified. Our findings revealed quasi-synchronous biological shifts in the different marine ecosystems coincident with the 2000 climatic regime shift and provided evidence on a possible further biological shift around 2010. The observed biological modifications were coupled with abrupt or continuous increase in sea water and air temperature confirming the key-role of temperature in structuring marine communities.
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40
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Hewitt JE, Thrush SF. Monitoring for tipping points in the marine environment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 234:131-137. [PMID: 30616184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Increasingly studies are reporting sudden and dramatic changes in the structure and function of communities or ecosystems. The prevalence of these reports demonstrates the importance for management of being able to detect whether these have happened and, preferably, whether they are likely to occur. Ecological theory provides the rationale for why such changes occur and a variety of statistical indicators of approach that have generic properties have been developed. However, whether the theory has successfully translated into monitoring programmes is unknown. We searched the literature for guidelines that would drive design of monitoring programmes able to detect past and approaching tipping points and analysed marine monitoring programmes in New Zealand. We found very few guidelines in the ecological, environmental or monitoring literature, although both simulation and marine empirical studies suggest that within-year sampling increases the likelihood of detecting approaching tipping points. The combination of the need to monitor both small and medium scale temporal dynamics of multiple variables to detect tipping points meant that few marine monitoring programmes in New Zealand were fit for that purpose. Interestingly, we found many marine examples of studies detecting past and approaching TP with fewer data than was common in the theoretical literature. We, therefore, suggest that utilizing ecological knowledge is of paramount importance in designing and analyzing time-series monitoring for tipping points and increasing the certainty for short-term or infrequent datasets of whether a tipping point has occurred. As monitoring plays an important role in management of tipping points by providing supporting information for other locations about when and why a tipping point may occur, we believe that monitoring for tipping points should be promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judi E Hewitt
- NIWA, Gate 10 Silverdale Rd, Hamilton, New Zealand; University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. j.hewitt@niwa..co.nz
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Abstract
Ecological theory predicts that under the same environmental conditions, an ecosystem could have more than one community state that is maintained by reinforcing feedbacks. If so, a sufficiently large disturbance can flip the system to a less desired community that is difficult to reverse. Here, we demonstrate that a coral reef can become trapped in a seaweed-dominated state in the same conditions under which corals thrive. The implications are profound, particularly in light of the increasing occurrence of shifts to seaweed on coral reefs worldwide. Our results indicate that anticipatory management strategies that lessen the chance of a switch to seaweeds will be more effective than those aimed at restoring the coral community after a shift. Ecological theory predicts that ecosystems with multiple basins of attraction can get locked in an undesired state, which has profound ecological and management implications. Despite their significance, alternative attractors have proven to be challenging to detect and characterize in natural communities. On coral reefs, it has been hypothesized that persistent coral-to-macroalgae “phase shifts” that can result from overfishing of herbivores and/or nutrient enrichment may reflect a regime shift to an alternate attractor, but, to date, the evidence has been equivocal. Our field experiments in Moorea, French Polynesia, revealed the following: (i) hysteresis existed in the herbivory–macroalgae relationship, creating the potential for coral–macroalgae bistability at some levels of herbivory, and (ii) macroalgae were an alternative attractor under prevailing conditions in the lagoon but not on the fore reef, where ambient herbivory fell outside the experimentally delineated region of hysteresis. These findings help explain the different community responses to disturbances between lagoon and fore reef habitats of Moorea over the past several decades and reinforce the idea that reversing an undesired shift on coral reefs can be difficult. Our experimental framework represents a powerful diagnostic tool to probe for multiple attractors in ecological systems and, as such, can inform management strategies needed to maintain critical ecosystem functions in the face of escalating stresses.
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Ling SD, Kriegisch N, Woolley B, Reeves SE. Density-dependent feedbacks, hysteresis, and demography of overgrazing sea urchins. Ecology 2019; 100:e02577. [PMID: 30707451 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Sea urchin grazing can result in regime shift from productive kelp beds to sea urchin barren grounds that represent an alternative and stable reef state. Here we examine the stability of urchin barrens by defining the demographics of the Australian urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma during regime shift to, and maintenance of, barrens. Inverse-logistic modeling of calibrated in situ annual growth increments for five urchin populations, two from kelp beds and three from barrens, demonstrate slowing of urchin growth as availability and consumption of standing and/or drift kelp declines. Population age structures were predicted from observed sizes over four years (2012-2015, n = 5,864 individuals), which indicated stable age distributions for populations both maintaining barrens and actively grazing among kelp beds. Younger age distributions occurred on barrens whereas more mature populations existed within kelp beds, indicating that high recruitment facilitates maintenance of barrens while overgrazing appeared more reliant on adult urchins grazing from the edges of kelp beds, as opposed to juvenile recruitment among kelp. Leslie-matrix projections indicated potential for unchecked population growth for all study populations, but which varied depending on whether local or regional recruitment rates were modeled. Ultimately, strong density dependence was observed to check population growth; with high-recruitment/high-density populations offset by reduced growth rates and decreased longevity. Increasing disease rates among older urchins in high-density populations were consistent with observed density-dependent mortality, while tethering of healthy urchins revealed highest predation on small urchins within kelp beds, suggesting some remnant resilience of declining kelp habitat. Results demonstrate that the greatest opportunity for urchin population control is when reefs exist in the kelp bed state, at which point urchin populations are prone to negative feedback. Conversely, control of urchins on barrens is demonstrably difficult given positive density-dependent feedbacks that act to stabilize population size and which evidently underpin the hysteresis effect governing the persistence of this alternative stable state.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - N Kriegisch
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - B Woolley
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - S E Reeves
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
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43
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Kotta J, Herkül K, Jaagus J, Kaasik A, Raudsepp U, Alari V, Arula T, Haberman J, Järvet A, Kangur K, Kont A, Kull A, Laanemets J, Maljutenko I, Männik A, Nõges P, Nõges T, Ojaveer H, Peterson A, Reihan A, Rõõm R, Sepp M, Suursaar Ü, Tamm O, Tamm T, Tõnisson H. Linking atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic environments: Regime shifts in the Estonian climate over the past 50 years. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209568. [PMID: 30589880 PMCID: PMC6307728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change in recent decades has been identified as a significant threat to natural environments and human wellbeing. This is because some of the contemporary changes to climate are abrupt and result in persistent changes in the state of natural systems; so called regime shifts (RS). This study aimed to detect and analyse the timing and strength of RS in Estonian climate at the half-century scale (1966−2013). We demonstrate that the extensive winter warming of the Northern Hemisphere in the late 1980s was represented in atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems to an extent not observed before or after the event within the studied time series. In 1989, abiotic variables displayed statistically significant regime shifts in atmospheric, river and marine systems, but not in lake and bog systems. This was followed by regime shifts in the biotic time series of bogs and marine ecosystems in 1990. However, many biotic time series lacked regime shifts, or the shifts were uncoupled from large-scale atmospheric circulation. We suggest that the latter is possibly due to complex and temporally variable interactions between abiotic and biotic elements with ecosystem properties buffering biotic responses to climate change signals, as well as being affected by concurrent anthropogenic impacts on natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristjan Herkül
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jaak Jaagus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Urmas Raudsepp
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Victor Alari
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Timo Arula
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Juta Haberman
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arvo Järvet
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Külli Kangur
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Are Kont
- Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ain Kull
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jaan Laanemets
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ilja Maljutenko
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Aarne Männik
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Peeter Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tiina Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Henn Ojaveer
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Alvina Reihan
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Rein Rõõm
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mait Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Suursaar
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ottar Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Toomas Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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Rau AL, Bickel MW, Rathgens J, Schroth TN, Weiser A, Hilser S, Jenkins S, McCrory G, Pfefferle N, Roitsch D, Stålhammar S, Villada D, Wamsler C, Krause T, von Wehrden H. Linking concepts of change and ecosystem services research: A systematic review. CHANGE AND ADAPTATION IN SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/cass-2018-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Transformation, transition and regime shift are increasingly applied concepts in the academic literature to describe changes in society and the environment. Ecosystem services represent one framework that includes the implicit aim of supporting transformation towards a more sustainable system. Nevertheless, knowledge and systematic reviews on the use of these concepts within ecosystem services research are so far lacking. Therefore, we present a systematic literature review to analyse the interlinkages between these concepts and ecosystem services. Using a search string we identified 258 papers that we analysed based on 40 review criteria. Our results show that transformation was mentioned most often (197 articles), followed by transition (183 articles) and regime shifts (43 articles). Moreover, there is no consolidation of these concepts. Only 13% of all articles gave definitions for the three concepts. These definitions strongly overlapped in their use. Moreover, most papers described changes that happened in the past (73%). We conclude that research would benefit from being directed towards the future rather than evaluating what has happened in the past. Based on our results, we present: i) clear definitions for the three concepts; and ii) a framework highlighting the interlinkages between the ecosystem services cascade and the concepts of change.
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45
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Kilborn JP, Drexler M, Jones DL. Fluctuating fishing intensities and climate dynamics reorganize the Gulf of Mexico's fisheries resources. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Kilborn
- College of Marine Science Marine Science Lab University of South Florida 140 7th Avenue South St. Petersburg Florida 33701 USA
| | - Michael Drexler
- College of Marine Science Marine Science Lab University of South Florida 140 7th Avenue South St. Petersburg Florida 33701 USA
- Ocean Conservancy 600 1st Avenue North St. Petersburg Florida 33701 USA
| | - David L. Jones
- College of Marine Science Marine Science Lab University of South Florida 140 7th Avenue South St. Petersburg Florida 33701 USA
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46
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Rincón-Díaz MP, Pittman SJ, Arismendi I, Heppell SS. Functional diversity metrics detect spatio-temporal changes in the fish communities of a Caribbean marine protected area. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon J. Pittman
- Marine Spatial Ecology Division's Biogeography Branch; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science; U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring Maryland 20910 USA
- Marine Institute; Plymouth University; Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA UK
| | - Ivan Arismendi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; 104 Nash Hall Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Selina S. Heppell
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; 104 Nash Hall Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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47
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Bittick SJ, Sutula M, Fong P. A tale of two algal blooms: Negative and predictable effects of two common bloom-forming macroalgae on seagrass and epiphytes. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 140:1-9. [PMID: 29807625 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests macroalgal blooms may play a role in the worldwide decline in seagrass, but the shape of the functional relationship between seagrass health and dominant bloom-forming macroalgae is poorly characterized. We tested whether the impact of varying abundances of two cosmopolitan bloom-forming macroalgal genera caused linear/quasi-linear or sudden threshold changes in measures of eelgrass, Zostera marina, meadow health. We conducted two caging experiments in a shallow Z. marina bed (∼1 m depth) in Bodega Harbor, California, USA where we maintained six densities within the range of natural abundances of macroalgae, Ulva (0-4.0 kg m-2) and Gracilariopsis (0-2.0 kg m-2), as well as uncaged controls over a 10-week period. Shoot density, blade growth, and epiphyte load were measured every two weeks and algal treatments reset. We did not find support for threshold transitions between algal abundance and measures of seagrass bed health using sigmoidal and broken-stick regression analyses for each data set; these models are commonly used to identify threshold patterns in ecological shifts. Instead, final measurements of shoot density and epiphyte load were best modelled as linear or slightly non-linear declines with increasing Ulva abundance. A negative linear relationship also existed between shoot density and Gracilariopsis abundance and a trend towards linear negative effects on epiphyte load. The similar shape of these functional relationships across different types of algae suggests the relationship may be generalizable. At algal abundances that are commonly observed, we found smooth and predictable negative impacts to Z. marina by decline in shoot density and potential impacts to food webs by loss of epiphytes rather than sudden threshold shifts or "ecological surprises". Our work contrasts with the growing body of literature suggesting highly non-linear shifts in response to human impact; thus, it is important to broaden understanding of shifts to more than just pattern but to the processes that drive different patterns of shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Joy Bittick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.
| | - M Sutula
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - P Fong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
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Boada J, Farina S, Arthur R, Romero J, Prado P, Alcoverro T. Herbivore control in connected seascapes: habitat determines when population regulation occurs in the life history of a key herbivore. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
| | - Simone Farina
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
- Fondazione IMC, Centro Marino Internatzionale Onlus; Torre Grande Oristano Italy
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Nature Conservation Foundation; Mysore Karnataka India
| | - Javier Romero
- Dept d'Ecologia, Facultad de Biologia; Univ. de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - Patricia Prado
- IRTA, Aquatic Ecosystems; Sant Carles de la Rapita Tarragona Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation; Mysore Karnataka India
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Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Chaloupka M, Saba VS, Bellini C, Marcovaldi MAG, Santos AJB, Bortolon LFW, Meylan AB, Meylan PA, Gray J, Hardy R, Brost B, Bresette M, Gorham JC, Connett S, Crouchley BVS, Dawson M, Hayes D, Diez CE, van Dam RP, Willis S, Nava M, Hart KM, Cherkiss MS, Crowder AG, Pollock C, Hillis-Starr Z, Muñoz Tenería FA, Herrera-Pavón R, Labrada-Martagón V, Lorences A, Negrete-Philippe A, Lamont MM, Foley AM, Bailey R, Carthy RR, Scarpino R, McMichael E, Provancha JA, Brooks A, Jardim A, López-Mendilaharsu M, González-Paredes D, Estrades A, Fallabrino A, Martínez-Souza G, Vélez-Rubio GM, Boulon RH, Collazo JA, Wershoven R, Guzmán Hernández V, Stringell TB, Sanghera A, Richardson PB, Broderick AC, Phillips Q, Calosso M, Claydon JAB, Metz TL, Gordon AL, Landry AM, Shaver DJ, Blumenthal J, Collyer L, Godley BJ, McGowan A, Witt MJ, Campbell CL, Lagueux CJ, Bethel TL, Kenyon L. Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4556-4568. [PMID: 28378354 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. Growth dynamics of large, mobile animals are particularly useful as bio-indicators of environmental change at regional scales. We assembled growth rate data from throughout the West Atlantic for green turtles, Chelonia mydas, which are long-lived, highly migratory, primarily herbivorous mega-consumers that may migrate over hundreds to thousands of kilometers. Our dataset, the largest ever compiled for sea turtles, has 9690 growth increments from 30 sites from Bermuda to Uruguay from 1973 to 2015. Using generalized additive mixed models, we evaluated covariates that could affect growth rates; body size, diet, and year have significant effects on growth. Growth increases in early years until 1999, then declines by 26% to 2015. The temporal (year) effect is of particular interest because two carnivorous species of sea turtles-hawksbills, Eretmochelys imbricata, and loggerheads, Caretta caretta-exhibited similar significant declines in growth rates starting in 1997 in the West Atlantic, based on previous studies. These synchronous declines in productivity among three sea turtle species across a trophic spectrum provide strong evidence that an ecological regime shift (ERS) in the Atlantic is driving growth dynamics. The ERS resulted from a synergy of the 1997/1998 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-the strongest on record-combined with an unprecedented warming rate over the last two to three decades. Further support is provided by the strong correlations between annualized mean growth rates of green turtles and both sea surface temperatures (SST) in the West Atlantic for years of declining growth rates (r = -.94) and the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) for all years (r = .74). Granger-causality analysis also supports the latter finding. We discuss multiple stressors that could reinforce and prolong the effect of the ERS. This study demonstrates the importance of region-wide collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Bjorndal
- Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research and Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alan B Bolten
- Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research and Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Milani Chaloupka
- Ecological Modelling Services Pty Ltd, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Vincent S Saba
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Cláudio Bellini
- Centro TAMAR-ICMBio, CLBI - Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Anne B Meylan
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Peter A Meylan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
- Natural Sciences Collegium, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | | | - Robert Hardy
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Beth Brost
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Mike Dawson
- Geronimo Program, St. George's School, Newport, RI, USA
| | - Deborah Hayes
- Geronimo Program, St. George's School, Newport, RI, USA
| | | | | | - Sue Willis
- Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
| | - Mabel Nava
- Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
| | - Kristen M Hart
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Michael S Cherkiss
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Andrew G Crowder
- Cherokee Nation Technologies, NSU Center for Collaborative Research, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Clayton Pollock
- National Park Service, Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
| | | | - Fernando A Muñoz Tenería
- Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México
| | | | | | - Armando Lorences
- Dirección de Ecología Municipio de Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, México
| | | | - Margaret M Lamont
- US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Allen M Foley
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Rhonda Bailey
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Raymond R Carthy
- US Geological Survey, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Russell Scarpino
- Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Erin McMichael
- Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jane A Provancha
- Environmental Services, Integrated Mission Support Services, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jaime A Collazo
- U.S. Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas B Stringell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | | | | | - Annette C Broderick
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Quinton Phillips
- Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, National Environment Centre, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
| | - Marta Calosso
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands
| | - John A B Claydon
- Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, National Environment Centre, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
| | - Tasha L Metz
- Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Amanda L Gordon
- Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston - Clear Lake, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lucy Collyer
- Department of Environment, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Andrew McGowan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Matthew J Witt
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Cathi L Campbell
- Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research and Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cynthia J Lagueux
- Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research and Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Lory Kenyon
- Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society, Abaco, The Bahamas
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Daskalov GM, Boicenco L, Grishin AN, Lazar L, Mihneva V, Shlyakhov VA, Zengin M. Architecture of collapse: regime shift and recovery in an hierarchically structured marine ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:1486-1498. [PMID: 27643946 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
By the late 20th century, a series of events or 'natural experiments', for example the depletion of apex predators, extreme eutrophication and blooms of invasive species, had suggested that the Black Sea could be considered as a large ecosystem 'laboratory'. The events resulted in regime shifts cascading through all trophic levels, disturbing ecosystem functioning and damaging the water environment. Causal pathways by which the external (hydroclimate, overfishing) and internal (food web interactions) drivers provoke regime shifts are investigated. Statistical data analyses supported by an interpretative framework based on hierarchical ecosystem theory revealed mechanisms of hierarchical incorporation of environmental factors into the ecosystem. Evidence links Atlantic teleconnections to Black Sea hydroclimate, which together with fishing shapes variability in fish stocks. The hydroclimatic signal is conveyed through the food web via changes in productivity at all levels, to planktivorous fish. Fluctuating fish abundance is believed to induce a lagged change in competitor jelly plankton that cascades down to phytoplankton and influences water quality. Deprived of the stabilising role of apex predators, the Black Sea's hierarchical ecosystem organisation is susceptible to both environmental and anthropogenic stresses, and increased fishing makes fish stock collapses highly probable. When declining stocks are confronted with burgeoning fishing effort associated with the inability of fishery managers and decision-makers to adapt rapidly to changes in fish abundance, there is overfishing and stock collapse. Management procedures are ineffective at handling complex phenomena such as ecosystem regime shifts because of the shortage of suitable explanatory models. The proposed concepts and models reported here relate the hydroclimate, overfishing and invasive species to shifts in ecosystem functioning and water quality, unravelling issues such as the causality of ecosystem interactions and mechanisms and offering potential for finding ways to reverse regime shifts. We advocate a management approach aiming at restoring ecosystem hierarchy that might mitigate the costly consequences of regime shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgi M Daskalov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER-BAS), 2 Yurii Gagarin Street, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Laura Boicenco
- National Institute for Marine Research and Development 'Grigore Antipa', Bd.Mamaia 300, Constanta, 900581, Romania
| | - Alexandre N Grishin
- Institute of Biology of Southern Seas (InBYuM), 2 Nahimov Avenue, Sevastopol, Ukraine
| | - Luminita Lazar
- National Institute for Marine Research and Development 'Grigore Antipa', Bd.Mamaia 300, Constanta, 900581, Romania
| | - Vesselina Mihneva
- Institute of Fish Resources, PO Box 72, Boul Primorski 4, Varna, 9000, Bulgaria
| | - Vladislav A Shlyakhov
- Southern Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (YugNIRO), 2 Sverdlov Street, Kerch, 98300, Ukraine
| | - Mustafa Zengin
- Central Fisheries Research Institute (CFRI), Vali Adil Yazar Cad., 14 Kaşüstü, 61250 Yomra, Trabzon, Turkey
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