1
|
Ali JR, Blonder BW, Pigot AL, Tobias JA. Bird extinctions threaten to cause disproportionate reductions of functional diversity and uniqueness. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jarome R. Ali
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Ascot UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
| | - Benjamin W. Blonder
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Alex L. Pigot
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rodil IF, Lohrer AM, Attard KM, Thrush SF, Norkko A. Positive contribution of macrofaunal biodiversity to secondary production and seagrass carbon metabolism. Ecology 2022; 103:e3648. [PMID: 35080770 PMCID: PMC9287067 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Coastal vegetated habitats such as seagrasses are known to play a critical role in carbon cycling, and their potential to mitigate climate change as blue carbon habitats have been repeatedly highlighted. However, little is known about the role of associated macrofauna communities on the dynamics of critical processes of seagrass carbon metabolism (e.g. respiration, turnover, and production). We conducted a field study across a spatial gradient of seagrass meadows involving variable environmental conditions and macrobenthic diversity to investigate (1) the relationship between macrofauna biodiversity and secondary production (i.e. consumer incorporation of organic matter per time unit), and (2) the role of macrofauna communities in seagrass organic carbon metabolism (i.e. respiration and primary production). We show that while several environmental factors influence secondary production, macrofauna biodiversity controls the range of local seagrass secondary production. We demonstrate that macrofauna respiration rates were responsible for almost 40 % of the overall seafloor community respiration. Macrofauna represented on average > 25% of the total benthic organic C stocks, high secondary production that likely becomes available to upper trophic levels of the coastal food web. Our findings support the role of macrofauna biodiversity in maintaining productive ecosystems, implying that biodiversity loss due to ongoing environmental change yields less productive seagrass ecosystems. Hence, the assessment of carbon dynamics in coastal habitats should include associated macrofauna biodiversity elements if we aim to obtain robust estimates of global carbon budgets required to implement management actions for the sustainable functioning of the worlds' coasts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iván F. Rodil
- Department of Biology (INMAR), Faculty of Marine and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CádizPuerto RealSpain
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiHankoFinland
| | - Andrew M. Lohrer
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric ResearchHamiltonNew Zealand
| | - Karl M. Attard
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiHankoFinland
- Nordcee and HADAL, Department of BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark
| | - Simon F. Thrush
- Institute of Marine ScienceUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiHankoFinland
- Baltic Sea CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lanari M, Horta PA, da Silva Copertino M. Functional redundancy and stability in a subtidal macroalgal community in the Southwestern Atlantic coast. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 173:105519. [PMID: 34775208 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105519] [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: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Functional redundancy can stabilize ecological functions as asynchronous fluctuations among functionally similar species may buffer environmental changes. We investigated the temporal dynamics of a subtidal macroalgal community in the warm temperate Southwestern Atlantic coast (SWA) to evaluate whether functional redundancy stabilize ecosystems functions through compensatory dynamics under realistic environmental scenarios. Despite temporal variations in the community structure occurred, a high stability in macroalgal coverage was found at the community-level driven by taxa asynchronous fluctuations. No relationship between functional redundancy and stability occurred, suggesting that functional compensation cannot surpass the influence of environmental fluctuations on the performance of ecological functions. Declines in Sargassum species abundance, along with its low functional redundancy, indicate that this canopy-forming algae must be prioritized in conservation efforts in the SWA. Our study adds to the comprehension and generalization of biodiversity-stability findings in natural systems across distinct geographical areas, also contributing to their operationalization in marine ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Lanari
- Coastal Plant Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande, Av. Italia, km 08, Campus Carreiros, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP: 96201-900, Brazil.
| | - Paulo Antunes Horta
- Phycology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Biological Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Margareth da Silva Copertino
- Coastal Plant Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande, Av. Italia, km 08, Campus Carreiros, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP: 96201-900, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wong MC, Dowd M. Functional trait complementarity and dominance both determine benthic secondary production in temperate seagrass beds. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Melisa C. Wong
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography Fisheries and Oceans Canada Dartmouth Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2 Canada
| | - Michael Dowd
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fontana S, Rasmann S, de Bello F, Pomati F, Moretti M. Reconciling trait based perspectives along a trait-integration continuum. Ecology 2021; 102:e03472. [PMID: 34260747 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Trait based ecology has developed fast in the last decades, aiming to both explain mechanisms of community assembly, and predict patterns in nature, such as the effects of biodiversity shifts on key ecosystem processes. This body of work has stimulated the development of several conceptual frameworks and analytical methods, as well as the production of trait databases covering a growing number of taxa and organizational levels (from individuals to guilds). However, this breeding ground of novel concepts and tools currently lacks a general and coherent framework, under which functional traits can help ecologists organize their research aims, and serve as the common currency to unify several scientific disciplines. Specifically, we see a need to bridge the gaps between community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and evolutionary biology, in order to address the most pressing environmental issues of our time. To achieve this integration goal, we define a trait-integration continuum, which reconciles alternative trait definitions and approaches in ecology. This continuum outlines a coherent progression of biological scales, along which traits interact and hierarchically integrate from genetic information, to whole organism fitness-related traits, to trait syndromes and functional groups. Our conceptual scheme proposes that lower-level trait integration is closer to the inference of ecoevolutionary mechanisms determining population and community properties, whereas higher-level trait integration is most suited to the prediction of ecosystem processes. Within these two extremes, trait integration varies on a continuous scale, which relates directly to the inductive-deductive loop that should characterize the scientific method. With our proposed framework, we aim to facilitate scientists in contextualising their research based on the trait-integration levels that matter most to their specific goals. Explicitly acknowledging the existence of a trait-integration continuum is a promising way for framing the appropriate questions, thus obtaining reliable answers and results that are comparable across studies and disciplines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fontana
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland.,Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, Freiburg, 79106, Germany
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlate Stoce 1, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Desertification Research Centre (CIDE-CSIC), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, Km 4,5, Moncada (Valencia), 46113, Spain
| | - Francesco Pomati
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland
| | - Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Individual species provide multifaceted contributions to the stability of ecosystems. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1594-1601. [PMID: 33046872 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01315-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of the relationship between species diversity and ecological stability has occupied a prominent place in ecological research for decades. Yet, a key component of this puzzle-the contributions of individual species to the overall stability of ecosystems-remains largely unknown. Here, we show that individual species simultaneously stabilize and destabilize ecosystems along different dimensions of stability, and also that their contributions to functional (biomass) and compositional stability are largely independent. By simulating experimentally the extinction of three consumer species (the limpet Patella, the periwinkle Littorina and the topshell Gibbula) from a coastal rocky shore, we found that the capacity to predict the combined contribution of species to stability from the sum of their individual contributions varied among stability dimensions. This implies that the nature of the diversity-stability relationship depends upon the dimension of stability under consideration, and may be additive, synergistic or antagonistic. We conclude that, although the profoundly multifaceted and context-dependent consequences of species loss pose a significant challenge, the predictability of cumulative species contributions to some dimensions of stability provide a way forward for ecologists trying to conserve ecosystems and manage their stability under global change.
Collapse
|
7
|
Aguilera MA, Valdivia N, Broitman BR, Jenkins SR, Navarrete SA. Novel co-occurrence of functionally redundant consumers induced by range expansion alters community structure. Ecology 2020; 101:e03150. [PMID: 32730670 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing climate change is shifting the geographic distributions of some species, potentially imposing rapid changes in local community structure and ecosystem functioning. Besides changes in population-level interspecific interactions, such range shifts may also cause changes in functional structure within the host assemblages, which can result in losses or gains in ecosystem functions. Because consumer-resource dynamics are central to community regulation, functional reorganization driven by introduction of new consumer species can have large consequences on ecosystem functions. Here we experimentally examine the extent to which the recent poleward range expansion of the intertidal grazer limpet Scurria viridula along the coast of Chile has altered the role of the resident congeneric limpet S. zebrina, and whether the net collective impacts, and functional structure, of the entire herbivore guild have been modified by the introduction of this new member. We examined the functional role of Scurria species in controlling ephemeral algal cover, bare rock availability, and species richness and diversity, and compared the effects in the region of range overlap against their respective "native" abutted ranges. Experiments showed depression of per capita effects of the range-expanded species within the region of overlap, suggesting environmental conditions negatively affect individual performance. In contrast, effects of S. zebrina were commonly invariant at its range edge. When comparing single species versus polycultures, effects on bare rock cover were altered by the presence of the other Scurria species, suggesting competition between Scurria species. Importantly, although the magnitude of S. viridula effects at the range overlap was reduced, its addition to the herbivore guild seems to complement and intensify the role of the guild in reducing green algal cover, species richness and increasing bare space provision. Our study thus highlights that range expansion of an herbivore can modify the functional guild structure in the recipient community. It also highlights the complexity of predicting how functional structure may change in the face of natural or human-induced range expansions. There is a need for more field-based examination of regional functional compensation, complementarity, or inhibition before we can construct a conceptual framework to anticipate the consequences of species range expansions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moisés A Aguilera
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo, 1281, Coquimbo, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Ossandón 877, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Nelson Valdivia
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, 5110236, Chile.,Centro FONDAP de Investigación de Dinámicas de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Chile
| | - Bernardo R Broitman
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Viña de Mar, Chile
| | - Stuart R Jenkins
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Sergio A Navarrete
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Las Cruces, Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Johnson DR, Pomati F. A brief guide for the measurement and interpretation of microbial functional diversity. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3039-3048. [PMID: 32608092 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The importance of functional diversity for the functioning and behaviour of microbial communities is clear, yet the widespread incorporation of functional diversity measurements into environmental microbiology study designs remains surprisingly limited. This may, at least to some extent, be a consequence of the unique conceptual and methodological challenges to measuring functional diversity in microbial communities. To facilitate the increased incorporation of functional diversity measurements into environmental microbiology study designs, we review here the process and some key caveats for measuring functional diversity and provide specific examples. We highlight three main decision points and provide guidance to making these decisions based on the underlying mechanisms for how functional diversity relates to an ecosystem process or property of interest. We discuss the selection of an appropriate type of functional trait, selection of the specificity at which functional diversity will be measured, and selection of an appropriate metric for estimating functional diversity from quantitative measures of those traits. We further discuss decisions regarding the use of one- or multi-dimensional measures of functional diversity and how advances in the field of trait-based community ecology could be applied or adapted to address questions in environmental microbiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David R Johnson
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Pomati
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Integrative Biology, ETHZ, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Is Phylogeny More Useful than Functional Traits for Assessing Diversity Patterns Under Community Assembly Processes? FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10121159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic and functional diversities and their relationship are important for understanding community assembly, which relates to forest sustainability. Thus, both diversities have been used in ecological studies evaluating community responses to environmental changes. However, it is unclear whether these diversity measures can uncover the actual community assembly processes. Herein, we examined their utility to assess such assembly processes by analyzing similarities in phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic α- and β-diversities along an elevational gradient. Additionally, we examined the relationships among environment, phylogeny, and functional traits within the community. Based on our results, we evaluated whether phylogenetic or functional diversity could better reveal the actual community assembly processes. We found that taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional α-diversities were correlated with one another. Although the functional α-diversity showed a linear correlation with the elevational gradient, taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversities showed unimodal patterns. Both phylogenetic and functional β-diversities correlated with taxonomic β-diversity, but there was no significant relationship between the former. Overall, our results evidenced that phylogenetic diversity and taxonomic diversity showed similar patterns, whereas functional diversity showed a relatively independent pattern, which may be due to limitations in the functional trait dimensions used in the present study. Although it is difficult to unravel whether the environment shapes phylogeny or functional traits within a community, phylogenetic diversity is a good proxy for assessing the assembly processes, whereas functional diversity may improve knowledge on the community by maximizing information about the functional trait dimensions.
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhao N, Shao X, Chen C, Fan J, Wang K. Mechanisms regulating spatial changes in grassland productivity following nutrient addition in northern China. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/rj18049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Plant biomass is the most fundamental component of ecosystems. The spatial stability of plant biomass is important, and the mechanisms regulating plant biomass spatial variability in variable environments are a central focus of ecology. However, they have rarely been explored. We conducted an experiment to test how diversity and functional traits affected variation in biomass and community response to nutrient availability in three plant communities: natural; forb, legume, and bunchgrass; and rhizomatous grass. We found that biomass stability rarely changed with increasing taxonomic species richness and functional group richness but declined with increasing Shannon–Weiner indices (the combination of richness and evenness) and functional trait diversity. However, differences in plant species composition generated different responses in both the amount and spatial variation of biomass following nutrient addition. Because rhizomatous grasses are weakly competitive in nutrient-poor conditions, interaction between resource-acquisitive (grass) and stress-tolerant (forb) species in the natural community conferred the greatest overall stability. The rapid nutrient acquisition ability of the rhizomatous grass Leymus chinensis was stimulated in nutrient-abundant conditions. The functional traits of this dominant species overrode the diversity interaction effects of the natural and forb, legume, and bunchgrass communities. This ultimately resulted in the rhizomatous grass community being the most stable. Community stability was strongly determined by a few key species, particularly rhizomatous grasses, rather than by the average response of all species, thereby supporting the mass ratio hypothesis. Our results indicated that rhizomatous grasses could provide vegetative productivity to reduce soil loss and prevent degradation of L. chinensis-dominant grassland. Thus, protecting specific species is critical for maintaining rangeland ecosystem functions. Moreover, the conservation importance of grasses, non-leguminous forbs, legumes, or even rare species could not be ignored. Maintaining stability mechanisms in natural grasslands is complex, and therefore, further studies need to focus on finding a unified mechanism that can regulate appreciable biomass variation under shifting environmental conditions.
Collapse
|
11
|
White L, Donohue I, Emmerson MC, O'Connor NE. Combined effects of warming and nutrients on marine communities are moderated by predators and vary across functional groups. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5853-5866. [PMID: 30246490 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Warming, nutrient enrichment and biodiversity modification are among the most pervasive components of human-induced global environmental change. We know little about their cumulative effects on ecosystems; however, even though this knowledge is fundamental to predicting and managing their consequences in a changing world. Here, we show that shifts in predator species composition can moderate both the individual and combined effects of warming and nutrient enrichment in marine systems. However, all three aspects of global change also acted independently to alter different functional groups in our flow-through marine rock-pool mesocosms. Specifically, warming reduced macroalgal biomass and assemblage productivity, whereas enrichment led to increased abundance of meso-invertebrate consumers, and loss of predator species led to increased gastropod grazer biomass. This disparity in responses, both across trophic levels (macroalgae and intermediate consumers), and between detecting additive effects on aggregate measures of ecosystem functioning, yet interactive effects on community composition, illustrates that our forecasting ability depends strongly on the level of ecological complexity incorporated within global change experiments. We conclude that biodiversity change-and loss of predator species in particular-plays a critical and overarching role in determining how ecological communities respond to stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia White
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Ian Donohue
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark C Emmerson
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nessa E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Omirou M, Tzovenis I, Charalampous P, Tsaousis P, Polycarpou P, Chantzistrountsiou X, Economou-Amilli A, Ioannides IM. Development of marine multi-algae cultures for biodiesel production. ALGAL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2018.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
13
|
Campos LFAS, Teixeira BP, Efe MA. The importance of isolated patches for maintaining local bird biodiversity and ecosystem function: a case study from the Pernambuco Center of Endemism, Northeast Brazil. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2018021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The Atlantic Forest has been highly fragmented, with the Pernambuco Center of Endemism (PCE) one of the priority areas for conservation. The Mata do Cedro forest, located in Alagoas state, northeastern Brazil, is a forest fragment within the PCE surrounded by a matrix of sugarcane that acts as a refuge for several threatened bird species, some of which are endemic to the region. Here, we characterize the bird community in Mata do Cedro using measures of species abundance, frequency of occurrence, habitat use and sensitivity to human disturbance. The functional role of species was investigated with a functional dendrogram. We registered 111 species, most resident and forest dependent. The most representative trophic categories were insectivores followed by frugivores. Of the species found, 11 are highly sensitive to human disturbances and 11 are endemic to the PCE. The bird community of the fragment is highly diversified, with endemic taxa and balanced trophic categories typical of preserved tropical forests. This community structure together with the occurrence of threatened species reinforces the importance of Mata do Cedro for the maintenance of local biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Collapse
|
14
|
van Schrojenstein Lantman IM, Hertzog LR, Vandegehuchte ML, Martel A, Verheyen K, Lens L, Bonte D. Leaf herbivory is more impacted by forest composition than by tree diversity or edge effects. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
15
|
Guiz J, Ebeling A, Eisenhauer N, Hacker N, Hertzog L, Oelmann Y, Roscher C, Wagg C, Hillebrand H. Interspecific competition alters leaf stoichiometry in 20 grassland species. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Guiz
- Inst. for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM); Univ. Oldenburg; Schleusenstrasse 1 DE-26382 Wilhemshaven Germany
| | | | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Biology; Leipzig Univ.; Leipzig Germany
| | - Nina Hacker
- Geoecology, Univ. of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Lionel Hertzog
- Dept of Ecology and Ecosystem management; Technische Univ. München; Freising-Weihenstephan Germany
- Terrestrial Ecology; Gent Univ.; Gent Belgium
| | | | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Leipzig Germany
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Physiological Diversity; Leipzig Germany
| | - Cameron Wagg
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Univ. of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Helmut Hillebrand
- Inst. for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM); Univ. Oldenburg; Schleusenstrasse 1 DE-26382 Wilhemshaven Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Turnbull LA, Isbell F, Purves DW, Loreau M, Hector A. Understanding the value of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning through niche theory. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0536. [PMID: 27928043 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity experiments have generated robust empirical results supporting the hypothesis that ecosystems function better when they contain more species. Given that ecosystems provide services that are valued by humans, this inevitably suggests that the loss of species from natural ecosystems could diminish their value. This raises two important questions. First, will experimental results translate into the real world, where species are being lost at an alarming rate? And second, what are the benefits and pitfalls of such valuation exercises? We argue that the empirical results obtained in experiments are entirely consistent with well-established theories of species coexistence. We then examine the current body of work through the lens of niche theory and highlight where closer links with theory could open up opportunities for future research. We argue that niche theory predicts that diversity-functioning relationships are likely to be stronger (and require more species) in the field than in simplified experimental settings. However, we caution that while many of the biological processes that promote coexistence can also generate diversity-function relationships, there is no simple mapping between the two. This implies that valuation exercises need to proceed with care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA
| | - Drew W Purves
- Google Deepmind, 6 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG, UK
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Andy Hector
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Weisser WW, Roscher C, Meyer ST, Ebeling A, Luo G, Allan E, Beßler H, Barnard RL, Buchmann N, Buscot F, Engels C, Fischer C, Fischer M, Gessler A, Gleixner G, Halle S, Hildebrandt A, Hillebrand H, de Kroon H, Lange M, Leimer S, Le Roux X, Milcu A, Mommer L, Niklaus PA, Oelmann Y, Proulx R, Roy J, Scherber C, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Scheu S, Tscharntke T, Wachendorf M, Wagg C, Weigelt A, Wilcke W, Wirth C, Schulze ED, Schmid B, Eisenhauer N. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning in a 15-year grassland experiment: Patterns, mechanisms, and open questions. Basic Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
18
|
Valdivia N, Segovia-Rivera V, Fica E, Bonta CC, Aguilera MA, Broitman BR. Context-dependent functional dispersion across similar ranges of trait space covered by intertidal rocky shore communities. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1882-1891. [PMID: 28331595 PMCID: PMC5355202 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional diversity is intimately linked with community assembly processes, but its large‐scale patterns of variation are often not well understood. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal changes in multiple trait dimensions (“trait space”) along vertical intertidal environmental stress gradients and across a landscape scale. We predicted that the range of the trait space covered by local assemblages (i.e., functional richness) and the dispersion in trait abundances (i.e., functional dispersion) should increase from high‐ to low‐intertidal elevations, due to the decreasing influence of environmental filtering. The abundance of macrobenthic algae and invertebrates was estimated at four rocky shores spanning ca. 200 km of the coast over a 36‐month period. Functional richness and dispersion were contrasted against matrix‐swap models to remove any confounding effect of species richness on functional diversity. Random‐slope models showed that functional richness and dispersion significantly increased from high‐ to low‐intertidal heights, demonstrating that under harsh environmental conditions, the assemblages comprised similar abundances of functionally similar species (i.e., trait convergence), while that under milder conditions, the assemblages encompassed differing abundances of functionally dissimilar species (i.e., trait divergence). According to the Akaike information criteria, the relationship between local environmental stress and functional richness was persistent across sites and sampling times, while functional dispersion varied significantly. Environmental filtering therefore has persistent effects on the range of trait space covered by these assemblages, but context‐dependent effects on the abundances of trait combinations within such range. Our results further suggest that natural and/or anthropogenic factors might have significant effects on the relative abundance of functional traits, despite that no trait addition or extinction is detected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Valdivia
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja Valdivia Chile; Centro FONDAP de Investigación de Dinámicas de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL) Valdivia Chile
| | - Viviana Segovia-Rivera
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja Valdivia Chile
| | - Eliseo Fica
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja Valdivia Chile
| | - César C Bonta
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja Valdivia Chile
| | - Moisés A Aguilera
- Departamento de Biología Marina Facultad de Ciencias del Mar Universidad Católica del Norte Coquimbo Chile
| | - Bernardo R Broitman
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA) Universidad Católica del Norte Coquimbo Chile
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bracken MES, Williams SL. The underappreciated role of life history in mediating the functional consequences of biodiversity change. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. S. Bracken
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 321 Steinhaus Hall, Univ. of California Irvine CA 92697‐2525 USA
| | - Susan L. Williams
- Dept of Evolution and Ecology and Bodega Marine Laboratory Univ. of California at Davis Bodega Bay CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lefcheck JS, Duffy JE. Multitrophic functional diversity predicts ecosystem functioning in experimental assemblages of estuarine consumers. Ecology 2016; 96:2973-83. [PMID: 27070016 DOI: 10.1890/14-1977.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of functional traits to explain how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning has attracted intense interest, yet few studies have a priori altered functional diversity, especially in multitrophic communities. Here, we manipulated multivariate functional diversity of estuarine grazers and predators within multiple levels of species richness to test how species richness and functional diversity predicted ecosystem functioning in a multitrophic food web. Community functional diversity was a better predictor than species richness for the majority of ecosystem properties, based on generalized linear mixed-effects models. Combining inferences from eight traits into a single multivariate index increased prediction accuracy of these models relative to any individual trait. Structural equation modeling revealed that functional diversity of both grazers and predators was important in driving final biomass within trophic levels, with stronger effects observed for predators. We also show that different species drove different ecosystem responses, with evidence for both sampling effects and complementarity. Our study extends experimental investigations of functional trait diversity to a multilevel food web, and demonstrates that functional diversity can be more accurate and effective than species richness in predicting community biomass in a food web context.
Collapse
|
21
|
Weigel B, Blenckner T, Bonsdorff E. Maintained functional diversity in benthic communities in spite of diverging functional identities. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Weigel
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University; FI-20520 Turku Finland
| | - Thorsten Blenckner
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University; SE-10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University; FI-20520 Turku Finland
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kang S, Ma W, Li FY, Zhang Q, Niu J, Ding Y, Han F, Sun X. Functional Redundancy Instead of Species Redundancy Determines Community Stability in a Typical Steppe of Inner Mongolia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145605. [PMID: 26699133 PMCID: PMC4689422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The redundancy hypothesis predicts that the species redundancy in a plant community enhances community stability. However, numerous studies in recent years questioned the positive correlation between redundancy and stability. Methodology We explored the relationship between the species redundancy, functional redundancy and community stability in typical steppe grassland in Northern China by sampling grassland vegetation along a gradient of resource availability caused by micro-topography. We aimed to test whether community redundancy enhanced community stability, and to quantify the relative importance of species redundancy and functional redundancy in maintaining community stability. Results Our results showed that the spatial stability of plant community production increases with increased supply of soil resources, and the functional redundancy instead of species diversity or species redundancy is correlated with the community stability. Our results supported the redundancy hypothesis and have implications for sustainable grassland management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saruul Kang
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wenjing Ma
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Frank Yonghong Li
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Jianming Niu
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- Sino-US Center for Conservation, Energy, and Sustainability Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yong Ding
- Grassland Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Fang Han
- Inner Mongolian Meteorological Bureau, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Griffin JN, Toscano BJ, Griffen BD, Silliman BR. Does relative abundance modify multiple predator effects? Basic Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
24
|
Tan J, Pu Z, Ryberg WA, Jiang L. Resident-Invader Phylogenetic Relatedness, Not Resident Phylogenetic Diversity, Controls Community Invasibility. Am Nat 2015; 186:59-71. [DOI: 10.1086/681584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
25
|
Tait LW, Hawes I, Schiel DR. Shining light on benthic macroalgae: mechanisms of complementarity in layered macroalgal assemblages. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114146. [PMID: 25438045 PMCID: PMC4250189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phototrophs underpin most ecosystem processes, but to do this they need sufficient light. This critical resource, however, is compromised along many marine shores by increased loads of sediments and nutrients from degraded inland habitats. Increased attenuation of total irradiance within coastal water columns due to turbidity is known to reduce species' depth limits and affect the taxonomic structure and architecture of algal-dominated assemblages, but virtually no attention has been paid to the potential for changes in spectral quality of light energy to impact production dynamics. Pioneering studies over 70 years ago showed how different pigmentation of red, green and brown algae affected absorption spectra, action spectra, and photosynthetic efficiency across the PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) spectrum. Little of this, however, has found its way into ecological syntheses of the impacts of optically active contaminants on coastal macroalgal communities. Here we test the ability of macroalgal assemblages composed of multiple functional groups (including representatives from the chlorophyta, rhodophyta and phaeophyta) to use the total light resource, including different light wavelengths and examine the effects of suspended sediments on the penetration and spectral quality of light in coastal waters. We show that assemblages composed of multiple functional groups are better able to use light throughout the PAR spectrum. Macroalgal assemblages with four sub-canopy species were between 50-75% more productive than assemblages with only one or two sub-canopy species. Furthermore, attenuation of the PAR spectrum showed both a loss of quanta and a shift in spectral distribution with depth across coastal waters of different clarity, with consequences to productivity dynamics of diverse layered assemblages. The processes of light complementarity may help provide a mechanistic understanding of how altered turbidity affects macroalgal assemblages in coastal waters, which are increasingly threatened by diminishing light quantity and altered spectral distributions through sedimentation and eutrophication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W. Tait
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- National Institute of Water & Atmosphere, Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Ian Hawes
- Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - David R. Schiel
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Gamfeldt L, Lefcheck JS, Byrnes JEK, Cardinale BJ, Duffy JE, Griffin JN. Marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: what's known and what's next? OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Gamfeldt
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of Gothenburg; Box 461, SE-40530 Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Jonathan S. Lefcheck
- Dept of Biological Sciences; Virginia Inst. of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary; PO Box 1346, Rt 1208 Greate Rd Gloucester Point VA 23062-1346 USA
| | - Jarrett E. K. Byrnes
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Massachusetts Boston; 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston MA 20125 USA
| | - Bradley J. Cardinale
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, Univ. of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Inst.; Washington WA 20013-7012 USA
| | - John N. Griffin
- Dept of Biosciences; Wallace Building, Swansea Univ.; Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lemieux J, Cusson M. Effects of habitat-forming species richness, evenness, identity, and abundance on benthic intertidal community establishment and productivity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109261. [PMID: 25313459 PMCID: PMC4196772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In a context of reduced global biodiversity, the potential impacts from the loss of habitat-forming species (HFS) on ecosystem structure and functioning must be established. These species are often the main community primary producers and have a major role in the establishment of organisms through facilitation processes. This study focuses on macroalgae and mussels as HFS within an intertidal zone along the St. Lawrence estuary (Quebec, Canada). Over a 16-week period, we manipulated the in situ diversity profile (richness, evenness, identity, and abundance) of the dominant HFS (Fucus distichus edentatus, F. vesiculosus, and Mytilus spp.) in order to define their role in both the establishment of associated species and community primary production. Contrary to expectation, no general change in HFS richness, evenness, abundance, or identity on associated species community establishment was observed. However, over the study period, the HFS diversity profile modified the structure within the trophic guilds, which may potentially affect further community functions. Also, our results showed that the low abundance of HFS had a negative impact on the primary productivity of the community. Our results suggest that HFS diversity profiles have a limited short-term role in our study habitat and may indicate that biological forcing in these intertidal communities is less important than environmental conditions. As such, there was an opportunistic establishment of species that ensured rapid colonization regardless of the absence, or the diversity profile, of facilitators such as HFS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Lemieux
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Domisch T, Finér L, Dawud SM, Vesterdal L, Raulund-Rasmussen K. Does species richness affect fine root biomass and production in young forest plantations? Oecologia 2014; 177:581-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3107-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
29
|
Sagerman J, Enge S, Pavia H, Wikström SA. Divergent ecological strategies determine different impacts on community production by two successful non-native seaweeds. Oecologia 2014; 175:937-46. [PMID: 24728943 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2938-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of plant introductions into ecosystems are frequently reported from terrestrial environments, but little is known about the effects on ecosystem functioning caused by non-native primary producers in marine systems. In this study we explored the effects of the invasion by the two filamentous red algae Heterosiphonia japonica and Bonnemaisonia hamifera on the primary production of seaweed communities by using single and mixed cultures of non-native and native red algae. The experiments were conducted both in the presence and absence of herbivores. Biomass production of the invaded community increased more than four times in mixed cultures with H. japonica, while introduction by B. hamifera had no significant effect. The different impact on community production could be explained by differences in life history strategies between the invaders; H. japonica grew considerably faster than the native seaweeds which directly increased the community production, while B. hamifera showed a relatively slow growth rate and therefore had no effect. From previous studies it is known that B. hamifera produces a highly deterrent, but also costly, chemical defence. The assessment of survival and growth of a native generalist herbivore further corroborated that the biomass produced by B. hamifera constitutes a very low-quality food, whereas the performance of herbivores on a diet of H. japonica was comparable to that on native algal diets. In summary, this study demonstrates that successful invaders belonging to the same functional group (filamentous red algae) may have distinctly different impacts on productivity in the recipient community, depending on their specific life history traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josefin Sagerman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden,
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rudolf VHW, Rasmussen NL. Population structure determines functional differences among species and ecosystem processes. Nat Commun 2014; 4:2318. [PMID: 23933614 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Linking the structure of communities to ecosystem functioning has been a perennial challenge in ecology. Studies on ecosystem function are traditionally focused on changes in species composition. However, this species-centric approach neglects the often dramatic changes in the ecology of organisms during their development, thereby limiting our ability to link the structure of populations and communities to the functioning of natural ecosystems. Here we experimentally demonstrate that the impact of organisms on community structure and ecosystem processes often differ more among developmental stages within a species than between species, contrary to current assumptions. Importantly, we show that functional differences between species vary depending on the specific demographic structure of predators. One important implication is that changes in the demography of populations can strongly alter the functional composition of communities and change ecosystem processes long before any species are extirpated from communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Volker H W Rudolf
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street-MS 170, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Song Y, Wang P, Li G, Zhou D. Relationships between functional diversity and ecosystem functioning: A review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chnaes.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
32
|
Shurin JB, Mandal S, Abbott RL. Trait diversity enhances yield in algal biofuel assemblages. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B. Shurin
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; University of California - San Diego; 9500 Gilman Dr., #0116 La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Shovon Mandal
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; University of California - San Diego; 9500 Gilman Dr., #0116 La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Rachel L. Abbott
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; University of California - San Diego; 9500 Gilman Dr., #0116 La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Vaz-Pinto F, Olabarria C, Arenas F. Ecosystem functioning impacts of the invasive seaweed Sargassum muticum (Fucales, Phaeophyceae). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2014; 50:108-116. [PMID: 26988012 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing changes in natural diversity due to anthropogenic activities can alter ecosystem functioning. Particular attention has been given to research on biodiversity loss and how those changes can affect the functioning of ecosystems, and, by extension, human welfare. Few studies, however, have addressed how increased diversity due to establishment of nonindigenous species (NIS) may affect ecosystem function in the recipient communities. Marine algae have a highly important role in sustaining nearshore marine ecosystems and are considered a significant component of marine bioinvasions. Here, we examined the patterns of respiration and light-use efficiency across macroalgal assemblages with different levels of species richness and evenness. Additionally, we compared our results between native and invaded macroalgal assemblages, using the invasive brown macroalga Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt as a model species. Results showed that the presence of the invader increased the rates of respiration and production, most likely as a result of the high biomass of the invader. This effect disappeared when S. muticum lost most of its biomass after senescence. Moreover, predictability-diversity relationships of macroalgal assemblages varied between native and invaded assemblages. Hence, the introduction of high-impact invasive species may trigger major changes in ecosystem functioning. The impact of S. muticum may be related to its greater biomass in the invaded assemblages, although species interactions and seasonality influenced the magnitude of the impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Vaz-Pinto
- Laboratory of Coastal Biodiversity, CIIMAR/CIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4050-123, Portugal
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4099-003, Portugal
| | - Celia Olabarria
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain
| | - Francisco Arenas
- Laboratory of Coastal Biodiversity, CIIMAR/CIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4050-123, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Saleem M, Fetzer I, Harms H, Chatzinotas A. Diversity of protists and bacteria determines predation performance and stability. THE ISME JOURNAL 2013; 7:1912-21. [PMID: 23765100 PMCID: PMC3965320 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2013.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Predation influences prey diversity and productivity while it effectuates the flux and reallocation of organic nutrients into biomass at higher trophic levels. However, it is unknown how bacterivorous protists are influenced by the diversity of their bacterial prey. Using 456 microcosms, in which different bacterial mixtures with equal initial cell numbers were exposed to single or multiple predators (Tetrahymena sp., Poterioochromonas sp. and Acanthamoeba sp.), we showed that increasing prey richness enhanced production of single predators. The extent of the response depended, however, on predator identity. Bacterial prey richness had a stabilizing effect on predator performance in that it reduced variability in predator production. Further, prey richness tended to enhance predator evenness in the predation experiment including all three protists predators (multiple predation experiment). However, we also observed a negative relationship between prey richness and predator production in multiple predation experiments. Mathematical analysis of potential ecological mechanisms of positive predator diversity-functioning relationships revealed predator complementarity as a factor responsible for both enhanced predator production and prey reduction. We suggest that the diversity at both trophic levels interactively determines protistan performance and might have implications in microbial ecosystem processes and services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Saleem
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ingo Fetzer
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Stockholm Resilience Center, Stockholm University, Kräftriket 2B, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hauke Harms
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Crowe TP, Cusson M, Bulleri F, Davoult D, Arenas F, Aspden R, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Bevilacqua S, Davidson I, Defew E, Fraschetti S, Golléty C, Griffin JN, Herkül K, Kotta J, Migné A, Molis M, Nicol SK, Noël LMLJ, Pinto IS, Valdivia N, Vaselli S, Jenkins SR. Large-scale variation in combined impacts of canopy loss and disturbance on community structure and ecosystem functioning. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66238. [PMID: 23799082 PMCID: PMC3683006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystems are under pressure from multiple human disturbances whose impact may vary depending on environmental context. We experimentally evaluated variation in the separate and combined effects of the loss of a key functional group (canopy algae) and physical disturbance on rocky shore ecosystems at nine locations across Europe. Multivariate community structure was initially affected (during the first three to six months) at six locations but after 18 months, effects were apparent at only three. Loss of canopy caused increases in cover of non-canopy algae in the three locations in southern Europe and decreases in some northern locations. Measures of ecosystem functioning (community respiration, gross primary productivity, net primary productivity) were affected by loss of canopy at five of the six locations for which data were available. Short-term effects on community respiration were widespread, but effects were rare after 18 months. Functional changes corresponded with changes in community structure and/or species richness at most locations and times sampled, but no single aspect of biodiversity was an effective predictor of longer-term functional changes. Most ecosystems studied were able to compensate in functional terms for impacts caused by indiscriminate physical disturbance. The only consistent effect of disturbance was to increase cover of non-canopy species. Loss of canopy algae temporarily reduced community resistance to disturbance at only two locations and at two locations actually increased resistance. Resistance to disturbance-induced changes in gross primary productivity was reduced by loss of canopy algae at four locations. Location-specific variation in the effects of the same stressors argues for flexible frameworks for the management of marine environments. These results also highlight the need to analyse how species loss and other stressors combine and interact in different environmental contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tasman P Crowe
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Brownstein G, Döbert T, Dobbie L, Hashim N, Bastow Wilson J. Functional traits shed new light on the nature of ecotones: a study across a bog-to-forest sequence. COMMUNITY ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.14.2013.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
37
|
Changes in bird functional diversity across multiple land uses: interpretations of functional redundancy depend on functional group identity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63671. [PMID: 23696844 PMCID: PMC3656964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Examinations of the impact of land-use change on functional diversity link changes in ecological community structure driven by land modification with the consequences for ecosystem function. Yet, most studies have been small-scale, experimental analyses and primarily focussed on plants. There is a lack of research on fauna communities and at large-scales across multiple land uses. We assessed changes in the functional diversity of bird communities across 24 land uses aligned along an intensification gradient. We tested the hypothesis that functional diversity is higher in less intensively used landscapes, documented changes in diversity using four diversity metrics, and examined how functional diversity varied with species richness to identify levels of functional redundancy. Functional diversity, measured using a dendogram-based metric, increased from high to low intensity land uses, but observed values did not differ significantly from randomly-generated expected values. Values for functional evenness and functional divergence did not vary consistently with land-use intensification, although higher than expected values were mostly recorded in high intensity land uses. A total of 16 land uses had lower than expected values for functional dispersion and these were mostly low intensity native vegetation sites. Relations between functional diversity and bird species richness yielded strikingly different patterns for the entire bird community vs. particular functional groups. For all birds and insectivores, functional evenness, divergence and dispersion showed a linear decline with increasing species richness suggesting substantial functional redundancy across communities. However, for nectarivores, frugivores and carnivores, there was a significant hump-shaped or non-significant positive linear relationship between these functional measures and species richness indicating less redundancy. Hump-shaped relationships signify that the most functionally diverse communities occur at intermediate levels of species richness. Interpretations of redundancy thus vary for different functional groups and related ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination), and can be substantially different to relationships involving entire ecological communities.
Collapse
|
38
|
Polley HW, Isbell FI, Wilsey BJ. Plant functional traits improve diversity-based predictions of temporal stability of grassland productivity. OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00338.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
39
|
O'Connor NE, Donohue I. Environmental context determines multi-trophic effects of consumer species loss. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:431-440. [PMID: 23504782 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/18/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Loss of biodiversity and nutrient enrichment are two of the main human impacts on ecosystems globally, yet we understand very little about the interactive effects of multiple stressors on natural communities and how this relates to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Advancing our understanding requires the following: (1) incorporation of processes occurring within and among trophic levels in natural ecosystems and (2) tests of context-dependency of species loss effects. We examined the effects of loss of a key predator and two groups of its prey on algal assemblages at both ambient and enriched nutrient conditions in a marine benthic system and tested for interactions between the loss of functional diversity and nutrient enrichment on ecosystem functioning. We found that enrichment interacted with food web structure to alter the effects of species loss in natural communities. At ambient conditions, the loss of primary consumers led to an increase in biomass of algae, whereas predator loss caused a reduction in algal biomass (i.e. a trophic cascade). However, contrary to expectations, we found that nutrient enrichment negated the cascading effect of predators on algae. Moreover, algal assemblage structure varied in distinct ways in response to mussel loss, grazer loss, predator loss and with nutrient enrichment, with compensatory shifts in algal abundance driven by variation in responses of different algal species to different environmental conditions and the presence of different consumers. We identified and characterized several context-dependent mechanisms driving direct and indirect effects of consumers. Our findings highlight the need to consider environmental context when examining potential species redundancies in particular with regard to changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, non-trophic interactions based on empirical evidence must be incorporated into food web-based ecological models to improve understanding of community responses to global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nessa E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Tamaddoni-Nezhad A, Milani GA, Raybould A, Muggleton S, Bohan DA. Construction and Validation of Food Webs Using Logic-Based Machine Learning and Text Mining. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00004-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
|
41
|
Harvey E, Séguin A, Nozais C, Archambault P, Gravel D. Identity effects dominate the impacts of multiple species extinctions on the functioning of complex food webs. Ecology 2013; 94:169-79. [PMID: 23600251 DOI: 10.1890/12-0414.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of species extinctions on the functioning of food webs is a challenging task because of the complexity of ecological interactions. We report the impacts of experimental species extinctions on the functioning of two food webs of freshwater and marine systems. We used a linear model to partition the variance among the multiple components of the diversity effect (linear group richness, nonlinear group richness, and identity). The identity of each functional group was the best explaining variable of ecosystem functioning for both systems. We assessed the contribution of each functional group in multifunctional space and found that, although the effect of functional group varied across ecosystem functions, some functional groups shared common effects on functions. This study is the first experimental demonstration that functional identity dominates the effects of extinctions on ecosystem functioning, suggesting that generalizations are possible despite the inherent complexity of interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Harvey
- Canada Research Chair in Continental Ecosystem Ecology, Université du Québec a Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec G5L 3A1, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Xi X, Griffin JN, Sun S. Grasshoppers amensalistically suppress caterpillar performance and enhance plant biomass in an alpine meadow. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.00126.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
43
|
Corcoran AA, Boeing WJ. Biodiversity increases the productivity and stability of phytoplankton communities. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49397. [PMID: 23173059 PMCID: PMC3500281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Global biodiversity losses provide an immediate impetus to elucidate the relationships between biodiversity, productivity and stability. In this study, we quantified the effects of species richness and species combination on the productivity and stability of phytoplankton communities subject to predation by a single rotifer species. We also tested one mechanism of the insurance hypothesis: whether large, slow-growing, potentially-defended cells would compensate for the loss of small, fast-growing, poorly-defended cells after predation. There were significant effects of species richness and species combination on the productivity, relative yield, and stability of phytoplankton cultures, but the relative importance of species richness and combination varied with the response variables. Species combination drove patterns of productivity, whereas species richness was more important for stability. Polycultures containing the most productive single species, Dunaliella, were consistently the most productive. Yet, the most species rich cultures were the most stable, having low temporal variability in measures of biomass. Polycultures recovered from short-term negative grazing effects, but this recovery was not due to the compensation of large, slow-growing cells for the loss of small, fast-growing cells. Instead, polyculture recovery was the result of reduced rotifer grazing rates and persisting small species within the polycultures. Therefore, although an insurance effect in polycultures was found, this effect was indirect and unrelated to grazing tolerance. We hypothesize that diverse phytoplankton assemblages interfered with efficient rotifer grazing and that this “interference effect” facilitated the recovery of the most productive species, Dunaliella. In summary, we demonstrate that both species composition and species richness are important in driving patterns of productivity and stability, respectively, and that stability in biodiverse communities can result from an alteration in consumer functioning. Our findings underscore the importance of predator-prey dynamics in determining the relationships between biodiversity, productivity and stability in producer communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alina A Corcoran
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America.
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
O'Connor NE, Emmerson MC, Crowe TP, Donohue I. Distinguishing between direct and indirect effects of predators in complex ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:438-48. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tasman P. Crowe
- School of Biology and Environmental Science; University College Dublin; Belfield; Dublin 4; Ireland
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
|
46
|
Li X, Nie Y, Song X, Zhang R, Wang G. Patterns of species diversity and functional diversity along the southto north-facing slope gradient in a sub-alpine meadow. COMMUNITY ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.12.2011.2.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
47
|
Flynn DFB, Mirotchnick N, Jain M, Palmer MI, Naeem S. Functional and phylogenetic diversity as predictors of biodiversity--ecosystem-function relationships. Ecology 2011; 92:1573-81. [PMID: 21905424 DOI: 10.1890/10-1245.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 344] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
How closely does variability in ecologically important traits reflect evolutionary divergence? The use of phylogenetic diversity (PD) to predict biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning, and more generally the use of phylogenetic information in community ecology, depends in part on the answer to this question. However, comparisons of the predictive power of phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity (FD) have not been conducted across a range of experiments. To address how phylogenetic diversity and functional trait variation control biodiversity effects on biomass production, we summarized the results of 29 grassland plant experiments where both the phylogeny of plant species used in the experiments is well described and where extensive trait data are available. Functional trait variation was only partially related to phylogenetic distances between species, and the resulting FD values therefore correlate only partially with PD. Despite these differences, FD and PD predicted biodiversity effects across all experiments with similar strength, including in subsets that excluded plots with legumes and that focused on fertilization experiments. Two- and three-trait combinations of the five traits used here (leaf nitrogen percentage, height, specific root length, leaf mass per unit area, and nitrogen fixation) resulted in the FD values with the greatest predictive power. Both PD and FD can be valuable predictors of the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, which suggests that a focus on both community trait diversity and evolutionary history can improve understanding of the consequences of biodiversity loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan F B Flynn
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, Schermerhorn Extension, New York, New York 10027, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Brown KA, Flynn DFB, Abram NK, Ingram JC, Johnson SE, Wright P. Assessing natural resource use by forest-reliant communities in Madagascar using functional diversity and functional redundancy metrics. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24107. [PMID: 21909413 PMCID: PMC3164705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity plays an integral role in the livelihoods of subsistence-based forest-dwelling communities and as a consequence it is increasingly important to develop quantitative approaches that capture not only changes in taxonomic diversity, but also variation in natural resources and provisioning services. We apply a functional diversity metric originally developed for addressing questions in community ecology to assess utilitarian diversity of 56 forest plots in Madagascar. The use categories for utilitarian plants were determined using expert knowledge and household questionnaires. We used a null model approach to examine the utilitarian (functional) diversity and utilitarian redundancy present within ecological communities. Additionally, variables that might influence fluctuations in utilitarian diversity and redundancy--specifically number of felled trees, number of trails, basal area, canopy height, elevation, distance from village--were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). Eighteen of the 56 plots showed utilitarian diversity values significantly higher than expected. This result indicates that these habitats exhibited a low degree of utilitarian redundancy and were therefore comprised of plants with relatively distinct utilitarian properties. One implication of this finding is that minor losses in species richness may result in reductions in utilitarian diversity and redundancy, which may limit local residents' ability to switch between alternative choices. The GLM analysis showed that the most predictive model included basal area, canopy height and distance from village, which suggests that variation in utilitarian redundancy may be a result of local residents harvesting resources from the protected area. Our approach permits an assessment of the diversity of provisioning services available to local communities, offering unique insights that would not be possible using traditional taxonomic diversity measures. These analyses introduce another tool available to conservation biologists for assessing how future losses in biodiversity will lead to a reduction in natural resources and provisioning services from forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerry A Brown
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Kingston University London, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Cadotte MW, Carscadden K, Mirotchnick N. Beyond species: functional diversity and the maintenance of ecological processes and services. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02048.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1235] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
50
|
Sasaki T, Lauenroth WK. Dominant species, rather than diversity, regulates temporal stability of plant communities. Oecologia 2011; 166:761-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1916-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/11/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|