1
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Mayer-Pinto M, Caley A, Knights AM, Airoldi L, Bishop MJ, Brooks P, Coutinho R, Crowe T, Mancuso P, Naval-Xavier LPD, Firth LB, Menezes R, de Messano LVR, Morris R, Ross DJ, Wong JXW, Steinberg P, Strain EMA. Complexity-functioning relationships differ across different environmental conditions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 354:120370. [PMID: 38387353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Habitat complexity is widely considered an important determinant of biodiversity, and enhancing complexity can play a key role in restoring degraded habitats. However, the effects of habitat complexity on ecosystem functioning - as opposed to biodiversity and community structure - are relatively poorly understood for artificial habitats, which dominate many coastlines. With Greening of Grey Infrastructure (GGI) approaches, or eco-engineering, increasingly being applied around the globe, it is important to understand the effects that modifying habitat complexity has on both biodiversity and ecological functioning in these highly modified habitats. We assessed how manipulating physical (primary substrate) and/or biogenic habitat (bivalves) complexity on intertidal artificial substrata affected filtration rates, net and gross primary productivity (NPP and GPP, respectively) and community respiration (CR) - as well as abundance of filter feeders and macro-algae and habitat use by cryptobenthic fish across six locations in three continents. We manipulated both physical and biogenic complexity using 1) flat or ridged (2.5 cm or 5 cm) settlement tiles that were either 2) unseeded or seeded with oysters or mussels. Across all locations, increasing physical and biogenic complexity (5 cm seeded tiles) had a significant effect on most ecological functioning variables, increasing overall filtration rates and community respiration of the assemblages on tiles but decreasing productivity (both GPP and NPP) across all locations. There were no overall effects of increasing either type of habitat complexity on cryptobenthic fish MaxN, total time in frame or macro-algal cover. Within each location, there were marked differences in the effects of habitat complexity. In Hobart, we found higher filtration, filter feeder biomass and community respiration on 5 cm tiles compared to flat tiles. However, at this location, both macro-algae cover and GPP decreased with increasing physical complexity. Similarly in Dublin, filtration, filter feeder biomass and community respiration were higher on 5 cm tiles compared to less complex tiles. In Sydney, filtration and filter feeder biomass were higher on seeded than unseeded tiles, and fish MaxN was higher on 5 cm tiles compared to flat tiles. On unseeded tiles in Sydney, filter feeder biomass also increased with increasing physical complexity. Our findings suggest that GGI solutions via increased habitat complexity are likely to have trade-offs among potentially desired functions, such as productivity and filtration rates, and variable effects on cryptobenthic fish communities. Importantly, our results show that the effects of GGI practices can vary markedly according to the environmental context and therefore should not be blindly and uniformly applied across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Mayer-Pinto
- Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Amelia Caley
- Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Antony M Knights
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Airoldi
- Chioggia Hydrobiological Station "Umberto D'Ancona", Department of Biology, University of Padova, UO CoNISMa, Chioggia, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy
| | - Melanie J Bishop
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Paul Brooks
- Earth Institute & School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Ricardo Coutinho
- Marine Biotechnology Program, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM), Arraial do Cabo, Brazil and Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil; Marine Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
| | - Tasman Crowe
- Earth Institute & School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Paolo Mancuso
- Chioggia Hydrobiological Station "Umberto D'Ancona", Department of Biology, University of Padova, UO CoNISMa, Chioggia, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy
| | - Lais P D Naval-Xavier
- Marine Biotechnology Program, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM), Arraial do Cabo, Brazil and Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil; Marine Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Menezes
- Marine Biotechnology Program, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM), Arraial do Cabo, Brazil and Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil; Marine Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
| | - Luciana V R de Messano
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
| | - Rebecca Morris
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Donald J Ross
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Joanne X W Wong
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per le Scienze Ambientali (CIRSA), Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita' di Bologna, Via S. Alberto 163, 48123, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Peter Steinberg
- Centre of Marine Science and Innovation, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Elisabeth M A Strain
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia; Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7053, Australia
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2
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Montie S, Thomsen MS. Facilitation of animals is stronger during summer marine heatwaves and around morphologically complex foundation species. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10512. [PMID: 37727775 PMCID: PMC10505761 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Foundation species create biogenic habitats, modify environmental conditions, augment biodiversity, and control animal community structures. In recent decades, marine heatwaves (MHWs) have affected the ecology of foundation species worldwide, and perhaps also their associated animal communities. However, no realistic field experiment has tested how MHWs affect animals that live in and around these foundation species. We therefore tested, in a four-factorial field experiment, if colonisation by small mobile marine animals (epifauna) onto plates with attached single versus co-occurring foundation species of different morphological complexities, were affected by 3-5°C heating (that mirrored a recent extreme MHW in the study area) and if the heating effect on the epifauna varied within and between seasons. For this experiment mimics of turf seaweed represented the single foundation species and holdfasts of seven common canopy-forming seaweed represented the co-occurring foundation species with different morphological complexities. We found that the taxonomic richness and total abundance of epifauna, dominated by copepods, generally were higher on heated plates with complex seaweed holdfasts in warmer summer trials. Furthermore, several interactions between test-factors were significant, e.g., epifaunal abundances, were, across taxonomic groups, generally higher in warmer than colder summer trials. These results suggest that, in temperate ecosystems, small, mobile, short-lived, and fast-growing marine epifauna can be facilitated by warmer oceans and morphologically complex foundation species, implying that future MHWs may increase secondary production and trophic transfers between primary producers and fish. Future studies should test whether these results can be scaled to other ecological species-interactions, across latitudes and biogeographical regions, and if similar results are found after longer MHWs or within live foundation species under real MHW conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinae Montie
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Mads S. Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
- Aarhus UniversityDepartment of EcoscienceRoskildeDenmark
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3
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Romoth K, Darr A, Papenmeier S, Zettler ML, Gogina M. Substrate Heterogeneity as a Trigger for Species Diversity in Marine Benthic Assemblages. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:825. [PMID: 37372109 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Many studies show that habitat complexity or habitat diversity plays a major role in biodiversity throughout different spatial scales: as structural heterogeneity increases, so does the number of available (micro-) habitats for the potential species inventory. The capability of housing species (even rare species) increases rapidly with increasing habitat heterogeneity. However, habitat complexity is not easy to measure in marine sublittoral sediments. In our study, we came up with a proposal to estimate sublittoral benthic habitat complexity using standard underwater video techniques. This tool was subsequently used to investigate the effect of habitat complexity on species richness in comparison to other environmental parameters in a marine protected area situated in the Fehmarn Belt, a narrow strait in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Our results show that species richness is significantly higher in heterogeneous substrates throughout all considered sediment types. Congruently, the presence of rare species increases with structural complexity. Our findings highlight the importance of the availability of microhabitats for benthic biodiversity as well as of the study area for regional ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Romoth
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexander Darr
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Svenja Papenmeier
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Michael L Zettler
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Mayya Gogina
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
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4
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Montie S, Thomsen MS. Spatiotemporal stressors, not secondary structures or small temperature increases, control rapid facilitation of intertidal epifauna. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 187:105969. [PMID: 37003078 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105969] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Small animals (epifauna) are ubiquitous in marine systems. Epifauna have high secondary production and provide trophic linkages between primary producers and higher-order consumers, like fish. Despite their importance, little is known about how these animals respond to warming or how their communities vary across spatiotemporal gradients. Here we use mimics of turf seaweed and invasive kelp holdfast to test, in a 5-factorial field experiment, whether intertidal epifauna are facilitated by different habitat structures, temperature conditions, and along cooccurring spatiotemporal gradients. We found that facilitation of epifauna by intertidal turf seaweed peaked in summer, at low elevation, in older habitats and at a less wave-exposed site. However, epifauna were not affected by the presence of a secondary structure like kelp holdfast mimics or small temperature increases from passive solar heating of black and white mimics. There were many significant two-way, but few higher order interactions, showing stronger facilitation under specific environmental conditions, like at low elevation in summer, or low elevation in old habitats. These results highlight that turf-associated epifauna are controlled by vertical elevation, season, hydrodynamics, and habitat age, and appear to be resilient to small temperature increases. Findings are important to better understand linkages between primary producers and higher order consumers and system-wide productivity, and because fast growing turf, facilitated by global warming and eutrophication, are increasingly outcompeting slower growing large perennial canopy forming seaweeds, like kelp and rockweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinae Montie
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
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5
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Pižl V, Sterzyńska M, Tajovský K, Starý J, Nicia P, Zadrożny P, Bejger R. Effects of Hydrologic Regime Changes on a Taxonomic and Functional Trait Structure of Earthworm Communities in Mountain Wetlands. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030482. [PMID: 36979173 PMCID: PMC10045450 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic, influence the patterning of species and species traits. The shift in species composition and distribution pattern of functional traits can demonstrate if the community is resistant, sensitive or resilient to the disturbance. Based on species- and trait-based approaches, we examined the response of the earthworm community to changing hydrologic conditions caused by the artificial drainage of mountain fens, in which cumulative effects of disturbance events over space and time are much less dynamic than in riverine wetlands. We hypothesized that the drainage-related changes of mountain fen peat soils have an effect on the earthworm community composition and its functional structure. We assume that the shift in species composition and value of community-weighted functional traits reflect changes in the resilience or resistance of the earthworm community to environmental change. Our results demonstrate that the total density of earthworms was almost three times lower under drained conditions compared to natural ones. Artificial drainage of fens had a neutral effect on the species-based diversity indices. However, there were species-specific traits that responded to hydrologic changes and which led to the species' replacements and to the co-occurrence of eurytopic, surface-browsing and more drought- and low-pH-resistant earthworm species in the drained fens. Based on these results, we conclude that abiotic-based environmental filtering was the main process responsible for sorting earthworms according to species and traits in the disturbed hydrologic conditions. The greater earthworm functional trait variations in semi-natural hydrologic conditions emphasizes the impact of transient dynamics in an altered disturbance regime on the earthworm assembly. Results also showed that in the changing hydrologic conditions of mountain fens, the functional trait approach revealed only slightly more predictive power than the taxonomic one, but it proved better with processes responsible for earthworm species filtering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Pižl
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Sterzyńska
- Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karel Tajovský
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Starý
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Paweł Nicia
- Department of Soil Science and Agrophysics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Paweł Zadrożny
- Department of Soil Science and Agrophysics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Romualda Bejger
- Department of Bioengineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Papieża Pawła, VI no 3, 71-459 Szczecin, Poland
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6
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Tempesti J, Langeneck J, Lardicci C, Maltagliati F, Castelli A. Short-term colonization of fouling communities within the port of Livorno (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Western Mediterranean): Influence of substrate three-dimensional complexity on non-indigenous species establishment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 185:114302. [PMID: 36335690 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114302] [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: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The influence of substrate morphology on early stages of fouling development was assessed through submerged experimental substrates with different morphological complexity. The experiment was carried out within commercial and touristic harbours of the port of Livorno (Italy), analysing the communities at three steps of colonization (14, 28, 42 days). We assessed the effect of substrate complexity on recruitment of non-indigenous species (NIS), combined with the influence of port use destinations. NIS were recorded in both use destination areas since the first step of colonization. Substrate morphological complexity significantly affected fouling colonization and particularly NIS assemblages. We found that high-complexity substrates are particularly suitable for NIS establishment in comparison with less complex ones. The touristic harbour exhibited a potential for fouling colonization higher than the commercial harbour. These results contributed to the understanding of factors involved in NIS establishment and spread, as well as in their spatial-temporal dynamics within port environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Tempesti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna, 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Joachim Langeneck
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna, 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Lardicci
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via Santa Maria, 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Maltagliati
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna, 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Alberto Castelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna, 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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7
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Fairchild TP, Weedon J, Griffin JN. Species diversity enhances perceptions of urban coastlines at multiple scales. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tom P. Fairchild
- Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Jasmine Weedon
- Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - John N. Griffin
- Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea University Swansea UK
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8
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9
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Unravelling facilitation among introduced species, a mechanistic approach. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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10
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Lloyd HB, Cruz‐Motta JJ, Glasby TM, Hutchings PA, Gribben PE. Unusual but consistent latitudinal patterns in macroalgal habitats and their invertebrate communities across two countries. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B. Lloyd
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney NSW Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science Mosman NSW Australia
| | - Juan J. Cruz‐Motta
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Puerto Rico
| | - Tim M. Glasby
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Port Stephens Fisheries Institute Nelson Bay NSW Australia
| | - Pat A. Hutchings
- Australian Museum Research Institute Australian Museum Sydney NSW Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde NSW Australia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science Mosman NSW Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
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11
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Borst ACW, Angelini C, Berge A, Lamers L, Derksen‐Hooijberg M, Heide T. Food or furniture: Separating trophic and non‐trophic effects of Spanish moss to explain its high invertebrate diversity. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Annieke C. W. Borst
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen Heyendaalseweg 135 Nijmegen 6525AJ The Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental Research Wageningen University and Research Droevendaalsesteeg 3 Wageningen 6700AA The Netherlands
| | - Christine Angelini
- Environmental Engineering Sciences Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Anne Berge
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen Heyendaalseweg 135 Nijmegen 6525AJ The Netherlands
| | - Leon Lamers
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen Heyendaalseweg 135 Nijmegen 6525AJ The Netherlands
| | - Marlous Derksen‐Hooijberg
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen Heyendaalseweg 135 Nijmegen 6525AJ The Netherlands
- Royal Haskoning Contactweg 47 Amsterdam AN 1014 The Netherlands
| | - Tjisse Heide
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen Heyendaalseweg 135 Nijmegen 6525AJ The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Utrecht University PO Box 59 Den Burg (Texel) AB 1790 The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 Groningen CC 9700 The Netherlands
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12
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Bolgovics Á, B-Béres V, Várbíró G, Krasznai-K EÁ, Ács É, Kiss KT, Borics G. Groups of small lakes maintain larger microalgal diversity than large ones. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 678:162-172. [PMID: 31075582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The question of whether one large, continuous area or many smaller habitats maintain more species is one of the most relevant questions in conservation ecology, and it is referred to as the SLOSS (Single Large Or Several Small) dilemma in the literature. This question has not yet been raised in the case of microscopic organisms, therefore we investigated whether or not the SLOSS dilemma could apply to phytoplankton and benthic diatom metacommunities. Benthic diatom and phytoplankton diversity in pools and ponds of different sizes (ranging between 10-2-107 m2) was studied. Species richness of water bodies belonging to neighbouring size categories was compared step by step across the whole size gradient. With the exception of the 104-105 m2 and 105-106 m2 size categories, where phytoplankton and benthic diatom richness values of the SL water bodies were higher than that of the SS ones, findings showed that the diversity of several smaller (SS) sized waters was higher than that in single large water bodies (SL) throughout the whole studied size range. The proportion of the various functional groups of algae, including both the benthic diatoms and phytoplankton, showed remarkable changes from the smaller water bodies to large sized ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Bolgovics
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Tisza River Department, H-4026 Debrecen, Bem tér 18/c, Hungary.
| | - Viktória B-Béres
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Tisza River Department, H-4026 Debrecen, Bem tér 18/c, Hungary; MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Sustainable Ecosystems Group, H-8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, Hungary; MTA-DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research Group, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Tisza River Department, H-4026 Debrecen, Bem tér 18/c, Hungary; MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Sustainable Ecosystems Group, H-8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, Hungary
| | - Eszter Ágnes Krasznai-K
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Tisza River Department, H-4026 Debrecen, Bem tér 18/c, Hungary
| | - Éva Ács
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, H-1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary
| | - Keve Tihamér Kiss
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, H-1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary
| | - Gábor Borics
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Tisza River Department, H-4026 Debrecen, Bem tér 18/c, Hungary; MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Sustainable Ecosystems Group, H-8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, Hungary
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13
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Plant Part Age and Size Affect Sessile Macrobenthic Assemblages Associated with a Foliose Red Algae Phycodrys rubens in the White Sea. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11050080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Facilitation by foundation species commonly structures terrestrial and marine communities. Intraspecific variation in individual properties of these strong facilitators can affect the whole suite of the dependent taxa. Marine macroalgae often act as ecosystem engineers, providing shelter and substrate for numerous associated organisms. Epibiosis of foliose red algae, however, remains underexplored, especially in the high latitudes. Here we studied sessile macrobenthic assemblages associated with a foliose red algae Phycodrys rubens in the White Sea (66° N) shallow subtidal, and the effect of individual plant properties on their structure. The blades of P. rubens develop annually, and it is possible to tell the young (usually larger) plant parts from the old ones. We hypothesized that epibenthic community structure depends on plant part age and size. We examined epibiosis on 110 plants at two sites, and the results generally supported our hypotheses. Old plant parts were several times smaller, and had higher total cover than young parts. Sponges strongly dominated the epibiosis on old parts, and young parts were dominated by polychaetes and bryozoans. Plant part surface area negatively correlated with total cover on young parts, while on old parts the relatioship was location-specific. On young parts the relative abundance of a polychaete Circeis armoricana increased with surface area, and the proportion of sponges decreased. The patterns indicate that epibenthic community structure is linked to the demography of an ecosystem engineer.
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14
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Tramonte RP, Osório NC, Ragonha FH, Pinha GD, Rodrigues L, Mormul RP. Periphyton consumption by an invasive snail species is greater in simplified than in complex habitats. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Habitat complexity may stabilize consumer–resource interactions and reduce the probability of invasion in aquatic habitats. We tested the hypotheses that (i) higher habitat complexity reduces resource consumption independently of grazer species, but that (ii) invasive grazers have a greater influence on decreasing resources independently of habitat complexity. We performed an experiment using artificial substrates to simulate different complexity levels. We evaluated Melanoides tuberculata (O.F. Müller, 1774) and Aylacostoma chloroticum Hylton Scott, 1954 consumption of specific algal groups and the interaction between habitat complexity and grazer species. Moreover, we evaluated grazer activity on the different substrates during the experiment. The results support only the first hypothesis and indicate lower resource consumption on complex substrates compared with simpler substrates. Additionally, the effect of the grazing of the invasive species on taxon richness was greater in simplified than in complex habitats. The grazing activity on the substrate suggests a relationship between resource exploitation and habitat complexity in which the invasive grazing species visited the simple habitat less frequently. However, the effects of invasive grazers on food resources were higher on the simple substrate. The effects of grazing activity on food resources depend on the interaction between habitat complexity and grazer species. In this way, the introduction of an invasive species may have negative impacts on the structure and function of periphytic communities, mainly in simplified aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Prandini Tramonte
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco G90, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
| | - Nicolli Cristina Osório
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco G90, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
| | - Flávio Henrique Ragonha
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco G90, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
| | - Gisele Daiane Pinha
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco G90, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
| | - Liliana Rodrigues
- Departamento de Biologia (DBI), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco H78, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
| | - Roger Paulo Mormul
- Departamento de Biologia (DBI), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Avenida Colombo 5790, Bloco H78, Jardim Universtário, Maringá-PR, Brasil, CEP 87020-900
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15
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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.
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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
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16
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Bracewell SA, Clark GF, Johnston EL. Habitat complexity effects on diversity and abundance differ with latitude: an experimental study over 20 degrees. Ecology 2018; 99:1964-1974. [PMID: 29846936 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Habitat complexity is accepted as a general mechanism for increasing the abundance and diversity of communities. However, the circumstances under which complexity has the strongest effects are not clear. Over 20 degrees of Australia's east coast, we tested whether the effects of within-site structural habitat complexity on the diversity and community structure of sessile marine invertebrates was consistent over a latitudinal gradient where environmental conditions and species composition vary. We used experimental arrays with varied structural treatments to detect whether community cover, species richness, diversity and community composition (β-diversity) changed with increasing complexity. Community response to complexity varied over latitude due to differences in species richness and community development. Increased complexity had the greatest positive effects on community cover and species richness at higher latitudes where recruitment and growth were low. At lower latitudes, community cover and species richness were higher overall and did not vary substantially between complexity treatments. Latitudinal variation in within-treatment β-diversity relative to complexity further suggest divergent community responses. At higher latitudes, increased similarity in more complex treatments suggests community dominance of successful taxonomic groups. Despite limited effects on species richness and community cover at lower latitudes, β-diversity was higher in more complex treatments, signifying potential positive effects of increased complexity at these sites. These results demonstrate the context-dependency of complexity effects in response to variation in species richness and community development and should be taken into consideration to help direct conservation and restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Bracewell
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Graeme F Clark
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Emma L Johnston
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
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17
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Ortega JCG, Thomaz SM, Bini LM. Experiments reveal that environmental heterogeneity increases species richness, but they are rarely designed to detect the underlying mechanisms. Oecologia 2018; 188:11-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4150-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Shunatova N, Nikishina D, Ivanov M, Berge J, Renaud PE, Ivanova T, Granovitch A. The longer the better: the effect of substrate on sessile biota in Arctic kelp forests. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2263-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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19
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Crooks JA, Chang AL, Ruiz GM. Decoupling the response of an estuarine shrimp to architectural components of habitat structure. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2244. [PMID: 27547551 PMCID: PMC4975033 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to explore biotic attraction to structure, we examined how the amount and arrangement of artificial biotic stalks affected responses of a shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus, absent other proximate factors such as predation or interspecific competition. In aquaria, we tested the effect of differing densities of both un-branched and branched stalks, where the amount of material in the branched stalk equaled four-times that of the un-branched. The results clearly showed that it was the amount of material, not how it was arranged, that elicited responses from shrimp. Also, although stalks were not purposefully designed to mimic structural elements found in nature, they did resemble biogenic structure such as hydroids, algae, or plants. In order to test shrimp attraction to a different, perhaps more unfamiliar habitat type, we examined responses to plastic "army men." These structural elements elicited similar attraction of shrimp, and, in general, shrimp response correlated well with the fractal dimension of both stalks and army men. Overall, these results indicate that attraction to physical structure, regardless of its nature, may be an important driver of high abundances often associated with complex habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Crooks
- Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Imperial Beach, CA, United States; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Tiburon, California, United States
| | - Andrew L Chang
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center , Tiburon, California , United States
| | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center , Edgewater, Maryland , United States
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20
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Loke LHL, Todd PA. Structural complexity and component type increase intertidal biodiversity independently of area. Ecology 2016; 97:383-93. [PMID: 27145613 DOI: 10.1890/15-0257.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Complexity is well accepted as one of the primary drivers of biodiversity, however, empirical support for such positive associations is often confounded with surface area and undermined by other potential explanatory factors, especially the type of structural component (e.g., pits, crevices, overhangs, etc.). In the present study, sample units (artificial substrates) of equal surface area (± 0.2%) were used to simultaneously examine the independent effects of complexity and different structural component types on species richness (S), abundance (N), and community composition. We created simple and complex concrete substrates of four different geometric designs using novel software. The substrates (n = 8) were mounted onto granite seawalls (at two tidal heights) on two islands south of Singapore Island. After 13 months of colonization, all 384 tiles were collected and their assemblages compared. A total of 53 744 individuals of 70 species/morphospecies were collected and identified. Our results show that greater complexity can support greater species richness and different communities that are independent of surface area. Furthermore, the type of structure (e.g., "pits," "grooves," "towers") can have an effect on richness and community composition that is independent of complexity.
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21
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Mayer-Pinto M, Matias MG, Coleman RA. The interplay between habitat structure and chemical contaminants on biotic responses of benthic organisms. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1985. [PMID: 27168991 PMCID: PMC4860324 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat structure influences the diversity and distribution of organisms, potentially affecting their response to disturbances by either affecting their 'susceptibility' or through the provision of resources that can mitigate impacts of disturbances. Chemical disturbances due to contamination are associated with decreases in diversity and functioning of systems and are also likely to increase due to coastal urbanisation. Understanding how habitat structure interacts with contaminants is essential to predict and therefore manage such effects, minimising their consequences to marine systems. Here, we manipulated two structurally different habitats and exposed them to different types of contaminants. The effects of contamination and habitat structure interacted, affecting species richness. More complex experimental habitats were colonized by a greater diversity of organisms than the less complex habitats. These differences disappeared, however, when habitats were exposed to contaminants, suggesting that contaminants can override effects of habitats structure at small spatial scales. These results provide insight into the complex ways that habitat structure and contamination interact and the need to incorporate evidence of biotic responses from individual disturbances to multiple stressors. Such effects need to be taken into account when designing and planning management and conservation strategies to natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Mayer-Pinto
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, Marine Ecology Laboratories A11, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Miguel G. Matias
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, Marine Ecology Laboratories A11, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
- InBio/CIBIO, University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, Évora, Portugal
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Ross A. Coleman
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, Marine Ecology Laboratories A11, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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22
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Macroalgal Composition Determines the Structure of Benthic Assemblages Colonizing Fragmented Habitats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142289. [PMID: 26554924 PMCID: PMC4640819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of fragmentation of coastal habitats is an important topic of discussion in marine ecology. Research on the effects of fragmentation has revealed complex and context-dependent biotic responses, which prevent generalizations across different habitats or study organisms. The effects of fragmentation in marine environments have been rarely investigated across heterogeneous habitats, since most studies have focused on a single type of habitat or patch. In this study, we assessed the effects of different levels of fragmentation (i.e. decreasing size of patches without overall habitat loss). We measured these effects using assemblages of macro-invertebrates colonizing representative morphological groups of intertidal macroalgae (e.g. encrusting, turf and canopy-forming algae). For this purpose, we constructed artificial assemblages with different combinations of morphological groups and increasing levels of fragmentation by manipulating the amount of bare rock or the spatial arrangement of different species in mixed assemblages. In general, our results showed that 1) fragmentation did not significantly affect the assemblages of macroinvertebrates; 2) at greater levels of fragmentation, there were greater numbers of species in mixed algal assemblages, suggesting that higher habitat complexity promotes species colonization. Our results suggest that predicting the consequences of fragmentation in heterogeneous habitats is dependent on the type and diversity of morphological groups making up those habitats.
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23
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Montaña CG, Layman CA, Winemiller KO. Species-area relationship within benthic habitat patches of a tropical floodplain river: An experimental test. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen G. Montaña
- Department of Applied Ecology; North Carolina State University; 100 Eugene Brooks Avenue Raleigh North Carolina 27607 USA
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Texas A&M University; College Station USA
| | - Craig A. Layman
- Department of Applied Ecology; North Carolina State University; 100 Eugene Brooks Avenue Raleigh North Carolina 27607 USA
| | - Kirk O. Winemiller
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Texas A&M University; College Station USA
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24
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Complexity for artificial substrates (CASU): software for creating and visualising habitat complexity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87990. [PMID: 24551074 PMCID: PMC3925107 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical habitat complexity regulates the structure and function of biological communities, although the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Urbanisation, pollution, unsustainable resource exploitation and climate change have resulted in the widespread simplification (and loss) of habitats worldwide. One way to restore physical complexity to anthropogenically simplified habitats is through the use of artificial substrates, which also offer excellent opportunities to explore the effects of different components (variables) of complexity on biodiversity and community structure that would be difficult to separate in natural systems. Here, we describe a software program (CASU) that enables users to visualise static, physical complexity. CASU also provides output files that can be used to create artificial substrates for experimental and/or restoration studies. It has two different operational modes: simple and advanced. In simple mode, users can adjust the five main variables of informational complexity (i.e. the number of object types, relative abundance of object types, density of objects, variability and range in the objects’ dimensions, and their spatial arrangement) and visualise the changes as they do so. The advanced mode allows users to design artificial substrates by fine-tuning the complexity variables as well as alter object-specific parameters. We illustrate how CASU can be used to create tiles of different designs for application in a marine environment. Such an ability to systematically influence physical complexity could greatly facilitate ecological restoration by allowing conservationists to rebuild complexity in degraded and simplified habitats.
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25
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Wilkie EM, Bishop MJ, O'Connor WA. The density and spatial arrangement of the invasive oyster Crassostrea gigas determines its impact on settlement of native oyster larvae. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:4851-60. [PMID: 24455120 PMCID: PMC3892352 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the density and spatial arrangement of invaders is critical to developing management strategies of pest species. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, has been translocated around the world for aquaculture and in many instances has established wild populations. Relative to other species of bivalve, it displays rapid suspension feeding, which may cause mortality of pelagic invertebrate larvae. We compared the effect on settlement of Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, larvae of manipulating the spatial arrangement and density of native S. glomerata, and non-native C. gigas. We hypothesized that while manipulations of dead oysters would reveal the same positive relationship between attachment surface area and S. glomerata settlement between the two species, manipulations of live oysters would reveal differing density-dependent effects between the native and non-native oyster. In the field, whether oysters were live or dead, more larvae settled on C. gigas than S. glomerata when substrate was arranged in monospecific clumps. When, however, the two species were interspersed, there were no differences in larval settlement between them. By contrast, in aquaria simulating a higher effective oyster density, more larvae settled on live S. glomerata than C. gigas. When C. gigas was prevented from suspension feeding, settlement of larvae on C. gigas was enhanced. By contrast, settlement was similar between the two species when dead. While the presently low densities of the invasive oyster C. gigas may enhance S. glomerata larval settlement in east Australian estuaries, future increases in densities could produce negative impacts on native oyster settlement. Synthesis and applications: Our study has shown that both the spatial arrangement and density of invaders can influence their impact. Hence, management strategies aimed at preventing invasive populations reaching damaging sizes should not only consider the threshold density at which impacts exceed some acceptable limit, but also how patch formation modifies this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Wilkie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Melanie J Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Wayne A O'Connor
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute Taylors Beach, NSW, 2316, Australia
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26
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Matias MG, Coleman RA, Hochuli DF, Underwood AJ. Macrofaunal responses to edges are independent of habitat-heterogeneity in experimental landscapes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61349. [PMID: 23593471 PMCID: PMC3620172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite edges being common features of many natural habitats, there is little general understanding of the ways assemblages respond to them. Every edge between two contrasting habitats has characteristics governed by the composition of adjoining habitats and/or by the nature of any transitions between them. To develop better explanatory theory, we examined the extent to which edges act independently of the composition of the surrounding landscape and to which transitions between different types of habitats affect assemblages. Using experimental landscapes, we measured the responses of assemblages of marine molluscs colonising different experimental landscapes constructed with different compositions (i.e. different types of habitats within the landscape) and different types of transitions between habitats (i.e. sharp vs gradual). Edge effects (i.e. proximity to the edge of the landscape) were independent of the internal composition of experimental landscape; fewer species were found near the edges of landscapes. These reductions may be explained by differences in differential larval settlement between edges and interiors of experimental landscapes. We also found that the sharpness of transitions influenced the magnitude of interactions in the different types of habitats in experimental landscapes, most probably due to the increased number of species in areas of transition between two habitats. Our experiments allowed the effects of composition and transitions between habitats to be disentangled from those of proximity to edges of landscapes. Understanding and making predictions about the responses by species to edges depends on understanding not only the nature of transitions across boundaries, but also the landscape in which the edges are embedded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel G Matias
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, Marine Ecology Laboratories A11, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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