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Pinna S, Piazzi L, Ceccherelli G, Castelli A, Costa G, Curini-Galletti M, Gianguzza P, Langeneck J, Manconi R, Montefalcone M, Pipitone C, Rosso A, Bonaviri C. Macroalgal forest vs sea urchin barren: Patterns of macro-zoobenthic diversity in a large-scale Mediterranean study. Mar Environ Res 2020; 159:104955. [PMID: 32250878 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the differences of mobile and sessile macro-zoobenthic assemblages between sea urchin barrens and macroalgal forests in coastal Mediterranean systems considering a large spatial scale. Six sites (100 s km apart) were selected: Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily (Italy), Sardinia (Italy), Tuscany (Italy), and Balearic Islands (Spain). A total of 531 taxa, 404 mobile and 127 sessile macro-invertebrates were recorded. Overall, 496 and 201 taxa were found in macroalgal forests and in barrens, respectively. The results of this large-scale descriptive study have met the expectation of lower macrofauna complexity and diversity in barrens rather than in macroalgal forests, and have allowed estimating the differences in levels of diversity and the consistency of variability across Mediterranean sites. Some peculiar patterns in barrens, related to both abundance of specific taxa and to high values of beta diversity, have been evidenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pinna
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy; Fondazione IMC Onlus, Loc Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - L Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
| | - G Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - A Castelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Costa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genova, Italy
| | - M Curini-Galletti
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - P Gianguzza
- Dipartimento delle Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 2, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - J Langeneck
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Manconi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - M Montefalcone
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genova, Italy
| | - C Pipitone
- CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Rosso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Catania, Corso Italia 57, 95129, Catania, Italy
| | - C Bonaviri
- Dipartimento delle Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 2, 90123, Palermo, Italy
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Mulas M, Bertocci I. Devil's tongue weed (Grateloupia turuturu Yamada) in northern Portugal: Passenger or driver of change in native biodiversity? Mar Environ Res 2016; 118:1-9. [PMID: 27110653 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying biological invasions is essential to separate their actual ecological effects from those of other human disturbances. This study examined experimentally whether the non-native red seaweed Grateloupia turuturu is an opportunistic species taking advantage of degraded local conditions (passenger model), or the primary driver of changes in the structure of benthic assemblages (driver model). In a first experiment, traits of G. turuturu likely associated to its invasion success were compared between unmanipulated controls and treatments subjected to the removal of canopy-forming macroalgae to test for the passenger model. In a second experiment, rock pool assemblages where G. turuturu was selectively removed were compared with initially similar control (unmanipulated) assemblages to test for the driver model. Over a period of four months, G. turuturu showed larger cover, higher number of individuals and longer fronds in the canopy-removed compared to the control pools, while no significant differences were detected between assemblages where G. turuturu was continuously removed and those where invasion was allowed to occur. Present findings suggest that G. turuturu would rely on disturbances removing potential native competitors to spread into the recipient habitat, rather than being the main driver of ecological alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Mulas
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Iacopo Bertocci
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal
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