201
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Koike S, Soga M, Nemoto Y, Kozakai C. How are dung beetle species affected by deer population increases in a cool temperate forest ecosystem? J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Koike
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fuchu Japan
| | - M. Soga
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fuchu Japan
| | - Y. Nemoto
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fuchu Japan
| | - C. Kozakai
- Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History Odawara Japan
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202
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Rudolf VHW, Rasmussen NL, Dibble CJ, Van Allen BG. Resolving the roles of body size and species identity in driving functional diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133203. [PMID: 24598423 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to characterize food webs have generated two influential approaches that reduce the complexity of natural communities. The traditional approach groups individuals based on their species identity, while recently developed approaches group individuals based on their body size. While each approach has provided important insights, they have largely been used in parallel in different systems. Consequently, it remains unclear how body size and species identity interact, hampering our ability to develop a more holistic framework that integrates both approaches. We address this conceptual gap by developing a framework which describes how both approaches are related to each other, revealing that both approaches share common but untested assumptions about how variation across size classes or species influences differences in ecological interactions among consumers. Using freshwater mesocosms with dragonfly larvae as predators, we then experimentally demonstrate that while body size strongly determined how predators affected communities, these size effects were species specific and frequently nonlinear, violating a key assumption underlying both size- and species-based approaches. Consequently, neither purely species- nor size-based approaches were adequate to predict functional differences among predators. Instead, functional differences emerged from the synergistic effects of body size and species identity. This clearly demonstrates the need to integrate size- and species-based approaches to predict functional diversity within communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker H W Rudolf
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, , Houston, TX 77005, USA
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203
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Novillo A, Ojeda RA. Elevation patterns in rodent diversity in the dry Andes: disentangling the role of environmental factors. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-086.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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204
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Bu W, Zang R, Ding Y. Field observed relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning during secondary succession in a tropical lowland rainforest. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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205
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Pendleton RM, Hoeinghaus DJ, Gomes LC, Agostinho AA. Loss of rare fish species from tropical floodplain food webs affects community structure and ecosystem multifunctionality in a mesocosm experiment. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84568. [PMID: 24416246 PMCID: PMC3885587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments with realistic scenarios of species loss from multitrophic ecosystems may improve insight into how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning. Using 1000 L mesocoms, we examined effects of nonrandom species loss on community structure and ecosystem functioning of experimental food webs based on multitrophic tropical floodplain lagoon ecosystems. Realistic biodiversity scenarios were developed based on long-term field surveys, and experimental assemblages replicated sequential loss of rare species which occurred across all trophic levels of these complex food webs. Response variables represented multiple components of ecosystem functioning, including nutrient cycling, primary and secondary production, organic matter accumulation and whole ecosystem metabolism. Species richness significantly affected ecosystem function, even after statistically controlling for potentially confounding factors such as total biomass and direct trophic interactions. Overall, loss of rare species was generally associated with lower nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton and zooplankton densities, and whole ecosystem metabolism when compared with more diverse assemblages. This pattern was also observed for overall ecosystem multifunctionality, a combined metric representing the ability of an ecosystem to simultaneously maintain multiple functions. One key exception was attributed to time-dependent effects of intraguild predation, which initially increased values for most ecosystem response variables, but resulted in decreases over time likely due to reduced nutrient remineralization by surviving predators. At the same time, loss of species did not result in strong trophic cascades, possibly a result of compensation and complexity of these multitrophic ecosystems along with a dominance of bottom-up effects. Our results indicate that although rare species may comprise minor components of communities, their loss can have profound ecosystem consequences across multiple trophic levels due to a combination of direct and indirect effects in diverse multitrophic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Pendleton
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Applied Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David J. Hoeinghaus
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Applied Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States of America
| | - Luiz C. Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia e Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia), Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brasil
| | - Angelo A. Agostinho
- Departamento de Biologia e Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia), Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brasil
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206
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Milcu A, Roscher C, Gessler A, Bachmann D, Gockele A, Guderle M, Landais D, Piel C, Escape C, Devidal S, Ravel O, Buchmann N, Gleixner G, Hildebrandt A, Roy J. Functional diversity of leaf nitrogen concentrations drives grassland carbon fluxes. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:435-44. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Milcu
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Department Community of Ecology; UFZ; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4 06120 Halle Germany
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF); Institute for Landscape Biogeochemistry; Eberswalderstr. 84 15374 Müncheberg Germany
| | - Dörte Bachmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences; ETH Zurich; Universitaetsstrasse 2 8092 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Annette Gockele
- Institut für Biologie II - Geobotanik; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Schänzlestr. 1 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Markus Guderle
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Institute of Geoscience; Burgweg 11 07749 Jena Germany
| | - Damien Landais
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Clément Piel
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Christophe Escape
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Sebastien Devidal
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Olivier Ravel
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Nina Buchmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences; ETH Zurich; Universitaetsstrasse 2 8092 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Gerd Gleixner
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; POB 100164 07701 Jena Germany
| | - Anke Hildebrandt
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Institute of Geoscience; Burgweg 11 07749 Jena Germany
| | - Jacques Roy
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
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207
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Mills MGL, Mills MEJ. Cheetah cub survival revisited: a re-evaluation of the role of predation, especially by lions, and implications for conservation. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. G. L. Mills
- The Lewis Foundation; Craighall South Africa
- WildCRU; Zoology Department; University of Oxford; The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; Abingdon UK
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208
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Tobner CM, Paquette A, Reich PB, Gravel D, Messier C. Advancing biodiversity-ecosystem functioning science using high-density tree-based experiments over functional diversity gradients. Oecologia 2013; 174:609-21. [PMID: 24241640 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2815-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasing concern about loss of biodiversity and its effects on ecosystem functioning has triggered a series of manipulative experiments worldwide, which have demonstrated a general trend for ecosystem functioning to increase with diversity. General mechanisms proposed to explain diversity effects include complementary resource use and invoke a key role for species' functional traits. The actual mechanisms by which complementary resource use occurs remain, however, poorly understood, as well as whether they apply to tree-dominated ecosystems. Here we present an experimental approach offering multiple innovative aspects to the field of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research. The International Diversity Experiment Network with Trees (IDENT) allows research to be conducted at several hierarchical levels within individuals, neighborhoods, and communities. The network investigates questions related to intraspecific trait variation, complementarity, and environmental stress. The goal of IDENT is to identify some of the mechanisms through which individuals and species interact to promote coexistence and the complementary use of resources. IDENT includes several implemented and planned sites in North America and Europe, and uses a replicated design of high-density tree plots of fixed species-richness levels varying in functional diversity (FD). The design reduces the space and time needed for trees to interact allowing a thorough set of mixtures varying over different diversity gradients (specific, functional, phylogenetic) and environmental conditions (e.g., water stress) to be tested in the field. The intention of this paper is to share the experience in designing FD-focused BEF experiments with trees, to favor collaborations and expand the network to different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia M Tobner
- Center for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Centre-Ville Station, Montreal, H3C 3P8, Canada
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209
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Bellisario B, Carere C, Cerfolli F, Angeletti D, Nascetti G, Cimmaruta R. Infaunal macrobenthic community dynamics in a manipulated hyperhaline ecosystem: a long-term study. AQUATIC BIOSYSTEMS 2013; 9:20. [PMID: 24192133 PMCID: PMC4175097 DOI: 10.1186/2046-9063-9-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the responses of ecological communities to human-induced perturbations is crucial for establishing conservation goals. Ecological communities are dynamic entities undergoing fluctuations due to their intrinsic characteristics as well as anthropogenic pressures varying over time. In this respect, long-term studies, based on large spatial and temporal datasets, may provide useful information in understanding patterns and processes influencing the communities' structure. Theoretical evidence suggests that a role of biodiversity is acting as a compensatory buffer against environmental variability by decreasing the temporal variance in ecosystem functioning and by raising the level of community response to perturbations through the selection of better performing species. Therefore, the spatial and temporal changes in the specialization of the community components may be used as an effective tool to monitor the effects of natural and anthropogenic alterations of the environment in dynamic systems. We examined the temporal dynamics of macroinvertebrate community structure in the hyperhaline habitat of Tarquinia Saltworks (central Italy). We aimed at: (i) investigating the relationships between the level of community specialization and the alterations of the environment across fourteen years; (ii) comparing the ability of aggregate community parameters such as the average abundance vs. species specialization in describing patterns of community composition. RESULTS We arranged the data in three sub-sets according to three periods, each characterized by different environmental conditions. The mean abundance of sampled macroinvertebrates showed a significant change (p < 0.01) only in the community inhabiting the saltwork basin closely connected to the sea, characterized by the highest environmental variation (i.e. the coefficient of variation, CV, of the aggregate environmental variability over the study period, CVrange = 0.010 - 0.2). Here we found marine species like Modiolus adriaticus (Lamarck, 1819), Neanthes irrorata (Malmgren, 1867), and Amphiglena mediterranea (Leydig, 1851), which inhabited the saltworks during the halt period but disappeared during the subsequent eutrophication phase. Conversely, species specialization showed a significant decrease for each sampled community in the presence of habitat degradation and a recovery after ecological restoration. The widest fluctuations of specialization were recorded for the community inhabiting the saltwork basin with the highest long-term environmental variability. CONCLUSIONS Recent advances have shown how the increased temporal and spatial variability of species' abundance within the communities may be a signal of habitat disturbance, even in the absence of an apparent decline. Such approach could also be used as a sensitive monitoring tool, able to detect whether or not communities are subjected to increasing biotic homogenization. Also, the increased functional similarity triggered by habitat degradation may impact on species at higher trophic levels, such as the waterbirds wintering in the area or using it as a stopover during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Bellisario
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
| | - Claudio Carere
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
| | - Fulvio Cerfolli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
| | - Dario Angeletti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nascetti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
| | - Roberta Cimmaruta
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Borgo Le Saline, 01016 Tarquinia, VT, Italy
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210
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Quero JL, Maestre FT, Ochoa V, García-Gómez M, Delgado-Baquerizo M. On the importance of shrub encroachment by sprouters, climate, species richness and anthropic factors for ecosystem multifunctionality in semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems. Ecosystems 2013; 16:1248-1261. [PMID: 27330403 PMCID: PMC4912035 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9683-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important changes taking place in drylands worldwide is the increase of the cover and dominance of shrubs in areas formerly devoid of them (shrub encroachment). A large body of research has evaluated the causes and consequences of shrub encroachment for both ecosystem structure and functioning. However, there are virtually no studies evaluating how shrub encroachment affects the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions and services simultaneously (multifunctionality). We aimed to do so by gathering data from ten ecosystem functions linked to the maintenance of primary production and nutrient cycling and storage (organic C, activity of β-glucosidase, pentoses, hexoses, total N, total available N, amino acids, proteins, available inorganic P and phosphatase activity), and summarizing them in a multifunctionality index (M). We assessed how climate, species richness, anthropic factors (distance to the nearest town, sandy and asphalted road, and human population in the nearest town at several historical periods) and encroachment by sprouting shrubs impacted both the functions in isolation and M along a regional (ca. 350 km) gradient in Mediterranean grasslands and shrublands dominated by a non-sprouting shrub. Values of M were higher in those grasslands and shrublands containing sprouting shrubs (43% and 62%, respectively). A similar response was found when analyzing the different functions in isolation, as encroachment by sprouting shrubs increased functions by 2%-80% compared to unencroached areas. Encroachment was the main driver of changes in M along the regional gradient evaluated, followed by anthropic factors and species richness. Climate had little effects on M in comparison to the other factors studied. Similar responses were observed when evaluating the functions in isolation. Overall, our results showed that M was higher at sites with higher sprouting shrub cover, longer distance to roads and higher perennial plant species richness. Our study is the first documenting that ecosystem multifunctionality in shrublands is enhanced by encroaching shrubs differing in size and leaf attributes. Our findings reinforce the idea that encroachment effects on ecosystem functioning cannot be generalized, and that are largely dependent on the traits of the encroaching shrub relative to those of the species being replaced.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Quero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Campus de Rabanales Universidad de Córdoba, Carretera N-km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Miguel García-Gómez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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211
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Frainer A, McKie BG, Malmqvist B. When does diversity matter? Species functional diversity and ecosystem functioning across habitats and seasons in a field experiment. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:460-9. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Frainer
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
| | - Brendan G. McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala SE 750 07 Sweden
| | - Björn Malmqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
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212
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Cacabelos E, Olabarria C, Viejo RM, Rubal M, Veiga P, Incera M, Gestoso I, Vaz-Pinto F, Mejia A, Engelen AH, Arenas F. Invasion of Sargassum muticum in intertidal rockpools: patterns along the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2013; 90:18-26. [PMID: 23764086 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Spatial patterns of non-indigenous species show scale-dependent properties. Sargassum muticum is an invasive macroalga widely distributed along the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula. Despite being quite abundant from Norway to South Portugal, there is little information about its patterns of distribution, particularly at a large spatial scale (i.e. thousands of kilometres). Here, we examined the spatial variation in the invasion success of S. muticum from rockpools at multiple spatial scales using a hierarchical design. In addition, we analysed how the richness of native assemblages was related to its invasion success and how this relationship changed over different scales. Most of the variation in the invasion success was found at the smallest scales of pool and plot. Furthermore, the invasibility of native macroalgal assemblages was related to the native species richness, but causes that determined invasion success could not be separated from the effects provoked by the invader. Results suggest that small-scale (centimetres to metres) processes contribute considerably to the heterogeneity of S. muticum invasion success.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Cacabelos
- Centro Tecnológico del Mar-Fundación CETMAR, c/Eduardo Cabello s/n, ES-36208 Vigo, Spain.
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213
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Miranda M, Parrini F, Dalerum F. A categorization of recent network approaches to analyse trophic interactions. Methods Ecol Evol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Miranda
- Centre for African Ecology; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3, Wits 2050; Johannesburg; South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3, Wits 2050; Johannesburg; South Africa
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214
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Can Climate Change Trigger Massive Diversity Cascades in Terrestrial Ecosystems? DIVERSITY-BASEL 2013. [DOI: 10.3390/d5030479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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215
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Ziter C, Bennett EM, Gonzalez A. Functional diversity and management mediate aboveground carbon stocks in small forest fragments. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00135.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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216
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Pomati F, Nizzetto L. Assessing triclosan-induced ecological and trans-generational effects in natural phytoplankton communities: a trait-based field method. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2013; 22:779-94. [PMID: 23564369 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-013-1068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
We exposed replicated phytoplankton communities confined in semi-permeable membrane-based mesocosms to 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 μg L(-1) triclosan (TCS) and placed them back in their original environment to investigate the occurrence of trans-generational responses at individual, population and community levels. TCS diffused out of mesocosms with a half-life of less than 8 h, so that only the parental generation was directly stressed. At the beginning of the experiment and after 7 days (approximately 2 generations) we analysed responses in the phytoplankton using scanning flow-cytometry. We acquired information on several individually expressed phenotypic traits, such as size, biovolume, pigment fluorescence and packaging, for thousands of individuals per replicated population and derived population and community aggregated traits. We found significant changes in community functioning (increased productivity in terms of biovolume and total fluorescence), with maximal effects at 1 μg L(-1) TCS. We detected significant and dose-dependent responses on population traits, such as changes in abundance for several populations, increased average size and fluorescence of cells, and strong changes in within-population trait mean and variance (suggesting micro-evolutionary effects). We applied the Price equation approach to partition community effects (changes in biovolume or fluorescence) in their physiological and ecological components, and quantified the residual component (including also evolutionary responses). Our results suggested that evolutionary or inheritable phenotypic plasticity responses may represent a significant component of the total observed change following exposure and over relatively small temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pomati
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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217
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Tomimatsu H, Sasaki T, Kurokawa H, Bridle JR, Fontaine C, Kitano J, Stouffer DB, Vellend M, Bezemer TM, Fukami T, Hadly EA, Heijden MG, Kawata M, Kéfi S, Kraft NJ, McCann KS, Mumby PJ, Nakashizuka T, Petchey OL, Romanuk TN, Suding KN, Takimoto G, Urabe J, Yachi S. FORUM: Sustaining ecosystem functions in a changing world: a call for an integrated approach. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Tomimatsu
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Takehiro Sasaki
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Hiroko Kurokawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Jon R. Bridle
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1UD UK
| | - Colin Fontaine
- CERSP UMR 7204 Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 75005 Paris France
| | - Jun Kitano
- Ecological Genetics Laboratory National Institute of Genetics Shizuoka 411‐8540 Japan
| | - Daniel B. Stouffer
- Integrative Ecology Group Estación Biológical de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) c/Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Sevilla Spain
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - T. Martijn Bezemer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology PO BOX 50, 6700AB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Tadashi Fukami
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | | | - Marcel G.A. Heijden
- Ecological Farming Systems Research Station ART Agroscope Reckenholz Tänikon 8046 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution CNRS UMR 5554 Université de Montpellier II Place Eugène Bataillon CC 065 34095 Montpellier France
| | - Nathan J.B. Kraft
- Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia 6270 University Blvd. Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Kevin S. McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Tohru Nakashizuka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Owen L. Petchey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Tamara N. Romanuk
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax NS B3H 4J1 Canada
| | - Katharine N. Suding
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine Irvine CA 92697‐2525 USA
| | - Gaku Takimoto
- Department of Biology Faculty of Science Toho University Funabashi Chiba 274‐8510 Japan
| | - Jotaro Urabe
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai 980‐8578 Japan
| | - Shigeo Yachi
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu 520‐2113 Japan
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218
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Nichols E. Fear begets function in the ‘brown’ world of detrital food webs. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:717-20. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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219
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Rudolf VHW, Rasmussen NL. Ontogenetic functional diversity: Size structure of a keystone predator drives functioning of a complex ecosystem. Ecology 2013; 94:1046-56. [DOI: 10.1890/12-0378.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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220
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Woodcock P, Edwards DP, Newton RJ, Vun Khen C, Bottrell SH, Hamer KC. Impacts of intensive logging on the trophic organisation of ant communities in a biodiversity hotspot. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60756. [PMID: 23593302 PMCID: PMC3622666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic organisation defines the flow of energy through ecosystems and is a key component of community structure. Widespread and intensifying anthropogenic disturbance threatens to disrupt trophic organisation by altering species composition and relative abundances and by driving shifts in the trophic ecology of species that persist in disturbed ecosystems. We examined how intensive disturbance caused by selective logging affects trophic organisation in the biodiversity hotspot of Sabah, Borneo. Using stable nitrogen isotopes, we quantified the positions in the food web of 159 leaf-litter ant species in unlogged and logged rainforest and tested four predictions: (i) there is a negative relationship between the trophic position of a species in unlogged forest and its change in abundance following logging, (ii) the trophic positions of species are altered by logging, (iii) disturbance alters the frequency distribution of trophic positions within the ant assemblage, and (iv) disturbance reduces food chain length. We found that ant abundance was 30% lower in logged forest than in unlogged forest but changes in abundance of individual species were not related to trophic position, providing no support for prediction (i). However, trophic positions of individual species were significantly higher in logged forest, supporting prediction (ii). Consequently, the frequency distribution of trophic positions differed significantly between unlogged and logged forest, supporting prediction (iii), and food chains were 0.2 trophic levels longer in logged forest, the opposite of prediction (iv). Our results demonstrate that disturbance can alter trophic organisation even without trophically-biased changes in community composition. Nonetheless, the absence of any reduction in food chain length in logged forest suggests that species-rich arthropod food webs do not experience trophic downgrading or a related collapse in trophic organisation despite the disturbance caused by logging. These food webs appear able to bend without breaking in the face of some forms of anthropogenic disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Woodcock
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
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221
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Jabiol J, McKie BG, Bruder A, Bernadet C, Gessner MO, Chauvet E. Trophic complexity enhances ecosystem functioning in an aquatic detritus-based model system. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:1042-51. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brendan G. McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences & Assessment; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; P.O. Box 7050; 75007; Uppsala; Sweden
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222
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Lurgi M, López BC, Montoya JM. Novel communities from climate change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 367:2913-22. [PMID: 23007079 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is generating novel communities composed of new combinations of species. These result from different degrees of species adaptations to changing biotic and abiotic conditions, and from differential range shifts of species. To determine whether the responses of organisms are determined by particular species traits and how species interactions and community dynamics are likely to be disrupted is a challenge. Here, we focus on two key traits: body size and ecological specialization. We present theoretical expectations and empirical evidence on how climate change affects these traits within communities. We then explore how these traits predispose species to shift or expand their distribution ranges, and associated changes on community size structure, food web organization and dynamics. We identify three major broad changes: (i) Shift in the distribution of body sizes towards smaller sizes, (ii) dominance of generalized interactions and the loss of specialized interactions, and (iii) changes in the balance of strong and weak interaction strengths in the short term. We finally identify two major uncertainties: (i) whether large-bodied species tend to preferentially shift their ranges more than small-bodied ones, and (ii) how interaction strengths will change in the long term and in the case of newly interacting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Lurgi
- Ecological Networks and Global Change Group, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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223
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Yvon-Durocher G, Allen AP. Linking community size structure and ecosystem functioning using metabolic theory. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 367:2998-3007. [PMID: 23007088 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how biogeochemical cycles relate to the structure of ecological communities is a central research question in ecology. Here we approach this problem by focusing on body size, which is an easily measured species trait that has a pervasive influence on multiple aspects of community structure and ecosystem functioning. We test the predictions of a model derived from metabolic theory using data on ecosystem metabolism and community size structure. These data were collected as part of an aquatic mesocosm experiment that was designed to simulate future environmental warming. Our analyses demonstrate significant linkages between community size structure and ecosystem functioning, and the effects of warming on these links. Specifically, we show that carbon fluxes were significantly influenced by seasonal variation in temperature, and yielded activation energies remarkably similar to those predicted based on the temperature dependencies of individual-level photosynthesis and respiration. We also show that community size structure significantly influenced fluxes of ecosystem respiration and gross primary production, particularly at the annual time-scale. Assessing size structure and the factors that control it, both empirically and theoretically, therefore promises to aid in understanding links between individual organisms and biogeochemical cycles, and in predicting the responses of key ecosystem functions to future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Yvon-Durocher
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
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224
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Poisot T, Péquin B, Gravel D. High-throughput sequencing: a roadmap toward community ecology. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:1125-39. [PMID: 23610649 PMCID: PMC3631419 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing is becoming increasingly important in microbial ecology, yet it is surprisingly under-used to generate or test biogeographic hypotheses. In this contribution, we highlight how adding these methods to the ecologist toolbox will allow the detection of new patterns, and will help our understanding of the structure and dynamics of diversity. Starting with a review of ecological questions that can be addressed, we move on to the technical and analytical issues that will benefit from an increased collaboration between different disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Poisot
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Stewart Biological Sciences Building1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Bérangère Péquin
- Département de Biologie, Université LavalQuébec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-OcéanQuébec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des (IBIS) SystèmesQuébec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Stewart Biological Sciences Building1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
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225
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Sapijanskas J, Potvin C, Loreau M. Beyond shading: Litter production by neighbors contributes to overyielding in tropical trees. Ecology 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/12-0337.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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226
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Fischer BB, Pomati F, Eggen RIL. The toxicity of chemical pollutants in dynamic natural systems: the challenge of integrating environmental factors and biological complexity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 449:253-9. [PMID: 23428756 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of abiotic and biotic environmental factors, like temperature and predation, can strongly influence the effects of anthropogenic chemical pollutants in natural systems. Responses to toxicants and their interactions with environmental factors can occur at varying temporal scales and at different levels of biological complexity (from cells to organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems). Environmental factors may affect tolerance to toxic pollutants under non-stressful conditions, and cause adverse multiple stressor effects under stressful conditions. Adaptive processes, however, have the potential to either mitigate (by co-tolerance) or increase (due to associated costs) the sensitivity of individuals, populations, and communities to pollutants through selection and evolution of traits (at the individual and population levels) and changes in species composition (at the community level). Responses to such multiple stressor effects on different biological levels and temporal scales are not considered in current risk assessment practices. We suggest that these effects should and can be addressed by: (i) designing ecotoxicological experiments with temporal exposure patterns that accommodate adaptive processes, (ii) using trait-based approaches to assess biological responses and natural selection in an integrated manner, and (iii) using energy allocation models to link responses at different levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat B Fischer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
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227
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Dangles O, Carpio C, Woodward G. Size-dependent species removal impairs ecosystem functioning in a large-scale tropical field experiment. Ecology 2013; 93:2615-25. [PMID: 23431592 DOI: 10.1890/12-0510.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge of ecological research is to assess the functional consequences of species richness loss over time and space in global biodiversity hotspots, where extinctions are happening at an unprecedented rate. To address this issue, greater realism needs to be incorporated into both conceptual and experimental approaches. Here we propose a conceptual model that incorporates body size as a critical aspect of community responses to environmental change, which we tested in the Western Amazonian rain forest, one of the most speciose ecosystems on the planet. We employed an exclosure removal experiment (replicated under 10 microhabitats and four climatic conditions) in which we manipulated access to two types of resource by the whole community of dung and carrion beetles (> 60 species), depending on their size. Our 400 independent measurements revealed that changes in the number of species and functional groups, and temporal patterns in community composition, all affected resource burial rates, a key ecosystem process. Further, the functional contribution of species diversity in each size class was tightly dependent on beetle abundance, and while the role of large species could be performed by abundant smaller ones, and other naturally occurring decomposers, this was not the case when environmental conditions were harsher. These results demonstrate, for the first time in an animal assemblage in a tropical ecosystem, that although species may appear functionally redundant under one set of environmental conditions, many species would be needed to maintain ecosystem functioning at multiple temporal and spatial scales. This highlights the potential fragility of these systems to the ongoing global "Sixth Great Extinction," whose effects are likely to be especially pronounced in the Tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dangles
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Quito, Ecuador.
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228
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Ylla I, Peter H, Romaní AM, Tranvik LJ. Different diversity-functioning relationship in lake and stream bacterial communities. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2013; 85:95-103. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ylla
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology; University of Girona; Girona; Spain
| | | | - Anna M. Romaní
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology; University of Girona; Girona; Spain
| | - Lars J. Tranvik
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology; Uppsala University; Uppsala; Sweden
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229
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Bowker MA, Maestre FT, Mau RL. Diversity and Patch-Size Distributions of Biological Soil Crusts Regulate Dryland Ecosystem Multifunctionality. Ecosystems 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9644-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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230
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D'ors A, Bartolomé MC, Sánchez-Fortún S. Toxic risk associated with sporadic occurrences of Microcystis aeruginosa blooms from tidal rivers in marine and estuarine ecosystems and its impact on Artemia franciscana nauplii populations. CHEMOSPHERE 2013; 90:2187-2192. [PMID: 23246722 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Revised: 11/06/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Microcystis aeruginosa is a species of freshwater cyanobacteria which can form harmful algal blooms in freshwater water bodies worldwide. However, in spite its sporadic occurrences for short periods of time in estuarine waters, their influence on zooplankton populations present in these ecosystems has not been extensively studied. In this work, Artemia franciscana was used as test organism model, studying mortality against several strains of M. aeruginosa with different degrees of toxigenicity, measuring whole-live cells and homogenate extracts. Results were compared with microcystin-LR equivalent content, measured by immunoassay. The results show that there were no significant differences between both exposure models (whole cells and extracts), and there are significant differences respect to the toxigenicity of cyanobacterial blooms depending of the M. aerugionosa strain involved in the process. Analysis of microcystin-LR equivalent concentration test immediately below the lowest significant concentration in all M. aerugionosa strains was used to determine the potential risk associated with the cell densities during a bloom. Comparison among the selected M. aerugionsa strains show that these factors have influence in the results obtained, and thus, several differences have been evidenced depending of the microcystin-LR equivalent production and the strain type involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D'ors
- Dpto. Toxicología y Farmacología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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231
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Phylogenetic constraints on ecosystem functioning. Nat Commun 2013; 3:1117. [PMID: 23047675 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is consensus that biodiversity losses will result in declining ecosystem functioning if species have different functional traits. Phylogenetic diversity has recently been suggested as a predictor of ecosystem functioning because it could approximate the functional complementarity among species. Here we describe an experiment that takes advantage of the rapid evolutionary response of bacteria to disentangle the role of phylogenetic and species diversity. We impose a strong selection regime on marine bacterial lineages and assemble the ancestral and evolved lines in microcosms of varying lineage and phylogenetic diversity. We find that the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and productivity is strong for the ancestral lineages but brakes down for the evolved lineages. Our results not only emphasize the potential of using phylogeny to evaluate ecosystem functioning, but also they warn against using phylogenetics as a proxy for functional diversity without good information on species evolutionary history.
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232
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Brittain C, Williams N, Kremen C, Klein AM. Synergistic effects of non-Apis bees and honey bees for pollination services. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20122767. [PMID: 23303545 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In diverse pollinator communities, interspecific interactions may modify the behaviour and increase the pollination effectiveness of individual species. Because agricultural production reliant on pollination is growing, improving pollination effectiveness could increase crop yield without any increase in agricultural intensity or area. In California almond, a crop highly dependent on honey bee pollination, we explored the foraging behaviour and pollination effectiveness of honey bees in orchards with simple (honey bee only) and diverse (non-Apis bees present) bee communities. In orchards with non-Apis bees, the foraging behaviour of honey bees changed and the pollination effectiveness of a single honey bee visit was greater than in orchards where non-Apis bees were absent. This change translated to a greater proportion of fruit set in these orchards. Our field experiments show that increased pollinator diversity can synergistically increase pollination service, through species interactions that alter the behaviour and resulting functional quality of a dominant pollinator species. These results of functional synergy between species were supported by an additional controlled cage experiment with Osmia lignaria and Apis mellifera. Our findings highlight a largely unexplored facilitative component of the benefit of biodiversity to ecosystem services, and represent a way to improve pollinator-dependent crop yields in a sustainable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Brittain
- Institute of Ecology, Ecosystem Functions, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany.
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233
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Bohan DA, Raybould A, Mulder C, Woodward G, Tamaddoni-Nezhad A, Bluthgen N, Pocock MJ, Muggleton S, Evans DM, Astegiano J, Massol F, Loeuille N, Petit S, Macfadyen S. Networking Agroecology. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00001-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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234
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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]
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235
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Ecosystems and Their Services in a Changing World. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-417199-2.00001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
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236
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Mori AS, Furukawa T, Sasaki T. Response diversity determines the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2012; 88:349-64. [PMID: 23217173 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence highlights the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem stability and the maintenance of optimal ecosystem functionality. Conservation measures are thus essential to safeguard the ecosystem services that biodiversity provides and human society needs. Current anthropogenic threats may lead to detrimental (and perhaps irreversible) ecosystem degradation, providing strong motivation to evaluate the response of ecological communities to various anthropogenic pressures. In particular, ecosystem functions that sustain key ecosystem services should be identified and prioritized for conservation action. Traditional diversity measures (e.g. 'species richness') may not adequately capture the aspects of biodiversity most relevant to ecosystem stability and functionality, but several new concepts may be more appropriate. These include 'response diversity', describing the variation of responses to environmental change among species of a particular community. Response diversity may also be a key determinant of ecosystem resilience in the face of anthropogenic pressures and environmental uncertainty. However, current understanding of response diversity is poor, and we see an urgent need to disentangle the conceptual strands that pervade studies of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Our review clarifies the links between response diversity and the maintenance of ecosystem functionality by focusing on the insurance hypothesis of biodiversity and the concept of functional redundancy. We provide a conceptual model to describe how loss of response diversity may cause ecosystem degradation through decreased ecosystem resilience. We explicitly explain how response diversity contributes to functional compensation and to spatio-temporal complementarity among species, leading to long-term maintenance of ecosystem multifunctionality. Recent quantitative studies suggest that traditional diversity measures may often be uncoupled from measures (such as response diversity) that may be more effective proxies for ecosystem stability and resilience. Certain conclusions and recommendations of earlier studies using these traditional measures as indicators of ecosystem resilience thus may be suspect. We believe that functional ecology perspectives incorporating the effects and responses of diversity are essential for development of management strategies to safeguard (and restore) optimal ecosystem functionality (especially multifunctionality). Our review highlights these issues and we envision our work generating debate around the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functionality, and leading to improved conservation priorities and biodiversity management practices that maximize ecosystem resilience in the face of uncertain environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira S Mori
- Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan.
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237
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Törnroos A, Bonsdorff E. Developing the multitrait concept for functional diversity: lessons from a system rich in functions but poor in species. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2012; 22:2221-36. [PMID: 23387121 DOI: 10.1890/11-2042.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies focusing on the linkage between numerical and functional trait diversity frequently consider functional diversity indices but rarely evaluate them empirically or evaluate the use of other than continuous traits such as body size. Here, we present an extensive compilation on functional knowledge of benthic macrofauna using the categorical trait approach and scores of both common and rare species for 25 biological traits, including 102 modalities. We empirically quantify functional trait richness, within-trait species richness (redundancy), and trait variability on a large regional scale (> 1000 km), in three environmentally different areas (basins of a sea), over a long time-span (10 years). To develop further the usage of multiple categorical traits as an analysis tool, we examine the effect of sampling effort for the understanding of the functional properties of the benthic meta-assemblages. We also evaluate the relationship between species richness and trait richness in order to understand co-variation between trait modalities and how traits are packaged within species. Results show that the biological diversity in terms of traits could be distinguished between areas of higher and lower salinity, higher and lower anthropogenic stress, and higher and lower species richness. A considerably lower number of samples are needed to portray the functional structure of an area in relation to the taxonomic structure, thereby demonstrating the advantage of using traits when considering management and conservation issues. Using categorical traits empirically requires, as shown within this study, an understanding of the relationship between species richness and expression of traits, covariation of traits at different species richness and composition levels, acknowledgment of differences in trait expressions between common and rare species, and variability in abundance of species. Empirical trait-based analysis can reveal large-scale differences and insights into complexities between assemblage structure and function, and simultaneously be a valid tool for finding generalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Törnroos
- Abo Akademi University, Department of Biosciences, Environmental and Marine Biology, Artillerigatan 6, Abo FIN 20520, Finland.
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238
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Schneider FD, Brose U. Beyond diversity: how nested predator effects control ecosystem functions. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:64-71. [PMID: 23173560 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The global decline in biodiversity is especially evident in higher trophic levels as predators display higher sensitivity to environmental change than organisms from lower trophic levels. This is even more alarming given the paucity of knowledge about the role of individual predator species in sustaining ecosystem functioning. The effect of predator diversity on lower trophic level prey is often driven by the increasing chance of including the most influential species. Furthermore, intraguild predation can cause trophic cascades with net positive effects on basal prey. As a consequence, the effects of losing a predator species appear to be idiosyncratic and it becomes unpredictable how the community's net effect on lower trophic levels changes when species number is declining. We performed a full factorial microcosm experiment with litter layer arthropods to measure the effects of predator diversity and context-dependent identity effects on a detritivore population and microbial biomass. We show that major parts of the observed diversity effect can be assigned to the increasing likelihood of including the most influential predator. Further, the presence of a second predator feeding on the first predator dampens this dominant effect. Including this intraguild predator on top of the first predator is more likely with increasing predator diversity as well. Thus, the overall pattern can be explained by a second identity effect, which is nested into the first. When losing a predator from the community, the response of the lower trophic level is highly dependent on the remaining predator species. We mechanistically explain the net effects of the predator community on lower trophic levels by nested effects of predator identities. These identity effects become predictable when taking the species' body masses into account. This provides a new mechanistic perspective describing ecosystem functioning as a consequence of species composition and yields an understanding beyond simple effects of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Dirk Schneider
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg August University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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239
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Hulme PE, Pyšek P, Jarošík V, Pergl J, Schaffner U, Vilà M. Bias and error in understanding plant invasion impacts. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 28:212-8. [PMID: 23153723 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative assessments of alien plant impacts are essential to inform management to ensure that resources are prioritized against the most problematic species and that restoration targets the worst-affected ecosystem processes. Here, we present the first detailed critique of quantitative field studies of alien plant impacts and highlight biases in the biogeography and life form of the target species, the responses assessed, and the extent to which spatial variability is addressed. Observed impacts often fail to translate to ecosystem services or evidence of environmental degradation. The absence of overarching hypotheses regarding impacts has reduced the consistency of approaches worldwide and prevented the development of predictive tools. Future studies must ensure that the links between species traits, ecosystem stocks, and ecosystem flows, as well as ecosystem services, are explicitly defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Hulme
- The Bio-Protection Research Centre, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.
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240
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Fenoglio MS, Srivastava D, Valladares G, Cagnolo L, Salvo A. Forest fragmentation reduces parasitism via species loss at multiple trophic levels. Ecology 2012; 93:2407-20. [DOI: 10.1890/11-2043.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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241
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Poisot T, Canard E, Mouillot D, Mouquet N, Gravel D. The dissimilarity of species interaction networks. Ecol Lett 2012; 15:1353-61. [PMID: 22994257 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Revised: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In a context of global changes, and amidst the perpetual modification of community structure undergone by most natural ecosystems, it is more important than ever to understand how species interactions vary through space and time. The integration of biogeography and network theory will yield important results and further our understanding of species interactions. It has, however, been hampered so far by the difficulty to quantify variation among interaction networks. Here, we propose a general framework to study the dissimilarity of species interaction networks over time, space or environments, allowing both the use of quantitative and qualitative data. We decompose network dissimilarity into interactions and species turnover components, so that it is immediately comparable to common measures of β-diversity. We emphasise that scaling up β-diversity of community composition to the β-diversity of interactions requires only a small methodological step, which we foresee will help empiricists adopt this method. We illustrate the framework with a large dataset of hosts and parasites interactions and highlight other possible usages. We discuss a research agenda towards a biogeographical theory of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Poisot
- Département de biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada.
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242
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Caliman A, Carneiro LS, Leal JJF, Farjalla VF, Bozelli RL, Esteves FA. Community biomass and bottom up multivariate nutrient complementarity mediate the effects of bioturbator diversity on pelagic production. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44925. [PMID: 22984586 PMCID: PMC3440345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tests of the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationship have focused little attention on the importance of interactions between species diversity and other attributes of ecological communities such as community biomass. Moreover, BEF research has been mainly derived from studies measuring a single ecosystem process that often represents resource consumption within a given habitat. Focus on single processes has prevented us from exploring the characteristics of ecosystem processes that can be critical in helping us to identify how novel pathways throughout BEF mechanisms may operate. Here, we investigated whether and how the effects of biodiversity mediated by non-trophic interactions among benthic bioturbator species vary according to community biomass and ecosystem processes. We hypothesized that (1) bioturbator biomass and species richness interact to affect the rates of benthic nutrient regeneration [dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP)] and consequently bacterioplankton production (BP) and that (2) the complementarity effects of diversity will be stronger on BP than on nutrient regeneration because the former represents a more integrative process that can be mediated by multivariate nutrient complementarity. We show that the effects of bioturbator diversity on nutrient regeneration increased BP via multivariate nutrient complementarity. Consistent with our prediction, the complementarity effects were significantly stronger on BP than on DIN and TDP. The effects of the biomass-species richness interaction on complementarity varied among the individual processes, but the aggregated measures of complementarity over all ecosystem processes were significantly higher at the highest community biomass level. Our results suggest that the complementarity effects of biodiversity can be stronger on more integrative ecosystem processes, which integrate subsidiary "simpler" processes, via multivariate complementarity. In addition, reductions in community biomass may decrease the strength of interspecific interactions so that the enhanced effects of biodiversity on ecosystem processes can disappear well before species become extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Caliman
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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243
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Jucker T, Coomes DA. Comment on "Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands". Science 2012. [PMID: 22798584 DOI: 10.1126/science.1220473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Maestre et al. (Reports, 13 January 2012, p. 214) reported a general, but weak, positive relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands. We show that the strength of this relationship changes consistently along multiple environmental gradients, becoming strongly positive in stressed habitats. This suggests that biodiversity loss may have especially strong consequences in harsh environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Jucker
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
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244
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Hines J, Gessner MO. Consumer trophic diversity as a fundamental mechanism linking predation and ecosystem functioning. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:1146-1153. [PMID: 22676625 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.02003.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Primary production and decomposition, two fundamental processes determining the functioning of ecosystems, may be sensitive to changes in biodiversity and food web interactions. 2. The impacts of food web interactions on ecosystem functioning are generally quantified by experimentally decoupling these linked processes and examining either primary production-based (green) or decomposition-based (brown) food webs in isolation. This decoupling may strongly limit our ability to assess the importance of food web interactions on ecosystem processes. 3. To evaluate how consumer trophic diversity mediates predator effects on ecosystem functioning, we conducted a mesocosm experiment and a field study using an assemblage of invertebrates that naturally co-occur on North Atlantic coastal saltmarshes. We measured the indirect impact of predation on primary production and leaf decomposition as a result of prey communities composed of herbivores alone, detritivores alone or both prey in combination. 4. We find that primary consumers can influence ecosystem process rates not only within, but also across green and brown sub-webs. Moreover, by feeding on a functionally diverse consumer assemblage comprised of both herbivores and detritivores, generalist predators can diffuse consumer effects on decomposition, primary production and feedbacks between the two processes. 5. These results indicate that maintaining functional diversity among primary consumers can alter the consequences of traditional trophic cascades, and they emphasize the role of the detritus-based sub-web when seeking key biotic drivers of plant production. Clearly, traditional compartmentalization of empirical food webs can limit our ability to predict the influence of food web interactions on ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jes Hines
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USADepartment of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, SwitzerlandDepartment of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, GermanyDepartment of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany
| | - Mark O Gessner
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USADepartment of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, SwitzerlandDepartment of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, GermanyDepartment of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany
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245
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McMahon TA, Halstead NT, Johnson S, Raffel TR, Romansic JM, Crumrine PW, Rohr JR. Fungicide-induced declines of freshwater biodiversity modify ecosystem functions and services. Ecol Lett 2012; 15:714-22. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01790.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Taegan A. McMahon
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa; FL; 33620; USA
| | - Neal T. Halstead
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa; FL; 33620; USA
| | - Steven Johnson
- Gulf Coast Research and Education Center; University of Florida; Wimauma; FL; 33598; USA
| | | | - John M. Romansic
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa; FL; 33620; USA
| | - Patrick W. Crumrine
- Department of Biological Sciences; Rowan University; Glassboro; NJ; 08028; USA
| | - Jason R. Rohr
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa; FL; 33620; USA
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246
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Johnson D, Martin F, Cairney JWG, Anderson IC. The importance of individuals: intraspecific diversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi in ecosystems. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 194:614-628. [PMID: 22489902 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04087.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
A key component of biodiversity is the number and abundance of individuals (i.e. genotypes), and yet such intraspecific diversity is rarely considered when investigating the effects of biodiversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi on ecosystem processes. Within a species, individuals vary considerably in important reproductive and functional attributes, including carbon fixation, mycelial growth and nutrient utilization, but this is driven by both genetic and environmental (including climatic) factors. The interactions between individual plants and mycorrhizal fungi can have important consequences for the maintenance of biodiversity and regulation of resource transfers in ecosystems. There is also emerging evidence that assemblages of genotypes may affect ecosystem processes to a similar extent as assemblages of species. The application of whole-genome sequencing and population genomics to mycorrhizal plants and fungi will be crucial to determine the extent to which individual variation in key functional attributes is genetically based. We argue the need to unravel the importance of the diversity (especially assemblages of different evenness and richness) of individuals of both mycorrhizal plants and fungi, and the need to take a 'community genetics' approach to better understand the functional significance of the biodiversity of mycorrhizal symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Johnson
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Cruickshank Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Francis Martin
- INRA, UMR 1136 INRA/University Henri Poincaré, Interactions Arbres/Micro-organismes, Centre de Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
| | - John W G Cairney
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian C Anderson
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia
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247
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Philpott SM, Pardee GL, Gonthier DJ. Cryptic biodiversity effects: importance of functional redundancy revealed through addition of food web complexity. Ecology 2012; 93:992-1001. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1431.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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248
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Dossena M, Yvon-Durocher G, Grey J, Montoya JM, Perkins DM, Trimmer M, Woodward G. Warming alters community size structure and ecosystem functioning. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3011-9. [PMID: 22496185 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming can affect all levels of biological complexity, though we currently understand least about its potential impact on communities and ecosystems. At the ecosystem level, warming has the capacity to alter the structure of communities and the rates of key ecosystem processes they mediate. Here we assessed the effects of a 4°C rise in temperature on the size structure and taxonomic composition of benthic communities in aquatic mesocosms, and the rates of detrital decomposition they mediated. Warming had no effect on biodiversity, but altered community size structure in two ways. In spring, warmer systems exhibited steeper size spectra driven by declines in total community biomass and the proportion of large organisms. By contrast, in autumn, warmer systems had shallower size spectra driven by elevated total community biomass and a greater proportion of large organisms. Community-level shifts were mirrored by changes in decomposition rates. Temperature-corrected microbial and macrofaunal decomposition rates reflected the shifts in community structure and were strongly correlated with biomass across mesocosms. Our study demonstrates that the 4°C rise in temperature expected by the end of the century has the potential to alter the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems profoundly, as well as the intimate linkages between these levels of ecological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dossena
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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249
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García D, Martínez D. Species richness matters for the quality of ecosystem services: a test using seed dispersal by frugivorous birds. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3106-13. [PMID: 22456879 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The positive link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a current paradigm in ecological science. However, little is known of how different attributes of species assemblages condition the quality of many services in real ecosystems affected by human impact. We explore the links between the attributes of a frugivore assemblage and the quantitative and qualitative components of its derived ecosystem service, seed dispersal, along a landscape-scale gradient of anthropogenic forest loss. Both the number and the richness of seeds being dispersed were positively related to frugivore abundance and richness. Seed dispersal quality, determined by the fine-scale spatial patterns of seed deposition, mostly depended on frugivore richness. In fact, richness was the only attribute of the frugivore assemblage affecting the probability of seed dispersal into deforested areas of the landscape. The positive relationships between frugivore richness per se (i.e. independent of frugivore abundance and composition) and all components of seed dispersal suggest the existence of functional complementarity and/or facilitation between frugivores. These links also point to the whole assemblage of frugivores as a conservation target, if we aim to preserve a complete seed dispersal service and, hence, the potential for vegetation regeneration and recovery, in human-impacted landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García
- Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), 33071 Oviedo, Spain.
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250
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Mouquet N, Devictor V, Meynard CN, Munoz F, Bersier LF, Chave J, Couteron P, Dalecky A, Fontaine C, Gravel D, Hardy OJ, Jabot F, Lavergne S, Leibold M, Mouillot D, Münkemüller T, Pavoine S, Prinzing A, Rodrigues ASL, Rohr RP, Thébault E, Thuiller W. Ecophylogenetics: advances and perspectives. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2012; 87:769-85. [PMID: 22432924 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2012.00224.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecophylogenetics can be viewed as an emerging fusion of ecology, biogeography and macroevolution. This new and fast-growing field is promoting the incorporation of evolution and historical contingencies into the ecological research agenda through the widespread use of phylogenetic data. Including phylogeny into ecological thinking represents an opportunity for biologists from different fields to collaborate and has provided promising avenues of research in both theoretical and empirical ecology, towards a better understanding of the assembly of communities, the functioning of ecosystems and their responses to environmental changes. The time is ripe to assess critically the extent to which the integration of phylogeny into these different fields of ecology has delivered on its promise. Here we review how phylogenetic information has been used to identify better the key components of species interactions with their biotic and abiotic environments, to determine the relationships between diversity and ecosystem functioning and ultimately to establish good management practices to protect overall biodiversity in the face of global change. We evaluate the relevance of information provided by phylogenies to ecologists, highlighting current potential weaknesses and needs for future developments. We suggest that despite the strong progress that has been made, a consistent unified framework is still missing to link local ecological dynamics to macroevolution. This is a necessary step in order to interpret observed phylogenetic patterns in a wider ecological context. Beyond the fundamental question of how evolutionary history contributes to shape communities, ecophylogenetics will help ecology to become a better integrative and predictive science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Mouquet
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR, CNRS, Université Montpellier, France.
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