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Lopez LK, Gil MA, Crowley PH, Trimmer PC, Munson A, Ligocki IY, Michelangeli M, Sih A. Integrating animal behaviour into research on multiple environmental stressors: a conceptual framework. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1345-1364. [PMID: 37004993 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
While a large body of research has focused on the physiological effects of multiple environmental stressors, how behavioural and life-history plasticity mediate multiple-stressor effects remains underexplored. Behavioural plasticity can not only drive organism-level responses to stressors directly but can also mediate physiological responses. Here, we provide a conceptual framework incorporating four fundamental trade-offs that explicitly link animal behaviour to life-history-based pathways for energy allocation, shaping the impact of multiple stressors on fitness. We first address how small-scale behavioural changes can either mediate or drive conflicts between the effects of multiple stressors and alternative physiological responses. We then discuss how animal behaviour gives rise to three additional understudied and interrelated trade-offs: balancing the benefits and risks of obtaining the energy needed to cope with stressors, allocation of energy between life-history traits and stressor responses, and larger-scale escape from stressors in space or time via large-scale movement or dormancy. Finally, we outline how these trade-offs interactively affect fitness and qualitative ecological outcomes resulting from multiple stressors. Our framework suggests that explicitly considering animal behaviour should enrich our mechanistic understanding of stressor effects, help explain extensive context dependence observed in these effects, and highlight promising avenues for future empirical and theoretical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K Lopez
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Corner Hawkesbury Road & Hainsworth Street, Westmead, New South Wales, 2145, Australia
| | - Michael A Gil
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Ramaley N122/Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309-0334, USA
| | - Philip H Crowley
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, 195 Huguelet Drive, 101 Thomas Hunt Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, 40506-0225, USA
| | - Pete C Trimmer
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, University Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Amelia Munson
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Isaac Y Ligocki
- Department of Biology, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Roddy Science Hall, PO Box 1002, Millersville, PA, 17551, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, Umeå, SE-907 36, Sweden
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, 2132 Wickson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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2
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Nagelkerken I, Connell SD. Ocean acidification drives global reshuffling of ecological communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:7038-7048. [PMID: 36172974 PMCID: PMC9828364 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The paradigm that climate change will alter global marine biodiversity is one of the most widely accepted. Yet, its predictions remain difficult to test because laboratory systems are inadequate at incorporating ecological complexity, and common biodiversity metrics have varying sensitivity to detect change. Here, we test for the prevalence of global responses in biodiversity and community-level change to future climate (acidification and warming) from studies at volcanic CO2 vents across four major global coastal ecosystems and studies in laboratory mesocosms. We detected globally replicable patterns of species replacements and community reshuffling under ocean acidification in major natural ecosystems, yet species diversity and other common biodiversity metrics were often insensitive to detect such community change, even under significant habitat loss. Where there was a lack of consistent patterns of biodiversity change, these were a function of similar numbers of studies observing negative versus positive species responses to climate stress. Laboratory studies showed weaker sensitivity to detect species replacements and community reshuffling in general. We conclude that common biodiversity metrics can be insensitive in revealing the anticipated effects of climate stress on biodiversity-even under significant biogenic habitat loss-and can mask widespread reshuffling of ecological communities in a future ocean. Although the influence of ocean acidification on community restructuring can be less evident than species loss, such changes can drive the dynamics of ecosystem stability or their functional change. Importantly, species identity matters, representing a substantial influence of future oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment InstituteThe University of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Sean D. Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment InstituteThe University of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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3
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Leung JYS, Zhang S, Connell SD. Is Ocean Acidification Really a Threat to Marine Calcifiers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 980+ Studies Spanning Two Decades. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107407. [PMID: 35934837 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification is considered detrimental to marine calcifiers, but mounting contradictory evidence suggests a need to revisit this concept. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to critically re-evaluate the prevailing paradigm of negative effects of ocean acidification on calcifiers. Based on 5153 observations from 985 studies, many calcifiers (e.g., echinoderms, crustaceans, and cephalopods) are found to be tolerant to near-future ocean acidification (pH ≈ 7.8 by the year 2100), but coccolithophores, calcifying algae, and corals appear to be sensitive. Calcifiers are generally more sensitive at the larval stage than adult stage. Over 70% of the observations in growth and calcification are non-negative, implying the acclimation capacity of many calcifiers to ocean acidification. This capacity can be mediated by phenotypic plasticity (e.g., physiological, mineralogical, structural, and molecular adjustments), transgenerational plasticity, increased food availability, or species interactions. The results suggest that the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifiers are less deleterious than initially thought as their adaptability has been underestimated. Therefore, in the forthcoming era of ocean acidification research, it is advocated that studying how marine organisms persist is as important as studying how they perish, and that future hypotheses and experimental designs are not constrained within the paradigm of negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Y S Leung
- Faculty of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Sam Zhang
- Faculty of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
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4
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Fanelli E, Di Giacomo S, Gambi C, Bianchelli S, Da Ros Z, Tangherlini M, Andaloro F, Romeo T, Corinaldesi C, Danovaro R. Effects of Local Acidification on Benthic Communities at Shallow Hydrothermal Vents of the Aeolian Islands (Southern Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean Sea). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020321. [PMID: 35205186 PMCID: PMC8868750 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The Aeolian Islands (Mediterranean Sea) host a unique hydrothermal system called the "Smoking Land" due to the presence of over 200 volcanic CO2-vents, resulting in water acidification phenomena and the creation of an acidified benthic environment. Here, we report the results of a study conducted at three sites located at ca. 16, 40, and 80 m of depth, and characterized by CO2 emissions to assess the effects of acidification on meio- and macrobenthic assemblages. Acidification caused significant changes in both meio- and macrofaunal assemblages, with a clear decrease in terms of abundance and a shift in community composition. A noticeable reduction in biomass was observed only for macrofauna. The most sensitive meiofaunal taxa were kinorhynchs and turbellarians that disappeared at the CO2 sites, while the abundance of halacarids and ostracods increased, possibly as a result of the larger food availability and the lower predatory pressures by the sensitive meiofaunal and macrofaunal taxa. Sediment acidification also causes the disappearance of more sensitive macrofaunal taxa, such as gastropods, and the increase in tolerant taxa such as oligochaetes. We conclude that the effects of shallow CO2-vents result in the progressive simplification of community structure and biodiversity loss due to the disappearance of the most sensitive meio- and macrofaunal taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Fanelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Simone Di Giacomo
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Cristina Gambi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Silvia Bianchelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Zaira Da Ros
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Michael Tangherlini
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Franco Andaloro
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Teresa Romeo
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning (SIMAU), Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.D.G.); (C.G.); (S.B.); (Z.D.R.); (R.D.)
- Stazione Zoologica di Napoli Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80100 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (F.A.); (T.R.)
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5
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Harvey BP, Kon K, Agostini S, Wada S, Hall-Spencer JM. Ocean acidification locks algal communities in a species-poor early successional stage. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2174-2187. [PMID: 33423359 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to CO2 -enriched waters can considerably alter marine biological community development, often resulting in simplified systems dominated by turf algae that possess reduced biodiversity and low ecological complexity. Current understanding of the underlying processes by which ocean acidification alters biological community development and stability remains limited, making the management of such shifts problematic. Here, we deployed recruitment tiles in reference (pHT 8.137 ± 0.056 SD) and CO2 -enriched conditions (pHT 7.788 ± 0.105 SD) at a volcanic CO2 seep in Japan to assess the underlying processes and patterns of algal community development. We assessed (i) algal community succession in two different seasons (Cooler months: January-July, and warmer months: July-January), (ii) the effects of initial community composition on subsequent community succession (by reciprocally transplanting preestablished communities for a further 6 months), and (iii) the community production of resulting communities, to assess how their functioning was altered (following 12 months recruitment). Settlement tiles became dominated by turf algae under CO2 -enrichment and had lower biomass, diversity and complexity, a pattern consistent across seasons. This locked the community in a species-poor early successional stage. In terms of community functioning, the elevated pCO2 community had greater net community production, but this did not result in increased algal community cover, biomass, biodiversity or structural complexity. Taken together, this shows that both new and established communities become simplified by rising CO2 levels. Our transplant of preestablished communities from enriched CO2 to reference conditions demonstrated their high resilience, since they became indistinguishable from communities maintained entirely in reference conditions. This shows that meaningful reductions in pCO2 can enable the recovery of algal communities. By understanding the ecological processes responsible for driving shifts in community composition, we can better assess how communities are likely to be altered by ocean acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben P Harvey
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Koetsu Kon
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Sylvain Agostini
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shigeki Wada
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Jason M Hall-Spencer
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
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6
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Pinek L, Mansour I, Lakovic M, Ryo M, Rillig MC. Rate of environmental change across scales in ecology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1798-1811. [PMID: 32761787 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The rate of change (RoC) of environmental drivers matters: biotic and abiotic components respond differently when faced with a fast or slow change in their environment. This phenomenon occurs across spatial scales and thus levels of ecological organization. We investigated the RoC of environmental drivers in the ecological literature and examined publication trends across ecological levels, including prevalent types of evidence and drivers. Research interest in environmental driver RoC has increased over time (particularly in the last decade), however, the amount of research and type of studies were not equally distributed across levels of organization and different subfields of ecology use temporal terminology (e.g. 'abrupt' and 'gradual') differently, making it difficult to compare studies. At the level of individual organisms, evidence indicates that responses and underlying mechanisms are different when environmental driver treatments are applied at different rates, thus we propose including a time dimension into reaction norms. There is much less experimental evidence at higher levels of ecological organization (i.e. population, community, ecosystem), although theoretical work at the population level indicates the importance of RoC for evolutionary responses. We identified very few studies at the community and ecosystem levels, although existing evidence indicates that driver RoC is important at these scales and potentially could be particularly important for some processes, such as community stability and cascade effects. We recommend shifting from a categorical (e.g. abrupt versus gradual) to a quantitative and continuous (e.g. °C/h) RoC framework and explicit reporting of RoC parameters, including magnitude, duration and start and end points to ease cross-scale synthesis and alleviate ambiguity. Understanding how driver RoC affects individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems, and furthermore how these effects can feed back between levels is critical to making improved predictions about ecological responses to global change drivers. The application of a unified quantitative RoC framework for ecological studies investigating environmental driver RoC will both allow cross-scale synthesis to be accomplished more easily and has the potential for the generation of novel hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Pinek
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - India Mansour
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Milica Lakovic
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
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7
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Brown NEM, Bernhardt JR, Harley CDG. Energetic context determines species and community responses to ocean acidification. Ecology 2020; 101:e03073. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Norah E. M. Brown
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Joey R. Bernhardt
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
| | - Christopher D. G. Harley
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 British Columbia Canada
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8
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Resistance of seagrass habitats to ocean acidification via altered interactions in a tri-trophic chain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5103. [PMID: 32198395 PMCID: PMC7083920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the wide knowledge about prevalent effects of ocean acidification on single species, the consequences on species interactions that may promote or prevent habitat shifts are still poorly understood. Using natural CO2 vents, we investigated changes in a key tri-trophic chain embedded within all its natural complexity in seagrass systems. We found that seagrass habitats remain stable at vents despite the changes in their tri-trophic components. Under high pCO2, the feeding of a key herbivore (sea urchin) on a less palatable seagrass and its associated epiphytes decreased, whereas the feeding on higher-palatable green algae increased. We also observed a doubled density of a predatory wrasse under acidified conditions. Bottom-up CO2 effects interact with top-down control by predators to maintain the abundance of sea urchin populations under ambient and acidified conditions. The weakened urchin herbivory on a seagrass that was subjected to an intense fish herbivory at vents compensates the overall herbivory pressure on the habitat-forming seagrass. Overall plasticity of the studied system components may contribute to prevent habitat loss and to stabilize the system under acidified conditions. Thus, preserving the network of species interactions in seagrass ecosystems may help to minimize the impacts of ocean acidification in near-future oceans.
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9
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Ferreira CM, Nagelkerken I, Goldenberg SU, Walden G, Leung JYS, Connell SD. Functional loss in herbivores drives runaway expansion of weedy algae in a near-future ocean. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 695:133829. [PMID: 31421342 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability of a community to absorb environmental change without undergoing structural modification is a hallmark of ecological resistance. The recognition that species interactions can stabilize community processes has led to the idea that the effects of climate change may be less than what most considerations currently allow. We tested whether herbivory can compensate for the expansion of weedy algae triggered by CO2 enrichment and warming. Using a six-month mesocosm experiment, we show that increasing per capita herbivory by gastropods absorbs the boosted effects of CO2 enrichment on algal production in temperate systems of weak to moderate herbivory. However, under the combined effects of acidification and warming this compensatory effect was eroded by reducing the diversity, density and biomass of herbivores. This loss of functionality combined with boosted primary productivity drove a fourfold expansion of weedy algal species. Our results demonstrate capacity to buffer ecosystems against CO2 enrichment, but loss of this capacity through ocean warming either in isolation or combined with CO2, driving significant algal turf expansion. Identifying compensatory processes and the circumstances under which they prevail could potentially help manage the impacts of ocean warming and acidification, which are further amplified by local disturbances such as habitat loss and herbivore over-exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo M Ferreira
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Silvan U Goldenberg
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Georgia Walden
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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10
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Leung JYS, Doubleday ZA, Nagelkerken I, Chen Y, Xie Z, Connell SD. How calorie-rich food could help marine calcifiers in a CO 2-rich future. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190757. [PMID: 31288703 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing carbon emissions not only enrich oceans with CO2 but also make them more acidic. This acidifying process has caused considerable concern because laboratory studies show that ocean acidification impairs calcification (or shell building) and survival of calcifiers by the end of this century. Whether this impairment in shell building also occurs in natural communities remains largely unexplored, but requires re-examination because of the recent counterintuitive finding that populations of calcifiers can be boosted by CO2 enrichment. Using natural CO2 vents, we found that ocean acidification resulted in the production of thicker, more crystalline and more mechanically resilient shells of a herbivorous gastropod, which was associated with the consumption of energy-enriched food (i.e. algae). This discovery suggests that boosted energy transfer may not only compensate for the energetic burden of ocean acidification but also enable calcifiers to build energetically costly shells that are robust to acidified conditions. We unlock a possible mechanism underlying the persistence of calcifiers in acidifying oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Y S Leung
- 1 Faculty of Materials and Energy, Southwest University , Chongqing 400715 , People's Republic of China.,2 Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
| | - Zoë A Doubleday
- 2 Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia.,3 Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- 2 Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
| | - Yujie Chen
- 1 Faculty of Materials and Energy, Southwest University , Chongqing 400715 , People's Republic of China.,4 School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
| | - Zonghan Xie
- 4 School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia.,5 School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University , WA 6027 , Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- 2 Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
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11
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Cross EL, Harper EM, Peck LS. Thicker Shells Compensate Extensive Dissolution in Brachiopods under Future Ocean Acidification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:5016-5026. [PMID: 30925214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Organisms with long generation times require phenotypic plasticity to survive in changing environments until genetic adaptation can be achieved. Marine calcifiers are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification due to dissolution and a reduction in shell-building carbonate ions. Long-term experiments assess organisms' abilities to acclimatize or even adapt to environmental change. Here we present an unexpected compensatory response to extensive shell dissolution in a highly calcium-carbonate-dependent organism after long-term culture in predicted end-century acidification and warming conditions. Substantial shell dissolution with decreasing pH posed a threat to both a polar ( Liothyrella uva) and a temperate ( Calloria inconspicua) brachiopod after 7 months and 3 months exposure, respectively, with more extensive dissolution in the polar species. This impact was reflected in decreased outer primary layer thickness in the polar brachiopod. A compensatory response of increasing inner secondary layer thickness, and thereby producing a thicker shell, was exhibited by the polar species. Less extensive dissolution in the temperate brachiopod did not affect shell thickness. Increased temperature did not impact shell dissolution or thickness. Brachiopod ability to produce a thicker shell when extensive shell dissolution occurs suggests this marine calcifier has great plasticity in calcification providing insights into how similar species might cope under future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Cross
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Downing Street , Cambridge , CB2 3EQ , United Kingdom
- British Antarctic Survey , Natural Environment Research Council , High Cross, Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ET , United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Downing Street , Cambridge , CB2 3EQ , United Kingdom
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey , Natural Environment Research Council , High Cross, Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ET , United Kingdom
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12
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White L, Donohue I, Emmerson MC, O'Connor NE. Combined effects of warming and nutrients on marine communities are moderated by predators and vary across functional groups. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5853-5866. [PMID: 30246490 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Warming, nutrient enrichment and biodiversity modification are among the most pervasive components of human-induced global environmental change. We know little about their cumulative effects on ecosystems; however, even though this knowledge is fundamental to predicting and managing their consequences in a changing world. Here, we show that shifts in predator species composition can moderate both the individual and combined effects of warming and nutrient enrichment in marine systems. However, all three aspects of global change also acted independently to alter different functional groups in our flow-through marine rock-pool mesocosms. Specifically, warming reduced macroalgal biomass and assemblage productivity, whereas enrichment led to increased abundance of meso-invertebrate consumers, and loss of predator species led to increased gastropod grazer biomass. This disparity in responses, both across trophic levels (macroalgae and intermediate consumers), and between detecting additive effects on aggregate measures of ecosystem functioning, yet interactive effects on community composition, illustrates that our forecasting ability depends strongly on the level of ecological complexity incorporated within global change experiments. We conclude that biodiversity change-and loss of predator species in particular-plays a critical and overarching role in determining how ecological communities respond to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia White
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Ian Donohue
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark C Emmerson
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nessa E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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13
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Leung JYS, Nagelkerken I, Russell BD, Ferreira CM, Connell SD. Boosted nutritional quality of food by CO 2 enrichment fails to offset energy demand of herbivores under ocean warming, causing energy depletion and mortality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 639:360-366. [PMID: 29791888 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The CO2-boosted trophic transfer from primary producers to herbivores has been increasingly discovered at natural CO2 vents and in laboratory experiments. Despite the emerging knowledge of this boosting effect, we do not know the extent to which it may be enhanced or dampened by ocean warming. We investigated whether ocean acidification and warming enhance the nutritional quality (C:N ratio) and energy content of turf algae, which is speculated to drive higher feeding rate, greater energy budget and eventually faster growth of herbivores. This proposal was tested by observing the physiological (feeding rate, respiration rate and energy budget) and demographic responses (growth and survival) of a common grazing gastropod (Phasianella australis) to ocean acidification and warming in a 6-month mesocosm experiment. Whilst we observed the boosting effect of ocean acidification and warming in isolation on the energy budget of herbivores by either increasing feeding rate on the more nutritious algae or increasing energy gain per feeding effort, their growth and survival were reduced by the sublethal thermal stress under ocean warming, especially when both climate change stressors were combined. This reduced growth and survival occurred as a consequence of depleted energy reserves, suggesting that the boosting effect via trophic transfer might not sufficiently compensate for the increased energy demand imposed by ocean warming. In circumstances where ocean acidification and warming create an energy demand on herbivores that outweighs the energy enhancement of their food (i.e. primary producers), the performance of herbivores to control their blooming resources likely deteriorates and thus runaway primary production ensues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bayden D Russell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Camilo M Ferreira
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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14
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CO 2 emissions boost the benefits of crop production by farming damselfish. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1223-1226. [PMID: 29988168 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Farming is a technique employed by both humans and animals to enhance crop yields, allowing their populations to increase beyond the natural carrying capacity of the environment. Using volcanic CO2 vents, we investigate how a species of herbivorous fish (the black scalyfin Parma alboscapularis) may use increasing anthropogenic CO2 emissions to enhance its crop yields. We found that these farming fish can take advantage of this resource enrichment, to grow crops within smaller territories and increase the capacity of the environment to support more densely packed fish populations.
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15
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Guo S, Hou R, Garber PA, Raubenheimer D, Righini N, Ji W, Jay O, He S, Wu F, Li F, Li B. Nutrient‐specific compensation for seasonal cold stress in a free‐ranging temperate colobine monkey. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Song‐Tao Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
| | - Rong Hou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Nicoletta Righini
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois
- Laboratorio de Ecología FuncionalInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES‐UNAM) Morelia Michoacan Mexico
| | - Wei‐Hong Ji
- Human and Wildlife Interactions Research GroupInstitute of Natural Mathematical SciencesMassey University Albany, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Ollie Jay
- The Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Shu‐Jun He
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
| | - Fan Wu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
| | - Fang‐Fang Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
| | - Bao‐Guo Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal ConservationNorthwest University Xi’an China
- Xi’an Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi’an China
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16
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Connell SD, Doubleday ZA, Foster NR, Hamlyn SB, Harley CDG, Helmuth B, Kelaher BP, Nagelkerken I, Rodgers KL, Sarà G, Russell BD. The duality of ocean acidification as a resource and a stressor. Ecology 2018; 99:1005-1010. [PMID: 29714829 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ecologically dominant species often define ecosystem states, but as human disturbances intensify, their subordinate counterparts increasingly displace them. We consider the duality of disturbance by examining how environmental drivers can simultaneously act as a stressor to dominant species and as a resource to subordinates. Using a model ecosystem, we demonstrate that CO2 -driven interactions between species can account for such reversals in dominance; i.e., the displacement of dominants (kelp forests) by subordinates (turf algae). We established that CO2 enrichment had a direct positive effect on productivity of turfs, but a negligible effect on kelp. CO2 enrichment further suppressed the abundance and feeding rate of the primary grazer of turfs (sea urchins), but had an opposite effect on the minor grazer (gastropods). Thus, boosted production of subordinate producers, exacerbated by a net reduction in its consumption by primary grazers, accounts for community change (i.e., turf displacing kelp). Ecosystem collapse, therefore, is more likely when resource enrichment alters competitive dominance of producers, and consumers fail to compensate. By recognizing such duality in the responses of interacting species to disturbance, which may stabilize or exacerbate change, we can begin to understand how intensifying human disturbances determine whether or not ecosystems undergo phase shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Zoë A Doubleday
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nicole R Foster
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sarah B Hamlyn
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Christopher D G Harley
- Department of Zoology and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brian Helmuth
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, 01908, USA
| | - Brendan P Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre & Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kirsten L Rodgers
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Ecology Lab, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Bayden D Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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17
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Ghedini G, Connell SD. Moving ocean acidification research beyond a simple science: Investigating ecological change and their stabilizers. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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18
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Ghedini G, White CR, Marshall DJ. Does energy flux predict density‐dependence? An empirical field test. Ecology 2017; 98:3116-3126. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ghedini
- Centre for Geometric Biology School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Craig R. White
- Centre for Geometric Biology School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Dustin J. Marshall
- Centre for Geometric Biology School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria 3800 Australia
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19
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Davis KL, Coleman MA, Connell SD, Russell BD, Gillanders BM, Kelaher BP. Ecological performance of construction materials subject to ocean climate change. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 131:177-182. [PMID: 28988853 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Artificial structures will be increasingly utilized to protect coastal infrastructure from sea-level rise and storms associated with climate change. Although it is well documented that the materials comprising artificial structures influence the composition of organisms that use them as habitat, little is known about how these materials may chemically react with changing seawater conditions, and what effects this will have on associated biota. We investigated the effects of ocean warming, acidification, and type of coastal infrastructure material on algal turfs. Seawater acidification resulted in greater covers of turf, though this effect was counteracted by elevated temperatures. Concrete supported a greater cover of turf than granite or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) under all temperature and pH treatments, with the greatest covers occurring under simulated ocean acidification. Furthermore, photosynthetic efficiency under acidification was greater on concrete substratum compared to all other materials and treatment combinations. These results demonstrate the capacity to maximise ecological benefits whilst still meeting local management objectives when engineering coastal defense structures by selecting materials that are appropriate in an ocean change context. Therefore, mitigation efforts to offset impacts from sea-level rise and storms can also be engineered to alter, or even reduce, the effects of climatic change on biological assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay L Davis
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Melinda A Coleman
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia; New South Wales Fisheries, Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bayden D Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Bronwyn M Gillanders
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Brendan P Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
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20
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Connell SD, Fernandes M, Burnell OW, Doubleday ZA, Griffin KJ, Irving AD, Leung JYS, Owen S, Russell BD, Falkenberg LJ. Testing for thresholds of ecosystem collapse in seagrass meadows. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:1196-1201. [PMID: 28464290 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Although the public desire for healthy environments is clear-cut, the science and management of ecosystem health has not been as simple. Ecological systems can be dynamic and can shift abruptly from one ecosystem state to another. Such unpredictable shifts result when ecological thresholds are crossed; that is, small cumulative increases in an environmental stressor drive a much greater change than could be predicted from linear effects, suggesting an unforeseen tipping point is crossed. In coastal waters, broad-scale seagrass loss often occurs as a sudden event associated with human-driven nutrient enrichment (eutrophication). We tested whether the response of seagrass ecosystems to coastal nutrient enrichment is subject to a threshold effect. We exposed seagrass plots to different levels of nutrient enrichment (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) for 10 months and measured net production. Seagrass response exhibited a threshold pattern when nutrient enrichment exceeded moderate levels: there was an abrupt and large shift from positive to negative net leaf production (from approximately 0.04 leaf production to 0.02 leaf loss per day). Epiphyte load also increased as nutrient enrichment increased, which may have driven the shift in leaf production. Inadvertently crossing such thresholds, as can occur through ineffective management of land-derived inputs such as wastewater and stormwater runoff along urbanized coasts, may account for the widely observed sudden loss of seagrass meadows. Identification of tipping points may improve not only adaptive-management monitoring that seeks to avoid threshold effects, but also restoration approaches in systems that have crossed them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, North Terrace, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Milena Fernandes
- Australian Water Quality Centre, South Australian Water Corporation, GPO Box 1751, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
| | - Owen W Burnell
- South Australian Research and Development Institute - Aquatic Sciences, PO Box 120 Henley Beach, South Australia, 5024, Australia
| | - Zoë A Doubleday
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, North Terrace, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kingsley J Griffin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Kensington, 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew D Irving
- School of Medical and Applied Sciences, CQ University, Rockhampton, Queensland, 4701, Australia
| | - Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, North Terrace, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samuel Owen
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, North Terrace, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bayden D Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Laura J Falkenberg
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Thormøhlens gate 53D, NO 5006, Bergen, Norway
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21
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Harley CDG, Connell SD, Doubleday ZA, Kelaher B, Russell BD, Sarà G, Helmuth B. Conceptualizing ecosystem tipping points within a physiological framework. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6035-6045. [PMID: 28808563 PMCID: PMC5551099 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Connecting the nonlinear and often counterintuitive physiological effects of multiple environmental drivers to the emergent impacts on ecosystems is a fundamental challenge. Unfortunately, the disconnect between the way "stressors" (e.g., warming) is considered in organismal (physiological) and ecological (community) contexts continues to hamper progress. Environmental drivers typically elicit biphasic physiological responses, where performance declines at levels above and below some optimum. It is also well understood that species exhibit highly variable response surfaces to these changes so that the optimum level of any environmental driver can vary among interacting species. Thus, species interactions are unlikely to go unaltered under environmental change. However, while these nonlinear, species-specific physiological relationships between environment and performance appear to be general, rarely are they incorporated into predictions of ecological tipping points. Instead, most ecosystem-level studies focus on varying levels of "stress" and frequently assume that any deviation from "normal" environmental conditions has similar effects, albeit with different magnitudes, on all of the species within a community. We consider a framework that realigns the positive and negative physiological effects of changes in climatic and nonclimatic drivers with indirect ecological responses. Using a series of simple models based on direct physiological responses to temperature and ocean pCO 2, we explore how variation in environment-performance relationships among primary producers and consumers translates into community-level effects via trophic interactions. These models show that even in the absence of direct mortality, mismatched responses resulting from often subtle changes in the physical environment can lead to substantial ecosystem-level change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. G. Harley
- Department of Zoology and Institute for the Oceans and FisheriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sean D. Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology LaboratoriesSchool of Biological Sciences & Environment InstituteUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Zoë A. Doubleday
- Southern Seas Ecology LaboratoriesSchool of Biological Sciences & Environment InstituteUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Brendan Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry ResearchSchool of Environment, Science and EngineeringSouthern Cross UniversityCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Bayden D. Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine ScienceSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Laboratorio di Ecologia SperimentaleDipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del MareUniversità degli Studi di PalermoPalermoItaly
| | - Brian Helmuth
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences and School of Public Policy and Urban AffairsNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
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22
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Vizzini S, Martínez-Crego B, Andolina C, Massa-Gallucci A, Connell SD, Gambi MC. Ocean acidification as a driver of community simplification via the collapse of higher-order and rise of lower-order consumers. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28642608 PMCID: PMC5481442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03802-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing oceanic uptake of CO2 is predicted to drive ecological change as both a resource (i.e. CO2 enrichment on primary producers) and stressor (i.e. lower pH on consumers). We use the natural ecological complexity of a CO2 vent (i.e. a seagrass system) to assess the potential validity of conceptual models developed from laboratory and mesocosm research. Our observations suggest that the stressor-effect of CO2 enrichment combined with its resource-effect drives simplified food web structure of lower trophic diversity and shorter length. The transfer of CO2 enrichment from plants to herbivores through consumption (apparent resource-effect) was not compensated by predation, because carnivores failed to contain herbivore outbreaks. Instead, these higher-order consumers collapsed (apparent stressor-effect on carnivores) suggesting limited trophic propagation to predator populations. The dominance of primary producers and their lower-order consumers along with the loss of carnivores reflects the duality of intensifying ocean acidification acting both as resource-effect (i.e. bottom-up control) and stressor-effect (i.e. top-down control) to simplify community and trophic structure and function. This shifting balance between the propagation of resource enrichment and its consumption across trophic levels provides new insights into how the trophic dynamics might stabilize against or propagate future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vizzini
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. .,CoNISMa, Roma, Italy.
| | | | - C Andolina
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, DAIS, University Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy
| | - A Massa-Gallucci
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Dohrn Benthic Ecology Center (Ischia), Naples, Italy
| | - S D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - M C Gambi
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Dohrn Benthic Ecology Center (Ischia), Naples, Italy
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23
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Leung JYS, Russell BD, Connell SD. Mineralogical Plasticity Acts as a Compensatory Mechanism to the Impacts of Ocean Acidification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:2652-2659. [PMID: 28198181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Calcifying organisms are considered particularly susceptible to the future impacts of ocean acidification (OA), but recent evidence suggests that they may be able to maintain calcification and overall fitness. The underlying mechanism remains unclear but may be attributed to mineralogical plasticity, which modifies the energetic cost of calcification. To test the hypothesis that mineralogical plasticity enables the maintenance of shell growth and functionality under OA conditions, we assessed the biological performance of a gastropod (respiration rate, feeding rate, somatic growth, and shell growth of Austrocochlea constricta) and analyzed its shell mechanical and geochemical properties (shell hardness, elastic modulus, amorphous calcium carbonate, calcite to aragonite ratio, and magnesium to calcium ratio). Despite minor metabolic depression and no increase in feeding rate, shell growth was faster under OA conditions, probably due to increased precipitation of calcite and trade-offs against inner shell density. In addition, the resulting shell was functionally suitable for increasingly "corrosive" oceans, i.e., harder and less soluble shells. We conclude that mineralogical plasticity may act as a compensatory mechanism to maintain overall performance of calcifying organisms under OA conditions and could be a cornerstone of calcifying organisms to acclimate to and maintain their ecological functions in acidifying oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bayden D Russell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia
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24
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Future climate stimulates population out-breaks by relaxing constraints on reproduction. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33383. [PMID: 27625161 PMCID: PMC5022049 DOI: 10.1038/srep33383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When conditions are stressful, reproduction and population growth are reduced, but when favourable, reproduction and population size can boom. Theory suggests climate change is an increasingly stressful environment, predicting extinctions or decreased abundances. However, if favourable conditions align, such as an increase in resources or release from competition and predation, future climate can fuel population growth. Tests of such population growth models and the mechanisms by which they are enabled are rare. We tested whether intergenerational increases in population size might be facilitated by adjustments in reproductive success to favourable environmental conditions in a large-scale mesocosm experiment. Herbivorous amphipod populations responded to future climate by increasing 20 fold, suggesting that future climate might relax environmental constraints on fecundity. We then assessed whether future climate reduces variation in mating success, boosting population fecundity and size. The proportion of gravid females doubled, and variance in phenotypic variation of male secondary sexual characters (i.e. gnathopods) was significantly reduced. While future climate can enhance individual growth and survival, it may also reduce constraints on mechanisms of reproduction such that enhanced intra-generational productivity and reproductive success transfers to subsequent generations. Where both intra and intergenerational production is enhanced, population sizes might boom.
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