1
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Smith CS, Zhang YS, Hensel MJS, Pennings SC, Silliman BR. Long-term data reveal that grazer density mediates climatic stress in salt marshes. Ecology 2024; 105:e4323. [PMID: 38769601 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how climate and local stressors interact is paramount for predicting future ecosystem structure. The effects of multiple stressors are often examined in small-scale and short-term field experiments, limiting understanding of the spatial and temporal generality of the findings. Using a 22-year observational dataset of plant and grazer abundance in a southeastern US salt marsh, we analyzed how changes in drought and grazer density combined to affect plant biomass. We found: (1) increased drought severity and higher snail density both correlated with lower plant biomass; (2) drought and snail effects interacted additively; and, (3) snail effects had a threshold, with additive top-down effects only occurring when snails were present at high densities. These results suggest that the emergence of multiple stressor effects can be density dependent, and they validate short-term experimental evidence that consumers can augment environmental stress. These findings have important implications for predicting future ecosystem structure and managing natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter S Smith
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA
| | - Y Stacy Zhang
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marc J S Hensel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, Gloucester, Virginia, USA
- Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, Florida, USA
| | - Steven C Pennings
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA
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2
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Xu C, Silliman BR, Chen J, Li X, Thomsen MS, Zhang Q, Lee J, Lefcheck JS, Daleo P, Hughes BB, Jones HP, Wang R, Wang S, Smith CS, Xi X, Altieri AH, van de Koppel J, Palmer TM, Liu L, Wu J, Li B, He Q. Herbivory limits success of vegetation restoration globally. Science 2023; 382:589-594. [PMID: 37917679 DOI: 10.1126/science.add2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Restoring vegetation in degraded ecosystems is an increasingly common practice for promoting biodiversity and ecological function, but successful implementation is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the processes that limit restoration success. By synthesizing terrestrial and aquatic studies globally (2594 experimental tests from 610 articles), we reveal substantial herbivore control of vegetation under restoration. Herbivores at restoration sites reduced vegetation abundance more strongly (by 89%, on average) than those at relatively undegraded sites and suppressed, rather than fostered, plant diversity. These effects were particularly pronounced in regions with higher temperatures and lower precipitation. Excluding targeted herbivores temporarily or introducing their predators improved restoration by magnitudes similar to or greater than those achieved by managing plant competition or facilitation. Thus, managing herbivory is a promising strategy for enhancing vegetation restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Jianshe Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xincheng Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group and Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Qun Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juhyung Lee
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
- Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, USA
| | - Pedro Daleo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP, CONICETC, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Brent B Hughes
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Holly P Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Rong Wang
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Carter S Smith
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Xinqiang Xi
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Yerseke, Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lingli Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jihua Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bo Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qiang He
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Menge BA. Community theory: Testing environmental stress models. Ecol Lett 2023. [PMID: 37157930 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Intensifying climate change and an increasing need for understanding its impacts on ecological communities places new emphasis on testing environmental stress models (ESMs). Using a prior literature search plus references from a more recent search, I evaluated empirical support for ESMs, focusing on whether consumer pressure on prey decreased (consumer stress model; CSM) or increased (prey stress model; PSM) with increasing environmental stress. Applying the criterion that testing ESMs requires conducting research at multiple sites along environmental stress gradients, the analysis found that CSMs were most frequent, with 'No Effect' and PSMs occurring at low but similar frequencies. This result contrasts to a prior survey in which 'No Effect' studies were most frequent, thus suggesting that consumers are generally more suppressed by stress than prey. Thus, increased climate change-induced environmental stress seems likely to reduce, not increase impacts of consumers on prey more often than the reverse.
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4
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Díaz MJ, Buschbaum C, Renaud PE, Valdivia N, Molis M. Limited predatory effects on infaunal macrobenthos community patterns in intertidal soft-bottom of Arctic coasts. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9779. [PMID: 36713482 PMCID: PMC9873870 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Predation shapes marine benthic communities and affects prey species population dynamics in tropic and temperate coastal systems. However, information on its magnitude in systematically understudied Arctic coastal habitats is scarce. To test predation effects on the diversity and structure of Arctic benthic communities, we conducted caging experiments in which consumers were excluded from plots at two intertidal sedimentary sites in Svalbard (Longyearbyen and Thiisbukta) for 2.5 months. Unmanipulated areas served as controls and partial (open) cages were used to estimate potential cage effects. At the end of the experiment, we took one sediment core from each plot and quantified total biomass and the number of each encountered taxon. At both sites, the experimental exclusion of predators slightly changed the species composition of communities and had negligible effects on biomass, total abundance, species richness, evenness, and Shannon Index. In addition, we found evidence for cage effects, and spatial variability in the intensity of the predation effects was identified. Our study suggests that predators have limited effects on the structure of the studied intertidal macrobenthic Arctic communities, which is different from coastal soft-bottom ecosystems at lower latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Díaz
- Alfred Wegener InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungBremerhavenGermany
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Research (LACER), Centro de Estudios Avanzados, HUB AMBIENTAL UPLAUniversidad de Playa AnchaValparaísoChile
| | - Christian Buschbaum
- Alfred Wegener Institut, Helmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungWadden Sea Station SyltList/SyltGermany
| | - Paul E. Renaud
- Akvaplan‐nivaFram Centre for Climate and the EnvironmentTromsøNorway
- University Centre in SvalbardLongyearbyenNorway
| | - Nelson Valdivia
- Centro FONDAP de Investigaciones en Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas LatitudesSantiagoChile
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Markus Molis
- Alfred Wegener InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungBremerhavenGermany
- UiT The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
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5
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Local and large-scale spatial variation in a marine predator-prey interaction in the southwestern Atlantic. Oecologia 2022; 199:685-698. [PMID: 35857114 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05220-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are a key ecological process which can be modified by environmental conditions over a range of spatial scales. Through two complementary short-term experiments, we assessed how local and large-scale environmental conditions affect a subtropical intertidal predator-prey interaction. At a local scale, we evaluated the effects of the degree of exposure to wave action and prey density on consumption rate and interaction strength using a whelk-barnacle system. Consumption rate decreased with wave exposure at experimentally reduced prey density but did not change at ambient density. Such an interactive effect occurred due to shifts in the whelk's feeding behaviour, likely linked to encounter rate and stress amelioration underpinned by prey density. Per capita interaction strength of the whelk on the barnacle weakened along the wave exposure gradient, but to a greater degree at reduced compared to ambient prey density. This confirms that environmental harshness can decrease the importance of predators, but the magnitude of change may be modified by density-dependent effects. A large-scale experiment did not reveal spatial patterns in the whelk-barnacle interaction, nor relationships to chlorophyll-a concentration or the minor change in sea temperature across the study area. Patterns in the size of consumed barnacles along the chlorophyll-a gradient suggest changes in food choice related to prey quality and size. We conclude that disentangling the effects of wave exposure and prey density revealed important potential mechanisms driving species locally. Large-scale variation in the whelk-barnacle interaction appeared to be linked to species' traits shaped by the environmental context.
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6
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Doropoulos C, Gómez-Lemos LA, Salee K, McLaughlin MJ, Tebben J, Van Koningsveld M, Feng M, Babcock RC. Limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2558. [PMID: 35112758 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Positive feedbacks driving habitat-forming species recovery and population growth are often lost as ecosystems degrade. For such systems, identifying mechanisms that limit the re-establishment of critical positive feedbacks is key to facilitating recovery. Theory predicts the primary drivers limiting system recovery shift from biological to physical as abiotic stress increases, but recent work has demonstrated that this seldom happens. We combined field and laboratory experiments to identify variation in limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient at Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf in northwest Australia. Many reefs in the region are coral depauperate due to recent cyclones and thermal stress. In general, recovery trajectories are prolonged due to limited coral recruitment. Consistent with theory, clearer water reefs under low thermal stress appear limited by biological interactions: competition with turf algae caused high mortality of newly settled corals and upright macroalgal stands drove mortality in transplanted juvenile corals. Laboratory experiments showed a positive relationship between crustose coralline algae cover and coral settlement, but only in the absence of sedimentation. Contrary to expectation, coral recovery does not appear limited by the survival or growth of recruits on turbid reefs under higher thermal stress, but to exceptionally low larval supply. Laboratory experiments showed that larval survival and settlement are unaffected by seawater quality across the study region. Rather, connectivity models predicted that many of the more turbid reefs in the Gulf are predominantly self seeded, receiving limited supply under degraded reef states. Overall, we find that the influence of oceanography can overwhelm the influences of physical and biological interactions on recovery potential at locations where environmental stressors are high, whereas populations in relatively benign physical conditions are predominantly structured by local ecological drivers. Such context-dependent information can help guide expectations and assist managers in optimizing strategies for spatial conservation planning for system recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis A Gómez-Lemos
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede de La Paz - Escuela de Pregrados, La Paz, Colombia
| | - Kinam Salee
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Jan Tebben
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Mark Van Koningsveld
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V., Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Ports and Waterways, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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7
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Rubinoff BG, Grosholz ED. Biological invasions alter consumer-stress relationships along an estuarine gradient. Ecology 2022; 103:e3695. [PMID: 35352344 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Estuaries represent steep stress gradients for aquatic organisms, with abiotic stress due to temperature and salinity typically increasing with distance into estuary. Invertebrate communities and their predators are strongly influenced by these stress gradients. The Environmental Stress Model predicts that the importance of predation in structuring communities decreases with increasing environmental stress. Estuaries contain a stress gradient for marine organisms is salinity, temperature, and other abiotic properties. Additionally, estuaries are hotspots for biological invasions, and increased stress-tolerance among non-native species could change the predictions of the Environmental Stress Model. In this study, we investigate how introduced species alter the predictions of the Environmental Stress Model by examining effects of predators on sessile invertebrates across an estuarine gradient. To do this, we deployed recruitment plates across the estuarine gradient of Tomales Bay, CA with various caging treatments over the summer of 2019. We found that the effect of predation changed across sites, with the mid-estuary site experiencing the greatest reductions in prey abundance and prey species richness when exposed to predators. This was likely due to higher proportions of non-native prey and predator taxa mid-estuary, including solitary ascidians, which are highly susceptible to predation. Overall, predation didn't follow the predictions of the Environmental Stress Model, but rather followed the abundance of functional groups with non-native species, whose distribution could be mediated by environmental stress gradients. We suggest that this may be a general result and that communities subject to large numbers of stress-tolerant invaders may have high rates of consumption in high stress areas, contrasting predictions by previous models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G Rubinoff
- University of California, Davis, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA.,Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, 2099 Westshore Rd, Bodega Bay, CA
| | - Edwin D Grosholz
- University of California, Davis, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA.,Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, 2099 Westshore Rd, Bodega Bay, CA
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8
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Lee J, Hughes BB, Kroeker KJ, Owens A, Wong C, Micheli F. Who wins or loses matters: Strongly interacting consumers drive seagrass resistance under ocean acidification. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:151594. [PMID: 34826463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global stressors are increasingly altering ecosystem resistance, resilience, and functioning by reorganizing vital species interactions. However, our predictive understanding of these changes is hindered by failures to consider species-specific functional roles and stress responses within communities. Stressor-driven loss or reduced performance of strongly interacting species may generate abrupt shifts in ecosystem states and functions. Yet, empirical support for this prediction is scarce, especially in marine climate change research. Using a marine assemblage comprising a habitat-forming seagrass (Phyllospadix torreyi), its algal competitor, and three consumer species (algal grazers) with potentially different functional roles and pH tolerance, we investigated how ocean acidification (OA) may, directly and indirectly, alter community resistance. In the field and laboratory, hermit crabs (Pagurus granosimanus and P. hirsutiusculus) and snails (Tegula funebralis) displayed distinct microhabitat use, with hermit crabs more frequently grazing in the area of high algal colonization (i.e., surfgrass canopy). In mesocosms, this behavioral difference led to hermit crabs exerting ~2 times greater per capita impact on algal epiphyte biomass than snails. Exposure to OA variably affected the grazers: snails showed reduced feeding and growth under extreme pH (7.3 and 7.5), whereas hermit crabs (P. granosimanus) maintained a similar grazing rate under all pH levels (pH 7.3, 7.5, 7.7, and 7.95). Epiphyte biomass increased more rapidly under extreme OA (pH 7.3 and 7.5), but natural densities of snails and hermit crabs prevented algal overgrowth irrespective of pH treatments. Finally, grazers and acidification additively increased surfgrass productivity and delayed the shoot senescence. Hence, although OA impaired the function of the most abundant consumers (snails), strongly interacting and pH-tolerant species (hermit crabs) largely maintained the top-down pressure to facilitate seagrass dominance. Our study highlights significant within-community variation in species functional and response traits and shows that this variation has important ecosystem consequences under anthropogenic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyung Lee
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.
| | - Brent B Hughes
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Kristy J Kroeker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Ava Owens
- Santa Catalina School, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
| | | | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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9
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Xu X, Zhang Y, Li S, Chen H, Liu M, Li B, Nie M. Native herbivores indirectly facilitate the growth of invasive Spartina in a eutrophic saltmarsh. Ecology 2021; 103:e3610. [PMID: 34923622 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Current theory (e.g., consumer-controlled theory) predicts that nutrient enrichment typically amplifies herbivory and thereby suppresses the growth and expansion of invasive plants. Herbivores can facilitate plant regrowth in the native community by stimulating complementary growth or ameliorating habitat conditions (e.g., by increasing soil oxygen and nutrient availability), but whether they have similar positive effects on invasive plants, especially under nutrient enrichment, remains unknown. Using a field nitrogen (N)-enrichment X crab exclusion experiment, we evaluated and compared the effects of both N enrichment and crab herbivory on the growth performance of a global invasive cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, and a co-occurring native plant, Phragmites australis. We found that crabs consistently suppressed P. australis by decreasing density and aboveground biomass regardless of N enrichment. In contrast, for S. alterniflora, the negative effects of crabs under ambient N were replaced by positive effects under N enrichment, with crabs stimulating complementary increases in density and aboveground biomass. The differing effects between the N treatments were driven by crab burrowing activity, which increased soil N availability, and the nutrient-use efficiency of S. alterniflora. Our findings reveal that native herbivores can have opposing effects on native and invasive plants, which broadens our understanding of how exotic plants can achieve dominance in a changing world. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Songshuo Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyang Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mu Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Nie
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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10
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Addressing context dependence in ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:158-170. [PMID: 34756764 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Context dependence is widely invoked to explain disparate results in ecology. It arises when the magnitude or sign of a relationship varies due to the conditions under which it is observed. Such variation, especially when unexplained, can lead to spurious or seemingly contradictory conclusions, which can limit understanding and our ability to transfer findings across studies, space, and time. Using examples from biological invasions, we identify two types of context dependence resulting from four sources: mechanistic context dependence arises from interaction effects; and apparent context dependence can arise from the presence of confounding factors, problems of statistical inference, and methodological differences among studies. Addressing context dependence is a critical challenge in ecology, essential for increased understanding and prediction.
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11
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Unravelling facilitation among introduced species, a mechanistic approach. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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12
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Qian W, Chen J, Zhang Q, Wu C, Ma Q, Silliman BR, Wu J, Li B, He Q. Top-down control of foundation species recovery during coastal wetland restoration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144854. [PMID: 33486186 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Restoration has been increasingly adopted to halt trends in coastal wetland loss globally. Existing restoration often assumes that once abiotic stress is relieved, disturbances are prevented, and invasive species are eradicated, coastal wetlands will recover if propagules of native species are supplied either through natural dispersal or planting. Whether other factors including consumers can help explain the often suboptimal performance of existing restoration remains poorly understood. In a series of field experiments in the Yangtze estuary, we examined the relative importance of abiotic stress and crab grazing in regulating the recovery of the native foundation plant species Scirpus mariqueter in salt marsh areas where exotic cordgrass was successfully eradicated. We found that grazing by herbivorous crabs, rather than abiotic stress, was the primary obstacle restricting the recovery of planted Scirpus. This negative effect of crab grazing varied predictably across elevation and was strongest at low elevations where abiotic conditions were positive for Scirpus. These findings highlight that i) measures to control crab grazing are needed to enhance the success of Scirpus restoration, even in areas where abiotic conditions are set to be optimal, and ii) restoration measures purely focused on reducing abiotic stress could be ineffective or suboptimal in field conditions, likely jeopardizing restoration investment and success. Since top-down control of foundation plant species is common in many coastal wetlands and can be especially important in degraded systems where herbivores are abundant, we urge that future coastal wetland restoration assesses for the impacts of grazers and, when present, apply intervention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqing Qian
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jianshe Chen
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qun Zhang
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China; Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, NO. 899 Longwu Road, Shanghai 200232, China
| | - Changlu Wu
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qiang Ma
- Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve, Shanghai 202183, China
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke Unviersity, Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Jihua Wu
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Bo Li
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qiang He
- Coastal Ecology Lab, National Observation and Research Station for Shanghai Yangtze Estuarine Wetland Ecosystems, MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
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13
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Scrosati RA. Nonconsumptive Predator Effects on Prey Demography: Recent Advances Using Intertidal Invertebrates. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.626869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predators influence prey demography through consumption, but the mere presence of predators may trigger behavioural changes in prey that, if persistent or intense, may also influence prey demography. A tractable system to study such nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) of predators involves intertidal invertebrates. This mini review summarises recent research using barnacles and mussels as prey and dogwhelks as predators. The field manipulation of dogwhelk density revealed that pelagic barnacle larvae avoid benthic settlement near dogwhelks, which limits barnacle recruitment, a relevant outcome because recruitment is the only source of population replenishment for barnacles, as they are sessile. This avoidance behaviour is likely triggered by waterborne dogwhelk cues and may have evolved to limit future predation risk. Increasing densities of barnacle recruits and adults can prevent such NCEs from occurring, seemingly because benthic barnacles attract conspecific larvae through chemical cues. Barnacle recruit density increased with the abundance of coastal phytoplankton (food for barnacle larvae and recruits), so barnacle food supply seems to indirectly limit dogwhelk NCEs. By inhibiting barnacle feeding, dogwhelk cues also limited barnacle growth and reproductive output. Wave action weakens dogwhelk NCEs likely through hydrodynamic influences. Dogwhelk cues also limit mussel recruitment, as mussel larvae also exhibit predator avoidance behaviour. The NCEs on recruitment are weaker for mussels than for barnacles, possibly because mussel larvae can detach themselves after initial settlement, an ability that barnacle larvae lack. Overall, these field experiments provide evidence of predator NCEs on prey demography for coastal marine systems.
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Desbiens AA, Roff G, Robbins WD, Taylor BM, Castro-Sanguino C, Dempsey A, Mumby PJ. Revisiting the paradigm of shark-driven trophic cascades in coral reef ecosystems. Ecology 2021; 102:e03303. [PMID: 33565624 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Global overfishing of higher-level predators has caused cascading effects to lower trophic levels in many marine ecosystems. On coral reefs, which support highly diverse food webs, the degree to which top-down trophic cascades can occur remains equivocal. Using extensive survey data from coral reefs across the relatively unfished northern Great Barrier Reef (nGBR), we quantified the role of reef sharks in structuring coral reef fish assemblages. Using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, we explored the interactions between shark abundance and teleost mesopredator and prey functional group density and biomass, while explicitly accounting for the potentially confounding influence of environmental variation across sites. Although a fourfold difference in reef shark density was observed across our survey sites, this had no impact on either the density or biomass of teleost mesopredators or prey, providing evidence for a lack of trophic cascading across nGBR systems. Instead, many functional groups, including sharks, responded positively to environmental drivers. We found reef sharks to be positively associated with habitat complexity. In turn, physical processes such as wave exposure and current velocity were both correlated well with multiple functional groups, reflecting how changes to energetic conditions and food availability, or modification of habitat affect fish distribution. The diversity of species within coral reef food webs and their associations with bottom-up drivers likely buffers against trophic cascading across GBR functional guilds when reef shark assemblages are depleted, as has been demonstrated in other complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia A Desbiens
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - George Roff
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - William D Robbins
- Wildlife Marine, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Brett M Taylor
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Carolina Castro-Sanguino
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexandra Dempsey
- Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Annapolis, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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15
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Pepi A, Karban R. Effects of experimental watering but not warming on herbivory vary across a gradient of precipitation. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2299-2306. [PMID: 33717456 PMCID: PMC7920774 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change can affect biotic interactions, and the impacts of climate on biotic interactions may vary across climate gradients. Climate affects biotic interactions through multiple drivers, although few studies have investigated multiple climate drivers in experiments. We examined the effects of experimental watering, warming, and predator access on leaf water content and herbivory rates of woolly bear caterpillars (Arctia virginalis) on a native perennial plant, pacific silverweed (Argentina anserina ssp. pacifica), at two sites across a gradient of precipitation in coastal California. Based on theory, we predicted that watering should increase herbivory at the drier end of the gradient, predation should decrease herbivory, and watering and warming should have positive interacting effects on herbivory. Consistent with our predictions, we found that watering only increased herbivory under drier conditions. However, watering increased leaf water content at both wetter and drier sites. Warming increased herbivory irrespective of local climate and did not interact with watering. Predation did not affect herbivory rates. Given predictions that the study locales will become warmer and drier with climate change, our results suggest that the effects of future warming and drying on herbivory may counteract each other in drier regions of the range of Argentina anserina. Our findings suggest a useful role for range-limit theory and the stress-gradient hypothesis in predicting climate change effects on herbivory across stress gradients. Specifically, if climate change decreases stress, herbivory may increase, and vice versa for increasing stress. In addition, our work supports previous suggestions that multiple climate drivers are likely to have dampening effects on biotic interactions due to effects in different directions, though this is context-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pepi
- Graduate Group in EcologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Department of Entomology and NematologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
| | - Richard Karban
- Department of Entomology and NematologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
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16
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Albertson LK, MacDonald MJ, Tumolo BB, Briggs MA, Maguire Z, Quinn S, Sanchez-Ruiz JA, Veneros J, Burkle LA. Uncovering patterns of freshwater positive interactions using meta-analysis: Identifying the roles of common participants, invasive species and environmental context. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:594-607. [PMID: 33368953 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Positive interactions are sensitive to human activities, necessitating synthetic approaches to elucidate broad patterns and predict future changes if these interactions are altered or lost. General understanding of freshwater positive interactions has been far outpaced by knowledge of these important relationships in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate the magnitude of positive interactions across freshwater habitats. In 340 studies, we found substantial positive effects, with facilitators increasing beneficiaries by, on average, 81% across all taxa and response variables. Mollusks in particular were commonly studied as both facilitators and beneficiaries. Amphibians were one group benefiting the most from positive interactions, yet few studies investigated amphibians. Invasive facilitators had stronger positive effects on beneficiaries than non-invasive facilitators. We compared positive effects between high- and low-stress conditions and found no difference in the magnitude of benefit in the subset of studies that manipulated stressors. Future areas of research include understudied facilitators and beneficiaries, the stress gradient hypothesis, patterns across space or time and the influence of declining taxa whose elimination would jeopardise fragile positive interaction networks. Freshwater positive interactions occur among a wide range of taxa, influence populations, communities and ecosystem processes and deserve further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey K Albertson
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Michael J MacDonald
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Benjamin B Tumolo
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Michelle A Briggs
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Zachary Maguire
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Sierra Quinn
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Jose A Sanchez-Ruiz
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Jaris Veneros
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Laura A Burkle
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
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17
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Temmink RJM, Christianen MJA, Fivash GS, Angelini C, Boström C, Didderen K, Engel SM, Esteban N, Gaeckle JL, Gagnon K, Govers LL, Infantes E, van Katwijk MM, Kipson S, Lamers LPM, Lengkeek W, Silliman BR, van Tussenbroek BI, Unsworth RKF, Yaakub SM, Bouma TJ, van der Heide T. Mimicry of emergent traits amplifies coastal restoration success. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3668. [PMID: 32699271 PMCID: PMC7376209 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Restoration is becoming a vital tool to counteract coastal ecosystem degradation. Modifying transplant designs of habitat-forming organisms from dispersed to clumped can amplify coastal restoration yields as it generates self-facilitation from emergent traits, i.e. traits not expressed by individuals or small clones, but that emerge in clumped individuals or large clones. Here, we advance restoration science by mimicking key emergent traits that locally suppress physical stress using biodegradable establishment structures. Experiments across (sub)tropical and temperate seagrass and salt marsh systems demonstrate greatly enhanced yields when individuals are transplanted within structures mimicking emergent traits that suppress waves or sediment mobility. Specifically, belowground mimics of dense root mats most facilitate seagrasses via sediment stabilization, while mimics of aboveground plant structures most facilitate marsh grasses by reducing stem movement. Mimicking key emergent traits may allow upscaling of restoration in many ecosystems that depend on self-facilitation for persistence, by constraining biological material requirements and implementation costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph J M Temmink
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marjolijn J A Christianen
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen University & Research, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory S Fivash
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 4401 NT, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Angelini
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, PO Box 116580, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Christoffer Boström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Karin Didderen
- Bureau Waardenburg, Varkensmarkt 9, 4101 CK, 4100 AJ, Culemborg, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nicole Esteban
- Bioscience Department, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Jeffrey L Gaeckle
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA, 98504, USA
| | - Karine Gagnon
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Laura L Govers
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Eduardo Infantes
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg Marine Research Station, Kristineberg 566, 45178, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Marieke M van Katwijk
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Silvija Kipson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Leon P M Lamers
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- B-WARE Research Centre, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Lengkeek
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Bureau Waardenburg, Varkensmarkt 9, 4101 CK, 4100 AJ, Culemborg, The Netherlands
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Brigitta I van Tussenbroek
- Reef Systems Unit, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 77580, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Richard K F Unsworth
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA, UK
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Siti Maryam Yaakub
- Department Ecological Habitats and Processes, DHI Water & Environment, 2 Venture Drive, 18-18 Vision Exchange, Singapore, 608526, Singapore
| | - Tjeerd J Bouma
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 4401 NT, Yerseke, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Building with Nature group, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Postbus 364, 4380 AJ, Vlissingen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tjisse van der Heide
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Department Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB, Den Burg, The Netherlands.
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18
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Yang D, Miao XY, Wang B, Jiang RP, Wen T, Liu MS, Huang C, Xu C. System-Specific Complex Interactions Shape Soil Organic Carbon Distribution in Coastal Salt Marshes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17062037. [PMID: 32204427 PMCID: PMC7142412 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17062037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Coastal wetlands provide many critical ecosystem services including carbon storage. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most important component of carbon stock in coastal salt marshes. However, there are large uncertainties when estimating SOC stock in coastal salt marshes at large spatial scales. So far, information on the spatial heterogeneity of SOC distribution and determinants remains limited. Moreover, the role of complex ecological interactions in shaping SOC distribution is poorly understood. Here, we report detailed field surveys on plant, soil and crab burrowing activities in two inter-tidal salt marsh sites with similar habitat conditions in Eastern China. Our between-site comparison revealed slight differences in SOC storage and a similar vertical SOC distribution pattern across soil depths of 0–60 cm. Between the two study sites, we found substantially different effects of biotic and abiotic factors on SOC distribution. Complex interactions involving indirect effects between soil, plants and macrobenthos (crabs) may influence SOC distribution at a landscape scale. Marked differences in the SOC determinants between the study sites indicate that the underlying driving mechanisms of SOC distribution are strongly system-specific. Future work taking into account complex interactions and spatial heterogeneity is needed for better estimating of blue carbon stock and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
| | - Xin-Yu Miao
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
| | - Ren-Ping Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
| | - Teng Wen
- School of Geography Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China;
| | - Mao-Song Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
- Correspondence: (M.-S.L.); (C.X.)
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
| | - Chi Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (D.Y.); (X.-Y.M.); (B.W.); (R.-P.J.); (C.H.)
- Correspondence: (M.-S.L.); (C.X.)
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19
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He Q, Silliman BR. Climate Change, Human Impacts, and Coastal Ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Curr Biol 2019; 29:R1021-R1035. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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20
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Wasson K, Raposa K, Almeida M, Beheshti K, Crooks JA, Deck A, Dix N, Garvey C, Goldstein J, Johnson DS, Lerberg S, Marcum P, Peter C, Puckett B, Schmitt J, Smith E, Laurent KS, Swanson K, Tyrrell M, Guy R. Pattern and scale: evaluating generalities in crab distributions and marsh dynamics from small plots to a national scale. Ecology 2019; 100:e02813. [PMID: 31291466 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The generality of ecological patterns depends inextricably on the scale at which they are examined. We investigated patterns of crab distribution and the relationship between crabs and vegetation in salt marshes at multiple scales. By using consistent monitoring protocols across 15 U.S. National Estuarine Research Reserves, we were able to synthesize patterns from the scale of quadrats to the entire marsh landscape to regional and national scales. Some generalities emerged across marshes from our overall models, and these are useful for informing broad coastal management policy. We found that crab burrow distribution within a marsh could be predicted by marsh elevation, distance to creek and soil compressibility. While these physical factors also affected marsh vegetation cover, we did not find a strong or consistent overall effect of crabs at a broad scale in our multivariate model, though regressions conducted separately for each site revealed that crab burrows were negatively correlated with vegetation cover at 4 out of 15 sites. This contrasts with recent smaller-scale studies and meta-analyses synthesizing such studies that detected strong negative effects of crabs on marshes, likely because we sampled across the entire marsh landscape, while targeted studies are typically limited to low-lying areas near creeks, where crab burrow densities are highest. Our results suggest that sea-level rise generally poses a bigger threat to marshes than crabs, but there will likely be interactions between these physical and biological factors. Beyond these generalities across marshes, we detected some regional differences in crab community composition, richness, and abundance. However, we found striking differences among sites within regions, and within sites, in terms of crab abundance and relationships to marsh integrity. Although generalities are broadly useful, our findings indicate that local managers cannot rely on data from other nearby systems, but rather need local information for developing salt marsh management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Wasson
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Royal Oaks, California, 95076, USA.,University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Kenneth Raposa
- Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 151, Prudence Island, Rhode Island, 02872, USA
| | - Monica Almeida
- Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, California, 91932, USA
| | - Kathryn Beheshti
- University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Crooks
- Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, California, 91932, USA
| | - Anna Deck
- San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, California, 94920, USA
| | - Nikki Dix
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, 32082, USA
| | - Caitlin Garvey
- University of Connecticut, 75 North Eagleville, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
| | - Jason Goldstein
- Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maine Coastal Ecology Center, 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells, Maine, 04090, USA
| | - David Samuel Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Scott Lerberg
- Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve of Virginia, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Pamela Marcum
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, 32082, USA
| | - Christopher Peter
- Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 89 Depot Road, Greenland, New Hampshire, 03840, USA
| | - Brandon Puckett
- North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, USA
| | - Jenni Schmitt
- South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 5417, Charleston, Oregon, 97420, USA
| | - Erik Smith
- North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, University of South Carolina, P.O. Box 1630, Georgetown, South Carolina, 29442, USA
| | - Kari St Laurent
- Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, Delaware, 19901, USA
| | - Katie Swanson
- Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, Texas, 78373, USA
| | - Megan Tyrrell
- Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit, Massachusetts, 02536, USA
| | - Rachel Guy
- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 15, Sapelo Island, Georgia, 31327, USA
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21
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Wallingford PD, Sorte CJB. Community regulation models as a framework for direct and indirect effects of climate change on species distributions. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Piper D. Wallingford
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine California USA
| | - Cascade J. B. Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine California USA
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22
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Digestive mutualism in a pitcher plant supports the monotonic rather than hump-shaped stress-gradient hypothesis model. Oecologia 2019; 190:523-534. [PMID: 31062163 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04404-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The stress-gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that the strength and frequency of facilitative interactions increase monotonically with increasing environmental stress, but some empirical studies have found this decrease at extreme stress levels, suggesting a hump-shaped SGH instead. However, empirical studies of the SGH are often hindered by confounding resource and non-resource stress gradients. Nepenthes pitcher plants trap animal prey using modified-leaf pitfall traps which are also inhabited by organisms known as inquilines. Inquilines may assist pitchers in the digestion of trapped prey. This interaction is known as a digestive mutualism and is both mutualistic and facilitative by definition. Inquiline species may also facilitate each other via processing chain commensalisms. We used in vitro experiments to examine the isolated effect of resource stress on the outcomes of two facilitative interactions: (i) digestive mutualism-facilitation of pitcher nutrient sequestration by two inquiline dipteran larvae, culicids and phorids; (ii) processing chain commensalism-facilitation between these two inquiline taxa. The net nutritional benefit of phorids on N. gracilis was found to conform more to a monotonic rather than hump-shaped SGH model. However, the effect of culicids on N. gracilis and the effects of culicids and phorids on each other were weak. These findings provide compelling evidence that changes in facilitation along an isolated resource stress gradient conform to the predictions of the monotonic SGH model rather than that of the revised hump-shaped model, and highlight the importance of isolating stress gradients in empirical tests of the SGH.
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Stillman JH. Heat Waves, the New Normal: Summertime Temperature Extremes Will Impact Animals, Ecosystems, and Human Communities. Physiology (Bethesda) 2019; 34:86-100. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00040.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A consequence of climate change is the increased frequency and severity of extreme heat waves. This is occurring now as most of the warmest summers and most intense heat waves ever recorded have been during the past decade. In this review, I describe the ways in which animals and human populations are likely to respond to increased extreme heat, suggest how to study those responses, and reflect on the importance of those studies for countering the devastating impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon H. Stillman
- Estuary and Ocean Science Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
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Li X, Zhong Z, Sanders D, Smit C, Wang D, Nummi P, Zhu Y, Wang L, Zhu H, Hassan N. Reciprocal facilitation between large herbivores and ants in a semi-arid grassland. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1665. [PMID: 30305439 PMCID: PMC6191696 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While positive interactions have been well documented in plant and sessile benthic marine communities, their role in structuring mobile animal communities and underlying mechanisms has been less explored. Using field removal experiments, we demonstrated that a large vertebrate herbivore (cattle; Bos tarurs) and a much smaller invertebrate (ants; Lasius spp.), the two dominant animal taxa in a semi-arid grassland in Northeast China, facilitate each other. Cattle grazing led to higher ant mound abundance compared with ungrazed sites, while the presence of ant mounds increased the foraging of cattle during the peak of the growing season. Mechanistically, these reciprocal positive effects were driven by habitat amelioration and resource (food) enhancement by cattle and ants (respectively). Cattle facilitated ants, probably by decreasing plant litter accumulation by herbivory and trampling, allowing more light to reach the soil surface leading to microclimatic conditions that favour ants. Ants facilitated cattle probably by increasing soil nutrients via bioturbation, increasing food (plant) biomass and quality (nitrogen content) for cattle. Our study demonstrates reciprocal facilitative interactions between two animal species from phylogenetically very distant taxa. Such reciprocal positive interactions may be more common in animal communities than so far assumed, and they should receive more attention to improve our understanding of species coexistence and animal community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Li
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Christian Smit
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Deli Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Petri Nummi
- Wetland Ecology Group, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yu Zhu
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhu
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
| | - Nazim Hassan
- Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Changchun, Jilin 130024, People's Republic of China
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