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Virta L, Teittinen A. Threshold effects of climate change on benthic diatom communities: Evaluating impacts of salinity and wind disturbance on functional traits and benthic biomass. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154130. [PMID: 35219662 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154130] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The responses of biotic communities and ecosystems to climate change may be abrupt and non-linear. Thus, resolving ecological threshold mechanisms is crucial for understanding the consequences of climate change and for improving environmental management. Here, we present a study on the threshold responses of benthic diatom communities that are an important component of all aquatic environments and strongly contribute to global primary production. We reach beyond the taxonomic perspective by focusing on the diversity and functions of diatom communities and benthic biomass along gradients of salinity and wind disturbance, whose climate-change-induced changes have been predicted to strongly affect biotic communities in the marine and brackish systems in the future. To improve the generality of our results, we examine three self-collected datasets from different spatial scales (6-830 km) and ecosystem types. We collected samples from rock pools or from littoral stones and studied taxonomic thresholds using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN2). We investigated threshold responses of community diversity, community functions, and benthic biomass using t-tests and regression analyses. Our results indicated that decreasing salinity may result in increasing diversity but decreasing biomass of brackish communities, while the effects of increasing wind disturbance were contradictory among spatial scales. Benthic biomass correlated with the taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as with the body size distribution of communities, highlighting the importance of considering community functions and organismal size when predicting ecosystem functions. The most pronounced effects of decreasing salinity and increasing wind disturbance on community functions were changes in the abundance of low-profile diatom species, which, due to the high resilience of low-profile diatoms, may lead to changes in ecosystem functioning and resilience. To conclude, decreasing salinity and increasing wind disturbance may lead to threshold responses of biotic communities, and these changes may have profound effects on ecosystem functioning along marine coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Virta
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, FI-10900 Hangö, Finland.
| | - Anette Teittinen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, PO Box 64, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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2
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Teittinen A, Soininen J, Virta L. Studying biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships in experimental microcosms among islands. Ecology 2022; 103:e3664. [PMID: 35157310 PMCID: PMC9287039 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecological studies on islands have provided fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying biodiversity of larger organisms, but we know little about the factors affecting island microbial biodiversity and ecosystem function. We conducted a field experiment on five Baltic Sea islands where we placed aquatic microcosms with different levels of salinity mimicking environmental stress and allowed diatoms to colonize the microcosms via the air. Using structural equation models (SEM), we investigated the interconnections among environmental and dispersal‐related factors, diatom biodiversity, and ecosystem productivity (represented by chlorophyll a concentration). We also tested whether the body size structure of the community influences productivity together with biodiversity. In SEMs, we found no relationship between species richness or evenness and productivity. However, productivity increased with increasing mean body size of species in the communities. The effects of environmental stress on both biodiversity and ecosystem productivity were highlighted as species richness and evenness declined, whereas productivity increased at the highest salinity levels. In addition to salinity, wind exposure affected both biodiversity metrics and productivity. This study provides new insights into microbial community assembly in a field experimental setting and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function. Our results indicate that salinity presents a strong abiotic filter, leading to communities that may be species poor, yet comprise salinity‐tolerant and relatively productive species at high salinity. Our findings also emphasize the importance of mean community body size in mediating the effects of environmental conditions on productivity and suggest that this trait should be considered more broadly in biodiversity–ecosystem function studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Teittinen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leena Virta
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900, Hanko, Finland
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3
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Emery KA, Dugan JE, Bailey RA, Miller RJ. Species identity drives ecosystem function in a subsidy-dependent coastal ecosystem. Oecologia 2021; 196:1195-1206. [PMID: 34324077 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05002-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Declines in species diversity carry profound implications for ecosystem functioning. Communities of primary producers and consumers interact on evolutionary as well as ecological time scales, shaping complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In subsidized ecosystems, resource inputs are independent of consumer actions, offering a simplified view of the relationship between species diversity and function for higher trophic levels. With food webs supported by substantial but variable inputs of detritus from adjacent marine ecosystems, sandy beaches are classic examples of subsidized ecosystems. We investigated effects of consumer species diversity and identity on a key ecological function, consumption of kelp wrack from nearshore giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests. We assessed effects of species richness on kelp consumption by experimentally manipulating richness of six common species of invertebrate detritivores in laboratory mesocosms and conducting field assays of kelp consumption on beaches. Consumer richness had no effect on kelp consumption in the field and a slight negative effect in laboratory experiments. Kelp consumption was most strongly affected by the species composition of the detritivore community. Species identity and body size of intertidal detritivores drove variation in kelp consumption rates in both experiments and field assays. Our results provide further evidence that species traits, rather than richness per se, influence ecosystem function most, particularly in detrital-based food webs with high functional redundancy across species. On sandy beaches, where biodiversity is threatened by rising sea levels and expanding development, our findings suggest that loss of large-bodied consumer species could disproportionally impact ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Emery
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Jenifer E Dugan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - R A Bailey
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, Fife, UK
| | - Robert J Miller
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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4
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Effects of two measures of riparian plant biodiversity on litter decomposition and associated processes in stream microcosms. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19682. [PMID: 33184346 PMCID: PMC7661703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76656-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant litter decomposition is a key ecosystem process that can be altered by global changes such as biodiversity loss. These effects can be particularly important in detritus-based ecosystems, such as headwater streams, which are mainly fuelled by allochthonous plant litter inputs. However, experiments examining effects of plant diversity on litter decomposition in streams have not reached consensus about which measures of biodiversity are more relevant. We explored the influence of two of these measures, plant species richness (SR; monocultures vs. 3-species mixtures) and phylogenetic distance (PD; species belonging to the same family vs. different families), on leaf litter decomposition and associated processes and variables (nutrient dynamics, fungal biomass and detritivore growth), in a stream microcosm experiment using litter from 9 tree species belonging to 3 families. We found a negative effect of SR on decomposition (which contradicted the results of previous experiments) but a positive effect on fungal biomass. While PD did not affect decomposition, both SR and PD altered nutrient dynamics: there was greater litter and detritivore N loss in low-PD mixtures, and greater litter P loss and detritivore P gain in monocultures. This suggested that the number of species in mixtures and the similarity of their traits both modulated nutrient availability and utilization by detritivores. Moreover, the greater fungal biomass with higher SR could imply positive effects on detritivores in the longer term. Our results provide new insights of the functional repercussions of biodiversity loss by going beyond the often-explored relationship between SR and decomposition, and reveal an influence of plant species phylogenetic relatedness on nutrient cycling that merits further investigation.
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5
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Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Bailey
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
- School of Mathematical Sciences (Emerita), Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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6
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Fontana S, Berg MP, Moretti M. Intraspecific niche partitioning in macrodetritivores enhances mixed leaf litter decomposition. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fontana
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Matty P. Berg
- Animal Ecology Group Department of Ecological Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Community and Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Science University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
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7
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Thomsen MS, Godbold JA, Garcia C, Bolam SG, Parker R, Solan M. Compensatory responses can alter the form of the biodiversity-function relation curve. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190287. [PMID: 30991928 PMCID: PMC6501933 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There is now strong evidence that ecosystem properties are influenced by alterations in biodiversity. The consensus that has emerged from over two decades of research is that the form of the biodiversity-functioning relationship follows a saturating curve. However, the foundation from which these conclusions are drawn mostly stems from empirical investigations that have not accounted for post-extinction changes in community composition and structure, or how surviving species respond to new circumstances and modify their contribution to functioning. Here, we use marine sediment-dwelling invertebrate communities to experimentally assess whether post-extinction compensatory mechanisms (simulated by increasing species biomass) have the potential to alter biodiversity-ecosystem function relations. Consistent with recent numerical simulations, we find that the form of the biodiversity-function curve is dependent on whether or not compensatory responses are present, the cause and extent of extinction, and species density. When species losses are combined with the compensatory responses of surviving species, both community composition, dominance structure, and the pool and relative expression of functionally important traits change and affect species interactions and behaviour. These observations emphasize the importance of post-extinction community composition in determining the stability of ecosystem functioning following extinction. Our results caution against the use of the generalized biodiversity-function curve when generating probabilistic estimates of post-extinction ecosystem properties for practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias S. Thomsen
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Jasmin A. Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Clement Garcia
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Stefan G. Bolam
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Ruth Parker
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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8
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Tonin AM, Pozo J, Monroy S, Basaguren A, Pérez J, Gonçalves JF, Pearson R, Cardinale BJ, Boyero L. Interactions between large and small detritivores influence how biodiversity impacts litter decomposition. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1465-1474. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan M. Tonin
- Limnology/Aquaripária Lab, Department of Ecology, IB; University of Brasília (UnB); Brasília Brazil
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
| | - Jesús Pozo
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
| | - Silvia Monroy
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
| | - Ana Basaguren
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
| | - Javier Pérez
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
| | - José F. Gonçalves
- Limnology/Aquaripária Lab, Department of Ecology, IB; University of Brasília (UnB); Brasília Brazil
| | - Richard Pearson
- College of Science and Engineering, and TropWater; James Cook University; Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Bradley J. Cardinale
- Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR); School for Environment and Sustainability; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Luz Boyero
- Faculty of Science and Technology; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Leioa Spain
- College of Science and Engineering, and TropWater; James Cook University; Townsville QLD Australia
- IKERBASQUE; Basque Foundation for Science; Bilbao Spain
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9
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Little CJ, Altermatt F. Species turnover and invasion of dominant freshwater invertebrates alter biodiversity-ecosystem-function relationship. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea J. Little
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Überlandstrasse 133 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Überlandstrasse 133 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zürich Switzerland
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10
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van Egmond EM, van Bodegom PM, van Hal JR, van Logtestijn RSP, Berg MP, Aerts R. Nonadditive effects of consumption in an intertidal macroinvertebrate community are independent of food availability but driven by complementarity effects. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3086-3097. [PMID: 29607008 PMCID: PMC5869218 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Suboptimal environmental conditions are ubiquitous in nature and commonly drive the outcome of biological interactions in community processes. Despite the importance of biological interactions for community processes, knowledge on how species interactions are affected by a limiting resource, for example, low food availability, remains limited. Here, we tested whether variation in food supply causes nonadditive consumption patterns, using the macroinvertebrate community of intertidal sandy beaches as a model system. We quantified isotopically labeled diatom consumption by three macroinvertebrate species (Bathyporeia pilosa, Haustorius arenarius, and Scolelepis squamata) kept in mesocosms in either monoculture or a three-species community at a range of diatom densities. Our results show that B. pilosa was the most successful competitor in terms of consumption at both high and low diatom density, while H. arenarius and especially S. squamata consumed less in a community than in their respective monocultures. Nonadditive effects on consumption in this macroinvertebrate community were present and larger than mere additive effects, and similar across diatom densities. The underlying species interactions, however, did change with diatom density. Complementarity effects related to niche-partitioning were the main driver of the net diversity effect on consumption, with a slightly increasing contribution of selection effects related to competition with decreasing diatom density. For the first time, we showed that nonadditive effects of consumption are independent of food availability in a macroinvertebrate community. This suggests that, in communities with functionally different, and thus complementary, species, nonadditive effects can arise even when food availability is low. Hence, at a range of environmental conditions, species interactions hold important potential to alter ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M van Egmond
- Department of Ecological Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Jurgen R van Hal
- Department of Ecological Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Matty P Berg
- Department of Ecological Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Community and Conservation Ecology Group University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Rien Aerts
- Department of Ecological Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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11
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Carlson BE, Langkilde T. Body size variation in aquatic consumers causes pervasive community effects, independent of mean body size. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9978-9990. [PMID: 29238530 PMCID: PMC5723604 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific phenotypic variation is a significant component of biodiversity. Body size, for example, is variable and critical for structuring communities. We need to understand how homogenous and variably sized populations differ in their ecological responses or effects if we are to have a robust understanding of communities. We manipulated body size variation in consumer (tadpole) populations in mesocosms (both with and without predators), keeping mean size and density of these consumers constant. Size-variable consumer populations exhibited stronger antipredator responses (reduced activity), which had a cascading effect of increasing the biomass of the consumer's resources. Predators foraged less when consumers were variable in size, and this may have mediated the differential effects of predators on the community composition of alternative prey (zooplankton). All trophic levels responded to differences in consumer size variation, demonstrating that intrapopulation phenotypic variability can significantly alter interspecific ecological interactions. Furthermore, we identify a key mechanism (size thresholds for predation risk) that may mediate impacts of size variation in natural communities. Together, our results suggest that phenotypic variability plays a significant role in structuring ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley E. Carlson
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior, and CognitionThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior, and CognitionThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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12
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Cárdenas RE, Donoso DA, Argoti A, Dangles O. Functional consequences of realistic extinction scenarios in Amazonian soil food webs. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael E. Cárdenas
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas; Museo de Zoología QCAZ; Laboratorio de Entomología; Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184 Quito Ecuador
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); UR 072; LEGS-CNRS; UPR 9034; CNRS; Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198 France
- Université Paris-Sud 11; Orsay Cedex 91405 France
| | - David A. Donoso
- Escuela Politécnica Nacional; Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas; Av. Ladrón de Guevara E11-253 Quito Ecuador
| | - Adriana Argoti
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas; Museo de Zoología QCAZ; Laboratorio de Entomología; Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184 Quito Ecuador
| | - Olivier Dangles
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas; Museo de Zoología QCAZ; Laboratorio de Entomología; Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184 Quito Ecuador
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); UR 072; LEGS-CNRS; UPR 9034; CNRS; Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198 France
- Université Paris-Sud 11; Orsay Cedex 91405 France
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13
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Flores L, Bailey RA, Elosegi A, Larrañaga A, Reiss J. Habitat Complexity in Aquatic Microcosms Affects Processes Driven by Detritivores. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165065. [PMID: 27802267 PMCID: PMC5089768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat complexity can influence predation rates (e.g. by providing refuge) but other ecosystem processes and species interactions might also be modulated by the properties of habitat structure. Here, we focussed on how complexity of artificial habitat (plastic plants), in microcosms, influenced short-term processes driven by three aquatic detritivores. The effects of habitat complexity on leaf decomposition, production of fine organic matter and pH levels were explored by measuring complexity in three ways: 1. as the presence vs. absence of habitat structure; 2. as the amount of structure (3 or 4.5 g of plastic plants); and 3. as the spatial configuration of structures (measured as fractal dimension). The experiment also addressed potential interactions among the consumers by running all possible species combinations. In the experimental microcosms, habitat complexity influenced how species performed, especially when comparing structure present vs. structure absent. Treatments with structure showed higher fine particulate matter production and lower pH compared to treatments without structures and this was probably due to higher digestion and respiration when structures were present. When we explored the effects of the different complexity levels, we found that the amount of structure added explained more than the fractal dimension of the structures. We give a detailed overview of the experimental design, statistical models and R codes, because our statistical analysis can be applied to other study systems (and disciplines such as restoration ecology). We further make suggestions of how to optimise statistical power when artificially assembling, and analysing, 'habitat complexity' by not confounding complexity with the amount of structure added. In summary, this study highlights the importance of habitat complexity for energy flow and the maintenance of ecosystem processes in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorea Flores
- INRA, UMR 1224, Ecologie Comportementale et Biologie des Populations de Poissons, Aquapôle, quartier Ibarron, 64310 Saint-Pée sur Nivelle, France
- * E-mail: (LF); (JR)
| | - R. A. Bailey
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4 NS, United Kingdom
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Laboratory of Stream Ecology, Dept. of Plant Biology and Ecology, Fac. of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU PO Box 644; 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Laboratory of Stream Ecology, Dept. of Plant Biology and Ecology, Fac. of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU PO Box 644; 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Julia Reiss
- Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LF); (JR)
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14
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Eduardo AA. Multiple dimensions of biodiversity and ecosystem processes: Exploring the joint influence of intraspecific, specific and interspecific diversity. J Theor Biol 2016; 404:215-221. [PMID: 27287340 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The positive influence of biodiversity on ecosystem processes was the focus of intense debate in ecology throughout the recent decades, becoming accepted and treated as a new paradigm in contemporary ecology. However, the available literature in this research field extensively explores species richness as an unidimensional measure for biodiversity. The present study explores how different components of biological diversity (number of genotypes, species, and functional groups) can influence an ecosystem process (biomass fixation). A mathematical model was employed and the simulation results showed that species richness per se does not affect the ecosystem productivity. Genotypic richness affected positively the ecosystem, but only if the genotypes are functionally complementary. The functional groups richness always affected positively the simulated ecosystem process. When together, richness at the different components of biological diversity showed stronger effect on ecosystem, and the scenarios with high species, genotypes and functional groups richness were the most productive ones. The results also allowed to observe that the ecosystems which are diverse in terms of functional groups and genotypes can be less susceptible to species loss. Finally, it is argued that a multiple dimension approach to biodiversity is relevant to advance the current knowledge on the relation between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson A Eduardo
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia - UFBA, Ademar de Barros Avenue. Salvador, Bahia ZIP 40170-290, Brazil.
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15
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Litter Decomposition as an Indicator of Stream Ecosystem Functioning at Local-to-Continental Scales. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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16
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17
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Radchuk V, Laender F, Brink PJ, Grimm V. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning decoupled: invariant ecosystem functioning despite non‐random reductions in consumer diversity. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Viktoriia Radchuk
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e DE‐04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Frederik Laender
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. de Namur Rue de Bruxelles 61 BE‐5000 Namur Belgium
| | - Paul J. Brink
- Alterra, Wageningen Univ. and Research centre PO Box 47, NL‐6700 AA, Wageningen the Netherlands
- Dept of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Wageningen Univ., Wageningen Univ. and Research centre PO Box 47, NL‐6700 AA Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Volker Grimm
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e DE‐04103 Leipzig Germany
- Dept of Ecological Modelling Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Permoserstr. 15 Leipzig Germany
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Perkins DM, Bailey RA, Dossena M, Gamfeldt L, Reiss J, Trimmer M, Woodward G. Higher biodiversity is required to sustain multiple ecosystem processes across temperature regimes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:396-406. [PMID: 25131335 PMCID: PMC4310294 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is occurring rapidly worldwide, yet it is uncertain whether few or many species are required to sustain ecosystem functioning in the face of environmental change. The importance of biodiversity might be enhanced when multiple ecosystem processes (termed multifunctionality) and environmental contexts are considered, yet no studies have quantified this explicitly to date. We measured five key processes and their combined multifunctionality at three temperatures (5, 10 and 15 °C) in freshwater aquaria containing different animal assemblages (1-4 benthic macroinvertebrate species). For single processes, biodiversity effects were weak and were best predicted by additive-based models, i.e. polyculture performances represented the sum of their monoculture parts. There were, however, significant effects of biodiversity on multifunctionality at the low and the high (but not the intermediate) temperature. Variation in the contribution of species to processes across temperatures meant that greater biodiversity was required to sustain multifunctionality across different temperatures than was the case for single processes. This suggests that previous studies might have underestimated the importance of biodiversity in sustaining ecosystem functioning in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Perkins
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSilwood Park Campus, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - R A Bailey
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondon, E1 4NS, UK
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St AndrewsSt Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Matteo Dossena
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondon, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lars Gamfeldt
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of GothenburgBOX 461, Gothenburg, SE-40530, Sweden
| | - Julia Reiss
- Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, University of RoehamptonLondon, SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Mark Trimmer
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondon, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSilwood Park Campus, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
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19
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Woody plant phylogenetic diversity mediates bottom–up control of arthropod biomass in species-rich forests. Oecologia 2014; 176:171-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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20
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Size matters: implications of the loss of large individuals for ecosystem function. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2646. [PMID: 24025973 PMCID: PMC6505624 DOI: 10.1038/srep02646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Size is a fundamental organismal trait and an important driver of ecosystem functions. Although large individuals may dominate some functions and provide important habitat structuring effects, intra-specific body size effects are rarely investigated in the context of BEF relationships. We used an in situ density manipulation experiment to explore the contribution of large, deep-burrowing bivalves to oxygen and nutrient fluxes across the sediment-water interface. By manipulating bivalve size structure through the removal of large individuals, we held species identity constant, but altered the trait characteristics of the community. The number of large bivalves was the best predictor of ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight that (a) accounting for body size provides important insights into the mechanisms underpinning biodiversity effects on ecosystem function, and (b) if local disturbances are recurrent, preventing individuals from reaching large sizes, the contribution of large adults may be lost, with largely unknown implications for ecosystem functionality.
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21
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Leitch AR, Leitch IJ, Trimmer M, Guignard MS, Woodward G. Impact of genomic diversity in river ecosystems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 19:361-366. [PMID: 24447819 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2013.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Revised: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We propose that genomic diversity in aquatic macrophytes of rivers, driven by the underlying genomic processes of interspecific hybridization and polyploidy (whole-genome duplication), play a significant role in ecosystem functioning. These genomic processes generate individuals which might differ in their demands for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This is significant because (i) N and/or P are frequently limiting nutrients in freshwater ecosystems, and (ii) nucleic acids are demanding in N and P. We suggest that N and P availability will provide a selection pressure for genetic variants in macrophytes which will, in turn, influence the nutritional quality of plant biomass, and hence their consumption by herbivores and detritivores as well as the energy flux of their biomass through the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Leitch
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Ilia J Leitch
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Mark Trimmer
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Maité S Guignard
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
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22
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Biotic vs. abiotic control of decomposition: a comparison of the effects of simulated extinctions and changes in temperature. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87426. [PMID: 24466351 PMCID: PMC3900723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of species is known to have significant effects on ecosystem functioning, but only recently has it been recognized that species loss might rival the effects of other forms of environmental change on ecosystem processes. There is a need for experimental studies that explicitly manipulate species richness and environmental factors concurrently to determine their relative impacts on key ecosystem processes such as plant litter decomposition. It is crucial to understand what factors affect the rate of plant litter decomposition and the relative magnitude of such effects because the rate at which plant litter is lost and transformed to other forms of organic and inorganic carbon determines the capacity for carbon storage in ecosystems and the rate at which greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide are outgassed. Here we compared how an increase in water temperature of 5°C and loss of detritivorous invertebrate and plant litter species affect decomposition rates in a laboratory experiment simulating stream conditions. Like some prior studies, we found that species identity, rather than species richness per se, is a key driver of decomposition, but additionally we showed that the loss of particular species can equal or exceed temperature change in its impact on decomposition. Our results indicate that the loss of particular species can be as important a driver of decomposition as substantial temperature change, but also that predicting the relative consequences of species loss and other forms of environmental change on decomposition requires knowledge of assemblages and their constituent species' ecology and ecophysiology.
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23
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Bailey R, Reiss J. Design and analysis of experiments testing for biodiversity effects in ecology. J Stat Plan Inference 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jspi.2012.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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24
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Frainer A, McKie BG, Malmqvist B. When does diversity matter? Species functional diversity and ecosystem functioning across habitats and seasons in a field experiment. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:460-9. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Frainer
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
| | - Brendan G. McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala SE 750 07 Sweden
| | - Björn Malmqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå University; Umeå SE 901 87 Sweden
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25
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Rudolf VHW, Rasmussen NL. Ontogenetic functional diversity: Size structure of a keystone predator drives functioning of a complex ecosystem. Ecology 2013; 94:1046-56. [DOI: 10.1890/12-0378.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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26
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Dangles O, Carpio C, Woodward G. Size-dependent species removal impairs ecosystem functioning in a large-scale tropical field experiment. Ecology 2013; 93:2615-25. [PMID: 23431592 DOI: 10.1890/12-0510.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge of ecological research is to assess the functional consequences of species richness loss over time and space in global biodiversity hotspots, where extinctions are happening at an unprecedented rate. To address this issue, greater realism needs to be incorporated into both conceptual and experimental approaches. Here we propose a conceptual model that incorporates body size as a critical aspect of community responses to environmental change, which we tested in the Western Amazonian rain forest, one of the most speciose ecosystems on the planet. We employed an exclosure removal experiment (replicated under 10 microhabitats and four climatic conditions) in which we manipulated access to two types of resource by the whole community of dung and carrion beetles (> 60 species), depending on their size. Our 400 independent measurements revealed that changes in the number of species and functional groups, and temporal patterns in community composition, all affected resource burial rates, a key ecosystem process. Further, the functional contribution of species diversity in each size class was tightly dependent on beetle abundance, and while the role of large species could be performed by abundant smaller ones, and other naturally occurring decomposers, this was not the case when environmental conditions were harsher. These results demonstrate, for the first time in an animal assemblage in a tropical ecosystem, that although species may appear functionally redundant under one set of environmental conditions, many species would be needed to maintain ecosystem functioning at multiple temporal and spatial scales. This highlights the potential fragility of these systems to the ongoing global "Sixth Great Extinction," whose effects are likely to be especially pronounced in the Tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dangles
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Quito, Ecuador.
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27
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Schneider FD, Brose U. Beyond diversity: how nested predator effects control ecosystem functions. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:64-71. [PMID: 23173560 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The global decline in biodiversity is especially evident in higher trophic levels as predators display higher sensitivity to environmental change than organisms from lower trophic levels. This is even more alarming given the paucity of knowledge about the role of individual predator species in sustaining ecosystem functioning. The effect of predator diversity on lower trophic level prey is often driven by the increasing chance of including the most influential species. Furthermore, intraguild predation can cause trophic cascades with net positive effects on basal prey. As a consequence, the effects of losing a predator species appear to be idiosyncratic and it becomes unpredictable how the community's net effect on lower trophic levels changes when species number is declining. We performed a full factorial microcosm experiment with litter layer arthropods to measure the effects of predator diversity and context-dependent identity effects on a detritivore population and microbial biomass. We show that major parts of the observed diversity effect can be assigned to the increasing likelihood of including the most influential predator. Further, the presence of a second predator feeding on the first predator dampens this dominant effect. Including this intraguild predator on top of the first predator is more likely with increasing predator diversity as well. Thus, the overall pattern can be explained by a second identity effect, which is nested into the first. When losing a predator from the community, the response of the lower trophic level is highly dependent on the remaining predator species. We mechanistically explain the net effects of the predator community on lower trophic levels by nested effects of predator identities. These identity effects become predictable when taking the species' body masses into account. This provides a new mechanistic perspective describing ecosystem functioning as a consequence of species composition and yields an understanding beyond simple effects of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Dirk Schneider
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg August University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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28
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Mulder C, Boit A, Mori S, Vonk JA, Dyer SD, Faggiano L, Geisen S, González AL, Kaspari M, Lavorel S, Marquet PA, Rossberg AG, Sterner RW, Voigt W, Wall DH. Distributional (In)Congruence of Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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29
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Moya-Laraño J, Verdeny-Vilalta O, Rowntree J, Melguizo-Ruiz N, Montserrat M, Laiolo P. Climate Change and Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in Food Webs. ADV ECOL RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-398315-2.00001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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