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Niu L, Zou G, Guo Y, Li Y, Wang C, Hu Q, Zhang W, Wang L. Eutrophication dangers the ecological status of coastal wetlands: A quantitative assessment by composite microbial index of biotic integrity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 816:151620. [PMID: 34780838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The intertidal wetland ecosystem is vulnerable to environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Understanding how the ecological statuses of intertidal wetlands respond to influencing factors is crucial for the management and protection of intertidal wetland ecosystems. In this study, the community characteristics of bacteria, archaea and microeukaryote from Jiangsu coast areas (JCA), the longest muddy intertidal wetlands in the world, were detected to develop a composite microbial index of biotic integrity (CM-IBI) and to explore the influence mechanisms of stresses on the intertidal wetland ecological status. A total of 12 bacterial, archaea and microeukaryotic metrics were determined by range, responsiveness and redundancy tests for the development of ba-IBI, ar-IBI and eu-IBI. The CM-IBI was further developed via three sub-IBIs with weight coefficients 0.40, 0.33 and 0.27, respectively. The CM-IBI (R2 = 0.58) exhibited the highest goodness of fit with the CEI, followed by ba-IBI (R2 = 0.36), ar-IBI (R2 = 0.25) and eu-IBI (R2 = 0.21). Redundancy and random forest analyses revealed inorganic nitrogen (inorgN), total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) to be key environmental variables influencing community compositions. A conditional reasoning tree model indicated the close associating between the ecological status and eutrophication conditions. The majority of sites with water inorgN<0.67 mg/L exhibited good statuses, while the poor ecological status was observed for inorgN>0.67 mg/L and TP > 0.11 mg/L. Microbial networks demonstrated the interactions of microbial taxonomic units among three kingdoms decreases with the ecological degradation, suggesting a reduced reliability and stability of microbial communities. Multi-level path analysis revealed fishery aquaculture and industrial development as the dominant anthropogenic activities effecting the eutrophication and ecological degradation of the JCA tidal wetlands. This study developed an efficient ecological assessment method of tidal wetlands based on microbial communities, and determined the influence of human activities and eutrophication on ecological status, providing guidance for management standards and coastal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Niu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Guanhua Zou
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Yuntong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China.
| | - Chao Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China.
| | - Qing Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Wenlong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Linqiong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
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Madin EMP, Harborne AR, Harmer AMT, Luiz OJ, Atwood TB, Sullivan BJ, Madin JS. Marine reserves shape seascapes on scales visible from space. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190053. [PMID: 31014221 PMCID: PMC6501923 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine reserves can effectively restore harvested populations, and 'mega-reserves' increasingly protect large tracts of ocean. However, no method exists of monitoring ecological responses at this large scale. Herbivory is a key mechanism structuring ecosystems, and this consumer-resource interaction's strength on coral reefs can indicate ecosystem health. We screened 1372, and measured features of 214, reefs throughout Australia's Great Barrier Reef using high-resolution satellite imagery, combined with remote underwater videography and assays on a subset, to quantify the prevalence, size and potential causes of 'grazing halos'. Halos are known to be seascape-scale footprints of herbivory and other ecological interactions. Here we show that these halo-like footprints are more prevalent in reserves, particularly older ones (approx. 40 years old), resulting in predictable changes to reef habitat at scales visible from space. While the direct mechanisms for this pattern are relatively clear, the indirect mechanisms remain untested. By combining remote sensing and behavioural ecology, our findings demonstrate that reserves can shape large-scale habitat structure by altering herbivores' functional importance, suggesting that reserves may have greater value in restoring ecosystems than previously appreciated. Additionally, our results show that we can now detect macro-patterns in reef species interactions using freely available satellite imagery. Low-cost, ecosystem-level observation tools will be critical as reserves increase in number and scope; further investigation into whether halos may help seems warranted. Significance statement: Marine reserves are a widely used tool to mitigate fishing impacts on marine ecosystems. Predicting reserves' large-scale effects on habitat structure and ecosystem functioning is a major challenge, however, because these effects unfold over longer and larger scales than most ecological studies. We use a unique approach merging remote sensing and behavioural ecology to detect ecosystem change within reserves in Australia's vast Great Barrier Reef. We find evidence of changes in reefs' algal habitat structure occurring over large spatial (thousands of kilometres) and temporal (40+ years) scales, demonstrating that reserves can alter herbivory and habitat structure in predictable ways. This approach demonstrates that we can now detect aspects of reefs' ecological responses to protection even in remote and inaccessible reefs globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. P. Madin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI 96744, USA
| | - Alastair R. Harborne
- Marine Spatial Ecology Laboratory and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Aaron M. T. Harmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Osmar J. Luiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Trisha B. Atwood
- Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Watershed Sciences and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | - Joshua S. Madin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI 96744, USA
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Madin EMP, Precoda K, Harborne AR, Atwood TB, Roelfsema CM, Luiz OJ. Multi-Trophic Species Interactions Shape Seascape-Scale Coral Reef Vegetation Patterns. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Atwood TB, Madin EMP, Harborne AR, Hammill E, Luiz OJ, Ollivier QR, Roelfsema CM, Macreadie PI, Lovelock CE. Predators Shape Sedimentary Organic Carbon Storage in a Coral Reef Ecosystem. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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