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Sanmartí N, Ontoria Y, Ricart AM, Arthur R, Alcoverro T, Pérez M, Romero J. Exploring coexistence mechanisms in a three-species assemblage. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 178:105647. [PMID: 35605380 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105647] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Interactions among species are essential in shaping ecological communities, although it is not always clear under what conditions they can persist when the number of species involved is higher than two. Here we describe a three-species assemblage involving the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, the pen shell Pinna nobilis and the herbivore sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, and we explore the mechanisms allowing its persistence through field observations and manipulative experiments. The abundance of pen shells was higher in seagrass beds than in bare sand, suggesting a recruitment facilitation. The presence of sea urchins, almost exclusively attached or around pen shells, indicated habitat facilitation for sea urchins, which overgrazed the meadow around the pen shells forming seagrass-free halos. Our results suggest that this system persists thanks to: (i) the behavioral reluctance of sea urchins to move far from pen shells, making their impact on seagrass strictly local, (ii) the sparse distribution of pen shells and (iii) the plant's resistance mechanisms to herbivory. Unpacking these mechanisms allows a better understanding of how ecological communities are assembled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Sanmartí
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Yaiza Ontoria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurora M Ricart
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 60 Bigelow Dr, East Boothbay, ME, 04544, USA
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a la cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain; Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, 570 002, Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a la cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain; Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, 570 002, Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | - Marta Pérez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Thomsen MS, Altieri AH, Angelini C, Bishop MJ, Bulleri F, Farhan R, Frühling VMM, Gribben PE, Harrison SB, He Q, Klinghardt M, Langeneck J, Lanham BS, Mondardini L, Mulders Y, Oleksyn S, Ramus AP, Schiel DR, Schneider T, Siciliano A, Silliman BR, Smale DA, South PM, Wernberg T, Zhang S, Zotz G. Heterogeneity within and among co-occurring foundation species increases biodiversity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:581. [PMID: 35102155 PMCID: PMC8803935 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat heterogeneity is considered a primary causal driver underpinning patterns of diversity, yet the universal role of heterogeneity in structuring biodiversity is unclear due to a lack of coordinated experiments testing its effects across geographic scales and habitat types. Furthermore, key species interactions that can enhance heterogeneity, such as facilitation cascades of foundation species, have been largely overlooked in general biodiversity models. Here, we performed 22 geographically distributed experiments in different ecosystems and biogeographical regions to assess the extent to which variation in biodiversity is explained by three axes of habitat heterogeneity: the amount of habitat, its morphological complexity, and capacity to provide ecological resources (e.g. food) within and between co-occurring foundation species. We show that positive and additive effects across the three axes of heterogeneity are common, providing a compelling mechanistic insight into the universal importance of habitat heterogeneity in promoting biodiversity via cascades of facilitative interactions. Because many aspects of habitat heterogeneity can be controlled through restoration and management interventions, our findings are directly relevant to biodiversity conservation. Species interactions that can enhance habitat heterogeneity such as facilitation cascades of foundation species have been overlooked in biodiversity models. This study conducted 22 geographically distributed experiments in different ecosystems and biogeographical regions to assess the extent to which biodiversity is explained by three axes of habitat heterogeneity in facilitation cascades.
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Navarro‐Barranco C, Gribben PE, Ledet J J, Poore AGB. Habitat‐complexity regulates the intensity of facilitation along an environmental stress gradient. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, and Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of New South Wales Sydney Australia
- Sydney Inst. of Marine Science Mosman NSW Australia
| | - Janine Ledet J
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, and Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of New South Wales Sydney Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, and Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of New South Wales Sydney Australia
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4
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Stelling‐Wood TP, Poore AGB, Gribben PE. Shifts in biomass and structure of habitat-formers across a latitudinal gradient. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8831-8842. [PMID: 34257931 PMCID: PMC8258212 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Global patterns of plant biomass drive the distribution of much of the marine and terrestrial life on Earth. This is because their biomass and physical structure have important consequences for the communities they support by providing food and habitat. In terrestrial ecosystems, temperature is one of the major determinants of plant biomass and can influence plant and leaf morphology. In temperate marine systems, macroalgae are major habitat-formers and commonly display highly variable morphology in response to local environmental conditions. Variation in their morphology, and thus habitat structure on temperate reefs, however, is poorly understood across large scales. In this study, we used a trait-based approach to quantify morphological variability in subtidal rocky reefs dominated by the algal genus Sargassum along a latitudinal gradient, in southeastern Australia (~900 km). We tested whether large-scale variation in sea surface temperature (SST), site exposure, and nutrient availability can predict algal biomass and individual morphology. We found Sargassum biomass declined with increasing maximum SST. We also found that individual morphology varied with abiotic ocean variables. Frond size and intraindividual variability in frond size decreased with increasing with distance from the equator, as SST decreased and nitrate concentration increased. The shape of fronds displayed no clear relationship with any of the abiotic variables measured. These results suggest climate change will cause significant changes to the structure of Sargassum habitats along the southeastern coast of Australia, resulting in an overall reduction in biomass and increase in the prevalence of thalli with large, highly variable fronds. Using a space-for-time approach means shifts in morphological trait values can be used as early warning signs of impending species declines and regime shifts. Consequently, by studying traits and how they change across large scales we can potentially predict and anticipate the impacts of environmental change on these communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Peta Stelling‐Wood
- Evolution & Ecology Research CentreUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Centre of Marine Science and InnovationUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Evolution & Ecology Research CentreUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Centre of Marine Science and InnovationUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre of Marine Science and InnovationUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceMosmanNSWAustralia
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5
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Yakovis E, Artemieva A. Effects of a trophic cascade on a multi-level facilitation cascade. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2462-2470. [PMID: 34143499 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The role of cascades in natural communities has been extensively studied, but interactions between trophic and facilitation cascades are unexplored. In the White Sea (65°N) shallow subtidal, bivalve primary facilitators provide hard substrate for secondary facilitator barnacles, that, in turn, provide substrate for conspecifics, ascidians, red algae and multiple associated organisms, composing a multi-level facilitation cascade. Previous research revealed that predation by the whelk Boreotrophon clathratus accounts for ~7% of adult barnacle mortality. Low whelk abundance limits their effect, with barnacles living on conspecifics several times more vulnerable to predation than those living on primary substrate. Trophic cascades can selectively shield foundation species from consumers, and hence may affect the structure and length of facilitation cascades. We tested the hypothesis that low abundance of the whelks results from mesopredator predation on their juveniles. Depending on the magnitude of the effect, this would mean that a trophic cascade controls the abundance of barnacles on all substrates or only barnacles living on conspecifics. We also suggested that barnacles on primary substrates and conspecifics facilitate different dependent assemblages. We manipulated the presence of crab and shrimp mesopredators in field caging experiments to assess their effect on whelk recruitment. In a field survey, we compared the assemblages of sessile macrobenthic organisms associated with barnacles living on different substrates. Caging experiments evidenced that crab and shrimp mesopredators reduce whelk recruitment by 4.6 times. Field data showed that barnacles on primary substrate and on conspecifics promote different dependent assemblages including secondary facilitator ascidians. Although mesopredators do not shield barnacles from elimination, their absence would restrict them from living on conspecifics. Barnacles on conspecifics are functionally different from barnacles on primary substrate, and can be considered a separate level of the facilitation cascade. Trophic cascades thus can generate community-wide effects on facilitation cascades by affecting their structure and possibly length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugeniy Yakovis
- Invertebrate Zoology Department, St.-Petersburg State University, Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Artemieva
- Invertebrate Zoology Department, St.-Petersburg State University, Petersburg, Russia
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6
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Critchley LP, Bugnot AB, Dafforn KA, Marzinelli EM, Bishop MJ. Comparison of wrack dynamics between mangrove forests with and without seawalls. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 751:141371. [PMID: 32882543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The supply and fate of wrack (dead organic matter) is a critical determinant of the structure and function of shoreline ecosystems, and their role as carbon repositories. The increasingly common practise of armouring urbanised shorelines with seawalls impacts wrack deposits of unvegetated estuarine and coastal shorelines by truncating the intertidal zone and/or by modifying the physical and biological processes that deliver and remove wrack. This study tested whether such effects also extend to mangrove forests. A survey of wrack deposits in mangrove forests with and without seawalls along the Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia, revealed that at sites with seawalls placed at a mid-intertidal elevation wrack deposits were shifted from the high- to mid-intertidal but were otherwise of similar cover and composition. Experiments tracking the fate of wrack determined that, as compared to the mid-intertidal zone of unarmoured shorelines, wrack deposits at sites with seawalls were more readily mobilised. This was in some instances countered by the reduction in Casuarina glauca litter on armoured shorelines, as experiments revealed that Avicennia marina leaf decomposition was slower in the absence than the presence of C. glauca. Overall, the results suggest that effects of armouring on wrack composition and dynamics may be weaker in mangrove forests than on unvegetated shorelines. This could reflect the predominantly autochthonous source of wrack in mangrove forests, the habitat structure of forests minimizing hydrodynamic impacts of seawalls, and/or the differing reasons for which hard structures are constructed in low hydrodynamic energy vegetated as opposed to high hydrodynamic energy unvegetated settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lincoln P Critchley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Ana B Bugnot
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman 2088, Australia
| | - Katherine A Dafforn
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman 2088, Australia; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ezequiel M Marzinelli
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman 2088, Australia; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Melanie J Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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7
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Vozzo ML, Cumbo VR, Crosswell JR, Bishop MJ. Wave energy alters biodiversity by shaping intraspecific traits of a habitat‐forming species. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria L. Vozzo
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. North Ryde NSW 2109 Australia
- Sydney Inst. of Marine Science Mosman NSW 2088 Australia
| | - Vivian R. Cumbo
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. North Ryde NSW 2109 Australia
| | | | - Melanie J. Bishop
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. North Ryde NSW 2109 Australia
- Sydney Inst. of Marine Science Mosman NSW 2088 Australia
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8
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Lanham BS, Poore AGB, Gribben PE. Facilitation cascades create a predation refuge for biodiversity in a novel connected habitat. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan S. Lanham
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
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9
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Sanjerehei MM, Rundel PW. A comparison of methods for detecting association between plant species. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.101034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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10
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Westerbom M, Kraufvelin P, Erlandsson J, Korpinen S, Mustonen O, Díaz E. Wave stress and biotic facilitation drive community composition in a marginal hard‐bottom ecosystem. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mats Westerbom
- Tvärminne Zoological Station Helsinki University J. A. Palmensväg 260 Hangö 10900 Finland
| | - Patrik Kraufvelin
- Department of Aquatic Resources Institute of Coastal Research Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skolgatan 6 Öregrund 74242 Sweden
| | - Johan Erlandsson
- Miljöförvaltningen Göteborgs Stad, Box 7012 Göteborg 402 31 Sweden
| | - Samuli Korpinen
- Finnish Environment Institute Marine Research Centre Latokartanonkaari 11 Helsinki 00790 Finland
| | - Olli Mustonen
- Tvärminne Zoological Station Helsinki University J. A. Palmensväg 260 Hangö 10900 Finland
| | - Eliecer Díaz
- Department of Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1) Helsinki 00014 Finland
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11
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Schiel DR. Experimental analyses of diversity partitioning in southern hemisphere algal communities. Oecologia 2019; 190:179-193. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04375-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Ellison AM. Foundation Species, Non-trophic Interactions, and the Value of Being Common. iScience 2019; 13:254-268. [PMID: 30870783 PMCID: PMC6416672 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Foundation species define ecosystems, control the biological diversity of associated species, modulate critical ecosystem processes, and often have important cultural values and resonance. This review summarizes current understanding of the characteristics and traits of foundation species and how to distinguish them from other “important” species in ecological systems (e.g., keystone, dominant, and core species); illustrates how analysis of the structure and function of ecological networks can be improved and enriched by explicit incorporation of foundation species and their non-trophic interactions; discusses the importance of pro-active identification and management of foundation species as a cost-effective and efficient method of sustaining valuable ecosystem processes and services and securing populations of associated rare, threatened, or endangered species; and suggests broader engagement of citizen-scientists and non-specialists in the identification and study of foundation species and their biological and cultural values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Ellison
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA 01366, USA.
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13
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14
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Johnston CA, Gruner DS. Marine fauna sort at fine resolution in an ecotone of shifting wetland foundation species. Ecology 2018; 99:2546-2557. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cora A. Johnston
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20782 USA
| | - Daniel S. Gruner
- Department of Entomology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20782 USA
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15
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McAfee D, Bishop MJ, Yu T, Williams GA. Structural traits dictate abiotic stress amelioration by intertidal oysters. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominic McAfee
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Melanie J. Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tai‐Nga Yu
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Gray A. Williams
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, SAR China
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16
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Hughes AR, Cebrian J, Heck K, Goff J, Hanley TC, Scheffel W, Zerebecki RA. Effects of oil exposure, plant species composition, and plant genotypic diversity on salt marsh and mangrove assemblages. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. R. Hughes
- Marine and Environmental Science Northeastern University Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - J. Cebrian
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island Alabama 36528 USA
- Department of Marine Sciences University of South Alabama Mobile Alabama 36688 USA
| | - K. Heck
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island Alabama 36528 USA
- Department of Marine Sciences University of South Alabama Mobile Alabama 36688 USA
| | - J. Goff
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island Alabama 36528 USA
- Department of Marine Sciences University of South Alabama Mobile Alabama 36688 USA
| | - T. C. Hanley
- Marine and Environmental Science Northeastern University Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - W. Scheffel
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island Alabama 36528 USA
- Soil and Water Sciences Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - R. A. Zerebecki
- Marine and Environmental Science Northeastern University Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
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17
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Gribben PE, Kimbro DL, Vergés A, Gouhier TC, Burrell S, Garthwin RG, Cagigas ML, Tordoff Y, Poore AGB. Positive and negative interactions control a facilitation cascade. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
| | - David L. Kimbro
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Tarik C. Gouhier
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Samuel Burrell
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - Ruby G. Garthwin
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Northeastern University Marine Science Centre 430 Nahant Road Nahant Massachusetts 01908 USA
| | - María Lastra Cagigas
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Yasmin Tordoff
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
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18
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Peng Y, Zhang M, Lee SY. Food availability and predation risk drive the distributional patterns of two pulmonate gastropods in a mangrove-saltmarsh transitional habitat. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 130:21-29. [PMID: 28712828 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The pulmonate gastropods, Phallomedusa solida (Martens, 1878) and Ophicardelus ornatus (Férussac, 1821), exhibit characteristic distributional patterns at the upper intertidal zones in estuarine mangrove and saltmarsh habitats on the eastern Australian coast. Past studies suggested inundation condition, soil salinity, and percent of vegetation cover were responsible for these patterns. In this study, the role of environmental parameters, food availability, physical stress, and predation pressure in determining the distributional patterns of these gastropods was evaluated along transects spanning saltmarsh, mangrove, and the ecotone habitats. For both species, the maximum population abundance occurred in the upper saltmarsh and the ecotone between mangrove and saltmarsh at 361.0 and 358.0 ind.m-2, respectively, which was four times that of the lower saltmarsh. Mangroves were evaluated as the optimal habitat for the pulmonates in terms of the environmental parameters moisture content and food availability. However, due to its longer inundation duration within each tidal cycle, use of the mangrove habitat by the pulmonates was impeded because of difficulties in oxygen acquisition under submerged conditions. Laboratory experiments revealed the oxygen intake of the pulmonates dropped abruptly to 4.3-9.0% of aerial rates when submerged. This result indicated that mangroves were not the optimal habitat for the pulmonates. Furthermore, the visiting frequency of predators (yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis and toadfishes, Tetraodontidae) was 1.3 times higher in the mangrove compared to those in the ecotone and upper saltmarsh habitats. Underwater video recording also suggested high mortality of these gastropods at 31.7-88.9% in mangrove and 0.80-0.98 times higher than that in saltmarsh, resulting from the predators preying in the mangrove habitat during high tides. Despite the abiotic factors facilitating the distribution of the pulmonates in the mangrove, the higher predation risk restricted the occurrence of P. solida and O. ornatus in the mangrove areas. More than verifying that the distributional pattern of macrobenthos is a complex outcome from environmental factors and interaction with predators, our study also indicated that the influencing strength of the biotic and abiotic factors on the pulmonates distribution might be spatially changeable within a geographically small-scale continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisheng Peng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Research Center of Wetland Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; School of Environment and Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Queensland 4222, Australia; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Environment and Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Queensland 4222, Australia; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Shing Yip Lee
- School of Environment and Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Queensland 4222, Australia
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19
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Bellgrove A, McKenzie PF, Cameron H, Pocklington JB. Restoring rocky intertidal communities: Lessons from a benthic macroalgal ecosystem engineer. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 117:17-27. [PMID: 28202275 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
As coastal population growth increases globally, effective waste management practices are required to protect biodiversity. Water authorities are under increasing pressure to reduce the impact of sewage effluent discharged into the coastal environment and restore disturbed ecosystems. We review the role of benthic macroalgae as ecosystem engineers and focus particularly on the temperate Australasian fucoid Hormosira banksii as a case study for rocky intertidal restoration efforts. Research focussing on the roles of ecosystem engineers is lagging behind restoration research of ecosystem engineers. As such, management decisions are being made without a sound understanding of the ecology of ecosystem engineers. For successful restoration of rocky intertidal shores it is important that we assess the thresholds of engineering traits (discussed herein) and the environmental conditions under which they are important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alecia Bellgrove
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Warrnambool Campus, P.O. Box 423, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia.
| | - Prudence F McKenzie
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Warrnambool Campus, P.O. Box 423, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia.
| | - Hayley Cameron
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Warrnambool Campus, P.O. Box 423, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia.
| | - Jacqueline B Pocklington
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Marine Invertebrates, Museum of Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.
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Cockles, barnacles and ascidians compose a subtidal facilitation cascade with multiple hierarchical levels of foundation species. Sci Rep 2017; 7:237. [PMID: 28331222 PMCID: PMC5427999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00260-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Facilitation cascades occur when multiple foundation species in a community are involved in a hierarchy of positive interactions, and consist of a primary facilitator which positively affects secondary facilitators, each supporting a suit of dependent species. There is no theoretical limit to the number of levels in a facilitation cascade, yet the existence of more than two has rarely been examined. We manipulated biogenic substrate produced by a primary facilitator (cockle shells) and a secondary facilitator (barnacles and their empty tests) in a space-limited subtidal community to test the hypothesis that solitary ascidians would be the third-level facilitator. In the field, most ascidians were found on barnacles, and most barnacles occupied cockle shells. To produce this pattern, barnacles could nurse ascidians (a longer 'facilitation chain') or outcompete them from cockle shells (a shorter chain). Experimental results clearly supported the nursing hypothesis providing evidence for a facilitation cascade with three hierarchical levels of foundation species. Our findings confirm that like predation and competition, positive interspecific interactions nest into multi-tier hierarchies with numerous levels. While the number of foundation species should increase community stability and resilience as it increases diversity and reduces environmental stress, facilitation chain length may have the opposite effect.
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Thomsen MS, Hildebrand T, South PM, Foster T, Siciliano A, Oldach E, Schiel DR. A sixth-level habitat cascade increases biodiversity in an intertidal estuary. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8291-8303. [PMID: 27878096 PMCID: PMC5108278 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have documented habitat cascades where two co-occurring habitat-forming species control biodiversity. However, more than two habitat-formers could theoretically co-occur. We here documented a sixth-level habitat cascade from the Avon-Heathcote Estuary, New Zealand, by correlating counts of attached inhabitants to the size and accumulated biomass of their biogenic hosts. These data revealed predictable sequences of habitat-formation (=attachment space). First, the bivalve Austrovenus provided habitat for green seaweeds (Ulva) that provided habitat for trochid snails in a typical estuarine habitat cascade. However, the trochids also provided habitat for the nonnative bryozoan Conopeum that provided habitat for the red seaweed Gigartina that provided habitat for more trochids, thereby resetting the sequence of the habitat cascade, theoretically in perpetuity. Austrovenus is here the basal habitat-former that controls this "long" cascade. The strength of facilitation increased with seaweed frond size, accumulated seaweed biomass, accumulated shell biomass but less with shell size. We also found that Ulva attached to all habitat-formers, trochids attached to Ulva and Gigartina, and Conopeum and Gigartina predominately attached to trochids. These "affinities" for different habitat-forming species probably reflect species-specific traits of juveniles and adults. Finally, manipulative experiments confirmed that the amount of seaweed and trochids was important and consistent regulators of the habitat cascade in different estuarine environments. We also interpreted this cascade as a habitat-formation network that describes the likelihood of an inhabitant being found attached to a specific habitat-former. We conclude that the strength of the cascade increased with the amount of higher-order habitat-formers, with differences in form and function between higher and lower-order habitat-formers, and with the affinity of inhabitants for higher-order habitat-formers. We suggest that long habitat cascades are common where species traits allow for physical attachment to other species, such as in marine benthic systems and old forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads S. Thomsen
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
- School of Plant Biology & UWA Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Thomas Hildebrand
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Paul M. South
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
- Cawthron InstituteNelsonNew Zealand
- Institute of Marine ScienceUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Travis Foster
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Alfonso Siciliano
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Eliza Oldach
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - David R. Schiel
- Marine Ecology GroupSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
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Watson DM. Fleshing out facilitation - reframing interaction networks beyond top-down versus bottom-up. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:803-808. [PMID: 27322844 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
803 I. 803 II. 804 III. 804 IV. 805 V. 805 VI. 806 References 807 SUMMARY: Rather than direct plant-plant interactions, research on the community-scale influence of mistletoes reveals hitherto unappreciated roles of animals in mediating facilitation. Lacking roots and reliant upon animal vectors, mistletoes represent model systems with which to understand mechanisms underlying interaction networks. In addition to direct effects on nutrient dynamics via enriched litter-fall, mistletoes are visited by pollinators, seed dispersers and natural enemies, complementing increased heterogeneity in nutrient returns reallocated from infected hosts with increased external inputs. These amplified bottom-up effects are coupled with top-down influences of insectivores attracted to infected hosts and stands by increased availability of favoured prey. Simultaneously influencing nutrient dynamics and plant-plant interactions from below and above, visiting animals help explain variation in the context dependence of facilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Watson
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
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Witman JD, Lamb RW, Byrnes JEK. Towards an integration of scale and complexity in marine ecology. ECOL MONOGR 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/14-2265.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Thomsen MS, Wernberg T. On the generality of cascading habitat-formation. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20131994. [PMID: 24403322 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mads Solgaard Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, , Private Bag 4800 Christchurch, New Zealand, UWA Oceans Institute and School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, , Hackett Drive, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
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