Altering species interactions outweighs the effects of experimental warming in structuring a rocky shore community

2017 ◽  
Vol 496 ◽  
pp. 22-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin A. Lathlean ◽  
Russell A. McWilliam ◽  
Jonathan Pankhurst ◽  
Todd E. Minchinton
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Experimental Warming

scholarly journals Species-specific flowering phenology responses to experimental warming and drought alter herbaceous plant species overlap in a temperate–boreal forest community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E Rice ◽  
Rebecca A Montgomery ◽  
Artur Stefanski ◽  
Roy L Rich ◽  
Peter B Reich
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Experimental Warming ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Herbaceous Perennials ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background and Aims Warmer temperatures and altered precipitation patterns are expected to continue to occur as the climate changes. How these changes will impact the flowering phenology of herbaceous perennials in northern forests is poorly understood but could have consequences for forest functioning and species interactions. Here, we examine the flowering phenology responses of five herbaceous perennials to experimental warming and reduced summer rainfall over 3 years. Methods This study is part of the B4WarmED experiment located at two sites in northern Minnesota, USA. Three levels of warming (ambient, +1.6 °C and +3.1 °C) were crossed with two rainfall manipulations (ambient and 27 % reduced growing season rainfall). Key Results We observed species-specific responses to the experimental treatments. Warming alone advanced flowering for four species. Most notably, the two autumn blooming species showed the strongest advance of flowering to warming. Reduced rainfall alone advanced flowering for one autumn blooming species and delayed flowering for the other, with no significant impact on the three early blooming species. Only one species, Solidago spp., showed an interactive response to warming and rainfall manipulation by advancing in +1.6 °C warming (regardless of rainfall manipulation) but not advancing in the warmest, driest treatment. Species-specific responses led to changes in temporal overlap between species. Most notably, the two autumn blooming species diverged significantly in their flowering timing. In ambient conditions, these two species flowered within the same week. In the warmest, driest treatment, flowering occurred over a month apart. Conclusions Herbaceous species may differ in how they respond to future climate conditions. Changes to phenology may lead to fewer resources for insects or a mismatch between plants and pollinators.

scholarly journals Teaching basic numeracy, predictive models and socioeconomics to marine ecologists through Bayesian belief networks

F1000Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Stafford ◽  
Rachel Williams
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Models ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Predictive Modelling ◽  
Bayesian Belief Networks ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Afternoon Session ◽  
Belief Network

Teaching numeric disciplines to higher education students in many life sciences disciplines is highly challenging. In this study, we test whether an approach linking field observations with predictive models can be useful in allowing students to understand basic numeracy and probability, as well as developing skills in modelling, understanding species interactions and even community/ecosystem-service interactions.  We presented a field-based lecture in a morning session (on rocky shore ecology), followed by an afternoon session parameterising a belief network using a simple, user-friendly interface. The study was conducted with students during their second week of a foundation degree, hence having little prior knowledge of these systems or models. All students could create realistic predictive models of competition, predation and grazing, although most initially failed to account for trophic cascade effects in parameterising their models of the rocky shore they had previously seen. The belief network was then modified to account for a marine ecosystem management approach, where fishing effort and economic benefit of fishing were linked to population abundance of different species, and management goals were included. Students had little difficultly in applying conceptual links between species and ecosystem services in the same manner as between species. Students evaluated their understanding of a range of variables from rocky shore knowledge to marine management as increasing over the session, but the role of the predictive modelling task was indicated as a major source of learning, even for topics we thought may be better learned in the field. The study adds evidence to the theories that students benefit from exposure to numeric topics, even very early in their degree programmes, but students grasp concepts better when applied to real world situations which they have experience of, or perceive as important.

Position affects gastropod predation of sessile colonizers on a tropical rocky shore

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Coates
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Tropical Island ◽  
Term Experiment ◽  
Long Term Experiment ◽  
Exposed Shore

A long-term experiment was carried out to determine the relative abilities of five sessile animals to colonize cleared plots in the presence or absence of predators. The experiment was done on two adjacent rocky shores, one sheltered and one exposed, on a small tropical island. The effect of predation in maintaining bare space was greatest on the exposed shore/upper mid-intertidal, less on the sheltered shore and absent on the exposed shore/lower mid-intertidal. The barnacle, Tesseropora rosea, recruited heavily at the exposed shore/lower mid-intertidal and was dominant, but was unable to colonize the exposed shore/upper mid-intertidal or the sheltered shore. The barnacle, Tetraclita squamosa, successfully colonized only the exposed shore/upper mid-intertidal and did not appear to be affected by predation. The oyster, Saccostrea amasa, had low colonization levels only on the sheltered shore and exposed shore/upper mid-intertidal, small individuals were susceptible to predation. The barnacle, Chthamalus maylayensis, heavily colonized only the exposed shore/upper mid-intertidal but was removed from this shore height by gastropod predators. The oyster, Saccostrea echinata, colonized only the sheltered shore and was very susceptible to predation. Given the variability found on this small spatial scale, it is suggested that consistent differences in ecological processes between regions (tropical versus temperate) are unlikely but, rather, that differences between localities will be found at the level of species interactions and abiotic effects in particular habits.

scholarly journals Predicting ecological regime shift under climate change: New modelling techniques and potential of molecular-based approaches

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Stafford ◽  
V. Anne Smith ◽  
Dirk Husmeier ◽  
Thomas Grima ◽  
Barbara-ann Guinn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Regime Shift ◽  
Predictive Modelling ◽  
Kelp Forests ◽  
Stable Regime ◽  
Ecological Regime ◽  
Stable Community

Abstract Ecological regime shift is the rapid transition from one stable community structure to another, often ecologically inferior, stable community. Such regime shifts are especially common in shallow marine communities, such as the transition of kelp forests to algal turfs that harbour far lower biodiversity. Stable regimes in communities are a result of balanced interactions between species, and predicting new regimes therefore requires an evaluation of new species interactions, as well as the resilience of the ‘stable’ position. While computational optimisation techniques can predict new potential regimes, predicting the most likely community state of the various options produced is currently educated guess work. In this study we integrate a stable regime optimisation approach with a Bayesian network used to infer prior knowledge of the likely stress of climate change (or, in practice, any other disturbance) on each component species of a representative rocky shore community model. Combining the results, by calculating the product of the match between resilient computational predictions and the posterior probabilities of the Bayesian network, gives a refined set of model predictors, and demonstrates the use of the process in determining community changes, as might occur through processes such as climate change. To inform Bayesian priors, we conduct a review of molecular approaches applied to the analysis of the transcriptome of rocky shore organisms, and show how such an approach could be linked to meas-ureable stress variables in the field. Hence species-specific microarrays could be designed as biomarkers of in situ stress, and used to inform predictive modelling approaches such as those described here.

Effects of marine reserves on predator-prey interactions in central California kelp forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 139-155
Author(s):  
DC Yates ◽  
SI Lonhart ◽  
SL Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Marine Reserves ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Kelp Forests ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Central California ◽  
Invertebrate Predators ◽  
Predatory Fishes ◽  
Density And Biomass

Marine reserves are often designed to increase density, biomass, size structure, and biodiversity by prohibiting extractive activities. However, the recovery of predators following the establishment of marine reserves and the consequent cessation of fishing may have indirect negative effects on prey populations by increasing prey mortality. We coupled field surveys with empirical predation assays (i.e. tethering experiments) inside and outside of 3 no-take marine reserves in kelp forests along the central California coast to quantify the strength of interactions between predatory fishes and their crustacean prey. Results indicated elevated densities and biomass of invertebrate predators inside marine reserves compared to nearby fished sites, but no significant differences in prey densities. The increased abundance of predators inside marine reserves translated to a significant increase in mortality of 2 species of decapod crustaceans, the dock shrimp Pandalus danae and the cryptic kelp crab Pugettia richii, in tethering experiments. Shrimp mortality rates were 4.6 times greater, while crab mortality rates were 7 times greater inside reserves. For both prey species, the time to 50% mortality was negatively associated with the density and biomass of invertebrate predators (i.e. higher mortality rates where predators were more abundant). Video analyses indicated that macro-invertivore fishes arrived 2 times faster to tethering arrays at sites inside marine reserves and began attacking tethered prey more rapidly. The results indicate that marine reserves can have direct and indirect effects on predators and their prey, respectively, and highlight the importance of considering species interactions in making management decisions.

Microbial biodiversity along Purnagad rocky shore, Ratnagiri

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 685-687
Author(s):  
Dr. Chanda V Berde ◽  
◽  
Archana S Injal ◽  
Dr. Vikrant B Berde ◽  
Dr. Arvind S Kulkarni
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Microbial Biodiversity

Niche Sharing in Intertidal Mollusks and Decapods in Rocky Shore of Easter Island

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 417-422
Author(s):  
P. De los Ríos ◽  
E. Ibáñez Arancibia
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Negative Binomial Distribution ◽  
Binomial Distribution ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Null Model ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Field Works

Abstract The coastal marine ecosystems in Easter Island have been poorly studied, and the main studies were isolated species records based on scientific expeditions. The aim of the present study is to apply a spatial distribution analysis and niche sharing null model in published data on intertidal marine gastropods and decapods in rocky shore in Easter Island based in field works in 2010, and published information from CIMAR cruiser in 2004. The field data revealed the presence of decapods Planes minutus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Leptograpsus variegatus (Fabricius, 1793), whereas it was observed the gastropods Nodilittorina pyramidalis pascua Rosewater, 1970 and Nerita morio (G. B. Sowerby I., 1833). The available information revealed the presence of more species in data collected in 2004 in comparison to data collected in 2010, with one species markedly dominant in comparison to the other species. The spatial distribution of species reported in field works revealed that P. minutus and N. morio have aggregated pattern and negative binomial distribution, L. variegatus had uniform pattern with binomial distribution, and finally N. pyramidalis pascua, in spite of aggregated distribution pattern, had not negative binomial distribution. Finally, the results of null model revealed that the species reported did not share ecological niche due to competition absence. The results would agree with other similar information about littoral and sub-littoral fauna for Easter Island.

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