scholarly journals Global gradients in intertidal species richness and functional groups

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Thyrring ◽  
Lloyd S. Peck

AbstractWhether global latitudinal diversity gradients exist in rocky intertidal α-diversity and across functional groups remains unknown. Using literature data from 433 intertidal sites, we investigated α-diversity patterns across 155° of latitude, and whether local-scale or global-scale structuring processes control α-diversity. We, furthermore, investigated how the relative composition of functional groups (algae, grazers, predators and suspension-feeders) changes with latitude. α-diversity differed among hemispheres with a mid-latitudinal peak in the north, and a non-significant unimodal pattern in the south, but there was no support for a latitudinal diversity gradient. Although global-scale drivers had no discernible effect, the local-scale drivers significantly affected α-diversity, and our results reveal that latitudinal diversity gradients are outweighed by local-processes. In three functional groups: predators, grazers and suspension-feeders diversity declined with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae. Overall, we propose more studies are needed on the magnitude and influence of physical and biotic drivers across multiple scales.

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Thyrring ◽  
Lloyd S Peck

Whether global latitudinal diversity gradients exist in rocky intertidal a-diversity and across functional groups remains unknown. Using literature data from 433 intertidal sites, we investigated α-diversity patterns across 155° of latitude, and whether local-scale or global-scale structuring processes control α-diversity. We, furthermore, investigated how the relative composition of functional groups changes with latitude. α-diversity differed among hemispheres with a mid-latitudinal peak in the north, and a non-significant unimodal pattern in the south, but there was no support for a tropical-to-polar decrease in α-diversity. Although global-scale drivers had no discernible effect, the local-scale drivers significantly affected α-diversity, and our results reveal that latitudinal diversity gradients are outweighed by local-processes. In contrast to α-diversity patterns, three functional groups: predators, grazers and suspension-feeders diversity declined with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae. Polar and tropical intertidal data were sparse, and more sampling is required to improve knowledge of marine biodiversity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 149-164
Author(s):  
GM Svendsen ◽  
M Ocampo Reinaldo ◽  
MA Romero ◽  
G Williams ◽  
A Magurran ◽  
...  

With the unprecedented rate of biodiversity change in the world today, understanding how diversity gradients are maintained at mesoscales is a key challenge. Drawing on information provided by 3 comprehensive fishery surveys (conducted in different years but in the same season and with the same sampling design), we used boosted regression tree (BRT) models in order to relate spatial patterns of α-diversity in a demersal fish assemblage to environmental variables in the San Matias Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina). We found that, over a 4 yr period, persistent diversity gradients of species richness and probability of an interspecific encounter (PIE) were shaped by 3 main environmental gradients: bottom depth, connectivity with the open ocean, and proximity to a thermal front. The 2 main patterns we observed were: a monotonic increase in PIE with proximity to fronts, which had a stronger effect at greater depths; and an increase in PIE when closer to the open ocean (a ‘bay effect’ pattern). The originality of this work resides on the identification of high-resolution gradients in local, demersal assemblages driven by static and dynamic environmental gradients in a mesoscale seascape. The maintenance of environmental gradients, specifically those associated with shared resources and connectivity with an open system, may be key to understanding community stability.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Maria Flavia Gravina ◽  
Cataldo Pierri ◽  
Maria Mercurio ◽  
Carlotta Nonnis Marzano ◽  
Adriana Giangrande

In the different mesophotic bioconstructions recently found along the Southeastern Italian coast, polychaetes have been proved to show high species richness and diversity, hitherto never investigated. In the present study, the species composition and functional role of polychaete assemblages were analysed; the updated key to identification of the Mediterranean species of genus Eunice was presented and some taxonomic issues were also discussed. On the total of 70 species Serpulidae and Eunicida were the dominant polychaetes. Facing similar levels of α-diversity, the polychaete assemblages showed a high turnover of species along the north-south gradient, clearly according to the current circulation pattern, as well as to the different bioconstructors as biological determinants. Indeed, Serpulidae were dominant on the mesophotic bioconstructions primarily formed by the deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte cochlear, while the Eunicida prevailed on the mesophotic bioconstructions mainly built by scleractinians. Lastly, the record of Eunice dubitata was the first for the Mediterranean and Italian fauna and proved this species to be characteristic of mesophotic bioconstructions.


2004 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A.V. Borges ◽  
V.K. Brown

AbstractThe arthropod species richness of pastures in three Azorean islands was used to examine the relationship between local and regional species richness over two years. Two groups of arthropods, spiders and sucking insects, representing two functionally different but common groups of pasture invertebrates were investigated. The local–regional species richness relationship was assessed over relatively fine scales: quadrats (= local scale) and within pastures (= regional scale). Mean plot species richness was used as a measure of local species richness (= α diversity) and regional species richness was estimated at the pasture level (= γ diversity) with the ‘first-order-Jackknife’ estimator. Three related issues were addressed: (i) the role of estimated regional species richness and variables operating at the local scale (vegetation structure and diversity) in determining local species richness; (ii) quantification of the relative contributions of α and β diversity to regional diversity using additive partitioning; and (iii) the occurrence of consistent patterns in different years by analysing independently between-year data. Species assemblages of spiders were saturated at the local scale (similar local species richness and increasing β-diversity in richer regions) and were more dependent on vegetational structure than regional species richness. Sucking insect herbivores, by contrast, exhibited a linear relationship between local and regional species richness, consistent with the proportional sampling model. The patterns were consistent between years. These results imply that for spiders local processes are important, with assemblages in a particular patch being constrained by habitat structure. In contrast, for sucking insects, local processes may be insignificant in structuring communities.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia A.L. Dahlsjö ◽  
Catherine L. Parr ◽  
Yadvinder Malhi ◽  
Homathevi Rahman ◽  
Patrick Meir ◽  
...  

Abstract:Termite species and functional groups differ among regions globally (the functional-diversity anomaly). Here we investigate whether similar differences in biomass and abundance of termites occur among continents. Biomass and abundance data were collected with standardized sampling in Cameroon, Malaysia and Peru. Data from Peru were original to this study, while data from Cameroon and Malaysia were compiled from other sources. Species density data were sampled using a standardized belt transect (100 × 2 m) while the biomass and abundance measurements were sampled using a standardized protocol based on 2 × 2-m quadrats. Biomass and abundance data confirmed patterns found for species density and thus the existence of the functional diversity anomaly: highest estimates for biomass and abundance were found in Cameroon (14.5 ± 7.90 g m−2 and 1234 ± 437 ind m−2) followed by Malaysia (0.719 ± 0.193 g m−2 and 327 ± 72 ind m−2) and then Peru (0.345 ± 0.103 g m−2 and 130 ± 39 ind m−2). The biomass and abundance for each functional group were significantly different across sites for most termite functional groups. Biogeographical distribution of lineages was the primary cause for the functional diversity anomaly with true soil-feeding termites dominating in Cameroon and the absence of fungus-growing termites from Peru. These findings are important as the biomass and abundance of functional groups may be linked to ecosystem processes. Although this study allowed for comparisons between data from different regions further comparable data are needed to enhance the understanding of the role of termites in ecosystem processes on a global scale.


Author(s):  
Lisa Linville ◽  
Ronald Chip Brogan ◽  
Christopher Young ◽  
Katherine Anderson Aur

ABSTRACT During the development of new seismic data processing methods, the verification of potential events and associated signals can present a nontrivial obstacle to the assessment of algorithm performance, especially as detection thresholds are lowered, resulting in the inclusion of significantly more anthropogenic signals. Here, we present two 14 day seismic event catalogs, a local‐scale catalog developed using data from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations network, and a global‐scale catalog developed using data from the International Monitoring System. Each catalog was built manually to comprehensively identify events from all sources that were locatable using phase arrival timing and directional information from seismic network stations, resulting in significant increases compared to existing catalogs. The new catalogs additionally contain challenging event sequences (prolific aftershocks and small events at the detection and location threshold) and novel event types and sources (e.g., infrasound only events and long‐wall mining events) that make them useful for algorithm testing and development, as well as valuable for the unique tectonic and anthropogenic event sequences they contain.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Thomas ◽  
L.-S. Schiettecatte ◽  
K. Suykens ◽  
Y. J. M. Koné ◽  
E. H. Shadwick ◽  
...  

Abstract. The coastal ocean is a crucial link between land, the open ocean and the atmosphere. The shallowness of the water column permits close interactions between the sedimentary, aquatic and atmospheric compartments, which otherwise are decoupled at long time scales (≅ 1000 yr) in the open oceans. Despite the prominent role of the coastal oceans in absorbing atmospheric CO2 and transferring it into the deep oceans via the continental shelf pump, the underlying mechanisms remain only partly understood. Evaluating observations from the North Sea, a NW European shelf sea, we provide evidence that anaerobic degradation of organic matter, fuelled from land and ocean, generates total alkalinity (AT) and increases the CO2 buffer capacity of seawater. At both the basin wide and annual scales anaerobic AT generation in the North Sea's tidal mud flat area irreversibly facilitates 7–10%, or taking into consideration benthic denitrification in the North Sea, 20–25% of the North Sea's overall CO2 uptake. At the global scale, anaerobic AT generation could be accountable for as much as 60% of the uptake of CO2 in shelf and marginal seas, making this process, the anaerobic pump, a key player in the biological carbon pump. Under future high CO2 conditions oceanic CO2 storage via the anaerobic pump may even gain further relevance because of stimulated ocean productivity.


Leonardo ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Crandall ◽  
Noah Snavely

Social photo-sharing sites like Flickr contain vast amounts of latent information about the world and human behavior. The authors describe their recent work in building automatic algorithms that analyze large collections of imagery in order to extract some of this information. At a global scale, geo-tagged photographs can be used to identify the most photographed places on Earth, as well as to infer the names and visual representations of these places. At a local scale, the authors build detailed 3D models of a scene by combining information from thousands of 2D photographs taken by different people and from different vantage points.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao Dinh Cham ◽  
Nguyen Thai Son ◽  
Nguyen Quang Minh ◽  
Nguyen Tien Thanh ◽  
Tran Tuan Dung

Cua Dai estuary belonged to Quang Nam province is considered to be one of the localities of Vietnam having a complex erosion and accretion process. In this area, sandbars are recently observed with lots of arguments about the causes and regimes of formation. This could very likely result of not reliable source of information on shoreline evolution and a lack of historical monitoring data. Accurately identification of shoreline positions over a given period of time is a key to quantitatively and accurately assessing the beach erosion and accretion. The study is therefore to propose an innovative method of accurately shoreline positions for an analysis of coastal erosion and accretion in the Cua Dai estuary. The proposed technology of multitemporal remote sensing and digital evaluation model with tidal correction are used to analyse the changes in shoreline and estimate the rate of erosion and accretion. An empirical formula is, especially, exposed to fully interpret the shoreline evolution for multiple scales based on a limitation of satellite images during 1965 to 2018. The results show that there is a significant difference of shoreline shift between corrections and non-corrections of tidal. Erosion process tends to be recorded in the Cua Dai cape located in the Cua Dai ward, especially in the An Luong cape located in the Duy Hai commune with the length of 1050 m. Furthermore, it is observed that there is much stronger erosion in the north side compared with south side of Cua Dai estuary.


Author(s):  
Robert Y. George ◽  
Robert J. Menzies

SynopsisIn this paper the subject of faunal zonation in the ocean floor from the intertidal, and over the continental shelf, slope and rise and to the abyssal plain is examined on the basis of faunal change at the generic and species level. The region investigated over a period of five years aboard R/V Eastward is a Beaufort-Bermuda transect, approximately 75 kilometres wide and 500 kilometres long and bounded between 32° and 36°N latitude and 64° and 79°W longitude. A new method, involving numerical indices reflecting changes in the composition of taxa, endemism and diversity between adjacent depth levels, was developed for defining faunal boundaries. Isotherms and isobaths utilised by earlier authors for characterising deep-sea boundary on a global scale do not coincide with natural faunal boundaries. This study analyses the vertical distribution of 128 species of isopod crustaceans and 28 species of large epibenthic invertebrates. The zonation patterns seem to correspond with correlations in environmental conditions such as currents, topography and sediments.We suggest four major vertical faunal provinces, characterised at the generic level, namely (1) the Intertidal Faunal Province; (2) the Shelf Faunal Province; (3) the Archibenthal Zone of Transition; and (4) the Abyssal Faunal Province and internal zones within these characterised at the species level. The main aspects of interest include the presence of a narrow ‘meso abyssal zone’ with a species maximum, the demonstration of the true transitional nature of the Archibenthal Zone in biotic and abiotic factors and the characteristic low-biomass Red Clay environment showing definite faunal isolation from the continental margin.


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