scholarly journals The importance of different spatial scales in determining structural and functional characteristics of deep-sea infauna communities

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 4547-4563 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ingels ◽  
A. Vanreusel
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Standing Stock ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Sampling Locations

Abstract. The urge to understand spatial distributions of species and communities and their causative processes has continuously instigated the development and testing of conceptual models in spatial ecology. For the deep sea, there is evidence that structural and functional characteristics of benthic communities are regulated by a multitude of biotic and environmental processes that act in concert on different spatial scales, but the spatial patterns are poorly understood compared to those for terrestrial ecosystems. Deep-sea studies generally focus on very limited scale ranges, thereby impairing our understanding of which spatial scales and associated processes are most important in driving structural and functional diversity of communities. Here, we used an extensive integrated dataset of free-living nematodes from deep-sea sediments to unravel the importance of different spatial scales in determining benthic infauna communities. Multiple-factor multivariate permutational analyses were performed on different sets of community descriptors (structure, structural and functional diversity, standing stock). The different spatial scales investigated cover two margins in the northeast Atlantic, several submarine canyons/channel/slope areas, a bathymetrical range of 700–4300 m, different sampling locations at each station, and vertical sediment profiles. The results indicated that the most important spatial scale for structural and functional diversity and standing stock variability is the smallest one; infauna communities changed substantially more with differences between sediment depth layers than with differences associated to larger geographical or bathymetrical scales. Community structure differences were greatest between stations at both margins. Important regulating ecosystem processes and the scale on which they occur are discussed. The results imply that, if we are to improve our understanding of ecosystem patterns of deep-sea infauna and the relevant processes driving their structure, structural and functional diversity, and standing stock, we must pay particular attention to the small-scale heterogeneity or patchiness and the causative mechanisms acting on that scale.

scholarly journals The importance of different spatial scales in determining structure and function of deep-sea infauna communities

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ingels ◽  
A. Vanreusel
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Standing Stock ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Structure Diversity

Abstract. The urge to understand spatial distributions of species and communities and their causative processes has continuously instigated the development and testing of conceptual models in spatial ecology. For the deep-sea, there is evidence that structure, diversity and function of benthic communities are regulated by a multitude of biotic and environmental processes that act in concert on different spatial scales, but the spatial patterns are poorly understood compared to those for other ecosystems. Deep-sea studies generally focus on very limited scale-ranges, thereby impairing our understanding of which spatial scales and associated processes are most important in driving diversity and ecosystem function of communities. Here, we used an extensive integrated dataset of free-living nematodes from deep-sea sediments to unravel which spatial scale is most important in determining benthic infauna communities. Multiple-factor multivariate permutational analyses were performed on different sets of community descriptors (structure, diversity, function, standing stock). The different spatial scales investigated cover two margins in the Northeast Atlantic, several submarine canyons/channel/slope areas, a bathymetrical range of 700–4300 m (represents different stations, 5–50 km apart), different sampling locations at each station (replication distances, 1–200 m), and vertical sediment profiles (cm layers). The results indicated that the most important spatial scale for diversity, functional and standing stock variability is the smallest one; infauna communities changed substantially more with differences between sediment depth layers than with differences associated to larger geographical or bathymetrical scales. Community structure differences were largest between stations at both margins. Important regulating ecosystem processes and the scale on which they occur are discussed. The results imply that, if we are to improve our understanding of ecosystem patterns of deep-sea infauna and the relevant processes driving their structure, diversity, function and standing stock, we must pay particular attention to the small-scale heterogeneity or patchiness and the causative mechanisms acting on that scale.

scholarly journals Meiofauna in a Potential Deep-Sea Mining Area—Influence of Temporal and Spatial Variability on Small-Scale Abundance Models

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Katja Uhlenkott ◽  
Annemiek Vink ◽  
Thomas Kuhn ◽  
Benjamin Gillard ◽  
Pedro Martínez Arbizu
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Mining Operation ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Taxon Richness ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Polymetallic Nodule ◽  
Meiofauna Abundance

In large areas of the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (northeast Pacific), exploration of deep-sea polymetallic nodules as a potential source of high-technology metals is ongoing. Deep-sea mining may have a severe impact on the benthic communities. Here, we investigated meiofauna communities in the abyss at the scale of a prospective mining operation area. Random forest regressions were computed to spatially predict continuous layers of environmental variables as well as the distribution of meiofauna abundance across the area. Significant models could be computed for 26 sediment and polymetallic nodule parameters. Meiofauna abundance, taxon richness and diversity were also modelled, as well as abundance of the taxon Nematoda. Spatial correlation is high if the predictions of meiofauna are either based on bathymetry and backscatter or include sediment and nodule variables; Pearson’s correlation coefficient varies between 0.42 and 0.91. Comparison of differences in meiofauna abundance between different years shows that spatial patterns do change, with an elevated abundance of meiofauna in the eastern part of the study area in 2013. On the spatial scale of a potential mining operation, distribution models prove to be a useful tool to gain insight into both temporal variability and the influence of potential environmental drivers on meiofauna distribution.

scholarly journals The Effects of Habitat Heterogeneity at Distinct Spatial Scales on Hard-Bottom-Associated Communities

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiane Gallucci ◽  
Ronaldo A. Christofoletti ◽  
Gustavo Fonseca ◽  
Gustavo M. Dias
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Biological Substrate ◽  
Mangrove Roots

For marine benthic communities, environmental heterogeneity at small spatial scales are mostly due to biologically produced habitat heterogeneity and biotic interactions, while at larger spatial scales environmental factors may prevails over biotic features. In this study, we investigated how community structure and β-diversity of hard-bottom-associated meio- and macrofauna varied in relation to small-scale (cm–m) changes in biological substrate (an algae “turf” dominated by the macroalgae Gelidium sp., the macroalgae Caulerpa racemosa and the sponge Hymeniacidon heliophile) in a rocky shore and in relation to larger-scale (10’s m) changes in environmental conditions of the same biological substrate (the macroalgae Bostrychia sp) in different habitats (rocky shore vs. mangrove roots). Results showed that both substrate identity and the surrounding environment were important in structuring the smaller-sized meiofauna, particularly the nematode assemblages, whereas the larger and more motile macrofauna was influenced only by larger-scale changes in the surrounding ecosystem. This implies that the macrofauna explores the environment in a larger spatial scale compared to the meiofauna, suggesting that effects of spatial heterogeneity on communities are dependent on organism size and mobility. Changes in taxa composition between environments and substrates highlight the importance of habitat diversity at different scales for maintaining the diversity of the associated fauna.

scholarly journals Small-scale heterogeneity of trace metals including rare earth elements and yttrium in deep-sea sediments and porewaters of the Peru Basin, southeastern equatorial Pacific

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 4829-4849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie A. L. Paul ◽  
Matthias Haeckel ◽  
Michael Bau ◽  
Rajina Bajracharya ◽  
Andrea Koschinsky
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Trace Metals ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Equatorial Pacific ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Heterogeneity

Abstract. Due to its remoteness, the deep-sea floor remains an understudied ecosystem of our planet. The patchiness of existing data sets makes it difficult to draw conclusions about processes that apply to a wider area. In our study we show how different settings and processes determine sediment heterogeneity on small spatial scales. We sampled solid phase and porewater from the upper 10 m of an approximately 7.4×13 km2 area in the Peru Basin, in the southeastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, at 4100 m water depth. Samples were analyzed for trace metals, including rare earth elements and yttrium (REY), as well as for particulate organic carbon (POC), CaCO3, and nitrate. The analyses revealed the surprisingly high spatial small-scale heterogeneity of the deep-sea sediment composition. While some cores have the typical green layer from Fe(II) in the clay minerals, this layer is missing in other cores, i.e., showing a tan color associated with more Fe(III) in the clay minerals. This is due to varying organic carbon contents: nitrate is depleted at 2–3 m depth in cores with higher total organic carbon contents but is present throughout cores with lower POC contents, thus inhibiting the Fe(III)-to-Fe(II) reduction pathway in organic matter degradation. REY show shale-normalized (SN) patterns similar to seawater, with a relative enrichment of heavy REY over light REY, positive LaSN anomaly, negative CeSN anomaly, and positive YSN anomaly and correlate with the Fe-rich clay layer and, in some cores, also correlate with P. We therefore propose that Fe-rich clay minerals, such as nontronite, as well as phosphates, are the REY-controlling phases in these sediments. Variability is also seen in dissolved Mn and Co concentrations between sites and within cores, which might be due to dissolving nodules in the suboxic sediment, as well as in concentration peaks of U, Mo, As, V, and Cu in two cores, which might be related to deposition of different material at lower-lying areas or precipitation due to shifting redox boundaries.

Mangrove benthic macrofauna: drivers of community structure and functional traits at multiple spatial scales

2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
RF Freitas ◽  
PR Pagliosa
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Multiple Spatial Scales ◽  
Scale Factors ◽  
Macrofaunal Community

Environmental processes acting at multiple spatial scales influence the structure and function of macrofaunal communities in marine habitats. However, the relative contributions of small- and large-scale factors in shaping faunal communities are still poorly understood. We investigated the relative contributions of climate, geophysical and soil properties, and forest structure on structural and functional characteristics of Brazilian coastal mangrove macrofauna. We found that macrofaunal community structure is mainly driven by large-scale factors, such as minimum air temperature and runoff, which significantly differed among the coastal settings investigated. Conversely, annelid assemblage functional traits were correlated with small-scale factors such as aboveground biomass, subsurface root biomass, soil bulk density, and soil phosphorus. Annelids with diversified and more complex functional traits (e.g. with respect to appendages, segments, parapodia) preferentially inhabited sites with low subsurface root biomass, while annelids with a slender body plan were more common at sites with dense root mats. Thus, while climate and geophysical conditions drive benthic macrofaunal community structure at larger spatial scales (i.e. coastal setting) in this system, vegetation and soil factors at smaller spatial scales (i.e. site) were more related to annelid functional characteristics.

scholarly journals Ecosystem-Scale Effects of Nutrients and Fishing on Coral Reefs

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila M. Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nutrient Pollution ◽  
Manipulative Experiments ◽  
Reef Decline ◽  
Different Levels

Nutrient pollution and fishing are the primary local causes of coral reef decline but their ecosystem-scale effects are poorly understood. Results from small-scale manipulative experiments of herbivores and nutrients suggest prioritizing management of fishing over nutrient pollution because herbivores can control macroalgae and turf in the presence of nutrients. However, ecological theory suggests that the opposite occurs at large scales. Moreover, it is unclear whether fishing decreases herbivores because fishing of predators may result in an increase in herbivores. To investigate this paradox, data on the fish and benthic communities, fishing, and nutrients were collected on Kiritimati, Kiribati. Oceanographic conditions and a population resettlement program created a natural experiment to compare sites with different levels of fishing and nutrients. Contrary to theory, herbivores controlled macroalgae in the presence of nutrients at large spatial scales, and herbivores had greater effects on macroalgae when nutrients were higher. In addition, fishing did not increase herbivores. These results suggest that protecting herbivores may have greater relative benefits than reducing nutrient pollution, especially on polluted reefs. Reallocating fishing effort from herbivores to invertivores or planktivores may be one way to protect herbivores and indirectly maintain coral dominance on reefs impacted by fishing and nutrient pollution.

scholarly journals Post-settlement dispersal: the neglected link in maintenance of soft-sediment biodiversity

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 20140795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conrad A. Pilditch ◽  
Sebastian Valanko ◽  
Joanna Norkko ◽  
Alf Norkko
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Larval Dispersal ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Larval Settlement ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soft Sediment ◽  
Species Pools ◽  
And Function ◽  
Metacommunity Dynamics

Seafloor integrity is threatened by disturbances owing to human activities. The capacity of the system to recover from disturbances, as well as maintain resilience and function, depends on dispersal. In soft-sediment systems, dispersal continues after larval settlement, but there are very few measurements of how far the post-settlers disperse in nature. Spatial scales of post-settlement dispersal are, however, likely to be similar to pelagic larval dispersal because of continued, frequent, small-scale dispersal over longer periods. The consequences of this dispersal may be more important for the maintenance of biodiversity and metacommunity dynamics than is pelagic larval dispersal, because of the greater size and competency of the dispersers. We argue that an increased empirical understanding of post-settlement dispersal processes is key for predicting how benthic communities will respond to local disturbances and shrinking regional species pools, with implications for monitoring, managing and conserving biodiversity.

scholarly journals Differences in meiofauna communities with sediment depth are greater than habitat effects on the New Zealand continental margin: implications for vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norliana Rosli ◽  
Daniel Leduc ◽  
Ashley A. Rowden ◽  
Malcolm R. Clark ◽  
P. Keith Probert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sediment Layer ◽  
Meiofaunal Community

Studies of deep-sea benthic communities have largely focused on particular (macro) habitats in isolation, with few studies considering multiple habitats simultaneously in a comparable manner. Compared to mega-epifauna and macrofauna, much less is known about habitat-related variation in meiofaunal community attributes (abundance, diversity and community structure). Here, we investigated meiofaunal community attributes in slope, canyon, seamount, and seep habitats in two regions on the continental slope of New Zealand (Hikurangi Margin and Bay of Plenty) at four water depths (700, 1,000, 1,200 and 1,500 m). We found that patterns were not the same for each community attribute. Significant differences in abundance were consistent across regions, habitats, water and sediment depths, while diversity and community structure only differed between sediment depths. Abundance was higher in canyon and seep habitats compared with other habitats, while between sediment layer, abundance and diversity were higher at the sediment surface. Our findings suggest that meiofaunal community attributes are affected by environmental factors that operate on micro- (cm) to meso- (0.1–10 km), and regional scales (> 100 km). We also found a weak, but significant, correlation between trawling intensity and surface sediment diversity. Overall, our results indicate that variability in meiofaunal communities was greater at small scale than at habitat or regional scale. These findings provide new insights into the factors controlling meiofauna in these deep-sea habitats and their potential vulnerability to anthropogenic activities.

scholarly journals Small-scale heterogeneity of trace metals including REY in deep-sea sediments and pore waters of the Peru Basin, SE equatorial Pacific

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie A. L. Paul ◽  
Matthias Haeckel ◽  
Michael Bau ◽  
Rajina Bajracharya ◽  
Andrea Koschinsky
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Equatorial Pacific ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pore Waters ◽  
Scale Heterogeneity

Abstract. Due to its remoteness, the deep-sea floor remains an understudied ecosystem of our planet. The patchiness of existing data sets makes it difficult to draw conclusions about processes that apply to a wider area. In our study we show how different settings and processes determine sediment heterogeneity on small spatial scales. We sampled solid phase and pore water from the upper 10 m of an approximately 7.4 × 13 km2 large area in the Peru Basin, south-east equatorial Pacific Ocean, at 4100 m water depth. Samples were analyzed for trace metals including rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) as well as for particulate organic carbon (POC), CaCO3, and nitrate. The analyses revealed a surprisingly high small-scale heterogeneity of the deep-sea sediment composition. While some cores have the typical green layer from Fe(II) in the clay minerals, this layer is missing in other cores, i.e. showing a tan color associated with Fe(III) in the clay minerals. This is due to varying organic carbon contents: nitrate is depleted at 2–3 m depth in cores with higher total organic carbon contents, but is present throughout cores with lower POC contents, thus inhibiting the Fe(III)-to-Fe(II) reduction pathway in organic matter degradation. REY show shale-normalized (SN) patterns similar to seawater with a relative enrichment of heavy REY over light REY, positive LaSN anomaly, negative CeSN anomaly, as well as positive YSN anomaly and correlate with the Fe-rich clay layer and in some cores also with P. We, therefore, propose that Fe-rich clay minerals, such as nontronite, as well as phosphates are the REY-controlling phases in these sediments. Variability is also seen in dissolved Mn and Co concentrations, which might be due to dissolving nodules in the suboxic sediment, as well as in concentration peaks of U, Mo, As, V, and Cu in two cores, which might be related to deposition of different material at lower lying areas.

Präzisions-Forstwirtschaft – was ist das? | Precision forestry – what's that?

2007 ◽  
Vol 158 (8) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Rudolf Heinimann
Keyword(s):  
Business Processes ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Supply Chain Coordination ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soil Physics ◽  
Coordination Problem ◽  
Precision Engineering ◽  
Precision Forestry ◽  
And Control

The term «precision forestry» was first introduced and discussed at a conference in 2001. The aims of this paper are to explore the scientific roots of the precision concept, define «precision forestry», and sketch the challenges that the implementation of this new concept may present to practitioners, educators, and researchers. The term «precision» does not mean accuracy on a small scale, but instead refers to the concurrent coordination and control of processes at spatial scales between 1 m and 100 km. Precision strives for an automatic control of processes. Precision land use differs from precision engineering by the requirements of gathering,storing and managing spatio-temporal variability of site and vegetation parameters. Practitioners will be facing the challenge of designing holistic, standardized business processes that are valid for whole networks of firms,and that follow available standards (e.g., SCOR, WoodX). There is a need to educate and train forestry professionals in the areas of business process re-engineering, computer supported management of business transactions,methods of remote sensing, sensor technology and control theory. Researchers will face the challenge of integrating plant physiology, soil physics and production sciences and solving the supply chain coordination problem (SCCP).

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