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 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 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.

Small spatial scale effects of wave action exposure on morphological traits of the limpet Lottia subrugosa

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (06) ◽  
pp. 1309-1315
Author(s):  
Edson A. Vieira ◽  
Marília Bueno
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Wave Exposure ◽  
Wave Action ◽  
Shell Shape ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Exposed Shore

AbstractMany studies have already assessed how wave action may affect morphology of intertidal species among sites that vary in wave exposure, but few attempted to look to this issue in smaller scales. Using the most common limpet of the Brazilian coast, Lottia subrugosa, and assuming position on rocky boulders as a proxy for wave action at small scale, we tested the hypothesis that waves may also influence limpet morphology at a smaller spatial scale by investigating how individual size, foot area and shell shape vary between sheltered and exposed boulder sides on three shores in the coast of Ubatuba, Brazil. Limpets consistently showed a proportionally larger foot on exposed boulder sides for all shores, indicating that stronger attachment is an important mechanism to deal with wave action dislodgement at a smaller scale. Shell shape also varied in the scale investigated here, with more conical (dissipative) shells occurring in exposed boulder sides in one exposed shore across time and in the other exposed shore in one year. Shell shape did not vary regarding boulder sides across time in the most sheltered shore. Although we did not assess large spatial scale effects of wave action in this study, variations of the effect of waves at small spatial scale observed for shell shape suggest that it may be modulated by the local wave exposure regime. Our work highlights the importance of wave action at small spatial scales, and may help to understand the ecological variability of limpets inhabiting rocky shores.

scholarly journals seNorge_2018, daily precipitation and temperature datasets over Norway

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Lussana ◽  
Ole Einar Tveito ◽  
Andreas Dobler ◽  
Ketil Tunheim
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Total Precipitation ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Analysis Quality ◽  
Station Density ◽  
Daily Total

Abstract. seNorge_2018 is a collection of observational gridded datasets over Norway for: daily total precipitation; daily mean, maximum and minimum temperatures. The time period covers 1957 to 2017, and the data are presented over a high-resolution terrain-following grid with 1 km spacing in both meridional and zonal directions. The seNorge family of observational gridded datasets developed at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway) has a twenty-year long history and seNorge_2018 is its newest member, the first providing daily minimum and maximum temperatures. seNorge datasets are used for a wide range of applications in climatology, hydrology and meteorology. The observational dataset is based on MET Norway's climate data, which has been integrated by the European Climate Assessment and Dataset database. Two distinct statistical interpolation methods have been developed, one for temperature and the other for precipitation. They are both based on a spatial scale-separation approach where, at first, the analysis (i.e., predictions) at larger spatial scales are estimated. Subsequently they are used to infer the small-scale details down to a spatial scale comparable to the local observation density. Mean, maximum and minimum temperatures are interpolated separately, then physical consistency among them is enforced. For precipitation, in addition to observational data, the spatial interpolation makes use of information provided by a climate model. The analysis evaluation is based on cross-validation statistics and comparison with a previous seNorge version. The analysis quality is presented as a function of the local station density. We show that the occurrence of large errors in the analyses decays at an exponential rate with the increase in the station density. Temperature analyses over most of the domain are generally not affected by significant biases. However, during wintertime in data-sparse regions the analyzed minimum temperatures do have a bias between 2 °C and 3 °C. Minimum temperatures are more challenging to represent and large errors are more frequent than for maximum and mean temperatures. The precipitation analysis quality depends crucially on station density: the frequency of occurrence of large errors for intense precipitation is less than 5 % in data-dense regions, while it is approximately 30 % in data-sparse regions. he open-access datasets are available20for public download at: daily total precipitation (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2082320, Lussana, 2018b); daily mean (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2023997, Lussana, 2018c) , maximum (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2559372, Lussana, 2018e) and minimum (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2559354, Lussana, 2018d) temperatures.

scholarly journals Relationship between small-scale catch-per-unit-effort and abundance in New Zealand abalone (pāua, Haliotis iris) fisheries

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward R Abraham ◽  
Philipp Neubauer
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Unit Effort ◽  
Data Loggers ◽  
Gps Data Loggers

Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) is commonly used as an index of abundance in fishery stock assessments, but CPUE may be misleading, as a number of global fishery collapses have been attributed to a hyper-stable CPUE. In abalone (Halitidae family) fisheries, CPUE at large spatial scales may be hyper-stable because of aggregating behaviour and serial-depletion, whereby fishers sequentially fish areas with no corresponding decline in CPUE. Obtaining detailed spatial information in abalone fisheries might mitigate this problem, allowing CPUE to be used more confidently in these fisheries. Here, we report on the use of newly-developed high-resolution Global Positioning System (GPS) data loggers in New Zealand's blacklip abalone (pāua, Haliotis iris) fisheries. Using these data loggers, we tested, via a fish-down experiment, if CPUE is a reliable indicator of abundance at a small spatial scale and over a period of months. In the experiment, hyper-stability at small spatial scales occurred at high abundance, but CPUE reflected the estimated depletion level at the end of experimental fishing. This experiment suggests that the GPS data loggers provide a promising avenue to track CPUE at a small spatial scale, and to assess spatial resource use in New Zealand's pāua fisheries.

scholarly journals New methods of spatial analysis in urban gardens inform future vegetation surveying

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-778
Author(s):  
Monika H. Egerer ◽  
Benjamin Wagner ◽  
Brenda B. Lin ◽  
Dave Kendal ◽  
Kai Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
And Function

Abstract Context Land use change requires measuring shifting patterns in biodiversity at various spatial scales to inform landscape management. Assessing vegetation change at different scales is challenging in urban ecosystems managed by many individuals. Thus, we do not know much about the structure and function of green spaces that support biodiversity. Objective We aim to understand how vegetation structure and function indicators in urban community gardens vary with spatial scale, applying new and traditional methods in landscape ecology to inform future research and application. Methods We performed two methods to assess garden vegetation structure (height) and function (species diversity, cover) at the garden- and garden plot scale. First, we used traditional field sampling to estimate garden vegetation at the garden scale (1 m2 quadrats along transects) and at the plot scale (estimated within entire plot) to measure height, diversity and cover. Second, we used UAV aerial imagery to derive measures of garden and plot vegetation using canopy height models (CHMs). We evaluated differences in CHMs at each scale across the gardens, and compared field and UAV-derived measures. Results Garden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale. Plant species richness and vegetation cover, but not height, related to UAV-derived imagery. Conclusions New technologies paired with traditional field methods can together inform how vegetation structure and function vary with spatial scale in urban landscapes. Spatial scale is key to accurate and meaningful urban vegetation analyses. New and traditional methods in urban ecology research should develop together to improve and streamline their future application.

scholarly journals Observed small spatial scale and seasonal variability of the CO<sub>2</sub> system in the Southern Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Resplandy ◽  
J. Boutin ◽  
L. Merlivat
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Carbon Budget ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Data Set

Abstract. The considerable uncertainties in the carbon budget of the Southern Ocean are largely attributed to unresolved variability, in particular at a seasonal timescale and small spatial scale (~ 100 km). In this study, the variability of surface pCO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) at seasonal and small spatial scales is examined using a data set of surface drifters including ~ 80 000 measurements at high spatiotemporal resolution. On spatial scales of 100 km, we find gradients ranging from 5 to 50 μatm for pCO2 and 2 to 30 μmol kg−1 for DIC, with highest values in energetic and frontal regions. This result is supported by a second estimate obtained with sea surface temperature (SST) satellite images and local DIC–SST relationships derived from drifter observations. We find that dynamical processes drive the variability of DIC at small spatial scale in most regions of the Southern Ocean and the cascade of large-scale gradients down to small spatial scales, leading to gradients up to 15 μmol kg−1 over 100 km. Although the role of biological activity is more localized, it enhances the variability up to 30 μmol kg−1 over 100 km. The seasonal cycle of surface DIC is reconstructed following Mahadevan et al. (2011), using an annual climatology of DIC and a monthly climatology of mixed layer depth. This method is evaluated using drifter observations and proves to be a reasonable first-order estimate of the seasonality in the Southern Ocean that could be used to validate model simulations. We find that small spatial-scale structures are a non-negligible source of variability for DIC, with amplitudes of about a third of the variations associated with the seasonality and up to 10 times the magnitude of large-scale gradients. The amplitude of small-scale variability reported here should be kept in mind when inferring temporal changes (seasonality, interannual variability, decadal trends) of the carbon budget from low-resolution observations and models.

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 Iterative guided image fusion

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Toet
Keyword(s):  
Image Fusion ◽  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Saliency Maps ◽  
Spatial Consistency ◽  
Guided Filtering ◽  
Fusion Scheme

We propose a multi-scale image fusion scheme based on guided filtering. Guided filtering can effectively reduce noise while preserving detail boundaries. When applied in an iterative mode, guided filtering selectively eliminates small scale details while restoring larger scale edges. The proposed multi-scale image fusion scheme achieves spatial consistency by using guided filtering both at the decomposition and at the recombination stage of the multi-scale fusion process. First, size-selective iterative guided filtering is applied to decompose the source images into approximation and residual layers at multiple spatial scales. Then, frequency-tuned filtering is used to compute saliency maps at successive spatial scales. Next, at each spatial scale binary weighting maps are obtained as the pixelwise maximum of corresponding source saliency maps. Guided filtering of the binary weighting maps with their corresponding source images as guidance images serves to reduce noise and to restore spatial consistency. The final fused image is obtained as the weighted recombination of the individual residual layers and the mean of the approximation layers at the coarsest spatial scale. Application to multiband visual (intensified) and thermal infrared imagery demonstrates that the proposed method obtains state-of-the-art performance for the fusion of multispectral nightvision images. The method has a simple implementation and is computationally efficient.

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.

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