Download or read book Context dependent Species Interactions in Seagrass Ecosystems written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unifying observation in ecology is that environmental context can play a key role in regulating the sign, strength, and mechanisms of species interactions. Estuaries and coastal seas are ideal ecosystems for exploring the impacts of environmental variability on ecological interactions because they are characterized by strong, dynamic gradients of abiotic conditions, such as physical disturbance and biogeochemical stress. Estuaries also are heavily impacted by biotic disruptions, including overexploitation of top predators and invasion by non-native species. For my dissertation, I explored the effects of abiotic and biotic environmental context on species interactions in subtidal and intertidal meadows of eelgrass Zostera marina, a marine angiosperm and key habitat-forming species in temperate estuaries worldwide, in three unique chapters. First, I tested how disturbance mediates competition between eelgrass and the burrowing ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis in several California estuaries by conducting a series of transplantation and disturbance experiments. I found that both live eelgrass and structural mimics of belowground eelgrass tissues cause rapid declines in local ghost shrimp abundances, indicating that plant structure is an important mechanism in determining ghost shrimp distributions. However, ghost shrimp quickly colonize disturbances to eelgrass patch edges, which are common in shallow estuaries. Thus, coexistence is maintained by disturbance and a competition-colonization trade-off: eelgrass is competitively superior, but physical disturbances permit ghost shrimp coexistence at the landscape scale by modulating the availability of space. Second, I explored how light availability influences the sign, strength, and mechanisms of interactions between eelgrass and blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. I hypothesized that light availability regulates bivalve habitat modification and subsequent impacts on seagrasses by shifting net effects between alleviation of nutrient stress and intensification of sulfide stress. I manipulated light availability and blue mussel abundance in eelgrass mesocosms and measured biogeochemical and plant responses. I found that light modifies the effect of mussels on porewater ammonium, but eelgrass was not nutrient limited and, therefore, mussels did not enhance growth. Mussels increase sediment sulfides irrespective of light availability and, by reducing net oxygen flux (production and respiration), mussels and low light availability exacerbate sulfide intrusion of eelgrass tissues. Surprisingly, I found that sulfide stress did not affect plant growth, survival, or energy stores. Thus, habitat modification by mussels represents a risk to eelgrass, especially during low productivity conditions, but eelgrass can resist harm from short-term stress, even during light limitation. These findings suggest that while bivalve impacts on seagrasses may be variable in oligotrophic estuaries, they are likely negative in eutrophic systems, which are increasing globally. Third, I examined how invasive mussels impact their native bivalve competitors through both direct effects and indirect, predator-mediated interactions. Competition is a major process by which introduced species impact native populations, communities, and ecosystems, but ecological theory predicts that invading prey can also interact with their native competitors indirectly through shared native predators. Nevertheless, indirect effects are largely overlooked in invasive species science and management. In southern California estuaries, introduction of the Asian mussel Arcuatula senhousia has been linked to profound changes in native bivalve assemblages. I performed three field experiments to assess the mechanisms of competition between Arcuatula and native bivalves, and evaluate the potential for Arcuatula to indirectly mediate native predator-prey dynamics. I found that Arcuatula reduces the diversity, abundance, and size of native bivalve recruits by preemptively exploiting sediment surface space. When paired with native shallow-dwelling clams, Arcuatula reduces adult survival through overgrowth competition. However, Arcuatula also attracts native predators, indirectly increasing predation of native clams, especially poorly-defended species. Therefore, the vulnerability of invasive prey to predation can greatly exacerbate impacts on their native competitors. Overall, my dissertation improves our basic understanding of the causes and consequences of variation in species interactions in shallow estuaries and coastal lagoons. Furthermore, this research enhances our ability to predict the impacts on species interactions caused by human-induced ecosystem disruptions, such as habitat destruction, eutrophication, and non-native species introductions, which are widespread concerns for estuaries and coastal seas.

Download or read book Seagrasses of Australia written by Anthony W. D. Larkum and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-27 with total page 791 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes the place of “Biology of Seagrasses: A Treatise on the Biology of Seagrasses with Special Reference to the Australian Region”, co-edited by A.W.D. Larkum, A.J. MaCComb and S.A. Shepherd and published by Elsevier in 1989. The first book has been influential, but it is now 25 years since it was published and seagrass studies have progressed and developed considerably since then. The design of the current book follows in the steps of the first book. There are chapters on taxonomy, floral biology, biogeography and regional studies. The regional studies emphasize the importance of Australia having over half of the world’s 62 species, including some ten species published for Australia since the previous book. There are a number of chapters on ecology and biogeography; fish biology and fisheries and dugong biology are prominent chapters. Physiological aspects again play an important part, including new knowledge on the role of hydrogen sulphide in sediments and on photosynthetic processes. Climate change, pollution and environmental degradation this time gain an even more important part of the book. Decline of seagrasses around Australia are also discussed in detail in several chapters. Since the first book was published two new areas have received special attention: blue carbon and genomic studies. Seagrasses are now known to be a very important player in the formation of blue carbon, i.e. carbon that has a long turnover time in soils and sediments. Alongside salt marshes and mangroves, seagrasses are now recognized as playing a very important role in the formation of blue carbon. And because Australia has such an abundance and variety of seagrasses, their role in blue carbon production and turnover is of great importance. The first whole genomes of seagrasses are now available and Australia has played an important role here. It appears that seagrasses have several different suites of genes as compared with other (land) plants and even in comparison with freshwater hydrophytes. This difference is leading to important molecular biological studies where the new knowledge will be important to the understanding and conservation of seagrass ecosystems in Australia. Thus by reason of its natural abundance of diverse seagrasses and a sophisticated seagrass research community in Australia it is possible to produce a book which will be attractive to marine biologists, coastal scientists and conservationists from many countries around the world.

Download or read book Seagrasses Biology Ecology and Conservation written by Anthony W. D. Larkum and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-16 with total page 691 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses are unique plants; the only group of flowering plants to recolonise the sea. They occur on every continental margin, except Antarctica, and form ecosystems which have important roles in fisheries, fish nursery grounds, prawn fisheries, habitat diversity and sediment stabilisation. Over the last two decades there has been an explosion of research and information on all aspects of seagrass biology. However the compilation of all this work into one book has not been attempted previously. In this book experts in 26 areas of seagrass biology present their work in chapters which are state-of–the-art and designed to be useful to students and researchers alike. The book not only focuses on what has been discovered but what exciting areas are left to discover. The book is divided into sections on taxonomy, anatomy, reproduction, ecology, physiology, fisheries, management, conservation and landscape ecology. It is destined to become the chosen text on seagrasses for any marine biology course.

Download or read book Eelgrass macroalgae Interactions written by Margot Hessing-Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation investigates the context-dependency of species interactions between seagrass and macroalgae in upwelling-influenced estuaries. In all coastal systems, nutrient loading is multidirectional, resulting from mostly freshwater and marine inputs. The directionality of nutrient inputs may affect the rate of supply of organic matter to the system. In systems where freshwater nutrient loading dominates, and has increased through time, research shows that blooms of fast-growing macroalgae often result in loss of critical seagrass habitats. In upwelling-influenced systems, marine- based nutrient inputs dominate during the summer, also resulting in blooms of ulvoid macroalgae during these productive months. The dominance of marine nutrients in these estuaries, coupled with additional variation in the physicochemical characteristics of seagrass beds, present novel contexts to study the outcomes of species interactions between the seagrass (Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) and ulvoid macroalgae. I studied these interactions at two different spatial scales that both address the relative importance of marine versus terrestrial nutrient sources on interaction outcome. Regionally, I studied between-estuary, latitudinal patterns in species interactions relative to differences in marine and terrestrial drivers of nutrient loading. Within an estuary, I also compared interactions among zones along an estuarine gradient, where nutrient patterns were reflective of the relative contribution of marine- based nutrients. At both scales of inquiry I employed both observational and experimental approaches to quantify species interaction dynamics. At the regional scale, I used a 5- year observational dataset from four estuaries along the Oregon and Washington coasts to study the relationship between eelgrass and ulvoid macroalgae (Chapter 2). Across latitudes that span ~220 km, macroalgal production was highest in the southern estuaries, and associated with decreased eelgrass production compared to the northern estuaries. However, through time, no estuarine site, regardless of its macroalgal biomass, was associated with declining eelgrass biomass. Contrary to systems where macroalgal production is driven by terrestrial inputs, I found that blooms in upwelling- influenced systems were associated with both marine and terrestrial drivers of nutrient inputs and production. In Coos Bay (South Slough), at the within-estuary scale, I also found differences in macroalgal and eelgrass biomass among sites along an estuarine gradient. Here too, based on a 2-year seasonal dataset of producer dynamics, I found no temporal relationship between eelgrass and macroalgae producer dynamics (Chapter 3). I used a comparative-experimental framework to understand the impact of macroalgal manipulations (additions and removals) on interactions with eelgrass along this gradient. In intertidal seagrass beds in the marine and polyhaline zones of the estuary I found that interaction strength was neutral and sometimes positive. However, in the riverine zone, interaction strength was negative, caused by decreased eelgrass density following macroalgal manipulation. To further examine the mechanisms informing interaction outcomes in the marine zone, a large-scale macroalgal manipulation was conducted, coupled with a mesocosm experiment (Chapter 4). For the mesocosm experiment I manipulated macroalgae and nutrients as in the field, but found dissimilar results. In the mesocosms, where water movement was limited and no tidal action occurred, negative effects of macroalgal addition were found. These were associated with increased light attenuation and decreased sediment oxygen levels. Contrary to these results, I found no macroalgal, or covariate effects in the field experiment. I also manipulated water column nutrients in both experiments, and found limited effects of nutrient enrichment on eelgrass, but not macroalgae, in the mesocosm experiment. Throughout these studies I demonstrated that the mechanisms determining context-dependency in upwelling-influenced estuaries are informed by physical and biogeochemical conditions, coupled with high ambient marine-derived nutrient concentrations. These findings are important to coastal management because they suggest that the strength, direction and mechanisms of interactions are shaped by local abiotic conditions and long-term nutrient regimes, rather than high nutrient concentrations per se. Given the shifting nature of nutrient concentrations in coastal waters associated with both coastal development and climate change, knowledge of context dependency can also be used to assess and forecast future changes in species interactions.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Theoretical Ecology written by Alan Hastings and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-05-31 with total page 848 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A bold and successful attempt to illustrate the theoretical foundations of all of the subdisciplines of ecology, including basic and applied, and extending through biophysical, population, community, and ecosystem ecology. Encyclopedia of Theoretical Ecology is a compendium of clear and concise essays by the intellectual leaders across this vast breadth of knowledge."--Harold Mooney, Stanford University "A remarkable and indispensable reference work that also is flexible enough to provide essential readings for a wide variety of courses. A masterful collection of authoritative papers that convey the rich and fundamental nature of modern theoretical ecology."--Simon A. Levin, Princeton University "Theoretical ecologists exercise their imaginations to make sense of the astounding complexity of both real and possible ecosystems. Imagining a real or possible topic left out of the Encyclopedia of Theoretical Ecology has proven just as challenging. This comprehensive compendium demonstrates that theoretical ecology has become a mature science, and the volume will serve as the foundation for future creativity in this area."--Fred Adler, University of Utah "The editors have assembled an outstanding group of contributors who are a great match for their topics. Sometimes the author is a key, authoritative figure in a field; and at other times, the author has enough distance to convey all sides of a subject. The next time you need to introduce ecology students to a theoretical topic, you'll be glad to have this encyclopedia on your bookshelf."--Stephen Ellner, Cornell University “Everything you wanted to know about theoretical ecology, and much that you didn’t know you needed to know but will now! Alan Hastings and Louis Gross have done us a great service by bringing together in very accessible form a huge amount of information about a broad, complicated, and expanding field.”--Daniel Simberloff, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Download or read book Understanding the Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Tropical Seagrasses and the Factors Driving Habitat Distribution written by Kelcie Lorena Chiquillo and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses occur worldwide, and are essential primary producers that uptake carbon dioxide, fix nutrients, stabilize sediments, prevent reef degradation, filter bacteria, provide food and nursery habitats to marine organisms. When seagrass meadows disappear, carbon is released back into the water column, sediments get stirred, water clarity decreases, and reefs become infected, with negative impacts on marine biodiversity and maritime economy. My thesis utilizes multidisciplinary ecology and evolutionary biology approaches to better understand the biology of seagrasses, particularly an invasive seagrass, to help improve management strategies for seagrass conservation. Seagrasses frequently display distinct depth distribution, although drivers of these patterns can be spatially and temporally variable. Chapter 1 examines the factors that influence the depth distribution of a circumtropical seagrass, Halophila decipiens. While H. decipiens can grow in waters as shallow as 1 m, in Moorea, French Polynesia we only found it in waters deeper than 6.4 m. To understand why H. decipiens did not grow in shallower habitats, we transplanted it into 3 habitats: the existing seagrass bed (control), just outside the seagrass bed, and shallower habitat adjacent to a fringing coral reef. Results showed that growth was not significantly different between the seagrass bed and just outside of the seagrass bed; however, its growth was significantly reduced when adjacent to the reef. We then transplanted seagrass into a shallower reef site with and without herbivore exclusion cages, and the results showed that H. decipiens grew best when herbivores were excluded, but lost growth when herbivores were allowed access. These results indicate that H. decipiens can grow in shallow habitats adjacent to reefs, but herbivory pressure from the reef limits its depth distribution. Seagrass meadows are in decline around the world. Biological invasions can magnify threats to seagrass ecosystems with detrimental consequences to seagrass biodiversity. In Chapter 2, I used mesocosm experiments to investigate the interactions between the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea and native seagrasses to determine whether species interactions can drive, prevent, or facilitate invasions in both the Mediterranean and Caribbean Sea. In the Caribbean, invasive H. stipulacea increased in growth when grown with the native Syringodium filiforme, and lost shoots when grown alone, while S. filiforme only increased in shoots when grown alone. This pattern was the same in the Mediterranean; when invasive H. stipulacea grew with the native Cymodocea nodosa, it gained more shoots than when grown alone, but C. nodosa only did better when grown alone. Results suggest that the invasive seagrass H. stipulacea can drive its own success by negatively affecting native seagrasses and benefiting from that negative interaction. This novel example of native species facilitating the success of an invasive provides one possible mechanism for the widespread success of this invasive species. Mechanisms that influence invasion success can further be understood by understanding how it was introduced to a specific region. In Chapter 3, I used genomic tools to reconstruct the origins of the globally invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. While H. stipulacea almost certainly invaded the Mediterranean from native populations in the Red Sea through the Suez canal, it is unclear whether the Caribbean invasion represents stepping stone colonization from the Mediterranean, an independent introduction from the native range, or an admixture from multiple native/invasive populations. To test these hypotheses, we examined population genetic structure and genetic diversity from multiple locations spanning across the native, historic, and recent invasive ranges of H. stipulacea, including the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Caribbean Sea, respectively. Data from 524 SNP loci and restrictive, 45 SNP loci at >10x coverage revealed significant genetic structure among all five regions. The analyses revealed that the widespread invasion of H. stipulacea into the Caribbean Sea came from multiple introductions originating from the Mediterranean. This work provides a baseline for the distribution of the invasive H. stipulacea in the Caribbean, and may help predict how to minimize detrimental impacts of a non-indigenous seagrass across its invaded ranges. Life history differences can provide a link in invasion potential and dispersal. In Chapter 4 I investigated the life history of seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Caribbean. Reports of asexual and sexual reproduction are common in its native range, with sexual reproduction being less common in the Mediterranean Sea. Here we make the first report of H. stipulacea male flowers in the Caribbean and suggest that asexual fragmentation is the main strategy of expansion. These findings have important implications for the future dispersal, survival, and maintenance of the non-native populations in the Caribbean.

Download or read book Applying Graph Theory in Ecological Research written by Mark R.T. Dale and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-11-09 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book clearly describes the many applications of graph theory to ecological questions, providing instruction and encouragement to researchers.

Download or read book Where the Wild Things Were written by William Stolzenburg and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2011-01-15 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For years, predators like snow leopards and white-tipped sharks have been disappearing from the top of the food chain, largely as a result of human action. Science journalist Will Stolzenburg reveals why and how their absence upsets the delicate balance of the world's environment.

Download or read book Global Seagrass Research Methods written by F.T. Short and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2001-11-06 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thorough and informative volume presents a set of detailed, globally applicable techniques for seagrass research.The book provides methods for all aspects of seagrass science from basic plant collection to statistical approaches and investigations of plant-animal interaction. The emphasis is on methods that are applicable in both developing and developed countries. The importance of seagrasses in coastal and near shore environments, and ultimately their contribution to the productivity of the world's oceans, has become increasingly recognised over the last 40 years.Seagrasses provide food for sea turtles, nearly 100 fish species, waterfowl and for the marine mammals the manatee and dugong. Seagrasses also support complex food webs by virtue of their physical structure and primary production and are well known for their role as breeding grounds and nurseries for important crustacean, finfish and shell fish populations. Seagrasses are the basis of an important detrital food chain. The plants filter nutrients and contaminants from the water, stabilise sediments and act as dampeners to wave action. Seagrasses rank with coral reefs and mangroves as some of the world's most productive coastal habitat and strong linkages among these habitats make the loss of seagrasses a contributing factor in the degradation of the world's oceans.Contributors from around the world provide up-to-date methods for comparable collection of ecological information from both temperate and tropical seagrass ecosystems.

Download or read book Ecological and Evolutionary Determinants of Diversity in Communities of Seagrass Mesograzers written by Rebecca Jane Best and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the forces that assemble species into ecological communities is the central question of community ecology. In this dissertation, I combine patterns of co-occurrence, measures of ecological similarities and differences between species, and experimental tests of species interactions to understand the assembly and functioning of a critical marine ecosystem. In Bodega Bay, California, 13 species of amphipod and isopod crustaceans represent a globally important guild of mesograzers that promote the growth of seagrass meadows by reducing the overgrowth of algae. Although many of these species are morphologically similar, I found that they vary significantly in their size, water temperature tolerance, feeding niche, fecundity, phenology, and habitat use. By sequencing these species for three genes (18S, 16S, and COI) and reconstructing their phylogenetic relationships, I also found substantial variation in the evolutionary lability of these traits, meaning that phylogenetic distances can be used as a proxy for some trait distances but not others.The forces that structure community assembly in this system vary across spatial and temporal scales. Using a mesocosm experiment, I found that feeding trait diversity (but not phylogenetic diversity) promoted coexistence by reducing the dominance of top competitors and increasing realized species richness. In contrast, I found that field communities were structured according to temperature tolerance, phenology, and body size, and that the type of structure varied by habitat. Grazers in seagrass bed communities were much more diverse in their trait values than grazers in macroalgal beds. Finally, I found that this trait diversity also has important implications for ecosystem functioning. Because overfishing of top predators or environmental changes can increase predation on seagrass mesograzers, there is the potential for trophic cascades resulting in a greater abundance of algae and lower growth of seagrass. However, I found that the most important grazer species for controlling algae were the least susceptible to fish predation, leading to weaker trophic cascades than we would predict in the absence of species-specific grazer trait data.

Download or read book Coastal Biogeomorphology written by Zhan Hu and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-09-13 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Seagrass Ecology and Physiology in a Locally and Globally Changing Environment written by Owen W. Burnell and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human beings can modify the abiotic conditions and biotic interactions that shape natural ecosystems. The primary aim of my thesis was to elucidate local- and global-scale anthropogenic changes of importance in shaping seagrass habitats, by examining how a number of both established and forecasted conditions can modify biotic interactions between seagrass and their consumers (i.e. grazing herbivores), as well as interactions between seagrass and their competitors (i.e. algal epiphytes). I approached this from both a top-down (i.e. consumer driven) and bottom-up (i.e. resource limitation) perspective. I begin by examining how urchin-epiphyte-seagrass interactions can modify habitat loss in local seagrass beds. This was motivated by the observation that the seagrass species Amphibolis antarctica appeared to suffer disproportionately under the influence of herbivore expansions. To this end, I found the recovery rate of the seagrass Amphibolis antarctica was much slower following grazing damage than contiguous meadows of Posidonia sinuosa, which appeared to result from the distinct morphological differences between these two seagrasses (i.e. elevated vs. basal meristems, respectively). Given these emerging urchin effects and the legacy of seagrass loss from nutrient enrichment, next I investigated how these processes (i.e. top-down vs. bottom-up) might interact to shape the maintenance or loss of seagrass habitats. I found that the independent negative effects of urchins and nutrients do not combine in an intuitive manner, but rather eutrophic conditions reduce the per capita grazing of urchins on seagrass, as they appear to acquire greater nutrition from increasing food quality. After documenting these emerging local changes to seagrass, I examined how forecasted global changes, in particular increases in dissolved CO2 could modify future seagrass meadows. From a resource limitation perspective I examined the carbon physiology of three seagrass species, consistently finding they were reliant on energetically costly bicarbonate acquisition under contemporary CO2 conditions. Subsequent growth experiments at enriched CO2 uncovered this contemporary limitation could translate to greater growth for seagrass under future CO2 due to lower energetic requirements for photosynthesis. However, I also examined the implications of changing CO2 resources on epiphyte-seagrass interactions, finding under certain abiotic conditions, such as high light, opportunistic epiphytes are strong competitors that could inhibit future seagrass growth. Finally using urchin-seagrass interactions as a simplified model ecosystem, I found global increases in both temperature and CO2 could increase top-down grazing control on seagrass meadows, as it appears the physiological demands on some grazing herbivores (i.e. ectotherms) could be greater in a high CO2 world. In conclusion, I add to the growing evidence for top-down grazer effects on seagrass, highlighting population expansions of urchins can drive strong, but variable, effects on seagrass, dependent upon species vulnerability and nutrient status of meadows. In reference to global change, I highlight the importance of biotic interactions in modifying the response of seagrass habitats to forecasted CO2 levels. Thus, the future of habitat-forming producers should not be inferred or assumed a priori, but requires rigorous tests of how anthropogenic change modifies the interactions between organisms across all trophic levels.

Download or read book Below Above and Beyond written by Theodor Kindeberg and published by . This book was released on 2024 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrass meadows constitute important habitat for a plethora of organisms, rendering them important habitats for conserving biodiversity. Seagrass meadows also modify the environment by attenuating wave and current energy. As a result of this, seagrass meadows trap organic matter and in addition to their high productivity, are able to sequester carbon that is stored in their underlying sediments. Due to these ecosystem functions, seagrass meadows are proposed as potential nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation and mitigation that concomitantly strengthens local biodiversity. However, the magnitude and relative importance of these ecosystem functions are context-dependent, and it is therefore crucial to understand how and why they differ in space and time. Moreover, it is imperative to apply a broad perspective as these functions can affect and are affected by adjacent ecosystems beyond the seagrass meadow itself. In this thesis, I focus on eelgrass (Zostera marina) and its role in coastal biodiversity and carbon cycling across both natural and restored meadows as well as eelgrass exported onto land. I follow a restoration project in an exposed and a sheltered environment and leverage these field trials to try to understand the timescales of biodiversity effects following seagrass restoration. I focus on fauna diversity and investigate colonization patterns. I relate these features to ecosystem functioning by measuring community metabolism and carbon cycling across restored and natural eelgrass meadows. My findings reveal that benthic fauna rapidly recovers following restoration and attains diversity levels comparable to natural reference meadows. Initial colonization seems to be driven by a few, opportunistic species that occur in large densities during early stages. As these species are generalists, their elevated abundance can increase the functional redundancy and resilience of fauna communities during early restoration stages. I show that eelgrass habitat provisioning is important in both natural and restored eelgrass and across land-sea boundaries. Exported eelgrass biomass that ends up on beaches supports a high abundance of terrestrial fauna. However, vascular plant diversity may instead benefit from removal of eelgrass wrack and it is therefore important to apply a differentiated management approach to sandy beaches that considers different communities and interests. While eelgrass restoration is unequivocally beneficial for benthic diversity, net effects on carbon fluxes vary. I found a positive relationship between benthic diversity and fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon going out of the meadow, highlighting potential tradeoffs between biodiversity and climate change mitigation. Collectively, the findings in this thesis contribute to a better understanding of how seagrass fauna diversity varies in space and time and what can be expected from restoring seagrass meadows. It reveals novel insights into the balance between diversity and community metabolism and shows how exported eelgrass can have dichotomous effects depending on the community of interest. This knowledge can inform coastal managers on relevant aspects to consider when implementing coastal adaptation measures and how eelgrass can be utilized below and above the waterline.

Download or read book Marine Macrophytes as Foundation Species written by Emil Olafsson and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-11-25 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marine macrophytes (macroalgae, seagrasses, and mangroves) comprise thousands of species distributed in shallow water areas along the world’s coastlines. They play a key role in marine ecosystems regarding biodiversity and energy flow. A large proportion of macrophyte species can be characterised as ecosystem engineers—organisms that directly or indirectly affect the availability of resources to other species by modifying, maintaining, and creating habitats. This book is divided into three main themes: • Marine macroalgae and seagrasses as sources of biodiversity gives an overview of the diversity of the main organisms associated with macrophytes, and their functional role and interactions within their hosts. • Primary and secondary production of Macrophytes synthesizes research on food web structures derived from/or associated with, macrophytes and the transfer of macrophytic primary and secondary production from one ecosystem to another. • Threats to macrophytic ecosystem engineers addresses human-induced effects including eutrophication, physical destruction, invasive species, and global warming. The book is among the first one to concentrate on the value of macrophytes for the well-being of marine habitats. The book is aimed at academics but may be useful for students, policy makers, and laymen alike.

Download or read book Non native Marine Species in British Waters written by N. Clare Eno and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summarising knowledge, policies and legislation, this title suggests how threats to nature conservation can be minimised. The directory has an entry for each non-native plant or animal that has become established, describing the origin, date and method of introduction, rate of spread, actual and potential effects, and methods of control.

Download or read book World Atlas of Seagrasses written by Frederick T. Short and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses are a vital and widespread but often overlooked coastal marine habitat. This volume provides a global survey of their distribution and conservation status.

Download or read book Tropical Seagrass Ecosystems written by Peter C. Pollard and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 886 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: