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 Seagrasses written by Stephen A. Bortone and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1999-12-15 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses are becoming widely used as in situ indicators of the relative health and condition of subtropical and tropical estuarine ecosystems. To permit meaningful management of our estuaries, there is clearly a need to develop and refine ways of effectively monitoring and assessing seagrasses. Seagrasses: Monitoring, Ecology, Physiology, and
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 The Ecology of the Seagrass Meadows of the West Coast of Florida written by Joseph C. Zieman and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Managing Seagrasses for Resilience to Climate Change written by Mats Björk and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2008-03 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses are flowering plants that thrive in shallow oceanic and estuarine waters around the world. Although there are only about 60 species of seagrasses worldwide, these plants play an important role in many shallow, near-shore, marine ecosystems. There is growing evidence that seagrasses are declining globally because of anthropogenic impacts. This paper presents an overview of seagrasses, the impacts of climate change, and other threats to seagrass habitats. Finally, it proposes tools and strategies for managers to help support seagrass resilience.
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 Seaweed Ecology and Physiology written by Catriona L. Hurd and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-17 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In coastal seas, from the tropics to the poles, seaweeds supply the energy required to support diverse coastal marine life and provide habitat for invertebrates and fish. Retaining the highly successful approach and structure of the first edition, this is a synthesis of the role of seaweeds in underpinning the functioning of coastal ecosystems worldwide. It has been fully updated to cover the major developments of the past twenty years, including current research on the endosymbiotic origin of algae, molecular biology including 'omics', chemical ecology, invasive seaweeds, photobiology and stress physiology. In addition to exploring the processes by which seaweeds, as individuals and communities, interact with their biotic and abiotic environment, the book presents exciting new research on how seaweeds respond to local and global environmental change. It remains an invaluable resource for students and provides an entry into the scientific literature of a wide range of topics.
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 The Wetland Book written by C. Max Finlayson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-06-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wetland Book is a comprehensive resource aimed at supporting the trans- and multidisciplinary research and practice which is inherent to this field. Aware both that wetlands research is on the rise and that researchers and students are often working or learning across several disciplines, The Wetland Book is a readily accessible online and print reference which will be the first port of call on key concepts in wetlands science and management. This easy-to-follow reference will allow multidisciplinary teams and transdisciplinary individuals to look up terms, access further details, read overviews on key issues and navigate to key articles selected by experts.
Download or read book Seagrasses under Times of Change written by Gidon Winters and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book European Seagrasses written by Jens Borum and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of the report project is to define the habitat requirements of seagrasses in the European coasts, the present threats to the sustainability of the ecosystem they form, and their resilience to disturbance in order to strengthen our forecast capacity and formulate cost-effective monitoring plans and management strategies.
Download or read book Seaweed Ecology and Physiology written by Catriona L. Hurd and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-08-05 with total page 551 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In coastal seas, from the tropics to the poles, seaweeds supply the energy required to support diverse coastal marine life and provide habitat for invertebrates and fish. Retaining the highly successful approach and structure of the first edition, this is a synthesis of the role of seaweeds in underpinning the functioning of coastal ecosystems worldwide. It has been fully updated to cover the major developments of the past twenty years, including current research on the endosymbiotic origin of algae, molecular biology including 'omics', chemical ecology, invasive seaweeds, photobiology and stress physiology. In addition to exploring the processes by which seaweeds, as individuals and communities, interact with their biotic and abiotic environment, the book presents exciting new research on how seaweeds respond to local and global environmental change. It remains an invaluable resource for students and provides an entry into the scientific literature of a wide range of topics.
Download or read book Seagrass Ecology written by Marten A. Hemminga and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-19 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses occur in coastal zones throughout the world, in the part of the marine habitat that is most heavily influenced by humans. Decisions about coastal management therefore often involve seagrasses, but a full appreciation of the role of seagrasses in coastal ecosystems has yet to be reached. This book provides an entry point for those wishing to learn about the ecology of this fascinating group of plants, and gives a broad overview of current knowledge, complemented by extensive literature references to guide the reader to more detailed studies.
Download or read book Biodiversity and Climate Change written by Thomas E. Lovejoy and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential, up-to-date look at the critical interactions between biological diversity and climate change that will serve as an immediate call to action The physical and biological impacts of climate change are dramatic and broad-ranging. People who care about the planet and manage natural resources urgently need a synthesis of our rapidly growing understanding of these issues. In this all-new sequel to the 2005 volume Climate Change and Biodiversity, leading experts in the field summarize observed changes, assess what the future holds, and offer suggested responses. From extinction risk to ocean acidification, from the future of the Amazon to changes in ecosystem services, and from geoengineering to the power of ecosystem restoration, this book captures the sweep of climate change transformation of the biosphere.
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 Ocean Acidification written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-09-14 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ocean has absorbed a significant portion of all human-made carbon dioxide emissions. This benefits human society by moderating the rate of climate change, but also causes unprecedented changes to ocean chemistry. Carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean decreases the pH of the water and leads to a suite of chemical changes collectively known as ocean acidification. The long term consequences of ocean acidification are not known, but are expected to result in changes to many ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean reviews the current state of knowledge, explores gaps in understanding, and identifies several key findings. Like climate change, ocean acidification is a growing global problem that will intensify with continued CO2 emissions and has the potential to change marine ecosystems and affect benefits to society. The federal government has taken positive initial steps by developing a national ocean acidification program, but more information is needed to fully understand and address the threat that ocean acidification may pose to marine ecosystems and the services they provide. In addition, a global observation network of chemical and biological sensors is needed to monitor changes in ocean conditions attributable to acidification.
Download or read book Seagrass written by Robert S. Pirog and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families, all in the order Alismatales, which grow in marine, fully-saline environments. Seagrasses are sometimes labelled ecosystem engineers, because they partly create their own habitat - the leaves slow down water-currents increasing sedimentation, and the seagrass roots and rhizomes stabilise the seabed. Their importance for associated species is mainly due to provision of shelter, and for their extraordinarily high rate of primary production. This book presents current research in the study of seagrass, including ecosystem modelling of seagrass beds, P. oceanica population genetics and proteomics, the impact of hurricanes on seagrass thalassia testudinum in the Caribbean Sea, GIS mapping of seagrass meadows, and, the rise of Ruppia in seagrass beds.
