Fecundity and the demographic strategies of coral morphologies

Álvarez‐Noriega, Mariana; Baird, Andrew H.; Dornelas, María; Madin, Joshua S.; Cumbo, Vivian R.; Connolly, Sean R.

doi:10.1002/ecy.1588

Cited by 80 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…Additionally, while fragmentation is a source of partial mortality, it is also a mechanism for asexual reproduction where fragments reattach to the reef (Highsmith, ; Karlson, ), providing an alternative way to increase population size (Smith & Hughes, ; Tunnicliffe, ). Sexual reproductive output also tends to be higher in species with lower compactness (Álvarez‐Noriega et al, ).…”

Section: Morphological Traits Linked To Performance Function and Resmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene

et al. 2019

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Susceptibility to human‐driven environmental changes is mediated by species traits. Therefore, identifying traits that predict organism performance, ecosystem function and response to changes in environmental conditions can help forecast how ecosystems are responding to the Anthropocene. Morphology dictates how organisms interact with their environment and other organisms, partially determining the environmental and biological contexts in which they are successful. Morphology is important for autogenic ecosystem engineering organisms, such as reef‐building corals, because it determines the shape of the structures they create and by extension the communities they support. Here, we present six morphological traits that capture variation in volume compactness, surface complexity and top‐heaviness. With support from the literature, we propose causal links between morphology and a performance–function–response framework. To illustrate these concepts, we combine 3D scanning and coral survey data to predict morphological traits from in situ colonies. We present a case study that examines how assemblage‐scale morphological traits have responded to two cyclones and the 2016 mass bleaching event—two phenomena predicted to increase in severity in the Anthropocene—and discuss how these changes may impact ecosystem function. The morphological traits outlined here offer a generalised and hypothesis‐driven approach to tracking how reefs respond to the Anthropocene. The ability to predict these traits from field data and the increasing use of photogrammetry makes them readily applicable across broad spatiotemporal scales. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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Section: Morphological Traits Linked To Performance Function and Resmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene

et al. 2019

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“…Reproductive investment takes into account the estimated number of oocytes produced per colony and their energy (carbon) content. We estimated reproductive investment and number of oocytes from regressions of reproductive investment vs. colony sizes and of number of oocytes vs. colony size in Alvarez-Noriega et al (2016) for the range of observed colony sizes, and we calculated the mean values for each proxy. Note that regressions were only available for eight out of the 11 species in this study, and that fecundity measurements were taken at the site but from different colonies than those in this study, because sampling for fecundity in corals is destructive (branches must be broken off of the colony) and such injuries can affect subsequent colony growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral cover on the reef crest was estimated using 10 by 10 m line intercept transects in 2011 at 40 AE 3.0% (mean AE SE). The colonies were followed through time, and photographed from above with a scale plate every year from 2009 to 2013 (Madin et al 2014, Alvarez-Noriega et al 2016, Dornelas et al 2017.…”

Section: Study Location and Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tradeoffs between competitive ability, stress tolerance, tolerance to disturbance and reproductive output have long been proposed (MacArthur andWilson 1967, Grime 1977) and are evident in various organisms (e.g., fish: Dunson and Travis 1991, plants: Angert et al 2009, molluscs: Krassoi et al 2008. For scleractinian corals, colony morphology is recognised as an important trait affecting competitive ability (Lang 1973, Connell et al 2004, Precoda et al 2017, and demographic rates differ between different colony morphologies (Madin et al 2014, Alvarez-Noriega et al 2016, Dornelas et al 2017. Colony morphology is highly correlated with colony growth (Dornelas et al 2017), and fast growth rates should lead to victory in most overtopping encounters; in contrast, massive competitors are more aggressive in direct-contact competition (Lang 1973).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Negligible effect of competition on coral colony growth

Álvarez‐Noriega

Baird

Dornelas³

et al. 2018

Ecology

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Competition is an important determinant of assemblage structure and population regulation, often resulting in decreased growth, fecundity or survival. In corals, most studies testing for an effect of competition on demographic traits, such as growth, have been experimental and often impose very high levels of competition upon colonies. To more realistically assess the role of competition on coral traits, multispecies studies in the wild are required. Here, we use 5 yr of data that includes 11 coral species on the reef crest at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef to quantify the effect of competition on growth. Additionally, we test whether species differ in their susceptibility to direct-contact (overgrowth and digestion) and overtopping competition, and whether species from some morphological groups are more likely to compete with one another than with species from other morphological groups. We also investigate the relationships between competitive ability and three key traits: growth rate, mechanical stability and fecundity. In contrast to most previous work using field manipulations of competition, we found a negligible effect of competition on growth. Acropora species consistently won overtopping encounters but lost in direct-contact encounters, and these results were consistent among the four Acropora morphological groups. In contrast, the massive Goniastrea spp. were poor at overtopping but generally won direct-contact encounters. Only tabular colonies were disproportionally more likely to compete against one another than with other morphologies. This propensity increases intraspecific relative to interspecific competition, a phenomenon that can promote coexistence when it is present among dominant competitors. Good competitors grew more quickly and had higher fecundity but were less mechanically stable, implying a tradeoff between performance during disturbance vs. performance in the absence of disturbance. We conclude that competition among adults is less likely to influence community dynamics than previously thought. If competition does have an effect, it is more likely to occur at life-stages other than adults.

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“…Recently, Álvarez‐Noriega et al. () have found trade‐offs among species belonging to four functional groups (two species per group): Massive species have a higher colony fecundity but a smaller colony reproductive investment (i.e., total amount of carbon invested in all the eggs produced by one colony) than plating or digitate species. The implication of this trade‐off for larval settlement and recruitment is unknown, but potentially of importance because many species produce lecithotrophic larvae (i.e., they rely solely on maternal energy reserves).…”

Section: Review Of Functional Traits and Associated Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A modified trait‐based framework for assessing the resilience of ecosystem services provided by coral reef communities

2018

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Citation: Carturan, B. S., L. Parrott, and J. Pither. 2018. A modified trait-based framework for assessing the resilience of ecosystem services provided by coral reef communities. Ecosphere 9(5):e02214. 10.1002/ecs2.2214Abstract. Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are having dramatic impacts on tropical coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide. Anticipating change in ecosystem services is a pressing challenge that requires understanding how species respond to an environmental change, and how they contribute to ecosystem services. Building on analogous efforts by plant ecologists, we propose a traitbased framework that aims to predict the resistance and recovery of coral ecosystem services against both pulse and press disturbances. The framework involves identifying effect, resistance, and recovery traits across coral species and using these to ascertain how species might (1) contribute to a service, (2) resist disturbance, and (3) recover after the disturbance. By identifying trait functional overlaps and quantifying correlations among the trait types, the framework can yield a better understanding of the potential mechanistic links between community assembly, ecosystem dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. We demonstrate the utility of the framework by applying it to a virtual scenario, implemented via simulation, in which habitat provisioning is the focal ecosystem service, and cyclones and bleaching events are the disturbances of interest. This demonstration required us to assemble an extensive dataset of relevant traits-a process that revealed key gaps in the coral trait database and in our understanding of coral functional ecology. The framework can provide predictive power for the resilience of ecosystem services and can also help identify crucial knowledge gaps, research objectives, and strategies for applying a trait-based approach to advancing coral reef science and conservation.

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Fecundity and the demographic strategies of coral morphologies

Cited by 80 publications

References 55 publications

Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene

Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene

Negligible effect of competition on coral colony growth

A modified trait‐based framework for assessing the resilience of ecosystem services provided by coral reef communities

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