Multiple foundation species shape benthic habitat islands

Yakovis, Eugeniy; Artemieva, Anna; Shunatova, Natalia; Varfolomeeva, Marina A.

doi:10.1007/s00442-007-0945-2

Cited by 42 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 65 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Facilitation cascades can drive predictable patterns in the distribution of associated organisms that tend to assemble where structural complexity and resource availability are higher [20]. The regularity with which foundation species distributions overlap suggests that emergent effects, such as facilitation cascades, may play a critical role in the organization and stabilization of many communities [27]. This calls for an integrate analysis of the temporal (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Facilitation Cascade Processes as Drivers of Successional Patterns of Ecosystem Engineers at the Upper Altitudinal Limit of the Dry Puna

Malatesta¹,

Tardella²,

Piermarteri³

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Facilitation processes constitute basic elements of vegetation dynamics in harsh systems. Recent studies in tropical alpine environments demonstrated how pioneer plant species defined as “ecosystem engineers” are capable of enhancing landscape-level richness by adding new species to the community through the modification of microhabitats, and also provided hints about the alternation of different ecosystem engineers over time. Nevertheless, most of the existing works analysed different ecosystem engineers separately, without considering the interaction of different ecosystem engineers. Focusing on the altitudinal limit of Peruvian Dry Puna vegetation, we hypothesized that positive interactions structure plant communities by facilitation cascades involving different ecosystem engineers, determining the evolution of the microhabitat patches in terms of abiotic resources and beneficiary species hosted. To analyze successional mechanisms, we used a “space-for-time” substitution to account for changes over time, and analyzed data on soil texture, composition, and temperature, facilitated species and their interaction with nurse species, and surface area of engineered patches by means of chemical analyses, indicator species analysis, and rarefaction curves. A successional process, resulting from the dynamic interaction of different ecosystem engineers, which determined a progressive amelioration of soil conditions (e.g. nitrogen and organic matter content, and temperature), was the main driver of species assemblage at the community scale, enhancing species richness. Cushion plants act as pioneers, by starting the successional processes that continue with shrubs and tussocks. Tussock grasses have sometimes been found to be capable of creating microhabitat patches independently. The dynamics of species assemblage seem to follow the nested assemblage mechanism, in which the first foundation species to colonize a habitat provides a novel substrate for colonization by other foundation species through a facilitation cascade process.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Facilitation Cascade Processes as Drivers of Successional Patterns of Ecosystem Engineers at the Upper Altitudinal Limit of the Dry Puna

Malatesta¹,

Tardella²,

Piermarteri³

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some examples of nontrophic actions of foundation species include: altering local climates and microclimates (e.g., Schö eb et al 2012, Butterfield et al 2013; changing soil temperature, moisture, and acidity (e.g., Prevey et al 2010, Lustenhouwer et al 2012, Martin and Goebel 2013; providing refuge for prey species and perches for predators (e.g., Yakovis et al 2008, Tovar-Sánchez et al 2013; and stabilizing stream banks and shorelines against erosion (reviewed by Ellison et al 2005). Because foundation species exert systemwide effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning primarily through these (and other) non-trophic interactions, it has proven difficult to link effects of foundation species into theories of the structure and function of food webs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling foundation species in food webs

2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Foundation species are basal species that play an important role in determining community composition by physically structuring ecosystems and modulating ecosystem processes. Foundation species largely operate via non-trophic interactions, presenting a challenge to incorporating them into food web models. Here, we used non-linear, bioenergetic predator-prey models to explore the role of foundation species and their non-trophic effects. We explored four types of models in which the foundation species reduced the metabolic rates of species in a specific trophic position. We examined the outcomes of each of these models for six metabolic rate ''treatments'' in which the foundation species altered the metabolic rates of associated species by one-tenth to ten times their allometric baseline metabolic rates. For each model simulation, we looked at how foundation species influenced food web structure during community assembly and the subsequent change in food web structure when the foundation species was removed. When a foundation species lowered the metabolic rate of only basal species, the resultant webs were complex, species-rich, and robust to foundation species removals. On the other hand, when a foundation species lowered the metabolic rate of only consumer species, all species, or no species, the resultant webs were species-poor and the subsequent removal of the foundation species resulted in the further loss of species and complexity. This suggests that in nature we should look for foundation species to predominantly facilitate basal species.

show abstract

“…Bivalves, ascidians and barnacles may act as foundation species, providing habitats for many other dependent taxa (Fielding et al 1994, Seed 1996, Castilla et al 2004, Yakovis et al 2008. Many suspension-feeders are sessile or nearly so.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific variation in stable isotope signatures indicates no small-scale feeding interference between a horse mussel and an ascidian

Yakovis¹,

Artemieva²,

Fokin³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

) clumps on gravel and mussels. Species (M. modiolus or S. rustica), tissue (foot and posterior adductor muscles in M. modiolus) and site (8.1 km apart) factors had strong effects on isotope ratios, whilst the presence of a potential competitor had no effect on SIR in either species. We conclude that the diets of M. modiolus and S. rustica are not affected by co-occurrence and do not overlap much, giving no evidence of competition. Further research should take in account the substantial difference in SIR between the 2 M. modiolus muscular tissues studied: −21.582 ± 0.048 (δ 467: 113-120, 2012 size, likely due to technical limitations of the approach based on direct counting of tagged food particles consumed by each individual.Mar Ecol Prog SerStable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen are widely used to indirectly assess the relative contribution of different food sources to the diet of animals (see Boecklen et al. 2011 for review). Isotopic signatures are expressed as δ, the ratio of heavy (e.g. . Based on the measurements of these ratios in potential food sources (which usually include particulate organic matter of different origin or certain prey species for marine benthic consumers), one may apply a mixing model to estimate their contribution to the diet of a particular species (Phillips et al. 2005). Stable isotope composition of consumer tissues does not reflect the most recent diet. Instead, it is affected by feeding patterns of several weeks to few months preceding sampling, depending on the metabolic rate of a particular organism and tissue (Dalerum & Angerbjörn 2005). Accurate mixing models thus require potential food sources sampled in advance according to previously studied metabolic rates.Interspecific differences in 13 C and 15 N signatures have been unhesitatingly interpreted as indicators of feeding segregation between potentially competitive suspension-feeding species (e.g. Dubois et al. 2007). High variation of stable isotope signatures observed among the tissues of a single organism may, however, compromise these conclusions (see Lorrain et al. 2002, Yokoyama & Ishihi 2006, CabanellasReboredo et al. 2009, Deudero et al. 2009, Aya & Kudo 2010 for data on bivalves). In coastal Arctic waters, relatively slow metabolic rates of benthic invertebrates are combined with high seasonal changes in potential food sources for suspensionfeeders due to the presence of ice cover and variation in river discharge. Tissue-specific isotope incorporation models (Boecklen et al. 2011) are not yet developed for most species. Therefore, the evidence of interspecific feeding interference or its absence based on mixing models demands multiple repeated sampling of the potential food sources at least several months prior to sampling the consumers. This may not always be technically possible or logistically feasible due to the ice freezing and melting seasons.Interspecific competition for food alters the diet at least of an inferior competitor in relation to the diet observed in the absence of a superior competit...

show abstract

Multiple foundation species shape benthic habitat islands

Cited by 42 publications

References 65 publications

Evidence of Facilitation Cascade Processes as Drivers of Successional Patterns of Ecosystem Engineers at the Upper Altitudinal Limit of the Dry Puna

Evidence of Facilitation Cascade Processes as Drivers of Successional Patterns of Ecosystem Engineers at the Upper Altitudinal Limit of the Dry Puna

Modeling foundation species in food webs

Intraspecific variation in stable isotope signatures indicates no small-scale feeding interference between a horse mussel and an ascidian

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About