Not all space is created equal: Distribution of free space and its influence on heat-stress and the limpet Patelloida latistrigata

Lathlean, Justin A.

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.09.005

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Ecosystem engineers can reduce the thermal stress experienced by underlying or adjacent invertebrates by lowering the temperature of the substratum, its evaporative water loss, and by reducing solar radiation (Bertness & Grosholz, ; Lathlean, ; McAfee, Cole, and Bishop, ). In this study, the three‐dimensional structure formed by oysters led to localised amelioration of maximum temperatures by up to 6°C on the hottest, black pavers—an effect that increased with oyster density and size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we compare the capacity of two populations of S. glomerata —a fast‐growing and a slow‐growing—to persist, grow and provide microhabitat refugia for intertidal invertebrates in a warming climate. We use passively warmed settlement panels (see Kordas, Dudgeon, Storey, & Harley, ; Lathlean & Minchinton, ) to manipulate temperature in the field, as the warming of bare rock and resultant evaporative water loss during low‐tide solar irradiation is among the major sources of stress to organisms on the mid‐intertidal rocky shore (Lathlean, ). We hypothesise that due to a trade‐off between growth and thermal tolerance, as temperature increases, the faster‐growing population will display decreased survival as compared with the slower‐growing population, and lose its growth advantage, resulting in reduced habitat provision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fast‐growing oysters show reduced capacity to provide a thermal refuge to intertidal biodiversity at high temperatures

McAfee

O’Connor

Bishop

2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Ecosystem engineers that modify the thermal environment experienced by associated organisms might assist in the climate change adaptation of species. This depends on the ability of ecosystem engineers to persist and continue to ameliorate thermal stress under changing climatic conditions-traits that may display significant intraspecific variation. In the physically stressful intertidal, the complex three-dimensional structure of oysters provides shading and traps moisture during aerial exposure at low tide. We assessed variation in the capacity of a faster- and slower-growing population of the Sydney Rock Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, to persist, form three-dimensional structure and provide a cool microhabitat to invertebrates under warmer conditions. The two populations of oysters were exposed to a temperature gradient in the field by attaching them to passively warmed white, grey and black stone pavers and their growth, survivorship and colonisation by invertebrates was monitored over a 12-month period. Oysters displayed a trade-off between fast growth and thermal tolerance. The growth advantage of the fast-growing population diminished with increasing substrate temperature, and at higher temperatures, the faster-growing oysters suffered greater mortality, formed less habitat, and were consequently less effective at ameliorating low-tide air temperature extremes than slower-growing oysters. The greater survivorship of slower-growing oysters, in turn, produced a cooler microclimate which fed back to further bolster oyster survivorship. Invertebrate recruitment increased with habitat cover and was greater among the slower than the faster-growing population. Our results show that the capacity of ecosystem engineers to serve as microhabitat refugia to associated organisms in a warming climate displays marked intraspecific variation. Our study also adds to growing evidence that fast growth may come at the expense of thermal tolerance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast‐growing oysters show reduced capacity to provide a thermal refuge to intertidal biodiversity at high temperatures

McAfee

O’Connor

Bishop

2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…There was, however, no statistically significant effect of habitat, temperature or duration on either osmolality of oyster mantle water or haemolymph (Supporting Information Table S8). Heat stress on rocky shores generally increases with the amount of primary substrata exposed to the sun (Lathlean, 2014). In a previous field study manipulating the density of horizontally orientated oysters, we found that substrate temperature increased as oyster cover decreased (McAfee et al, 2017).…”

Section: Biological Responsesmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Heat stress on rocky shores generally increases with the amount of primary substrata exposed to the sun (Lathlean, ). In a previous field study manipulating the density of horizontally orientated oysters, we found that substrate temperature increased as oyster cover decreased (McAfee et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural traits dictate abiotic stress amelioration by intertidal oysters

McAfee

Bishop

et al. 2018

Functional Ecology

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Autogenic ecosystem engineers often provide cool microhabitats which are used by associated organisms to reduce thermal extremes. The value of such habitats is, however, dependent on key structural traits of the ecosystem engineer, and the intensity and duration of thermal exposure. Using an experimental mesocosm that mimicked the rocky intertidal environment, we assessed how the spatial configuration of the habitat formed by an autogenic ecosystem engineer, the oyster, influences its capacity to mitigate heat stress experienced by invertebrates during simulated emersion periods on tropical, Hong Kong rocky shores. At the average temperature experienced during summer low tides, oyster habitat ameliorated environmental and organismal temperatures, irrespective of the structural configuration of the oyster bed. As temperatures increased, however, vertically orientated oysters provided microclimates that facilitated cooler invertebrate body temperatures than horizontal beds, which no longer conferred any associational benefit as compared to bare rock surfaces. In the absence of oysters, physiological indicators of stress to associated organisms (i.e., heart rate and osmolality) increased with the intensity and duration of exposure to high temperatures. Such effects were, however, mitigated by association with vertical but not horizontal oyster configurations. In contrast, the osmolality of the oysters was not related to temperature, suggesting they remained in a state of metabolic quiescence throughout emersion. Structural traits such as the spatial configuration of ecosystem engineers are therefore critical to their effectiveness in environmental amelioration. As such, variations in the morphological traits of ecosystem engineers, which have important implications for their ecological role, need to be incorporated into conservation and restoration projects aimed at climate change adaptation. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13210/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…Space is often an important limiting resource in these systems, but as a microhabitat, bare rock offers a distinct set of challenges, as it is frequently much hotter than surrounding areas (Lathlean 2014). Biogenic structure can play an important role in ameliorating the temperature regime, even at scales of relevance to larvae (Lathlean et at.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living on the edge: Early life history phases as determinants of distribution in Pyura praeputialis (Heller, 1878), a rocky shore ecosystem engineer

Davis

Becerro

Turon

2018

Marine Environmental Research

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Not all space is created equal: Distribution of free space and its influence on heat-stress and the limpet Patelloida latistrigata

Cited by 11 publications

References 40 publications

Fast‐growing oysters show reduced capacity to provide a thermal refuge to intertidal biodiversity at high temperatures

Fast‐growing oysters show reduced capacity to provide a thermal refuge to intertidal biodiversity at high temperatures

Structural traits dictate abiotic stress amelioration by intertidal oysters

Living on the edge: Early life history phases as determinants of distribution in Pyura praeputialis (Heller, 1878), a rocky shore ecosystem engineer

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