Habitat fragmentation has some impacts on aspects of ecosystem functioning in a sub-tropical seagrass bed

Habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystem functioning in many ways, including reducing the availability of suitable habitat for animals and altering resource dynamics. Fragmentation in seagrass ecosystems caused by propeller scarring is a major source of habitat loss, but little is known about how sca...

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Vydáno v:	Marine environmental research Ročník 126; s. 95 - 108
Hlavní autoři:	Sweatman, Jennifer L., Layman, Craig A., Fourqurean, James W.
Médium:	Journal Article
Jazyk:	angličtina
Vydáno:	England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2017 Elsevier BV
Témata:	Amphipod Amphipoda Animals Aquatic crustaceans Bahamas Biomass Community composition community structure Disturbance Dynamics Ecological function Ecosystem Ecosystems Environmental impact Environmental Monitoring Epiphytes Food-webs Fragmentation habitat destruction Habitat fragmentation Habitat loss Habitats Herbivores Herbivory Interactions Lesions Mineral nutrients Phosphorus Plant-herbivore interactions Scars Sea grasses Seagrass seagrasses Stoichiometry Studies Tropical climate Zosteraceae - physiology Bahamas Plant-herbivore interactions Stoichiometry Disturbance Habitat fragmentation Seagrass Epiphytes Food-webs Amphipod
ISSN:	0141-1136, 1879-0291, 1879-0291
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Shrnutí:	Habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystem functioning in many ways, including reducing the availability of suitable habitat for animals and altering resource dynamics. Fragmentation in seagrass ecosystems caused by propeller scarring is a major source of habitat loss, but little is known about how scars impact ecosystem functioning. Propeller scars were simulated in seagrass beds of Abaco, Bahamas, to explore potential impacts. To determine if plant-herbivore interactions were altered by fragmentation, amphipod grazers were excluded from half the experimental plots, and epiphyte biomass and community composition were compared between grazer control and exclusion plots. We found a shift from light limitation to phosphorus limitation at seagrass patch edges. Fragmentation did not impact top-down control on epiphyte biomass or community composition, despite reduced amphipod density in fragmented habitats. Seagrass and amphipod responses to propeller scarring suggest that severely scarred seagrass beds could be subject to changes in internal nutrient stores and amphipod distribution. •Propeller scars were simulated in continuous seagrass beds.•Seagrasses at fragment interiors show signs of light-limitation.•Amphipod density was reduced in seagrass fragments.•Amphipod community structure was not affected by fragmentation.•Top-down control by amphipods on epiphytes was not affected by fragmentation.
Bibliografie:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 content type line 23
ISSN:	0141-1136 1879-0291 1879-0291
DOI:	10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.02.003