Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities

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dc.contributor.authorKarlson, Agnes M Len_ZA
dc.contributor.authorNiemand, Clarisseen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSavage, Candidaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPilditch, Conrad Aen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-31T07:44:31Z
dc.date.available2016-10-31T07:44:31Z
dc.date.issued2016en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAccumulating evidence shows that increased biodiversity has a positive effect on ecosystem functioning, but the mechanisms that underpin this positive relationship are contentious. Complete extinctions of regional species pools are comparatively rare whereas compositional changes and reductions in abundance and biomass are common, although seldom the focus of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning studies. We use natural, small-scale patchiness in the density of two species of large bivalves with contrasting feeding modes (the suspension-feeding Austrovenus stutchburyi and deposit-feeding Macomona liliana ) to examine their influence on the uptake of nitrogen from macroalgae detritus (i.e. measure of ecosystem function and food web efficiency) by other infauna in a 10-d laboratory isotope-tracer experiment. We predicted that densities of these key bivalve species and functional group diversity (calculated as Shannons H, a density-independent measure of community composition) of the intact infaunal community will be critical factors explaining variance in macroalgal per capita uptake rates by the community members and hence determine total uptake by the community. Results show that only two species, M . liliana and a large orbiniid polychaete ( Scoloplos cylindrifer ) dominated macroalgal nitrogen taken up by the whole community due to their large biomass. However, their densities were mostly not important or negatively influenced per capita uptake by other species. Instead, the density of a head-down deposit-feeder (the capitellid Heteromastus filiformis ), scavengers (mainly nemertines and nereids) and species and functional group diversity, best explained per capita uptake rates in community members. Our results demonstrate the importance of species identity, density and large body size for ecosystem functioning and highlight the complex interactions underlying loss of ecological functions with declining biodiversity and compositional changes.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationKarlson, A. M. L., Niemand, C., Savage, C., & Pilditch, C. A. (2016). Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities. <i>PLoS One</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22380en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationKarlson, Agnes M L, Clarisse Niemand, Candida Savage, and Conrad A Pilditch "Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities." <i>PLoS One</i> (2016) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22380en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKarlson, A. M., Niemand, C., Savage, C., & Pilditch, C. A. (2016). Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities. PloS one, 11(7), e0158785. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158785en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Karlson, Agnes M L AU - Niemand, Clarisse AU - Savage, Candida AU - Pilditch, Conrad A AB - Accumulating evidence shows that increased biodiversity has a positive effect on ecosystem functioning, but the mechanisms that underpin this positive relationship are contentious. Complete extinctions of regional species pools are comparatively rare whereas compositional changes and reductions in abundance and biomass are common, although seldom the focus of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning studies. We use natural, small-scale patchiness in the density of two species of large bivalves with contrasting feeding modes (the suspension-feeding Austrovenus stutchburyi and deposit-feeding Macomona liliana ) to examine their influence on the uptake of nitrogen from macroalgae detritus (i.e. measure of ecosystem function and food web efficiency) by other infauna in a 10-d laboratory isotope-tracer experiment. We predicted that densities of these key bivalve species and functional group diversity (calculated as Shannons H, a density-independent measure of community composition) of the intact infaunal community will be critical factors explaining variance in macroalgal per capita uptake rates by the community members and hence determine total uptake by the community. Results show that only two species, M . liliana and a large orbiniid polychaete ( Scoloplos cylindrifer ) dominated macroalgal nitrogen taken up by the whole community due to their large biomass. However, their densities were mostly not important or negatively influenced per capita uptake by other species. Instead, the density of a head-down deposit-feeder (the capitellid Heteromastus filiformis ), scavengers (mainly nemertines and nereids) and species and functional group diversity, best explained per capita uptake rates in community members. Our results demonstrate the importance of species identity, density and large body size for ecosystem functioning and highlight the complex interactions underlying loss of ecological functions with declining biodiversity and compositional changes. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0158785 DP - University of Cape Town J1 - PLoS One LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 T1 - Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities TI - Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22380 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158785en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/22380
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationKarlson AML, Niemand C, Savage C, Pilditch CA. Density of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communities. PLoS One. 2016; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22380.en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.rightsThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.en_ZA
dc.rights.holder© 2016 Karlson et alen_ZA
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_ZA
dc.sourcePLoS Oneen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://journals.plos.org/plosoneen_ZA
dc.subject.otherSedimenten_ZA
dc.subject.otherEcosystem functioningen_ZA
dc.subject.otherSpecies diversityen_ZA
dc.subject.otherBiodiversityen_ZA
dc.subject.otherIsotopesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherIsotope analysisen_ZA
dc.subject.otherBivalvesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherFunctional groupsen_ZA
dc.titleDensity of key-species determines efficiency of macroalgae detritus uptake by intertidal benthic communitiesen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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