The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems
The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems
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DOI：
10.1007/s00338-012-0984-y
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发表时间：
2013-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Nash, K. L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Graham, N. A. J.;Nash, K. L.
随着全球珊瑚礁状况的恶化，珊瑚礁结构复杂性的重要性日益凸显；然而，许多研究的有限规模和重复性限制了我们对复杂性在生态系统中的作用的理解。我们定性和定量地（在有足够的标准化数据可用的情况下）评估有关结构复杂性在珊瑚礁生态系统中的作用的文献。在过去的四十年中，越来越多的出版物研究了复杂性在珊瑚礁生态系统中的作用，随之而来的是用于量化结构的方法的多样性增加。现有数据的定量分析表明，结构复杂性与藻类覆盖之间存在强烈的负相关关系，这可能反映了复杂性在增强礁鱼的食草性方面发挥的重要作用。总活珊瑚和分枝珊瑚的盖度与结构复杂性呈正相关。这些栖息地属性可能创造了许多结构，导致共线关系；然而，也有证据表明，在结构复杂性高的地方，珊瑚从干扰中恢复得更快。海胆密度与结构复杂性呈负相关；这种关系可能是由海胆侵蚀珊瑚礁结构或它们在开阔空间的群居行为驱动的。结构复杂性与鱼类密度和生物量之间存在强烈的正相关关系，可能是通过密度依赖性竞争和躲避捕食者介导的。在评估单个鱼科时，发现了更多的变量反应，所有被检查的鱼科都显示出与结构复杂性的正相关，但只有一半的关系是显著的。虽然只有定性数据的佐证，但结构复杂性似乎对两种生态系统服务：旅游和海岸线保护也有积极影响。显然，结构复杂性是珊瑚礁生态系统的一个组成部分，它应该被纳入监测计划和管理目标。
The importance of structural complexity in coral reefs has come to the fore with the global degradation of reef condition; however, the limited scale and replication of many studies have restricted our understanding of the role of complexity in the ecosystem. We qualitatively and quantitatively (where sufficient standardised data were available) assess the literature regarding the role of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems. A rapidly increasing number of publications have studied the role of complexity in reef ecosystems over the past four decades, with a concomitant increase in the diversity of methods used to quantify structure. Quantitative analyses of existing data indicate a strong negative relationship between structural complexity and algal cover, which may reflect the important role complexity plays in enhancing herbivory by reef fishes. The cover of total live coral and branching coral was positively correlated with structural complexity. These habitat attributes may be creating much of the structure, resulting in a collinear relationship; however, there is also evidence of enhanced coral recovery from disturbances where structural complexity is high. Urchin densities were negatively correlated with structural complexity; a relationship that may be driven by urchins eroding reef structure or by their gregarious behaviour when in open space. There was a strong positive relationship between structural complexity and fish density and biomass, likely mediated through density-dependent competition and refuge from predation. More variable responses were found when assessing individual fish families, with all families examined displaying a positive relationship to structural complexity, but only half of these relationships were significant. Although only corroborated with qualitative data, structural complexity also seems to have a positive effect on two ecosystem services: tourism and shoreline protection. Clearly, structural complexity is an integral component of coral reef ecosystems, and it should be incorporated into monitoring programs and management objectives.