A continental scale evaluation of the role of limpet grazing on rocky shores
A continental scale evaluation of the role of limpet grazing on rocky shores
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DOI：
10.1007/s00442-005-0296-9
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发表时间：
2006-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Hawkins, SJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Coleman, RA;Underwood, AJ;Hawkins, SJ
了解单个物种如何对生态系统过程做出贡献以及这些贡献在空间和时间上如何变化，对我们了解生物多样性和生态系统过程至关重要。我们在纬度超过17度的5个地点（从葡萄牙南部到马恩岛（不列颠群岛））进行了一项可操作的野外实验，以确定因放养帽贝而释放的潮间带岩石藻群的相对反应。响应比表明，当帽套被移除时，影响有从北向南的趋势。在北方，放牧对藻类组合有强烈的影响，但去除放牧者会降低藻类组合的空间变异性。在南方，帽贝放牧的影响要弱得多，放牧者的迁移对空间变异性的影响要小得多。在这里，我们展示了生态系统的一个明确的营养控制，帽贝的放牧不仅决定了大藻的总体丰度，而且通过藻类覆盖的变化改变了生态系统的稳定性。
It is critical for our knowledge of biodiversity and ecosystem processes to understand how individual species contribute to ecosystem processes and how these contributions vary in space and time. We used a manipulative field experiment in five locations over 17 degrees of latitude [from southern Portugal to the Isle of Man (British Isles)] to determine the relative response of rocky intertidal algal assemblages released from control by the grazing of limpets. Response ratios showed that when limpets were removed there was a trend of effects from north to south. In the north, grazing had a strong effect on algal assemblages, but removing grazers reduced spatial variability in assemblages. In the south, the effect of limpet grazing was far weaker and removal of grazers had a much reduced impact on spatial variability. Here we show a clear trophic control of an ecosystem in that grazing by limpets not only determines macroalgal abundance overall but also modifies ecosystem stability via variability in cover of algae.