Abundance of a cryptic generalist parasite reflects degradation of an ecosystem
Abundance of a cryptic generalist parasite reflects degradation of an ecosystem
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DOI：
10.1002/ecs2.3268
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发表时间：
2020-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Sikkel, Paul C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Artim, John M.;Nicholson, Matthew D.;Sikkel, Paul C.
人类活动造成的生态系统退化是我们时代的主要问题。理论分析以及恢复和管理生态系统的努力取决于对生态系统功能的全面衡量。在复杂的生态系统，如热带珊瑚礁的情况下，特别是在监测，管理和恢复是重要的，反映关键功能组的多个指标，需要准确地反映生态系统功能，并在必要时，诊断程度和类型的生态系统退化。我们建议列入的通才体外寄生虫功能组作为衡量珊瑚礁的生态系统功能。这一功能群能够适应其他群落成员的丧失，并可能随着生态系统功能的下降而增加。鱼类寄生的颚类等足类动物是这一群体的成员，虽然不显眼，但在珊瑚礁群落中居住。在加勒比海的珊瑚礁，根据938个光陷阱样本，我们观察到的负相关性之间的丰富的较小的gnathiids和丰富的活珊瑚，一个自然的捕食者gnathiids。图分组珊瑚覆盖的生态系统工程的成功措施和外寄生虫丰度变化显着的社会组成，包括丰富的大型藻类，草坪藻类，和农业Stegastes属。雀鲷反映了群落结构的变化有颌类丰度的变化相对于丰富的生物体参与每个核心功能过程驱动珊瑚礁生态系统反映了广泛的连接有颌类寄生虫在整个生态系统。我们的结论是，一个小的，神秘的，通才的寄生虫，当结合使用的主要生态系统工程师的丰度度量，可以提供一个微妙的措施，生态系统脆弱性崩溃。
Ecosystem degradation due to anthropogenic activities is the primary issue of our times. Theoretical analyses as well as efforts to restore and manage ecosystems depend on comprehensive metrics of ecosystem function. In the case of complex ecosystems such as tropical coral reefs-especially where monitoring, management, and restoration are important-multiple metrics reflecting key functional groups are required to accurately reflect ecosystem function and when necessary, diagnose degree and kind of ecosystem degradation. We propose inclusion of the generalist ectoparasite functional group as a measure of ecosystem function of coral reefs. This functional group is adaptable to loss of other community members and may experience an increase in abundance as ecosystem function declines. Fish-parasitic gnathiid isopods are a member of this group, resident though inconspicuous in coral-reef communities. On Caribbean coral reefs, based on 938 light-trap samples, we observed a negative correlation between abundance of smaller-sized gnathiids and abundance of live coral, a natural predator of gnathiids. Plots grouped by coral cover-a measure of success of the ecosystem engineer-and ectoparasite abundance varied significantly in community composition including abundance of macroalgae, turf algae, and farming Stegastes spp. damselfish reflecting shifts in community structure. Changes in gnathiid abundance with respect to the abundance of organisms participating in each of the core functional processes driving coral-reef ecosystems reflect broad connectivity of gnathiid parasites across the ecosystem. We conclude that the hyperabundance of a small, cryptic, generalist parasite, when used in combination with a metric of abundance of the primary ecosystem engineer, can provide one nuanced measure of the ecosystem vulnerability to collapse.