Predators reduce abundance and species richness of coral reef fish recruits via non-selective predation
Predators reduce abundance and species richness of coral reef fish recruits via non-selective predation
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DOI：
10.1007/s00338-010-0592-7
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发表时间：
2010-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Steele, M. A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Heinlein, J. M.;Stier, A. C.;Steele, M. A.
捕食者对珊瑚礁鱼类种群有重要的影响，但它们对群落结构的影响只是最近才被调查，还没有被很好地了解。在这里，在法属波利尼西亚的莫雷亚，通过实验研究了捕食对珊瑚礁鱼类幼体多样性和丰富度的影响。捕食者的影响是通过监测捕食者-围栏网箱或未封闭式珊瑚礁中鱼类对标准化斑块珊瑚礁的补充情况来量化的。在为期54天的实验结束时，在暴露于捕食者的珊瑚礁上的新兵数量比在笼子里的珊瑚礁上少74%，在暴露于捕食者的珊瑚礁上物种丰富度低42%。捕食者的作用因科而异，但稀疏性分析表明，捕食者在物种间的觅食是非选择性的。这些结果表明，捕食可以改变珊瑚礁鱼类群落的多样性，因为在定居后不久，不分青红皂白地减少了鱼类的丰度，从而减少了珊瑚礁上的物种数量。
Predators have important effects on coral reef fish populations, but their effects on community structure have only recently been investigated and are not yet well understood. Here, the effect of predation on the diversity and abundance of young coral reef fishes was experimentally examined in Moorea, French Polynesia. Effects of predators were quantified by monitoring recruitment of fishes onto standardized patch reefs in predator-exclosure cages or uncaged reefs. At the end of the 54-day experiment, recruits were 74% less abundant on reefs exposed to predators than on caged ones, and species richness was 42% lower on reefs exposed to predators. Effects of predators varied somewhat among families, however, rarefaction analysis indicated that predators foraged non-selectively among species. These results indicate that predation can alter diversity of reef fish communities by indiscriminately reducing the abundance of fishes soon after settlement, thereby reducing the number of species present on reefs.