Anthropogenic mortality on coral reefs in Caribbean Panama predates coral disease and bleaching
Anthropogenic mortality on coral reefs in Caribbean Panama predates coral disease and bleaching
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01768.x
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发表时间：
2012-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
8.8
通讯作者：
Guilderson, Thomas P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cramer, Katie L.;Jackson, Jeremy B. C.;Guilderson, Thomas P.
自20世纪80年代以来，由于漂白，疾病和藻类过度生长的区域事件，加勒比海珊瑚礁珊瑚急剧下降，但由于土地清理和过度捕捞等局部历史干扰而导致的早期退化程度仍未得到解决。我们分析了巴拿马博卡斯德尔托罗附近珊瑚礁的珊瑚和软体动物化石组合，以构建19世纪至今生态变化的时间轴。我们报告了1960年之前在沿海泻湖与广泛的森林砍伐相一致的巨大变化，1960年之后在近海珊瑚礁。引人注目的变化包括以前占主导地位的鹿角珊瑚鹿角珊瑚和牡蛎Dendrostrea frons的死亡，它们生活在柳珊瑚和鹿角珊瑚上。双壳类体积的减小和腹足类营养结构的简化进一步暗示了对珊瑚礁的环境压力的增加。我们的古生态数据从大量的定性数据中有力地支持了这一假设，即加勒比珊瑚礁退化早于与人为气候变化有关的珊瑚白化和疾病爆发。
Ecology Letters (2012) Abstract Caribbean reef corals have declined precipitously since the 1980s due to regional episodes of bleaching, disease and algal overgrowth, but the extent of earlier degradation due to localised historical disturbances such as land clearing and overfishing remains unresolved. We analysed coral and molluscan fossil assemblages from reefs near Bocas del Toro, Panama to construct a timeline of ecological change from the 19th centurypresent. We report large changes before 1960 in coastal lagoons coincident with extensive deforestation, and after 1960 on offshore reefs. Striking changes include the demise of previously dominant staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis and oyster Dendrostrea frons that lives attached to gorgonians and staghorn corals. Reductions in bivalve size and simplification of gastropod trophic structure further implicate increasing environmental stress on reefs. Our paleoecological data strongly support the hypothesis, from extensive qualitative data, that Caribbean reef degradation predates coral bleaching and disease outbreaks linked to anthropogenic climate change.