Grazer Diversity and Ecosystem Function in Seagrass Beds

9521184达菲人类活动造成的环境变化最普遍和不可逆转的影响之一是地方和全球范围内物种多样性的减少。生态系统功能下降的后果在很大程度上仍然是无法量化和不可预测的。在低多样性但高补给的环境中，如河口，物种的丧失可能会严重改变产量水平和营养转移。这项研究将包括一系列中游实验，以测试无脊椎动物食草动物物种对以下方面的影响：1)鳗草群落的结构，特别是藻类附生植物；2)鳗草生态系统内的功能过程，特别是初级和次生生产、维管碎屑加工和有机质向下层沉积物的输出；以及3)植物对营养物质增加的响应。这项工作的结果可能会提供第一个实验证据，说明中划虫在浅水植被群落中的作用，包括它们对群落结构和功能的个人和集体影响。***

9521184 Duffy One of most pervasive and irreversible effects of environmental change wrought by human activity is the reduction in species diversity on local and global scales. The consequences of declining for ecosystem function remain largely unquantified and unpredictable. The loss of species in low diversity but high recruitment environments, like estuaries, may severely alter production levels and trophic transfers. This research will involve a series of mesocosm experiments to test the effects of invertebrate grazer species on: 1) the structure of eelgrass communities, particularly the algal epiphytes, 2) functional processes within the eelgrass ecosystem, especially primary and secondary production, vascular detritus processing, and organic matter export to underlying sediment, and 3) the responses of the plants to nutrient enrichment. The results of this work are likely to provide the first experimental evidence about the roles of mesograzers in shallow water vegetation communities, including their individual and collective effects on community structure and function. ***