Mechanisms of stability of urchin-dominated barrens in southeastern Newfoundland

纽芬兰东南部海胆为主的贫瘠之地的稳定机制

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-05343
• 负责人: Gagnon, Patrick
• 金额: $ 1.53万
• 依托单位: Memorial University of Newfoundland
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=590372
• 关键词: Mechanisms; stability; urchin; dominated; barrens

Two central questions in ecology are (1) how can assemblages of different species occur side by side, as distinct community states; and (2) what factors and processes trigger transitions from one state to another (phase shifts) and stabilize each state. The shallow rocky subtidal zone in southeastern Newfoundland (SEN) exhibits two community states presumably dependent on the abundance of a key herbivore, the green sea urchin: kelp beds where urchins are rare; and barrens where urchins dominate and only a few grazing-resistant seaweeds grow. Contrary to many regions in eastern Canada, barrens in SEN predominate and appear to be stable at decadal scales, with infrequent recolonization by kelp. Limited understanding of interactions between biological and environmental factors that govern phase shifts, and the stability of the barrens and kelp states in SEN, limits our predictive capacity as scientists and managers. Consequences of phase shifts (or lack thereof) for commercial species of finfish, urchins, and lobsters, which use kelp beds as habitat, food, and nursery areas, and could form the basis of lucrative fisheries as they do in other regions of eastern Canada, are unknown.

生态学中的两个核心问题是：（1）不同物种的聚集如何作为不同的群落状态并排发生;（2）什么因素和过程触发从一种状态到另一种状态的转变（相移）并稳定每个状态。纽芬兰东南部的浅岩潮下带（SEN）展示了两个社区的状态，可能依赖于丰富的一个关键的草食动物，绿色海胆：海带床海胆是罕见的;和贫瘠的海胆占主导地位，只有少数耐放牧的海藻生长。相反，在加拿大东部的许多地区，贫瘠的SEN占主导地位，似乎是稳定的，在十年尺度上，与不频繁的海带damenonization。对控制相移的生物和环境因素之间的相互作用以及SEN中贫瘠和海带状态的稳定性的了解有限，限制了我们作为科学家和管理者的预测能力。相位变化的后果（或缺乏）的有鳍鱼，海胆和龙虾，其中使用海带床作为栖息地，食物和托儿所的商业物种，并可能形成利润丰厚的渔业的基础，因为他们在加拿大东部的其他地区，是未知的。