Oil and gas platforms degrade benthic invertebrate diversity and food web structure

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 929, P. 172536 - 172536

Published: April 19, 2024

Oil and gas exploitation introduces toxic contaminants such as hydrocarbons heavy metals to the surrounding sediment, resulting in deleterious impacts on marine benthic communities. This study combines monitoring data over a 30-year period North Sea with dietary information >1400 taxa quantify effects of active oil platforms food webs using multiple before-after control-impact experiment. Contamination from caused declines web complexity, community abundance, biodiversity. Fewer trophic interactions increased connectance indicated that became dominated by generalists adapting alternative resources, leading simpler but more connected contaminated environments. Decreased mean body mass, shorter chain lengths, dominance small detritivores Capitella capitata near structures suggested disproportionate loss larger organisms higher levels. These patterns were associated concentrations exceed OSPAR's guideline thresholds sediment toxicity. provides new evidence better manage environmental consequences at sea.

Language: Английский

---

Food web properties vary with climate and land use in South African streams

Functional Ecology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 34(8), P. 1653 - 1665

Published: May 18, 2020

Abstract Land use intensification and climate change are two prominent drivers of variation in biological communities. However, we know very little about how these potential environmental stressors interact. Here a stable isotope approach to quantify animal communities respond urban agriculture land use, latitudinal (rainfall temperature), 29 streams across South Africa. Community structure was shaped by both climatic factors. The taxonomic diversity invertebrates best explained an independent negative effect urbanization, while abundance declined summer. could not our variables predict fish (suggesting that other factors may be more important). Both trophic functional (quantifed using isotopic richness ) food chain length with increasing temperature. Functional redundancy uniqueness the invertebrate community high wet areas, synergistic interaction urbanization caused lowest values dry regions. There additive rainfall on abundance‐weighted vertebrate (quantified dispersion ), former causing decline dispersion, this partially compensated for rainfall. In most cases, found single dominant driver (either or use) between streams. We only incidences combined effects improving model, one which amplified (i.e. cause larger than sum their effects), indicating management should first focus mitigating stressor stream ecosystems successful restoration efforts. Overall, study indicates subtle web responses multiple change, identified metrics—these useful tool whole‐systems biology understanding global change. A free Plain Language Summary can within Supporting Information article.

Language: Английский

---

A feeding guild indicator to assess environmental change impacts on marine ecosystem structure and functioning

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 57(9), P. 1769 - 1781

Published: May 9, 2020

Abstract Integrating food web indicators into ecological status assessments is central to developing effective management measures that can improve degraded ecosystems. This because they reveal how ecosystems respond environmental change cannot be inferred from studying habitat, species or assemblages alone. However, the substantial investment required monitor webs (e.g. via stomach contents analysis) and lack of internationally agreed approaches assessing them has hampered their development. Inventories trophic interactions have been collated world‐wide across biomes, applied infer structure energy flow. Here, we compile a new marine dataset containing 8,092 unique predator–prey 415,294 fish stomachs. We demonstrate feeding guilds (i.e. groupings based on diet life stage) could defined systematically in way conducive application ecosystems; apply North Sea assemblage responsiveness anthropogenic pressures. found evidence for seven distinct guilds. Differences between were related predator size, which positively correlated with piscivory, phylogeny, multiple size classes often same guild, as pelagic, benthic shallow‐coastal foraging was apparent. Guild biomasses largely consistent through time at Sea‐level spatially aggregated regional level relating changes resource availability, temperature, fishing biomass other suggests partitioned broad niches, over governed partly by guild carrying capacities, but also combination covariates contrasting patterns change. Management ecosystem therefore adaptive focused towards specific pressures given area. Synthesis applications . propose indicator explicitly called inform policy assessment part European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive toolkit supporting The Convention Protection Environment North‐East Atlantic (the ‘OSPAR Convention’).

Language: Английский

---

Thermal acclimation increases the stability of a predator–prey interaction in warmer environments

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 27(16), P. 3765 - 3778

Published: May 19, 2021

Abstract Global warming over the next century is likely to alter energy demands of consumers and thus strengths their interactions with resources. The subsequent cascading effects on population biomasses could have profound food web stability. One key mechanism by which organisms can cope a changing environment phenotypic plasticity, such as acclimation warmer conditions through reversible changes in physiology. Here, we measured metabolic rates functional responses laboratory experiments for widespread predator–prey pair freshwater invertebrates, sampled from across natural stream temperature gradient Iceland (4–18℃). This enabled us parameterize Rosenzweig–MacArthur dynamical model study effect thermal persistence pairs response warming. Acclimation higher temperatures either had neutral or reduced sensitivity both feeding predator, increasing its energetic efficiency. resulted greater stability dynamics, increased biomass predator prey populations These findings indicate that plasticity act buffer against impacts environmental As consequence, between ectotherms may be less sensitive future than previously expected, but this requires further investigation broader range interacting species.

Language: Английский

---

Metabolic plasticity can amplify ecosystem responses to global warming

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13(1)

Published: April 20, 2022

Abstract Organisms have the capacity to alter their physiological response warming through acclimation or adaptation, but consequence of this metabolic plasticity for energy flow food webs is currently unknown, and a generalisable framework does not exist modelling its ecosystem-level effects. Here, using temperature-controlled experiments on stream invertebrates from natural thermal gradient, we show that ability organisms raise rate following chronic exposure decreases with increasing body size. Chronic higher temperatures also increases acute sensitivity whole-organismal rate, independent A mathematical model parameterised these findings shows could account 60% ecosystem flux just +2 °C than traditional based ecological theory. This explain why long-term amplifies respiration rates time in recent mesocosm experiments, highlights need embed predictive models global impacts ecosystems.

Language: Английский

---

Impacts of extreme climatic events on trophic network complexity and multidimensional stability

Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 104(2)

Published: Dec. 9, 2022

Abstract Untangling the relationship between network complexity and ecological stability under climate change is an arduous challenge for theoretical empirical ecology. Even more so, when considering extreme climatic events. Here, we studied effects of events (heatwaves) on realistic freshwater ecosystems using topological quantitative trophic metrics. Next, linked changes in with investigation four components (temporal stability, resistance, resilience, recovery) community's functional, compositional, energy flux stability. We found reduction to be correlated functional compositional resistance. However, temperature‐driven increase link‐weighted increased recovery but at cost instability. Overall, propose overarching approach elucidate multidimensional through lens complexity, providing helpful insights preserving change.

Language: Английский

---

A size‐constrained feeding‐niche model distinguishes predation patterns between aquatic and terrestrial food webs

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 26(1), P. 76 - 86

Published: Nov. 4, 2022

Abstract Understanding the formation of feeding links provides insights into processes underlying food webs. Generally, predators feed on prey within a certain body‐size range, but systematic quantification such niches is lacking. We developed size‐constrained feeding‐niche (SCFN) model and parameterized it with information both realized non‐realized in 72 aquatic 65 terrestrial Our analyses revealed profound differences between variation along temperature gradient. Specifically, predator–prey ratio range sizes increase size predators, whereas they are nearly constant across gradients predator size. Overall, our SCFN well reproduces relationships predation architecture 137 natural webs (including 3878 species 136,839 links). results illuminate organisation enables novel trait‐based environment‐explicit modelling approaches.

Language: Английский

---

Assessment of the impact of dams on aquatic food webs using stable isotopes: Current progress and future challenges

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 904, P. 167097 - 167097

Published: Sept. 15, 2023

Language: Английский

---

Ecological interactions amplify cumulative effects in marine ecosystems

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11(4)

Published: Jan. 24, 2025

Biodiversity encompasses not only species diversity but also the complex interactions that drive ecological dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Still, these critical remain overwhelmingly overlooked in environmental management. In this study, we introduce an ecosystem-based approach assesses cumulative effects of climate change human activities on St. Lawrence marine ecosystem, eastern Canada, by explicitly accounting for arising from within a multiple stressors framework. Our findings reveal previously unrecognized threats to exploited endangered fishes mammals, exposing noteworthy gaps existing management recovery strategies. By integrating less obvious yet no substantial into assessments, our provides robust tool guide more comprehensive effective conservation efforts species.

Language: Английский

---

A simplified approach for assessing the effects of temperature change on the stability of consumer–resource interactions

Oikos, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 10, 2025

Temperature regulates the physiology and behaviour of organisms. Thus, changing temperatures impact dynamics species interactions. Considering that consumer–resource interactions underpin ecological communities, impacts warming on stability have been extensively studied. However, a consensus among empirically determined warming–stability relationships clear understanding thereof are lacking. We investigate these systematically by developing simplified theoretical framework incorporates empirical data in three steps. define terms intrinsic oscillations to avoid comparing disparate notions, use one‐dimensional metric convert all empirically‐determined thermal dependence parametersiations into single function, directly compare data. The utilises Rosenzweig–MacArthur model with saturating consumer functional response, which has employed study warming‐stability is applied ectotherm pairs. find support for four different relationships: increases, decreases, hump‐shaped or U‐shaped increasing temperature. diversity relationships, though partly attributable context‐dependence, fundamentally caused two factors. First, relative sensitivities attack rate handling time and, second, scarcity evidence carrying capacity. former depends how processes measured, may not be consistent across studies. latter necessitates application assumptions, difficult verify, yet significant relationships. demonstrate aspects data, such as aforementioned factors range studied temperatures, can alter predicted stability. we illustrate our facilitates interactions, from producing concise overview predictions analysing causes deviation these.

Language: Английский

---