Composition of cetacean communities worldwide shapes their contribution to ocean nutrient cycling

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Sept. 19, 2023

Defecation by large whales is known to fertilise oceans with nutrients, stimulating phytoplankton and ecosystem productivity. However, our current understanding of these processes limited a few species, nutrients ecosystems. Here, we investigate the role cetacean communities in worldwide biological cycling two major six trace nutrients. We show that cetaceans release more mesotrophic eutrophic temperate waters than oligotrophic tropical waters, mirroring patterns The released nutrient cocktails also vary geographically, driven composition communities. roles small cetaceans, deep diving baleen differ quantitatively functionally, contributions divers exceeding those some areas. functional diversity expands beyond their as top predators include active vectors, which might be equally important local dynamics.

Language: Английский

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Seabird nutrient subsidies enrich mangrove ecosystems and are exported to nearby coastal habitats

iScience, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 27(4), P. 109404 - 109404

Published: March 4, 2024

Eutrophication by human-derived nutrient enrichment is a major threat to mangroves, impacting productivity, ecological functions, resilience, and ecosystem services. Natural mangrove processes, however, remain largely uninvestigated. Mobile consumers such as seabirds are important vectors of cross-ecosystem subsidies islands but how they influence ecosystems poorly known. We assessed the contribution, uptake, cycling, transfer nutrients from seabird colonies in remote systems free human stressors. found that guano enrich plants, reduce limitations, enhance invertebrate food webs, exported nearby coastal habitats through tidal flow. show mangroves can be substantial, improving status health adjacent habitats. Conserving mobile consumers, seabirds, therefore vital preserve their role provision diverse functions

Language: Английский

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A methodological roadmap to quantify animal‐vectored spatial ecosystem subsidies

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 90(7), P. 1605 - 1622

Published: May 20, 2021

Abstract Energy, nutrients and organisms move over landscapes, connecting ecosystems across space time. Meta‐ecosystem theory investigates the emerging properties of local coupled spatially by these movements matter, explicitly tracking exchanges multiple substances ecosystem borders. To date, meta‐ecosystem research has focused mostly on abiotic flows—neglecting biotic nutrient flows. However, recent work indicated animals act as spatial vectors when they transport landscapes in form excreta, egesta their own bodies. Partly due to its high level abstraction, there are few empirical tests theory. Furthermore, while may be viewed important mediators functions, better integration tools is needed develop predictive insights relative roles impacts diverse ecosystems. We present a methodological roadmap that explains how do such discussing combine from movement, foraging ecology coherent understanding animal‐vectored meta‐ecosystems processes. discuss slate newly developed technologies methods—tracking devices, mechanistic movement models, diet reconstruction techniques remote sensing—that integrated have potential advance quantification flows increase power demonstrate integrating novel established animal ecology, sensing, we can begin identify quantify animal‐mediated translocation large animals. also provide conceptual examples show our proposed methodologies help investigate movement. conclude describing practical advancements cross‐ecosystem contributions move. Understanding mechanisms which shape dynamics for ongoing conservation, rewilding restoration initiatives around world, developing more accurate models budgets. Our will enable ecologists qualify

Language: Английский

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Seabird diversity and biomass enhance cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 289(1974)

Published: May 11, 2022

Mobile consumers are key vectors of cross-ecosystem nutrients, yet have experienced population declines which threaten their ability to fill this role. Despite importance and vulnerability, there is little information on how consumer biodiversity, in addition biomass, influences the magnitude nutrient subsidies. Here, we show that both biomass diversity seabirds enhanced provisioning nutrients across tropical islands coral reefs, but relative influence varied systems. Seabird was particularly important for terrestrial near-shore subsidies enhancing fish while seabird associated with further offshore. The positive effects were likely driven by high functional complementarity among species traits related storage provisioning. However, introduced rats non-native vegetation reduced diversity, having a stronger effect diversity. Accordingly, restoration flows provided will be most successful when stressors removed, thus protecting Recognizing mobile underlying drivers, necessary step conserving these ecosystem functions they provide.

Language: Английский

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Patchy indirect effects of predation: predators contribute to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function via localized pathways

Oikos, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2023(10)

Published: Aug. 17, 2023

Predators are widely recognized for their irreplaceable roles in influencing the abundance and traits of lower trophic levels. also have shaping community interactions ecological processes via highly localized pathways (i.e. effects with well‐defined measurable spatio–temporal boundaries), irrespective influence on prey density or behavior. We synthesized empirical theoretical research describing how predators – particularly medium‐ large‐sized carnivores indirect confined to discrete landscape patches, we termed ‘patchy (PIEs) predation'. generate PIEs three main pathways: generating distributing carcasses, creating hotspots by concentrating nutrients derived from prey, killing ecosystem engineers that create patches. In each pathway, limited areas spatial temporal boundaries patches). Our synthesis reveals diverse complex ways indirectly affect other species ranging mediating scavenger parasite/disease transmission risk, altering biogeochemistry facilitating local biodiversity. provide basic guidelines these can be quantified at patch scales, discuss predator‐mediated patches ultimately contribute heterogeneity functioning. Whereas density‐ trait‐mediated predation generally occur through population‐scale changes, individual‐ patch‐level pathways. provides a more holistic view functional role ecosystems addressing patchy landscapes pathways, addition behavior

Language: Английский

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Integrating ecological feedbacks across scales and levels of organization

Ecography, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 30, 2024

In ecosystems, species interact in various ways with other species, and their local environment. addition, ecosystems are coupled space by diverse types of flows. From these links connecting different ecological entities can emerge circular pathways indirect effects: feedback loops. This contributes to creating a nested set feedbacks operating at organizational levels as well spatial temporal scales systems: organisms modifying being affected abiotic environment, demographic behavioral within populations communities, occurring the landscape scale. Here, we review how vary time, discuss emergent properties they generate such coexistence or heterogeneity stability systems. With aim identifying similarities across scales, identify biotic modulators that change sign strength loops show time. Our shows despite acting emerging from processes, similar macroscopic systems organization. Ultimately, our contribution emphasizes need integrate improve understanding joint effects on dynamics, patterns,

Language: Английский

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Effects of ungulate density and sociality on landscape heterogeneity: a mechanistic modeling approach

Ecography, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 2022(2)

Published: Dec. 28, 2021

Animals can be important vectors of nutrient transfer within and across landscapes, with implications for ecosystem productivity composition. While it is presumed large ungulates are agents dispersal via movement activity, research analyzing their net effects on landscapes remains scarce. We present an individual‐based model that investigates how caribou affect the distribution nutrients a landscape through consumption only, as well cumulative deposition (i.e. fecal waste carcass deposition). explored these dynamics in simulations altered context environments, either initially containing heterogeneous or homogeneous distributions, animal densities sociality behavior. In consumption‐only simulations, density created different patterns heterogeneity at both local scale depending initial conditions. populations crashed high because lack resulted low resources landscape. This was not case when considering deposition, indicating return from animals may population stability. Additionally, caribou, increasing increased irrespective condition landscapes), maintained homogenous landscape, respectively. Importantly, all impact individual patch level extremely variable, suggesting inputs highly varied throughout Our results indicate such increase available provide feedback Thus, loss natural ecosystems anthropogenic activity likely to result less landscapes.

Language: Английский

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Movement with meaning: integrating information into meta‐ecology

Oikos, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 2022(8)

Published: March 2, 2022

Fluxes of matter, energy and information over space time contribute to ecosystems' functioning stability. The meta‐ecosystem framework addresses the dynamics ecosystems linked by these fluxes but, date, has focused solely on matter. Here, we synthesize existing knowledge information's effects local connected demonstrate how new hypotheses emerge from integration ecological into theory. We begin defining reviewing it flows among affect connectivity, ecosystem function dynamics. focus role semiotic information: that which can reduce an individual's – or a group's uncertainty about state world. Semiotic elicits behavioral, developmental life history responses organisms, potentially leading fitness consequences. Organisms' ripple through trophic interactions influence processes, their regional dynamics, spatiotemporal therefore should such as stability productivity. While specific subdisciplines ecology currently consider different types (e.g. social cultural information, natural artificial light sound, body condition, genotype phenotype), many models account for neither spatio–temporal distribution nor its perception organisms. identify empirical, theoretical philosophical challenges in developing robust meta‐ecology offer ways overcome them. Finally, present accounting realistic organisms could impact processes home range formation spatial insurance, thus our understanding across temporal scales. Accounting will be essential fitness, organismal movement functioning, predicting are affected anthropogenic pressures.

Language: Английский

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Predation and Biophysical Context Control Long-Term Carcass Nutrient Inputs in an Andean Ecosystem

Ecosystems, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 27(2), P. 346 - 359

Published: Jan. 5, 2024

Abstract Animal carcass decomposition is an often-overlooked component of nutrient cycles. The importance for increasing availability has been demonstrated in several ecosystems, but impacts arid lands are poorly understood. In a protected high desert landscape Argentina, puma predation vicuñas main driver distribution. Here, we sampled kill sites across three habitats (plains, canyons, and meadows) to evaluate the vicuña stomach on soil plant nutrients up 5 years after deposition. Soil beneath both carcasses stomachs had significantly higher content than adjacent reference arid, nutrient-poor plains not moist, nutrient-rich meadows. Stomachs greater effects carcasses. However, did detect N concentrations at sites. biogeochemical kills persisted increased over time, indicating that do create ephemeral pulses, can have lasting distribution nutrients. Comparison broader spatial patterns risk reveals more likely sites, greatest environments, such increase localized heterogeneity by generating hotspots less productive environments. Predation may thus be important overlooked factors influencing ecosystem functioning

Language: Английский

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Zoogeochemistry of a protected area: Driven by anthropogenic impacts and animal behavior

Conservation Science and Practice, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 6(5)

Published: April 10, 2024

Abstract Anthropogenic eutrophication of ecosystems is an important driver biodiversity loss. Even protected areas (PAs) may be impacted by anthropogenic nutrients, for example, from atmospheric deposition or the provision supplementary feeding. However, resultant nutrient patterns, and role local wildlife in shaping them, remain poorly understood. We investigated influences on that red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) play balance a PA Denmark. used habitat selection modeling theoretical scenarios where we varied proportion energy obtained versus natural forage compared it with nutrients removed due to hunting. show movement distribution population within are very heterogeneous likely influenced need shelter. Moreover, depending their reliance feeding, can potentially import large amounts PA, concentrate them localized hotspots. also explore potential loss hunting activities. Such indirect impacts landscapes counteract restoration conservation efforts. therefore recommend incorporating zoogeochemistry animal‐mediated connectivity between PAs anthropogenically dominated into future management plans.

Language: Английский

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