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Habitat structure mediates biodiversity effects on ecosystem properties

Habitat structure mediates biodiversity effects on ecosystem properties
Habitat structure mediates biodiversity effects on ecosystem properties
Much of what we know about the role of biodiversity in mediating ecosystem processes and function stems from manipulative experiments, which have largely been performed in isolated, homogeneous environments that do not incorporate habitat structure or allow natural community dynamics to develop. Here, we use a range of habitat configurations in a model marine benthic system to investigate the effects of species composition, resource heterogeneity and patch connectivity on ecosystem properties at both the patch (bioturbation intensity) and multi-patch (nutrient concentration) scale. We show that allowing fauna to move and preferentially select patches alters local species composition and density distributions, which has negative effects on ecosystem processes (bioturbation intensity) at the patch scale, but overall positive effects on ecosystem functioning (nutrient concentration) at the multi-patch scale. Our findings provide important evidence that community dynamics alter in response to localized resource heterogeneity and that these small-scale variations in habitat structure influence species contributions to ecosystem properties at larger scales. We conclude that habitat complexity forms an important buffer against disturbance and that contemporary estimates of the level of biodiversity required for maintaining future multi-functional systems may need to be revised.
0962-8452
2510-2518
Godbold, Jasmin A.
df6da569-e7ea-43ca-8a95-a563829fb88a
Bulling, Mark T.
0a9186c7-5457-46f4-8c83-1b26a571e402
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf
Godbold, Jasmin A.
df6da569-e7ea-43ca-8a95-a563829fb88a
Bulling, Mark T.
0a9186c7-5457-46f4-8c83-1b26a571e402
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf

Godbold, Jasmin A., Bulling, Mark T. and Solan, Martin (2011) Habitat structure mediates biodiversity effects on ecosystem properties. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278 (1717), 2510-2518. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.2414).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Much of what we know about the role of biodiversity in mediating ecosystem processes and function stems from manipulative experiments, which have largely been performed in isolated, homogeneous environments that do not incorporate habitat structure or allow natural community dynamics to develop. Here, we use a range of habitat configurations in a model marine benthic system to investigate the effects of species composition, resource heterogeneity and patch connectivity on ecosystem properties at both the patch (bioturbation intensity) and multi-patch (nutrient concentration) scale. We show that allowing fauna to move and preferentially select patches alters local species composition and density distributions, which has negative effects on ecosystem processes (bioturbation intensity) at the patch scale, but overall positive effects on ecosystem functioning (nutrient concentration) at the multi-patch scale. Our findings provide important evidence that community dynamics alter in response to localized resource heterogeneity and that these small-scale variations in habitat structure influence species contributions to ecosystem properties at larger scales. We conclude that habitat complexity forms an important buffer against disturbance and that contemporary estimates of the level of biodiversity required for maintaining future multi-functional systems may need to be revised.

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More information

Published date: 22 August 2011
Organisations: Ocean Biochemistry & Ecosystems

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 301280
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/301280
ISSN: 0962-8452
PURE UUID: 2c1f4d68-e49f-4296-88bd-f3ecd352ff4d
ORCID for Jasmin A. Godbold: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5558-8188
ORCID for Martin Solan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9924-5574

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Feb 2012 13:56
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:41

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Contributors

Author: Mark T. Bulling
Author: Martin Solan ORCID iD

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