Non-native species outperform natives in coastal marine ecosystems subjected to warming and freshening events
Non-native species outperform natives in coastal marine ecosystems subjected to warming and freshening events
Aims: contemporary climate change and biological invasions are two main drivers of biodiversity redistribution. Interactive effects between these drivers have been reported in a variety of studies, yet results are conflicting. Some studies find that contemporary climate change facilitates the spread and success of non-native species, especially those with broad physiological tolerances. Other studies conclude that non-natives are vulnerable to current and future changes in climatic conditions. Given that most studies have focused on terrestrial species, here we contribute to this debate by analysing responses of marine native and non-native fauna and flora to key climate-related stressors, namely increased temperature (warming) and decreased salinity (freshening). Location: Global. Time period: 2002–2019. Major taxa studied: Marine benthic macrophytes and invertebrates.
Methods: we conducted a meta-analysis of experiments investigating the performance (e.g. growth, survival and reproduction) of benthic species in response to warming and freshening.
Results: we found that non-native species tended to respond positively to elevated temperature, whereas the performance of native species declined. Similarly, decreased salinity negatively affected the biological processes of native species, but non-natives showed neutral or negative overall responses to freshening.
Main conclusions: we find evidence that non-native species outperform natives under a wide variety of warming and freshening conditions. The growth and reproduction of non-natives are enhanced by warmer temperatures, and thus ocean warming is expected to facilitate future spread and success of non-native species. Increased freshening along future coastal areas, however, will likely have a negative impact in both native and non-native species and thus is expected to be a driver of significant change in coastal marine ecosystems. Our comprehensive analysis highlighted the need to expand our understanding of climate change effects beyond warming and specifically, studies focusing on salinity changes.
biofouling, coastal ecosystems, epibenthic, global change, invasive, marine biodiversity, quantitative synthesis
1698-1712
McKnight, Ella
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Spake, Rebecca
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Bates, Amanda E
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Smale, Daniel A
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Rius, Marc
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August 2021
McKnight, Ella
97bab2b8-746d-4182-8489-48c7f10413d9
Spake, Rebecca
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Bates, Amanda E
a96e267d-6d22-4232-b7ed-ce4e448a2a34
Smale, Daniel A
19528a3a-f66c-474d-ae13-c6405b8014ab
Rius, Marc
c4e88345-4b4e-4428-b4b2-37229155f68d
McKnight, Ella, Spake, Rebecca, Bates, Amanda E, Smale, Daniel A and Rius, Marc
(2021)
Non-native species outperform natives in coastal marine ecosystems subjected to warming and freshening events.
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 30 (8), .
(doi:10.1111/geb.13318).
Abstract
Aims: contemporary climate change and biological invasions are two main drivers of biodiversity redistribution. Interactive effects between these drivers have been reported in a variety of studies, yet results are conflicting. Some studies find that contemporary climate change facilitates the spread and success of non-native species, especially those with broad physiological tolerances. Other studies conclude that non-natives are vulnerable to current and future changes in climatic conditions. Given that most studies have focused on terrestrial species, here we contribute to this debate by analysing responses of marine native and non-native fauna and flora to key climate-related stressors, namely increased temperature (warming) and decreased salinity (freshening). Location: Global. Time period: 2002–2019. Major taxa studied: Marine benthic macrophytes and invertebrates.
Methods: we conducted a meta-analysis of experiments investigating the performance (e.g. growth, survival and reproduction) of benthic species in response to warming and freshening.
Results: we found that non-native species tended to respond positively to elevated temperature, whereas the performance of native species declined. Similarly, decreased salinity negatively affected the biological processes of native species, but non-natives showed neutral or negative overall responses to freshening.
Main conclusions: we find evidence that non-native species outperform natives under a wide variety of warming and freshening conditions. The growth and reproduction of non-natives are enhanced by warmer temperatures, and thus ocean warming is expected to facilitate future spread and success of non-native species. Increased freshening along future coastal areas, however, will likely have a negative impact in both native and non-native species and thus is expected to be a driver of significant change in coastal marine ecosystems. Our comprehensive analysis highlighted the need to expand our understanding of climate change effects beyond warming and specifically, studies focusing on salinity changes.
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geb.13318
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 April 2021
Published date: August 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
E.M.K. was supported by the Natural Environmental Research Council (grant number NE/L002531/1). Salary to A.B. was through the Canada Research Chairs Program. D.A.S. was supported by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/S032827/1).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Global Ecology and Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Keywords:
biofouling, coastal ecosystems, epibenthic, global change, invasive, marine biodiversity, quantitative synthesis
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 449957
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/449957
ISSN: 1466-822X
PURE UUID: b6229615-2638-4b66-a142-f57d906159e5
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Date deposited: 29 Jun 2021 17:01
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 12:42
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Author:
Ella McKnight
Author:
Amanda E Bates
Author:
Daniel A Smale
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