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Optimal response to habitat linkage of local fish diversity and mean trophic level

Xu, Jun LU ; Zhang, Huan LU ; Cai, Yongjiu ; García Molinos, Jorge and Zhang, Min (2016) In Limnology and Oceanography 61(4). p.1438-1448
Abstract

Spatially segregated ecosystems are frequently subsidized by cross-habitat linkages, but the extent to which the functional links between habitats influence local community attributes, such as consumer and food web structure is still poorly understood. Using the bidirectional linkage between benthic and pelagic habitats in floodplain lakes, we address this important question by looking for evidence of an optimal extent of habitat linkage supporting maximum taxonomic richness and mean trophic level. We then ask if there are significant changes in these local community attributes between historical and current communities, and if these reflect the history of species loss resulting from the intense human alteration of these lakes. We found... (More)

Spatially segregated ecosystems are frequently subsidized by cross-habitat linkages, but the extent to which the functional links between habitats influence local community attributes, such as consumer and food web structure is still poorly understood. Using the bidirectional linkage between benthic and pelagic habitats in floodplain lakes, we address this important question by looking for evidence of an optimal extent of habitat linkage supporting maximum taxonomic richness and mean trophic level. We then ask if there are significant changes in these local community attributes between historical and current communities, and if these reflect the history of species loss resulting from the intense human alteration of these lakes. We found a strong optimal response of maximum richness and mean trophic level along the pelagic-benthic gradient, both across and within individual lakes. This is consistent with the expectation of optimal resource availability along the habitat linkage gradient supporting more and taxonomically richer communities. Comparison between historical and current assemblages revealed a significant decrease in the optimal linkage for maximum richness in response to the history of species loss, but not for maximum mean trophic level, probably a response to the increased habitat homogenization and enhanced productivity caused by the recent history of nutrient-enrichment and habitat alteration. Our study provides strong evidence of high diversity and trophic level occurring at intermediate levels of coupling between pelagic and benthic resources, suggesting assemblage reliance on multiple production sources, and offers novel insight into the responses of this relationship to species loss due to human activities.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Limnology and Oceanography
volume
61
issue
4
pages
11 pages
publisher
ASLO
external identifiers
  • scopus:84971265098
  • wos:000383622900021
ISSN
1939-5590
DOI
10.1002/lno.10313
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
876168a3-6859-4c51-bae3-02ccb23fc1c8
date added to LUP
2017-01-18 16:45:49
date last changed
2024-01-04 21:01:35
@article{876168a3-6859-4c51-bae3-02ccb23fc1c8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Spatially segregated ecosystems are frequently subsidized by cross-habitat linkages, but the extent to which the functional links between habitats influence local community attributes, such as consumer and food web structure is still poorly understood. Using the bidirectional linkage between benthic and pelagic habitats in floodplain lakes, we address this important question by looking for evidence of an optimal extent of habitat linkage supporting maximum taxonomic richness and mean trophic level. We then ask if there are significant changes in these local community attributes between historical and current communities, and if these reflect the history of species loss resulting from the intense human alteration of these lakes. We found a strong optimal response of maximum richness and mean trophic level along the pelagic-benthic gradient, both across and within individual lakes. This is consistent with the expectation of optimal resource availability along the habitat linkage gradient supporting more and taxonomically richer communities. Comparison between historical and current assemblages revealed a significant decrease in the optimal linkage for maximum richness in response to the history of species loss, but not for maximum mean trophic level, probably a response to the increased habitat homogenization and enhanced productivity caused by the recent history of nutrient-enrichment and habitat alteration. Our study provides strong evidence of high diversity and trophic level occurring at intermediate levels of coupling between pelagic and benthic resources, suggesting assemblage reliance on multiple production sources, and offers novel insight into the responses of this relationship to species loss due to human activities.</p>}},
  author       = {{Xu, Jun and Zhang, Huan and Cai, Yongjiu and García Molinos, Jorge and Zhang, Min}},
  issn         = {{1939-5590}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1438--1448}},
  publisher    = {{ASLO}},
  series       = {{Limnology and Oceanography}},
  title        = {{Optimal response to habitat linkage of local fish diversity and mean trophic level}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lno.10313}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/lno.10313}},
  volume       = {{61}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}