Data from: Ecosystem functioning during biodiversity loss and recovery
Creators
- 1. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Description
Anthropogenic biodiversity loss can impair ecosystem functioning. Human activities are often managed with the aim of reversing biodiversity loss and its associated functional impacts. However, it is currently unknown whether biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) relationships observed during biodiversity recovery are the same as those observed during biodiversity loss. This will depend on how species extirpation and recolonisation sequences compare and how different species influence ecosystem functioning. Using data from a marine benthic invertebrate community, we modelled how bioturbation potential – a proxy for benthic ecosystem functioning – changes along biodiversity loss and recovery sequences governed by species' sensitivity to physical disturbance and recolonisation capability, respectively. BEF relationships for biodiversity loss and recovery were largely the same despite species extirpation and recolonisation sequences being different. This held true irrespective of whether populations were assumed to exhibit compensatory responses as species were removed or added. These findings suggest that the functional consequences of local biodiversity loss can be reversed by alleviating its drivers, as different species present at comparable levels of species richness during biodiversity loss and recovery phases have similar functional effects. Empirically verifying and determining the generality of our model-based results are potential next steps for future research.
Notes
Funding provided by: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
ROR ID: https://ror.org/04r7rxc53
Award Number: DP433
Methods
Benthic invertebrate community data (population abundance and biomass of species) were collected using a 0.1 square metre Day grab from an area of offshore mud within the Fladen Ground, northern North Sea. Sixty stations were sampled over six survey boxes in April 2015. Species were assigned biological trait information that reflects their effects on ecosystem functioning (via bioturbation), their sensitivity to physical disturbance, and their capacity to recolonise post-disturbance using published databases (Queirós et al. 2013; Clare et al. 2022). These data were used to characterise an initial community and simulate the impact of biodiversity loss and recovery on benthic ecosystem functioning using a probabilistic model (sensu Solan et al. 2004, 2012; Thomsen et al. 2017; Garcia et al., 2021). Correlations between species sensitivity, and recolonisation capability, and population bioturbation potential were inspected to help interpret the results. Detailed descriptions of data collection, processing, and analysis are provided in the main article linked to the accompanying datasets.
References:
Clare DS, Bolam SG, McIlwaine PSO, Garcia C, Murray JM, Eggleton JE. 2022. Biological traits of marine benthic invertebrates in Northwest Europe. Scientific Data 9, 339.
Garcia C, Solan M, Bolam SG, Sivyer D, Parker R, Godbold JA. 2021. Exploration of multiple post-extinction compensatory scenarios improves the likelihood of determining the most realistic ecosystem future. Environmental Research Communications 3, 045001.
Queirós AM, Birchenough SNR, Bremner J, Godbold JA, Parker RE, Romero-Ramirez A, Reiss H, Solan M, Somerfield PJ, van Colen C, van Hoey G, Widdicombe S. 2013. A bioturbation classification of European marine infaunal invertebrates. Ecology and Evolution 3, 3958 – 3985.
Solan M, Cardinale BJ, Downing AL, Engelhardt KA, Ruesink JL, Srivastava DS. 2004. Extinction and ecosystem function in the marine benthos. Science 306, 1177 – 1180.
Solan M, Scott F, Dulvy NK, Godbold JA, Parker R. 2012. Incorporating extinction risk and realistic biodiversity futures: implementation of trait-based extinction scenarios. In Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: frameworks, methodologies, and integration, ed. Solan, M., Aspden RJ, Patterson DM, pp. 127 – 148. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Thomsen MS, Garcia C, Bolam SG, Parker R, Godbold, JA, Solan M. 2017. Consequences of biodiversity loss diverge from expectation due to post-extinction compensatory responses. Scientific Reports 7, 43695.
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Additional details
Related works
- Is source of
- 10.5061/dryad.r7sqv9sm8 (DOI)