Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
Ecol Lett. 2018 Nov;21(11):1681-1692. doi: 10.1111/ele.13146. Epub 2018 Aug 23.
Foundation species enhance biodiversity and multifunctionality across many systems; however, whether foundation species patch configuration mediates their ecological effects is unknown. In a 6-month field experiment, we test which attributes of foundation species patch configuration - i.e. patch size, total patch area, perimeter, area-perimeter ratio, or connectivity - control biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality by adding a standardised density of mussel foundation species in patches of 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 or 180 individuals to a southeastern US salt marsh. Over 67% of response variables increased with clustering of mussels, responses that were driven by increases in area-perimeter ratio (33%), decreases in perimeter (29%), or increases in patch size (5%), suggesting sensitivity to external stressors and/or dependence on foundation species-derived niche availability and segregation. Thus, mussel configuration - by controlling the relative distribution of multidimensional patch interior and edge niche space - critically modulates this foundation species' effects on ecosystem structure, stability and function.
基础物种会增强许多系统的生物多样性和多功能性；然而，基础物种斑块配置是否会调节它们的生态效应尚不清楚。在一项为期 6 个月的野外实验中，我们通过在东南美国盐沼中以 1、5、10、30、60、90 或 180 个个体的标准密度添加贻贝基础物种的斑块，来测试基础物种斑块配置的哪些属性——即斑块大小、总斑块面积、周长、面积-周长比或连通性——通过控制生物多样性、稳定性和多功能性。超过 67%的响应变量随着贻贝的聚集而增加，这些响应是由面积-周长比（33%）增加、周长（29%）减少或斑块大小（5%）增加驱动的，这表明对外部胁迫的敏感性和/或对基础物种衍生的生态位可用性和隔离的依赖性。因此，贻贝的配置——通过控制多维斑块内部和边缘生态位空间的相对分布——会严重调节这种基础物种对生态系统结构、稳定性和功能的影响。
