Chang Chia-Chen, Todd Peter A
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore.
NPJ Biodivers. 2023 Jan 6;2(1):1. doi: 10.1038/s44185-022-00007-x.
Habitat complexity is positively associated with biodiversity and abundance and is often a focus of habitat restoration programmes, however, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are not yet resolved. In this Perspective, we postulate that reduced predation pressure in complex habitats could contribute to increased prey diversity and abundance. Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies, reduced predation pressure in complex habitats is consistent across freshwater and marine ecosystems, field and laboratory experiments, different hunting modes of predators, and different numbers of prey species. However, the effects are less clear in terrestrial ecosystems. Easing predation pressure, in conjunction with increased resources for prey, could help explain the high biodiversity and abundance found in complex habitats. This knowledge can be used in restoration and ecological engineering projects to maximise species diversity and abundance gains.
栖息地复杂性与生物多样性和丰度呈正相关，并且常常是栖息地恢复计划的重点，然而，这些关系背后的机制尚未得到解决。在本观点文章中，我们推测复杂栖息地中捕食压力的降低可能有助于猎物多样性和丰度的增加。基于对实验研究的系统综述和荟萃分析，复杂栖息地中捕食压力的降低在淡水和海洋生态系统、野外和实验室实验、捕食者的不同捕食模式以及不同数量的猎物物种中都是一致的。然而，在陆地生态系统中，这种影响不太明显。减轻捕食压力，再加上为猎物增加资源，可能有助于解释在复杂栖息地中发现的高生物多样性和丰度。这些知识可用于恢复和生态工程项目，以最大限度地提高物种多样性和丰度。
