IMAR- Instituto do Mar, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal.
OKEANOS- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 29;19(10):e0308602. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308602. eCollection 2024.
Examining ecosystem functioning through the lens of trait diversity serves as a valuable proxy. It offers crucial insights into how exploitation affects the specific ecological roles played by fisheries targeted species. The present study investigates the potential impacts of exploitation on the ecological roles of fish species targeted by fisheries through an examination of trait diversity. It focuses on the trait diversity of fish landed by local and coastal fleets in the Azores archipelago over the past four decades. Fourteen functional traits were merged to data on fish assemblages landed by both fishing fleets from 1980 to 2020. These traits corresponded to four fundamental fish functions: habitat use, locomotion, feeding and life history. Variability in functional diversity metrics (i.e., functional richness- FRic, functional evenness- FEve, functional divergence-FDiv, and functional dispersion- FDis) among fleets, functions and across decades was assessed using null models. The results revealed similar trait diversity between assemblages landed by local and coastal fishing fleets with overall trait diversity remaining relatively stable over time. However, fishery activities targeted a wide range of functional traits. Additionally, seasonal availability and increased catches of certain fish species can significantly alter trait diversity and their associated functions. The findings highlight the importance of addressing fishing impacts on species traits and their ecological roles, which is crucial for long-term fisheries and ecological sustainability.
通过研究性状多样性来考察生态系统功能，可以作为一种有价值的替代方法。它为研究开发如何影响渔业目标物种的特定生态角色提供了重要的见解。本研究通过研究性状多样性，调查了开发对渔业目标鱼类生态角色的潜在影响。它侧重于 40 年来在亚速尔群岛，当地和沿海船队捕捞的鱼类的性状多样性。将 14 种功能性状合并到 1980 年至 2020 年期间两个船队捕捞的鱼类组合的数据中。这些性状对应于四个基本鱼类功能：生境利用、运动、摄食和生活史。使用零模型评估了船队之间、功能之间和几十年之间功能多样性指标（即功能丰富度-FRic、功能均匀度-FEve、功能发散度-FDiv 和功能离散度-FDis）的变异性。结果表明，当地和沿海船队捕捞的鱼类组合的性状多样性相似，整体性状多样性随时间相对稳定。然而，渔业活动针对的是广泛的功能性状。此外，某些鱼类季节性供应的增加和捕获量的增加会显著改变性状多样性及其相关功能。研究结果强调了解决渔业对物种性状及其生态角色的影响的重要性，这对于长期的渔业和生态可持续性至关重要。
