Emery Kyle A, Dugan Jenifer E, Miller Robert J, Hubbard David M, Madden Jessica R, Cavanaugh Kyle C
Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Commun Biol. 2025 Jun 23;8(1):949. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08354-8.
Cross-ecosystem subsidies influence the structure and dynamics of recipient ecosystems and can be sensitive to disturbance. Primary production exported from marine to shoreline ecosystems is among the largest known cross-ecosystem subsidies. However, the spatial scales at which this important connection is manifested are largely unquantified. We used local and regional observations of nearshore kelp canopy biomass and beach kelp wrack inputs to evaluate the scales at which connectivity between kelp forests and beaches is maximized. Regardless of the spatial and temporal scales considered, connectivity was highly local (<10 km) and strongest in winter. Kelp canopy biomass was the primary driver of wrack subsidies, but recipient ecosystem attributes, particularly beach width and orientation, were also important. These drivers of connectivity highlight that disturbance to either ecosystem will have large implications for beach ecosystem productivity. Spatial connectivity can regulate recovery from disturbances such that ecosystem connections must be considered in conservation efforts.
跨生态系统补贴会影响受援生态系统的结构和动态，并且可能对干扰敏感。从海洋生态系统输出到海岸线生态系统的初级生产是已知最大的跨生态系统补贴之一。然而，这一重要联系得以体现的空间尺度在很大程度上尚未得到量化。我们利用近海带藻冠层生物量和海滩海带残骸输入的局部和区域观测数据，来评估海带森林和海滩之间连通性最大化的尺度。无论考虑何种空间和时间尺度，连通性都高度局限于局部区域（<10公里），且在冬季最强。海带冠层生物量是残骸补贴的主要驱动因素，但受援生态系统属性，特别是海滩宽度和方向，也很重要。这些连通性驱动因素表明，对任何一个生态系统的干扰都将对海滩生态系统生产力产生重大影响。空间连通性可以调节对干扰的恢复，因此在保护工作中必须考虑生态系统联系。
