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Author: Katherine Kimberlin Arkema Publisher: ISBN: 9780549841852 Category : Languages : en Pages : 294
Book Description
I investigated the relationship between giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, a large and dynamic structure-forming organism on temperate reefs, and the species that live beneath its canopy and on its surfaces. In particular, my research focused on how the attenuating effect of kelp on light influences the structure and dynamics of the understory community, and how the dampening effect of kelp on currents influences spatial variation in the abundance and demography of a suspension-feeding epiphyte, the colonial and encrusting bryozoan, Membranipora serrilamella.
Author: Katherine Kimberlin Arkema Publisher: ISBN: 9780549841852 Category : Languages : en Pages : 294
Book Description
I investigated the relationship between giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, a large and dynamic structure-forming organism on temperate reefs, and the species that live beneath its canopy and on its surfaces. In particular, my research focused on how the attenuating effect of kelp on light influences the structure and dynamics of the understory community, and how the dampening effect of kelp on currents influences spatial variation in the abundance and demography of a suspension-feeding epiphyte, the colonial and encrusting bryozoan, Membranipora serrilamella.
Author: Publisher: Academic Press ISBN: 0080878857 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 4604
Book Description
The study of estuaries and coasts has seen enormous growth in recent years, since changes in these areas have a large effect on the food chain, as well as on the physics and chemistry of the ocean. As the coasts and river banks around the world become more densely populated, the pressure on these ecosystems intensifies, putting a new focus on environmental, socio-economic and policy issues. Written by a team of international expert scientists, under the guidance of Chief Editors Eric Wolanski and Donald McClusky, the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Ten Volume Set examines topics in depth, and aims to provide a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Most up-to-date reference for system-based coastal and estuarine science and management, from the inland watershed to the ocean shelf Chief editors have assembled a world-class team of volume editors and contributing authors Approach focuses on the physical, biological, chemistry, ecosystem, human, ecological and economics processes, to show how to best use multidisciplinary science to ensure earth's sustainability Provides a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Features up-to-date chapters covering a full range of topics
Author: Scott Stanley Gabara Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
With increasing biodiversity loss occurring worldwide, there is a need to understand how these losses will affect ecosystem structure and function. Certain species have a greater impact on the structure and function of ecosystems (i.e. foundation species, keystone species, ecosystem engineers) and therefore their importance suggests a need for understanding their dynamics. I focused on foundation species, which are those that provide the primary habitat and define the communities and ecosystems they create (Dayton 1972, Graham et al. 2007). My dissertation explores different causes and the cascading consequences of kelp forest foundation species loss. In chapter 1, I focus on the consequences of kelp forest biodiversity loss. The loss of the structure and energy that kelps provide leads to changes in species interactions, specifically the trophic complexity of food webs, however how these changes manifest is undescribed (Graham 2004). Sampling the stable isotopes of producer and consumer communities when kelp and other macroalgae are present, versus absent, while comparing these to naturally occurring consumer communities with low biodiversity, has revealed how overall biodiversity loss affects the complexity of food webs. I determined that the reductions in the diversity of kelp forest consumer food resources leads to reductions in the diversity of consumer trophic levels. This comes about through the reduction in food diversity for omnivores and herbivores which propagates to consumers at higher trophic levels. These findings suggest that more intact and biodiverse communities support greater food diversity and trophic complexity. In chapter 2, to better understand kelp physiology and spatial variation, I tested for differences in the stable isotopes and elemental concentrations within and among canopy kelp individuals at islands across the Aleutian Archipelago. Variability was high among islands and led into hypotheses for chapter 3 about potential drivers of this variation in kelp, and ultimately kelp forest communities, across space. In chapter 3, I explored connectivity between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We understand that connectivity of organic matter, nutrients, and materials can be critical to the structure and function of ecosystems. Interruption of connectivity can occur through top down forcing by invasive upper trophic-level predators. I determined if invasive fox predators have altered connectivity between terrestrial and marine ecosystems using kelp forests at islands that spanned a gradient in invasive fox history, and seabird density, across the Aleutian Island Archipelago. I found evidence that invasive foxes had greater impacts on seabird densities the longer they had been present on islands. The reduction in seabirds has caused less seabird guano-derived nutrients to be available and utilized by kelp forest primary producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. This is some of the first evidence that invasive foxes have reduced connectivity between seabirds and kelp forest food webs. Restoring connections between terrestrial and marine ecosystems should be considered in future work and management across the Aleutian Island Archipelago. A consequence of losing kelp forests to urchin grazing is the alteration of competitive interactions. In chapter 4, I tested if higher irradiance and increased intensity of herbivory in areas where urchins have removed kelp forests has altered the tradeoffs between primary producer growth and defense. Across the Aleutian Island chain, the widespread decline in sea otters has resulted in reduced predation on green sea urchins, which has led to dramatic increases in urchin populations, the formation of urchin barrens, and ultimately to overgrazing of much of the region's kelp forests. The differential recovery of kelp forests and the long-term persistence of urchin barrens at certain islands has created a gradient in irradiance and intensity of herbivory that we expect could alter growth and defense in macroalgae. Field and lab results suggested that a common perennial urchin barren macroalga (Codium ritteri) has greater defense than growth within urchin barrens relative to kelp forest individuals. In the laboratory there was little evidence for increased growth under lower light or altered defenses at high light. An experiment testing for spatial variation of urchin grazing rates on C. ritteri revealed that decreasing growth but increasing defense of C. ritteri correlated with higher urchin biomass in the field. Together, these findings suggest that macroalgae occurring within kelp forests may grow faster and be more palatable than macroalgae occurring within urchin barrens. Urchins may be deterred by urchin barren macroalgae causing them to move toward kelp forests where they can more easily consume the less defended macroalgae there, increasing urchin deforestation potential. Together these chapters suggest that the consequences of kelp loss to communities can be (1) through a reduction in community-wide isotopic dietary niche breadth expressed through the loss of omnivore and herbivore dietary niche breadth. (2) Spatial variation in the stable isotopes and elemental concentrations of canopy kelp suggested that differences in nutrient and carbon availability among islands may affect kelp growth and susceptibility to grazing by urchins, ultimately affecting kelp forest persistence. The loss of kelps leads to (3) a reduction in the interaction chain length and propagation of seabird derived nutrients to nearshore marine communities. Lastly, the reduction of kelp and (4) increased intensity of herbivory by urchins within urchin barrens has led to macroalgae with lower growth and increased defenses.
Author: Gunnar Petter Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages :
Book Description
Vascular epiphytes are non-parasitic plants that germinate and grow on trees without contact to the soil. Their arboreal life style implies a strong dependence on forest structure and dynamics. Tree architectures change constantly during ontogeny, and large and old branches of the inner crowns are generally more suitable for epiphyte colonization and survival than small branches of the outer crowns. In addition, microclimatic conditions within canopies, such as light, temperature or humidity, are directly influenced by forest structure. While the influence of such gradients within trees and...
Author: Margaret Lowman Publisher: Academic Press ISBN: 0124575536 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 543
Book Description
The treetops of the world's forests are where discovery and opportunity abound, however they have been relatively inaccessible until recently. This book represents an authoritative synthesis of data, anecdotes, case studies, observations, and recommendations from researchers and educators who have risked life and limb in their advocacy of the High Frontier. With innovative rope techniques, cranes, walkways, dirigibles, and towers, they finally gained access to the rich biodiversity that lives far above the forest floor and the emerging science of canopy ecology. In this new edition of Forest Canopies, nearly 60 scientists and educators from around the world look at the biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and conservation of forest canopy ecosystems. Comprehensive literature list State-of-the-art results and data sets from current field work Foremost scientists in the field of canopy ecology Expanded collaboration of researchers and international projects User-friendly format with sidebars and case studies Keywords and outlines for each chapter
Author: Parker H. House Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 95
Book Description
In many marine ecosystems worldwide, overfishing is a prominent cause in removing large predatory fishes from ecological communities. Fluctuation in the abundance of higher trophic level species can transform an ecosystem's structure and function by altering trophic interactions through density-mediated top-down control. Accordingly, understanding the extent to which humans indirectly influence a community through altering predator abundance is of critical importance. Thus, during the summer of 2013 and 2014 the impacts of fishing on the trophic structure and community assemblage of kelp forest fishes were examined within the Southern California Bight. In 2013, I tested whether decreased abundance through fishing for higher trophic level predators relieves predation pressure on lower trophic level prey. Using a combination of underwater survey techniques, density (no. fish/100 m2) and biomass (g/100 m2) of conspicuous fish species were sampled inside and outside of three long-standing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off La Jolla, Santa Catalina Island, and Anacapa Island, California. I found that secondary carnivore and herbivore/omnivore trophic levels significantly decreased outside of MPAs. Inversely, the primary carnivore trophic level biomass increased outside of MPAs. Species-level results revealed a lower abundance outside MPAs of large kelp bass (> 25 cm) and higher densities of its prey, kelp perch. My results show overall fish trophic level changes due to fishing pressure, and provide support for a weakening of top-down control on the kelp perch population through the removal of predatory fishes outside MPAs. To investigate the possible return of the historically overfished apex predator of the kelp forest fish community, I censused the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas) population at eight sites off Santa Catalina Island from mid-June through mid-August, 2014. Three possible spawning aggregations were identified at the sites Twin/Goat, The V's, and Little Harbor. The giant sea bass population at these sites primarily consisted of individuals 1.2 - 1.3 m long (total length, TL) with small and probably newly mature fish (estimated to be 10 - 11 years old) observed in aggregations. However, larger individuals 1.8 - 1.9 m TL accounted for the majority of the population biomass. Overall, mean spawning stock biomass of giant sea bass was 36.3 kg/1000 m2. Providing a general comparison of mean biomass among the trophic levels of kelp forest fishes off Santa Catalina Island revealed a nearly top-heavy biomass pyramid. The relatively high abundance of giant sea bass provides evidence that this species is recovering at kelp forests off Santa Catalina Island, and possibly throughout the Southern California Bight. The removal or recovery of predators can greatly influence an ecosystem. As more recent studies suggest that indirect community effects of fishing and protection can take up to decades to detect, it is necessary to document the continued changes on the structure, function, and dynamics of the kelp forests and rocky reefs off southern California.
Author: Katherine Kimberlin Arkema
Author: Katherine Kimberlin Arkema
Author: 
Author: Scott Stanley Gabara
Author: Michael S. Foster
Author: Gunnar Petter
Author: Kendra Anne Karr
Author: D. A. Birkett
Author: Margaret Lowman
Author: Parker H. House
Author: J. Bastow Wilson