Ecological dominance along rocky shores, with a focus on intertidal ascidians
- Rius, Marc, Teske, Peter R, Manriquez, Patricio H, Suarez-Jimenez, Rocio, McQuaid, Christopher D
- Authors: Rius, Marc , Teske, Peter R , Manriquez, Patricio H , Suarez-Jimenez, Rocio , McQuaid, Christopher D
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453416 , vital:75252 , ISBN 9781138197862 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/b21944-4/ecological-dominance-along-rocky-shores-focus-intertidal-ascidians-marc-rius-peter-teske-patricio-manr%C3%ADquez-roc%C3%ADo-su%C3%A1rez-jim%C3%A9nez-christopher-mcquaid-juan-carlos-castilla?context=ubxandrefId=e4c0e0f7-2c0a-417f-8751-8225febf1536
- Description: The role of dominant species is of central importance in ecology. Such species play a key role in ecosystem structure, stability and function, regulating resource allocation across trophic levels and overall ecosystem productivity. Although ecological interactions between dominant and subordinate species are often considered to influence the latter negatively, the presence of dominant species can also be beneficial. These species commonly act as ecosystem engineers and enhance biodiversity by creating habitat for other species. Along rocky coastlines, dominant species are often sessile suspension-feeding organisms that can monopolize all available substrata. This is particularly noticeable in intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats where the number of species that achieve ecological dominance is limited. Here, we review the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate dominance along rocky coastlines. We then focus on a prominent example, the members of the Pyura stolonifera species complex (Tunicata), which are an emerging model system for studying ecological dominance. These ascidians achieve the highest biomass levels ever reported in rocky intertidal habitats and, when invasive, can fundamentally transform entire ecosystems. Finally, we discuss conservation implications and conclude with directions for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Rius, Marc , Teske, Peter R , Manriquez, Patricio H , Suarez-Jimenez, Rocio , McQuaid, Christopher D
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453416 , vital:75252 , ISBN 9781138197862 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/b21944-4/ecological-dominance-along-rocky-shores-focus-intertidal-ascidians-marc-rius-peter-teske-patricio-manr%C3%ADquez-roc%C3%ADo-su%C3%A1rez-jim%C3%A9nez-christopher-mcquaid-juan-carlos-castilla?context=ubxandrefId=e4c0e0f7-2c0a-417f-8751-8225febf1536
- Description: The role of dominant species is of central importance in ecology. Such species play a key role in ecosystem structure, stability and function, regulating resource allocation across trophic levels and overall ecosystem productivity. Although ecological interactions between dominant and subordinate species are often considered to influence the latter negatively, the presence of dominant species can also be beneficial. These species commonly act as ecosystem engineers and enhance biodiversity by creating habitat for other species. Along rocky coastlines, dominant species are often sessile suspension-feeding organisms that can monopolize all available substrata. This is particularly noticeable in intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats where the number of species that achieve ecological dominance is limited. Here, we review the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate dominance along rocky coastlines. We then focus on a prominent example, the members of the Pyura stolonifera species complex (Tunicata), which are an emerging model system for studying ecological dominance. These ascidians achieve the highest biomass levels ever reported in rocky intertidal habitats and, when invasive, can fundamentally transform entire ecosystems. Finally, we discuss conservation implications and conclude with directions for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Evidence for rangewide panmixia despite multiple barriers to dispersal in a marine mussel
- Lourenço, Carla R, Nicastro, Katy R, McQuaid, Christopher D, Chefaoui, Rosa M, Assis, Jorge, Taleb, Mohammed Z, Zardi, Gerardo I
- Authors: Lourenço, Carla R , Nicastro, Katy R , McQuaid, Christopher D , Chefaoui, Rosa M , Assis, Jorge , Taleb, Mohammed Z , Zardi, Gerardo I
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59952 , vital:27714 , doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10753-9
- Description: Oceanographic features shape the distributional and genetic patterns of marine species by interrupting or promoting connections among populations. Although general patterns commonly arise, distributional ranges and genetic structure are species-specific and do not always comply with the expected trends. By applying a multimarker genetic approach combined with Lagrangian particle simulations (LPS) we tested the hypothesis that oceanographic features along northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shores influence dispersal potential and genetic structure of the intertidal mussel Perna perna. Additionally, by performing environmental niche modelling we assessed the potential and realized niche of P. perna along its entire native distributional range and the environmental factors that best explain its realized distribution. Perna perna showed evidence of panmixia across 4,000 km despite several oceanographic breaking points detected by LPS. This is probably the result of a combination of life history traits, continuous habitat availability and stepping-stone dynamics. Moreover, the niche modelling framework depicted minimum sea surface temperatures (SST) as the major factor shaping P. perna distributional range limits along its native areas. Forthcoming warming SST is expected to further change these limits and allow the species to expand its range polewards though this may be accompanied by retreat from warmer areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Lourenço, Carla R , Nicastro, Katy R , McQuaid, Christopher D , Chefaoui, Rosa M , Assis, Jorge , Taleb, Mohammed Z , Zardi, Gerardo I
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59952 , vital:27714 , doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10753-9
- Description: Oceanographic features shape the distributional and genetic patterns of marine species by interrupting or promoting connections among populations. Although general patterns commonly arise, distributional ranges and genetic structure are species-specific and do not always comply with the expected trends. By applying a multimarker genetic approach combined with Lagrangian particle simulations (LPS) we tested the hypothesis that oceanographic features along northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shores influence dispersal potential and genetic structure of the intertidal mussel Perna perna. Additionally, by performing environmental niche modelling we assessed the potential and realized niche of P. perna along its entire native distributional range and the environmental factors that best explain its realized distribution. Perna perna showed evidence of panmixia across 4,000 km despite several oceanographic breaking points detected by LPS. This is probably the result of a combination of life history traits, continuous habitat availability and stepping-stone dynamics. Moreover, the niche modelling framework depicted minimum sea surface temperatures (SST) as the major factor shaping P. perna distributional range limits along its native areas. Forthcoming warming SST is expected to further change these limits and allow the species to expand its range polewards though this may be accompanied by retreat from warmer areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Evolution of foraging behaviour: Deep intra-generic genetic divergence between territorial and non-territorial southern African patellid limpets
- Mmonwa, Kolobe L, Teske, Peter R, McQuaid, Christopher D, Barker, Nigel P
- Authors: Mmonwa, Kolobe L , Teske, Peter R , McQuaid, Christopher D , Barker, Nigel P
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444798 , vital:74299 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.024
- Description: Southern Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of patellid limpets, with three genera (Helcion, Cymbula and Scutellastra) identified and described in the region. Scutellastra is the most diverse and most frequently studied of these and, along with Cymbula, includes species with territorial and non-territorial foraging behaviours. We used three mitochondrial markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI) and one nuclear marker (ATPSβ intron) to assess evolutionary relationships among species of Cymbula and Scutellastra with these two foraging behaviours and to identify which foraging mode is the more ancient. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference phylogenetic analyses revealed that the species sharing a foraging type are monophyletic in both genera. Territoriality is a derived character, as the clades with this foraging type are nested within a tree that otherwise comprises non-territorial taxa. These include Helcion, which was recovered as sister to the Cymbula/Scutellastra clade, and the next basal genus, Patella, which is ancestral to all southern African patellogastropods. Deep genetic divergence between the two foraging traits reflects strong adaptive effects of resource partitioning in the evolution of southern African patellid limpets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Mmonwa, Kolobe L , Teske, Peter R , McQuaid, Christopher D , Barker, Nigel P
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444798 , vital:74299 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.024
- Description: Southern Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of patellid limpets, with three genera (Helcion, Cymbula and Scutellastra) identified and described in the region. Scutellastra is the most diverse and most frequently studied of these and, along with Cymbula, includes species with territorial and non-territorial foraging behaviours. We used three mitochondrial markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI) and one nuclear marker (ATPSβ intron) to assess evolutionary relationships among species of Cymbula and Scutellastra with these two foraging behaviours and to identify which foraging mode is the more ancient. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference phylogenetic analyses revealed that the species sharing a foraging type are monophyletic in both genera. Territoriality is a derived character, as the clades with this foraging type are nested within a tree that otherwise comprises non-territorial taxa. These include Helcion, which was recovered as sister to the Cymbula/Scutellastra clade, and the next basal genus, Patella, which is ancestral to all southern African patellogastropods. Deep genetic divergence between the two foraging traits reflects strong adaptive effects of resource partitioning in the evolution of southern African patellid limpets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
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