O'Gorman, Eoin J (2021) Multitrophic diversity sustains ecological complexity by dampening top-down control of a shallow marine benthic food web. Ecology, 102 (3). e03274-. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3274
O'Gorman, Eoin J (2021) Multitrophic diversity sustains ecological complexity by dampening top-down control of a shallow marine benthic food web. Ecology, 102 (3). e03274-. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3274
O'Gorman, Eoin J (2021) Multitrophic diversity sustains ecological complexity by dampening top-down control of a shallow marine benthic food web. Ecology, 102 (3). e03274-. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3274
Abstract
Biodiversity is typically considered as a one-dimensional metric (e.g. species richness), yet the consequences of species loss may be different depending on where extinctions occur in the food web. Here, I used a manipulative field experiment in a temperate subtidal marine system to explore the implications of diversity loss at multiple trophic levels for ecosystem functioning and food web structure. The four manipulated predators included the small painted goby and common prawn, which are also fed on by the larger black goby and shore crab. Antagonistic interactions between the manipulated predators (e.g. intraguild predation, intimidation, interference competition) limited their negative effects on the rest of the food web. Top-down control was so suppressed at the highest level of multitrophic diversity that the resulting food webs were as complex and productive as those containing no manipulated predators. Negative interactions between the predators weakened as multitrophic diversity decreased, however, resulting in stronger consumption of lower trophic levels and a simpler food web with lower rates of two key ecosystem processes: primary production and decomposition. These results show how indirect interactions between predators on multiple trophic levels help to promote the complexity and functioning of natural systems.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | indirect interactions, net effects, multiple predator effects, connectance, food chain length, marine, subtidal |
Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Health Faculty of Science and Health > Life Sciences, School of |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 15 Dec 2020 09:11 |
Last Modified: | 30 Oct 2024 17:39 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/29351 |
Available files
Filename: ecy.3274.pdf
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0