No abstract

Alaskan Arctic shelf communities are currently experiencing dramatic changes that will likely affect ecosystem functioning of Arctic marine benthic communities. Here, functional diversity based on biological traits was used to assess differences and similarities in ecosystem functioning between 2 shelf systems that are geographically close but vary in many environmental influences: the Arctic Beaufort and Chukchi Sea epibenthic communities. We hypothesized that (1) patterns of functional composition and diversity metrics reflect patterns in taxonomic composition and diversity metrics in these 2 shelf communities; and (2) patterns in functional diversity metrics are distinct between the 2 shelves. We evaluated 9 biological traits (body form, body size, feeding habit, fragility, larval development, living habit, movement, reproductive strategy, sociability) for 327 taxa in 2014 and 2015. For each trait, multiple modalities (specific expressions within a trait) were considered. Patterns in functional diversity metrics on both shelves reflected those in taxonomic diversity metrics. However, shelf communities were more similar in functional- than in taxonomic composition. Beaufort Sea communities had higher functional dissimilarity and functional evenness driven by differences in the modalities within body form, body size, larval development, and reproductive strategy. These traits primarily affect nutrient cycling, energy turnover, and recovery from disturbances, suggesting a stronger potential for future maintenance of ecosystem function, and indicating a more even use of resources in the Beaufort Sea. The combination of functional and taxonomic diversity metrics enabled a comprehensive understanding of how ecological niche space is used and how epibenthic communities function in Alaskan Arctic shelf systems.

Community assembly theory states that species assemble non-randomly as a result of dispersal limitation, biotic interactions, and environmental filtering. Strong environmental filtering likely leads to local assemblages that are similar in their functional trait composition (high trait convergence) while functional trait composition will be less similar (high trait divergence) under weaker environmental filters. We used two Arctic shelves as case studies to examine the relationship between functional community assembly and environmental filtering using the geographically close but functionally and environmentally dissimilar epibenthic communities on the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea shelves. Environmental drivers were compared to functional trait composition and to trait convergence within each shelf. Functional composition in the Chukchi Sea was more strongly correlated with environmental gradients compared to the Beaufort Sea, as shown by a combination of RLQ and fourth corner analyses and community-weighted mean redundancy analyses. In the Chukchi Sea, epibenthic functional composition, particularly body size, reproductive strategy, and several behavioral traits (i.e., feeding habit, living habit, movement), was most strongly related to gradients in percent mud and temperature while body size and larval development were most strongly related to a depth gradient in the Beaufort Sea. The stronger environmental filter in the Chukchi Sea also supported the hypothesized relationship with higher trait convergence, although this relationship was only evident at one end of the observed environmental gradient. Strong environmental filtering generally provides a challenge for biota and can be a barrier for invading species, a growing concern for the Chukchi Sea shelf communities under warming conditions. Weaker environmental filtering, such as on the Beaufort Sea shelf, generally leads to communities that are more structured by biotic interactions, and possibly representing partitioning of resources among species from intermediate disturbance levels. We provide evidence that environmental filtering can structure functional community composition, providing a baseline of how community function could be affected by stressors such as changes in environmental conditions or increased anthropogenic disturbance.