The number of described species on the planet is about 1.9 million, with ca. 17,000 new species described annually, mostly from the tropics. However, taxonomy is usually described as a science in crisis, lacking manpower and funding, a politically acknowledged problem known as the Taxonomic Impediment. Using data from the Fauna Europaea database and the Zoological Record, we show that contrary to general belief, developed and heavily-studied parts of the world are important reservoirs of unknown species. In Europe, new species of multicellular terrestrial and freshwater animals are being discovered and named at an unprecedented rate: since the 1950s, more than 770 new species are on average described each year from Europe, which add to the 125,000 terrestrial and freshwater multicellular species already known in this region. There is no sign of having reached a plateau that would allow for the assessment of the magnitude of European biodiversity. More remarkably, over 60% of these new species are described by non-professional taxonomists. Amateurs are recognized as an essential part of the workforce in ecology and astronomy, but the magnitude of non-professional taxonomist contributions to alpha-taxonomy has not been fully realized until now. Our results stress the importance of developing a system that better supports and guides this formidable workforce, as we seek to overcome the Taxonomic Impediment and speed up the process of describing the planetary biodiversity before it is too late.
A B S T R A C TThe rising of cold water from deeper levels characterizes coastal upwelling systems. This flow makes nutrients available in the euphotic layer, which enhances phytoplankton production and growth. On the Brazilian coast, upwelling is most intense in the Cabo Frio region (RJ). The basic knowledge of this system was reviewed in accordance with concepts of biophysical interactions. The high frequency and amplitude of the prevailing winds are the main factor promoting the rise of South Atlantic Central Water, but meanders and eddies in the Brazil Current as well as local topography and coast line are also important. Upwelling events are common during spring/summer seasons. Primary biomass is exported by virtue of the water circulation and is also controlled by rapid zooplankton predation. Small pelagic fish regulate plankton growth and in their turn are preyed on by predatory fish. Sardine furnishes an important regional fish stock. Shoreline irregularities define the embayment formation of the Marine Extractive Reserve of Arraial do Cabo making it an area with evident different intensities of upwelled water that harbors high species diversity. Consequently, on a small spatial scale there are environments with tropical and subtropical features, a point to be explored as a particularity of this ecosystem. R E S U M OOs sistemas costeiros de ressurgência são caracterizados pela ascensão de águas frias que tornam os nutrientes disponíveis na camada eufótica para o crescimento e aumento da produção fitoplanctônica. No Brasil, a região do Cabo Frio (RJ) é o principal sistema de ressurgência costeira. O objetivo desse artigo foi revisar o atual conhecimento desse sistema através dos conceitos sobre interações biofísicas. A ascensão da Água Central do Atlântico Sul ocorre devido à alta frequência e amplitude dos ventos, à presença de meandros e vórtices na Corrente do Brasil, além da topografia local e da linha de costa. Os eventos de ressurgência são comuns durante os períodos de primavera/verão e a biomassa primária é exportada devido à circulação da água, sendo também controlada pela rápida predação zooplanctônica. Os pequenos peixes pelágicos regulam o crescimento do plâncton e são consumidos pelos peixes predadores, resultando em um importante estoque pesqueiro regional. A irregularidade da costa define as enseadas do Cabo Frio, na Reserva Extrativista Marinha do Arraial do Cabo, apresentando distintas influências das águas ressurgidas e resultando em grande diversidade de espécies. Consequentemente, ambientes com características tropicais e subtropicais são observados dentro de uma pequena escala espacial, o que constitui uma particularidade desse ecossistema.
A rocky shores working group (WG) integrated with ReBentos (Monitoring Network for Coastal Benthic Habitats; Rede de Monitoramento de Habitats Bentônicos Costeiros) was created and linked to the Coastal Zones Sub Network of the Climate Network (MCT; Sub-Rede Zonas Costeiras da Rede Clima) and to the National Institute of Science and Technology for Climate Change (INCT-MC; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Mudanças Climáticas), to study the vulnerability of benthic communities on rocky shores and the effects of environmental changes on biomes in such environments along the Brazilian coast. The synthesis presented here was one of the products of this GT, and aimed to collect and review existing knowledge on benthic communities present on rocky shores of the Brazilian coast, their associated biodiversity, and the potential of future studies to accurately predict/measure the effects of climate change on such environments and their biota.
The mechanisms determining the strength of interactions between non-indigenous and native species in the invaded environment are of great interest to both ecologists and managers. On a Brazilian rocky shore, we experimentally measured predation intensity and prey preference of native predators on 2 exotic bivalves, Perna perna (which has been present for centuries) and Isognomon bicolor (introduced ca. 20 yr ago). Overall, predation was more intense on P. perna than on I. bicolor. Furthermore, P. perna was preyed upon more intensively by benthic crawling predators (whelks and, possibly, crabs), while larger, more mobile predators (fish and birds) were less selective. In addition, the larger, more abundant whelk Stramonita haemastoma selectively preyed on P. perna (for which handling time was shorter), while another whelk (Trachypollia nodulosa) preferred I. bicolor, although handling time was longer. Different shell morphologies of the 2 exotic prey and resource partitioning between the whelks may explain S. haemastoma and T. nodulosa feeding preferences, respectively. The thicker valves of I. bicolor compared to those of P. perna reduced the drilling or chipping efficiency by whelks. Although these prey species belong to the same functional group, differences in their shell characteristics could entail different mechanical constraints to predators. Therefore, native predators in the study system may prefer P. perna over I. bicolor because they are still adapting their foraging skills to handle the more recent invader, I. bicolor. KEY WORDS: Exotic prey · Novel interactions · Predation intensity · Prey preference · Intertidal · Subtropical rocky shores · Brazil Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 403: [101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112] 2010 the structuring of benthic communities on rocky shores. Prey preference of these predators can be influenced by many factors such as prey size, energy content, handling time, availability and the past experience of the predator (Pyke et al. 1977, Hughes & Dunkin 1984, Fairweather 1988, Etter 1996.Multiple species have invaded many hard substrate habitats over time; therefore, native species have been exposed to different invaders for different periods of time (e.g. Wasson et al. 2005, Eastwood et al. 2007. A number of complex novel interactions could be established subsequent to invasion due to the arrangement of new native-exotic or exotic-exotic contact (Dudas et al. 2005, Grosholz 2005, Matern & Brown 2005, MacDonald et al. 2007, Pratt & Grason 2007. On the one hand, non-indigenous species are expected to lose some or all native co-evolved enemies. This enemyrelease hypothesis is one of many possible explanations for the success of invasive species in a new area (Colautti et al. 2004). On the other hand, non-indigenous species could find new enemies in invaded areas that could control their populations (Parker & Hay 2005, Parker et al. 2006.Invasive species can have important...
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