Effect of grazing on distribution and recovery of harvested stands of Lessonia berteroana kelp in northern Chile

Oróstica, Mauricio H.; Aguilera, Moisés A.; Donoso, Gonzalo A.; Vásquez, Julio A.; Broitman, Bernardo R.

doi:10.3354/meps10931

Cited by 30 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Notwithstanding, spatial variance in grazing effects hinges on the distribution of individuals when foraging and intrinsic individual variation, which are a direct function of population densities and resource spatial distribution [ 22 , 23 , 25 , 28 , 33 , 34 ]. For example, grazers with gregarious foraging patterns can create patchy distribution patterns of algal species, prescribing scales of spatial heterogeneity of the resident algal assemblage [ 11 , 23 , 25 , 35 ]. On one hand, herbivores of large body size have higher resource requirements and forage over broad areas, potentially homogenizing resource distribution [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herbivore-Alga Interaction Strength Influences Spatial Heterogeneity in a Kelp-Dominated Intertidal Community

2015

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There is a general consensus that marine herbivores can affect algal species composition and abundance, but little empirical work exists on the role of herbivores as modifiers of the spatial structure of resource assemblages. Here, we test the consumption/bulldozing effects of the molluscan grazer Enoplochiton niger and its influence on the spatial structure of a low intertidal community dominated by the bull kelp Durvillaea antarctica and the kelp Lessonia spicata. Through field experiments conducted at a rocky intertidal shore in north-central Chile (~30°-32°S), the edge of the grazer and algae geographic distributions, we estimated the strength and variability of consumptive effects of the grazer on different functional group of algae. We also used data from abundance field surveys to evaluate spatial co-occurrence patterns of the study species. Exclusion-enclosure experiments showed that E. niger maintained primary space available by preventing algal colonization, even of large brown algae species. The grazing activity of E. niger also reduced spatial heterogeneity of the ephemeral algal species, increasing bare space availability and variability through time in similar ways to those observed for the collective effect with other grazers. Overall, our result suggests that E. niger can be considered an important modifier of the spatial structure of the large brown algae-dominated community. Effects of E. niger on resource variability seem to be directly related to its foraging patterns, large body size, and population densities, which are all relevant factors for management and conservation of the large brown algae community. Our study thus highlights the importance of considering functional roles and identity of generalist consumers on spatial structure of the entire landscape.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herbivore-Alga Interaction Strength Influences Spatial Heterogeneity in a Kelp-Dominated Intertidal Community

2015

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“…Given the short spatial scale for prey behavioral response and following the strong consumptive effects that the herbivorous Fissurella limpets exert on the rocky inter‐tidal communities (Aguilera & Navarrete, ), we expect that the NCEs documented by this and earlier studies (Escobar & Navarrete, ; Manzur et al, ) should translate into strong ecological impacts, for example through diminished prey recruitment (Ellrich & Scorsati, ). In particular, given that NCEs were manifested as modifications of limpet movement, changes in foraging behavior under risk should cascade into differential consumer‐driven patterns of the inter‐tidal landscape (Díaz & McQuaid, ; Gosnell & Gaines, ; Oróstica, Aguilera, Donoso, Vásquez, & Broitman, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scales of predator detection behavior and escape in Fissurella limbata: A field and laboratory assessment

2018

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The consumptive effects of predators are widely acknowledged, but predation can also impact prey populations through non‐consumptive effects (NCEs) such as costly antipredator behavioral responses. The magnitude of antipredator behavioral responses by prey is determined by an assessment of risk using sensory cues, which in turn is modulated by the environmental context. We studied the detection behavior and escape response of the keyhole limpet Fissurella limbata from the predatory sea star Heliaster helianthus. Through laboratory and field experimental trials, we quantified the distance and time of predator detection behavior by the prey, and measured their active escape responses when elicited. We found that predator detection by the limpet was chiefly mediated by distance, with experimental individuals capable of detecting predator presence effectively up to distances of at least 50 cm in the field and 70 cm under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that this prey species is able to evaluate the proximity of its predator and use it as an indication of predation risk; therefore, predator–prey distance appears to be a primary predictor of the magnitude of the antipredator response. Given the tight relationship between predator distance and prey movement and the important role herbivores can play, particularly in this ecosystem, we expect that NCEs will cascade to the patterns of abundance and composition of rocky shore communities through changes in prey foraging behavior under risk.

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“…In this review, we found some experimental studies that deal directly with determining the impact of human harvesting and its propagation to community structure in intertidal rocky shore systems (e.g., kelp harvesting; Oróstica, Aguilera, Donoso, Vásquez, & Broitman, ; “human‐exclusion” experiments; Moreno, ; Castilla & Durán, ; Castilla, ; Moreno et al., ). No field experimental studies, however, deal with pollution in coastal habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneity of ecological patterns, processes, and funding of marine manipulative field experiments conducted in Southeastern Pacific coastal ecosystems

Aguilera

Dobringer

Petit

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Ecological manipulative experiments conducted in marine coastal ecosystems have substantially improved ecological theory during the last decades and have provided useful knowledge for the management and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Although different studies report global trends in ecological patterns worldwide, Southeastern Pacific coastal ecosystems have been poorly considered. Given that the SE Pacific coast encompasses diverse coastal ecosystems, consideration of studies conducted along this range can shed light on the heterogeneity of processes regulating coastal communities. We reviewed the biotic interactions and habitat type considered, as well as the complexity in terms of spatial and temporal extent of manipulative field experimental studies conducted along the SE Pacific coast from 0°S to 56°S (Ecuador to Chile). We test the effect of funding reported by different studies as a main factor limiting experimental complexity. From field ecological studies published from 1970 to 2016, we found that 81 studies were truly manipulative, in which one or multiple factors were “manipulated.” Around 77% of these studies were located between 21°S and 40°S, and conducted in intertidal rocky habitats. An increase in experimental studies was observed between 2010 and 2015, especially focused on herbivore–alga interactions, although we found that both the temporal extent and spatial extent of these studies have shown a decrease in recent decades. Funding grant amount reported had a positive effect on elapsed time of field experiments, but no effect was observed on spatial extent or in the biotic interactions considered. Elapsed time of experiments was different among the main biotic interactions considered, that is, herbivory, predation, and competition. We suggest that to further progress in applied ecological knowledge, it will be necessary to consider pollution and urbanization processes explicitly using a field experimental framework. This information could improve our understanding of how ecosystems present along the SE Pacific coast respond to climate change and increased levels of human interventions.

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Effect of grazing on distribution and recovery of harvested stands of Lessonia berteroana kelp in northern Chile

Cited by 30 publications

References 54 publications

Herbivore-Alga Interaction Strength Influences Spatial Heterogeneity in a Kelp-Dominated Intertidal Community

Herbivore-Alga Interaction Strength Influences Spatial Heterogeneity in a Kelp-Dominated Intertidal Community

Scales of predator detection behavior and escape in Fissurella limbata: A field and laboratory assessment

Heterogeneity of ecological patterns, processes, and funding of marine manipulative field experiments conducted in Southeastern Pacific coastal ecosystems

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