Taxonomic and functional diversity increase the aesthetic value of coralligenous reefs

Tribot, Anne-Sophie; Mouquet, Nicolas; Villéger, Sébastien; Raymond, M.; Hoff, Fabrice; Boissery, Pierre; Holon, Florian; Déter, Julie

doi:10.1038/srep34229

Cited by 49 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In the latter case, it develops mainly on hard bottoms, lying in proximity of coralligenous reefs [14]. The coralligenous habitat is the most important biogenic concretion in the Mediterranean Sea in terms of biodiversity, ecological, aesthetic, and economic values [15,16]. The primary builders are calcareous encrusting algae that grow in dim light conditions, followed by other builder species (e.g., bryozoans, polychaetes, and cnidarians) which contribute to the accretion of coralligenous reefs [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of Mollusc Assemblages from Different Hard Bottom Habitats in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

et al. 2019

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Composition, trophic structure, and species-substrate relationships of molluscan assemblages inhabiting different hard bottom habitats (Sabellaria alveolata reef, photophilic bottoms, Phyllophora crispa sciaphilic assemblage, and coralligenous bioconstruction) were studied in two different sites of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In particular, molluscs from the Sabellaria alvevolata (Linnaeus, 1767) reef and coralligenous concretion were investigated, testing the hypothesis that bioconstructions increase the diversity and abundance of associated biota compared to the surrounding habitats. A total of 3134 individuals belonging to the classes of Polyplacophora (5 species, 24 individuals), Bivalvia (39 sp., 2734 ind.), and Gastropoda (53 sp., 376 ind.) were identified. These three taxonomic groups showed different distribution patterns in the studied habitats. Multivariate analyses revealed significant inter-habitat differences in the composition of mollusc assemblages, especially between bioconstructions and the other habitats. S. alveolata and coralligenous host the highest rich molluscan fauna when compared to the neighboring hard bottom habitats characterized by photophilic and sciaphilic assemblages. The first ones were dominated by bivalve suspension feeders, mainly represented by sessile and sedentary organisms, which act as bio-constructors, bio-eroders, or simply inhabit the several microhabitats provided by the bioconstructions, while the second ones host a rich molluscan fauna dominated by gastropod grazers and predators. The present study increases the comparative knowledge of molluscan assemblages inhabiting habitats of littoral plans of the Mediterranean Sea, providing pivotal information regarding biodiversity of coastal zones.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of Mollusc Assemblages from Different Hard Bottom Habitats in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

et al. 2019

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“…, Tribot et al. , Chimienti et al. ) and the numerous anthropogenic stressors that threaten them have been characterized in detail (Piazzi et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…They are built by accumulation of cemented encrusting thalli of Lithophyllum, Lithothamnion, Mesophyllum, Neogoniolithon and Spongites (Ballesteros 2006, Bressan et al 2009). The ecological, economic, and recreational importance of coralligenous habitats has been extensively evaluated and acknowledged (Doxa et al 2016, Tribot et al 2016, Chimienti et al 2017) and the numerous anthropogenic stressors that threaten them have been characterized in detail (Piazzi et al 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Mediterranean Lithophyllum stictiforme (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) is a genetically diverse species complex: implications for species circumscription, biogeography and conservation of coralligenous habitats

Pezzolesi

Peña

Gall

et al. 2019

Journal of Phycology

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Lithophyllum species in the Mediterranean Sea function as algal bioconstructors, contributing to the formation of biogenic habitats such as coralligenous concretions. In such habitats, thalli of Lithophyllum, consisting of crusts or lamellae with entire or lobed margins, have been variously referred to as either one species, L. stictiforme, or two species, L. stictiforme and L. cabiochiae, in the recent literature. We investigated species diversity and phylogenetic relationships in these algae by sequencing three markers (psbA and rbcL genes, cox2,3 spacer), in conjunction with methods for algorithmic delimitation of species (ABGD and GMYC). Mediterranean subtidal Lithophyllum belong to a well‐supported lineage, hereby called the L. stictiforme complex, which also includes two species described from the Atlantic, L. lobatum and L. searlesii. Our results indicate that the L. stictiforme complex consists of at least 13 species. Among the Mediterranean species, some are widely distributed and span most of the western and central Mediterranean, whereas others appear to be restricted to specific localities. These patterns are interpreted as possibly resulting from allopatric speciation events that took place during the Messinian Salinity Crisis and subsequent glacial periods. A partial rbcL sequence from the lectotype of L. stictiforme unambiguously indicates that this name applies to the most common subtidal Lithophyllum in the central Mediterranean. We agree with recent treatments that considered L. cabiochiae and L. stictiforme conspecific. The diversity of Lithophyllum in Mediterranean coralligenous habitats has been substantially underestimated, and future work on these and other Mediterranean corallines should use identifications based on DNA sequences.

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“…() for an example in which gardens have lower PD than natural sites]. Positive relationships between TR and human preference were found for Mediterranean reefs: surveyed individuals rated structurally diverse and colourful assemblages more aesthetic, and aesthetic appreciation was significantly correlated with both the TR and PD values for an assemblage (Tribot et al ., ). Importantly, neither of these latter relationships was corrected for species richness, which was even more predictive of preference.…”

Section: Evaluating the Arguments For Evolutionary Historymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For example, there is some evidence that humans prefer groups of plants, both in gardens and in natural systems, that have higher TR (in terms of floral, foliage, and phenological traits) (Turpie & Joubert, 2004;Lindemann-Matthies & Bose, 2007;Southon et al, 2017), although this is not always the case [see Knapp et al (2012) for an example in which gardens have lower PD than natural sites]. Positive relationships between TR and human preference were found for Mediterranean reefs: surveyed individuals rated structurally diverse and colourful assemblages more aesthetic, and aesthetic appreciation was significantly correlated with both the TR and PD values for an assemblage (Tribot et al, 2016). Importantly, neither of these latter relationships was corrected for species richness, which was even more predictive of preference.…”

Section: (A) Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the utility of conserving evolutionary history

et al. 2019

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It is often claimed that conserving evolutionary history is more efficient than species‐based approaches for capturing the attributes of biodiversity that benefit people. This claim underpins academic analyses and recommendations about the distribution and prioritization of species and areas for conservation, but evolutionary history is rarely considered in practical conservation activities. One impediment to implementation is that arguments related to the human‐centric benefits of evolutionary history are often vague and the underlying mechanisms poorly explored. Herein we identify the arguments linking the prioritization of evolutionary history with benefits to people, and for each we explicate the purported mechanism, and evaluate its theoretical and empirical support. We find that, even after 25 years of academic research, the strength of evidence linking evolutionary history to human benefits is still fragile. Most – but not all – arguments rely on the assumption that evolutionary history is a useful surrogate for phenotypic diversity. This surrogacy relationship in turn underlies additional arguments, particularly that, by capturing more phenotypic diversity, evolutionary history will preserve greater ecosystem functioning, capture more of the natural variety that humans prefer, and allow the maintenance of future benefits to humans. A surrogate relationship between evolutionary history and phenotypic diversity appears reasonable given theoretical and empirical results, but the strength of this relationship varies greatly. To the extent that evolutionary history captures unmeasured phenotypic diversity, maximizing the representation of evolutionary history should capture variation in species characteristics that are otherwise unknown, supporting some of the existing arguments. However, there is great variation in the strength and availability of evidence for benefits associated with protecting phenotypic diversity. There are many studies finding positive biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships, but little work exists on the maintenance of future benefits or the degree to which humans prefer sets of species with high phenotypic diversity or evolutionary history. Although several arguments link the protection of evolutionary history directly with the reduction of extinction rates, and with the production of relatively greater future biodiversity via increased adaptation or diversification, there are few direct tests. Several of these putative benefits have mismatches between the relevant spatial scales for conservation actions and the spatial scales at which benefits to humans are realized. It will be important for future work to fill in some of these gaps through direct tests of the arguments we define here.

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Taxonomic and functional diversity increase the aesthetic value of coralligenous reefs

Cited by 49 publications

References 42 publications

Comparative Analysis of Mollusc Assemblages from Different Hard Bottom Habitats in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

Comparative Analysis of Mollusc Assemblages from Different Hard Bottom Habitats in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

Mediterranean Lithophyllum stictiforme (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) is a genetically diverse species complex: implications for species circumscription, biogeography and conservation of coralligenous habitats

Assessing the utility of conserving evolutionary history

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