The Arctic Traits Database – A repository of arctic benthic invertebrate traits

Abstract

Abstract. The recently increased interest in marine trait-based studies highlights one general demand – the access to standardized, reference-based trait information. This demand holds especially true for polar regions, where the gathering of ecological information is still challenging. The Arctic Traits Database is a freely accessible online repository (https://doi.org/10.25365/phaidra.49; http://https://www.univie.ac.at/arctictraits) that fulfils these requests for one important component of polar marine life, the Arctic benthic macroinvertebrates. It accounts for 1) obligate traceability of information (every entry is linked to at least one source), 2) exchangeability among trait platforms (use of most common download formats), 3) standardization (use of most common terminology and coding scheme), and 4) user friendliness (granted by an intuitive web-interface and rapid and easy download options). The combination of these aspects makes the Arctic Traits Database the currently most sophisticated online accessible trait platform in (not only) marine ecology and a role-model for prospective databases of other marine compartments or other (also non-marine) ecosystems. At present the database covers 20 traits (85 trait categories) and holds altogether 8107 trait entries for 1211 macro- and megabenthic taxa. Thus, the Arctic Traits Database will foster and facilitate trait-based approaches in polar regions in the future and increase our ecological understanding of this rapidly changing system.

Comparison of functional diversity of two Alaskan Arctic shelf epibenthic communities

“…Strong differences existed in modality composition in 4 biological traits between the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea shelves: larval development, reproductive strategy, body size, and body form. These traits, to varying degrees, have been observed to drive variation in benthic ecosystem function in the North Sea (Bolam & Eggleton 2014) and the Arctic Ocean (Degen 2015, Kokarev et al 2017, Rand et al 2018. We suggest that these traits also contribute to differences in ecosystem functioning between the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea shelf communities.…”

“…Body form is often related to ecological roles such as bioturbation and habitat formation that can lead to ecosystem stability (Degen & Faulwetter 2019). Taxa with specific body forms can be vulnerable to common disturbances, which may destabilize ecosystem function (Jørgensen et al 2015, 2019, Degen et al 2018. For example, pressure from some predators or trawling will likely affect upright body forms more than vermiform or dorso-ventrally compressed body forms, because up right body forms have more above-ground ex posure (Brem ner et al 2006, Jørgensen et al 2019.…”

“…This theory is based in an understanding of biodiversity from a taxonomic perspective, which for epibenthos has been established in recent years for the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea shelf study areas (e.g. Bluhm et al 2009, Blanchard et al 2013, Ravelo et al 2014, 2015, 2020. The underlying assumption of the BEF hypothesis is that higher taxonomic diversity also reflects higher functional diversity, but these assumptions are rarely explicitly tested.…”

Functional trait‐based approaches as a common framework for aquatic ecologists

“…This diversity of databases gathers trait information not only for widely studied traits (e.g., body size or feeding strategy), but also for less common traits or for those that are more difficult to measure (e.g., age at first reproduction, migration mode, or nutrient affinities). Some large trait databases were published online and open access (e.g., Herring 1987; Barnett et al 2007; Benedetti 2015; Hébert et al 2016; Degen and Faulwetter 2019), thus allowing for follow‐up studies that compare and merge trait data across taxa, species, and environments. In some instances (e.g., freshwater invertebrates), published databases rapidly became foundational for environmental assessment procedures (e.g., Mondy et al 2012; Mondy and Usseglio‐Polatera 2013; Larras et al 2017).…”

Establishing the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database: A trait classification for functional assessments

“…Trait‐based approaches have become topical in ecological research for understanding the relationship between species (biodiversity) and ecosystem functioning, ecosystem processes, ecosystem services, or responses to anthropogenic disturbances (Bolam et al., 2016; Bremner et al., 2003, 2006; Cano‐Barbcil et al., 2019; Weiss & Ray, 2019). Trait‐based approaches are also used to measure several functional indices (e.g., functional diversity: functional divergence, functional redundancy, and functional richness) and can be used to perform analyses across species pools from distinct geographical areas (Degen & Faulwetter, 2019; Lam‐Gordillo et al., 2020; Mason et al., 2005; Mouchet et al., 2010). Functional approaches are based on different subsets of traits (i.e., species characteristics) as a proxy of ecosystem functioning (Bremner, 2008; Bremner et al., 2006).…”