Seagrass Tolerance to Simulated Herbivory Along a Latitudinal Gradient: Predicting the Potential Effects of Tropicalisation.

ABSTRACT: The polewards range expansion of tropical herbivorous fish into temperate latitudes is leading to overgrazing of marine habitats and community phase shifts in some regions. Here, we test the potential effects of increased herbivory on the temperate habitat-forming seagrass Posidonia australis. We used a series of simulated herbivory experiments to predict the potential impacts of climate-mediated increases in seagrass consumption along P. australis entire latitudinal range (~9° latitude) in eastern Australia (1700 km of coastline). We subjected treatment plots to two levels of simulated herbivory (10% or 80% of leaves clipped) and compared them to unclipped controls. We measured seagrass leaf growth rates and tissue chemical traits: carbohydrates in rhizomes, leaf phenolics,

SUBMITTER: Garthwin RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11570194 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature