Food web structure and ecosystem multifunctionality in a subsidized coastal ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: The structure and functioning of all ecosystems face growing threats, ranging from local development to global climate change. Ecosystems with little to no in situ primary production may be disproportionately dependent on resources from other ecosystems. We examined the role of basal resource availability on community structure and ecosystem multifunctionality of sandy beaches. We hypothesized that substantial marine macrophyte wrack inputs from productive nearshore ecosystems, like kelp forests, would drive recipient beach ecosystem structure and function. Using piecewise structural equation modeling, we found wrack abundance had a strong positive effect on beach food web diversity and biomass of detritivorous and predatory macroinvertebrates as well as ecosystem multifunctionality, an in

SUBMITTER: Emery KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12594867 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature