Nutrient enrichment and food web composition affect ecosystem metabolism in an experimental seagrass habitat.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Food web composition and resource levels can influence ecosystem properties such as productivity and elemental cycles. In particular, herbivores occupy a central place in food webs as the species richness and composition of this trophic level may simultaneously influence the transmission of resource and predator effects to higher and lower trophic levels, respectively. Yet, these interactions are poorly understood.

Methodology/principal findings

Using an experimental seagrass mesocosm system, we factorially manipulated water column nutrient concentrations, food chain length, and diversity of crustacean grazers to address two questions: (1) Does food web composition modulate the effects of nutrient enrichment on plant and grazer biomasses and stoichiometry? (2) Do

SUBMITTER: Spivak AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2759539 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature