Non-linear interactions determine the impact of sea-level rise on estuarine benthic biodiversity and ecosystem processes.

ABSTRACT: Sea-level rise induced by climate change may have significant impacts on the ecosystem functions and ecosystem services provided by intertidal sediment ecosystems. Accelerated sea-level rise is expected to lead to steeper beach slopes, coarser particle sizes and increased wave exposure, with consequent impacts on intertidal ecosystems. We examined the relationships between abundance, biomass, and community metabolism of benthic fauna with beach slope, particle size and exposure, using samples across a range of conditions from three different locations in the UK, to determine the significance of sediment particle size beach slope and wave exposure in affecting benthic fauna and ecosystem function in different ecological contexts. Our results show that abundance, biomass and oxygen consumpti

SUBMITTER: Yamanaka T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3704648 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature