Herbivory drives large-scale spatial variation in reef fish trophic interactions.

ABSTRACT: Trophic interactions play a critical role in the structure and function of ecosystems. Given the widespread loss of biodiversity due to anthropogenic activities, understanding how trophic interactions respond to natural gradients (e.g., abiotic conditions, species richness) through large-scale comparisons can provide a broader understanding of their importance in changing ecosystems and support informed conservation actions. We explored large-scale variation in reef fish trophic interactions, encompassing tropical and subtropical reefs with different abiotic conditions and trophic structure of reef fish community. Reef fish feeding pressure on the benthos was determined combining bite rates on the substrate and the individual biomass per unit of time and area, using video recordings in thr

SUBMITTER: Longo GO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4264904 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature