Context-Dependent Diversity-Effects of Seaweed Consumption on Coral Reefs in Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Consumers and prey diversity, their interactions, and subsequent effects on ecosystem function are important for ecological processes but not well understood in high diversity ecosystems such as coral reefs. Consequently, we tested the potential for diversity-effects with a series of surveys and experiments evaluating the influence of browsing herbivores on macroalgae in Kenya's fringing reef ecosystem. We surveyed sites and undertook experiments in reefs subject to three levels of human fishing influence: open access fished reefs, small and recently established community-managed marine reserves, and larger, older government-managed marine reserves. Older marine reserves had a greater overall diversity of herbivores and browsers but this was not clearly associated with reduced macroalgal d

SUBMITTER: Humphries AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4684473 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature