Species-Specific Effects on Ecosystem Functioning Can Be Altered by Interspecific Interactions.

ABSTRACT: Biological assemblages are constantly undergoing change, with species being introduced, extirpated and experiencing shifts in their densities. Theory and experimentation suggest that the impacts of such change on ecosystem functioning should be predictable based on the biological traits of the species involved. However, interspecific interactions could alter how species affect functioning, with the strength and sign of interactions potentially depending on environmental context (e.g. homogenous vs. heterogeneous conditions) and the function considered. Here, we assessed how concurrent changes to the densities of two common marine benthic invertebrates, Corophium volutator and Hediste diversicolor, affected the ecological functions of organic matter consumption and benthic-pelagic nutrient

SUBMITTER: Clare DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5094745 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature