Ocean acidification as a driver of community simplification via the collapse of higher-order and rise of lower-order consumers.

ABSTRACT: Increasing oceanic uptake of CO₂ is predicted to drive ecological change as both a resource (i.e. CO₂ enrichment on primary producers) and stressor (i.e. lower pH on consumers). We use the natural ecological complexity of a CO₂ vent (i.e. a seagrass system) to assess the potential validity of conceptual models developed from laboratory and mesocosm research. Our observations suggest that the stressor-effect of CO₂ enrichment combined with its resource-effect drives simplified food web structure of lower trophic diversity and shorter length. The transfer of CO₂ enrichment from plants to herbivores through consumption (apparent resource-effect) was not compensated by predation, because carnivores failed to contain herbivore outbreaks. In

SUBMITTER: Vizzini S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5481442 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature