A functional approach to the structural complexity of coral assemblages based on colony morphological features.

ABSTRACT: Colony morphological features is among the best predictor of the scleractinian coral's function in reef ecosystems. However, morphological traits are categorical and to convert this information into a quantitative value as well as estimate their influence on ecosystem process remain a challenge. Here, we propose a trait-based approach to quantify morphological diversity and assess the structural complexity of the habitat provided by corals. We used a previously published dataset that is related to a bleaching event that affected the coral reef off Tikus Island in Indonesia in 1983. We found clear signs of recovery of the coral assemblage's complexity toward pre El Niño conditions five years after the event. Independent of the change observed in species richness, this return in structural c

SUBMITTER: Denis V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5575326 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature