Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, increases faunal diversity through physical engineering.

ABSTRACT: Foundation species define the ecosystems they live in, but ecologists have often characterized dominant plants as foundational without supporting evidence. Giant kelp has long been considered a marine foundation species due to its complex structure and high productivity; however, there is little quantitative evidence to evaluate this. Here, we apply structural equation modelling to a 15-year time series of reef community data to evaluate how giant kelp affects the reef community. Although species richness was positively associated with giant kelp biomass, most direct paths did not involve giant kelp. Instead, the foundational qualities of giant kelp were driven mostly by indirect effects attributed to its dominant physical structure and associated engineering influence on the ecosystem, ra

SUBMITTER: Miller RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5879622 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature