Effects of diversity and coalescence of species assemblages on ecosystem function at the margins of an environmental shift.

ABSTRACT: Sea level rise is mixing formerly isolated freshwater communities with saltwater communities. The structure of these new aquatic communities is jointly controlled by pre- and post-colonization processes. Similarly, since salinity is a strong abiotic determinant of post-colonization survival in coastal systems, changes in salinity will likely impact community composition. In this study, we examine how a strong abiotic gradient affects the diversity and structure of bacterial and zooplankton communities and associated ecosystem functions (decomposition and carbon mineralization). We ran a six week dispersal experiment using mesocosm ponds with four distinct salinity profiles (0, 5, 9, and 13 psu). We find that salinity is the primary driver of both bacterial and zooplankton community composi

SUBMITTER: Werba JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7067187 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature