Document of bibliographic reference 331229

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Arctic coastal benthos long-term responses to perturbations under climate warming

Abstract

Climate warming influences structure and function of Arctic benthic ecosystems. Assessing the response of these systems to perturbations requires long-term studies addressing key ecological processes related to recolonization and succession of species. Based on unique time-series (1980–2017), this study addresses successional patterns of hard-bottom benthos in two fjords in NW Svalbard after a pulse perturbation in 1980 and during a period of rapid climate warming. Analysis of seafloor photographs revealed different return rates of taxa, and variability in species densities, through time. It took 13 and 24 years for the community compositions of cleared and control transects to converge in the two fjords. Nearly two decades after the study initiation, an increase in filamentous and foliose macroalgae was observed with a subsequent reorganization in the invertebrate community. Trait analyses showed a decrease in body size and longevity of taxa in response to the pulse perturbation and a shift towards small/medium size and intermediate longevity following the macroalgae takeover. The observed slow recovery rates and abrupt shifts in community structure document the vulnerability of Arctic coastal ecosystems to perturbations and continued effects of climate warming.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000567547600004

Bibliographic citation

Al-Habahbeh, A.M.; Kortsch, S.; Bluhm, B.A.; Beuchel, F.; Gulliksen, B.; Ballantine, C.; Cristini, D.; Primicerio, R. (2020). Arctic coastal benthos long-term responses to perturbations under climate warming. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A 378(2181): 20190355. https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2019.0355

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true