When time affects space: Dispersal ability and extreme weather events determine metacommunity organization in marine sediments

Author(s)

Corte, Guilherme N. ^{[1, 2]} ; Goncalves-Souza, Thiago ^[3] ; Checon, Helio H. ^[1] ; Siegle, Eduardo ^[4] ; Coleman, Ross A. ^[5] ; Amaral, A. Cecilia Z. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Anim, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Oceanog Biol, Inst Oceanog, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rural Pernambuco, Phylogenet & Funct Ecol Lab ECOFFUN, Area Ecol, Dept Biol, Recife, Pe - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Oceanog, Dept Oceanog Fis Quim & Geol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sydney, Sch Life & Environm Sci, Coastal & Marine Ecosyst Grp, Sydney, NSW - Australia

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; v. 136, p. 139-152, MAY 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Community ecology has traditionally assumed that the distribution of species is mainly influenced by environmental processes. There is, however, growing evidence that environmental (habitat characteristics and biotic interactions) and spatial processes (factors that affect a local assemblage regardless of environmental conditions - typically related to dispersal and movement of species) interactively shape biological assemblages. A metacommunity, which is a set of local assemblages connected by dispersal of individuals, is spatial in nature and can be used as a straightforward approach for investigating the interactive and independent effects of both environmental and spatial processes. Here, we examined (i) how environmental and spatial processes affect the metacommunity organization of marine macroinvertebrates inhabiting the intertidal sediments of a biodiverse coastal ecosystem; (ii) whether the influence of these processes is constant through time or is affected by extreme weather events (storms); and (iii) whether the relative importance of these processes depends on the dispersal abilities of organisms. We found that macrobenthic assemblages are influenced by each of environmental and spatial variables; however, spatial processes exerted a stronger role. We also found that this influence changes through time and is modified by storms. Moreover, we observed that the influence of environmental and spatial processes varies according to the dispersal capabilities of organisms. More effective dispersers (i.e., species with planktonic larvae) are more affected by spatial processes whereas environmental variables had a stronger effect on weaker dispersers (i.e. species with low motility in larval and adult stages). These findings highlight that accounting for spatial processes and differences in species life histories is essential to improve our understanding of species distribution and coexistence patterns in intertidal soft-sediments. Furthermore, it shows that storms modify the structure of coastal assemblages. Given that the influence of spatial and environmental processes is not consistent through time, it is of utmost importance that future studies replicate sampling over different periods so the influence of temporal and stochastic factors on macrobenthic metacommunities can be better understood. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/10130-3 - Macrobenthic communities of soft-bottom sediments at Araçá bay, Northern coast of São Paulo
• Grantee: Guilherme Nascimento Corte
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 11/50317-5 - Biodiversity and functioning of a subtropical coastal ecosystem: a contribution to integrated management
• Grantee: Antonia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/10810-8 - Benthic ecology of Araçá Bay: analysis of fauna associated with sediment and relationship environment/biodiversity
• Grantee: Guilherme Nascimento Corte
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 17/17071-9 - Preserving sandy beaches: biodiversity, goods and services, and impacts on a neglected ecosystem
• Grantee: Guilherme Nascimento Corte
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral