| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Laurino, Ivan R. A.
;
Checon, Helio H.
;
Corte, Guilherme N.
;
Turra, Alexander
Total Authors: 4
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; v. 181, p. 13-pg., 2022-10-04. |
| Abstract | |
Sandy beaches are increasingly squeezed due to the construction of backshore man-made structures (i.e., coastal armoring) and current global changes. Coastal armoring impacts beach sediment dynamics, inducing erosion and habitat loss, threatening biodiversity processes and the functional roles of sandy beach organisms. Here, we examine how the abundance, taxonomic richness, and functional richness of sandy beach fauna are affected by coastal armoring. We compared macrobenthic infaunal communities on five armored beaches (with backshore urban structures) and five vegetated beaches (not-armored). We also evaluated the abundance and biomass of upper-beach arthropods using pitfall traps, comparing armored and vegetated segments within the beaches. Infaunal richness and abundance were lower at armored beaches, mainly in the subtidal zones, because of a reduction in polychaete and molluscan abundance. There was no difference in overall functional richness be-tween the armored and vegetated beaches. Nevertheless, we found that functional groups such as small sus-pension feeders were more associated with armored beaches, while large-bodied species and predators were more frequent at vegetated beaches. Pitfall traps showed that coastal armoring also reduced the abundance of the upper-beach coleopteran Phaleria testacea, leading to a loss of biomass. Therefore, our data suggest that coastal armoring can influence the functional composition of sandy beach biodiversity and significantly impact mac-robenthic abundance and biomass. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 18/19776-2 - Fostering the ecosystem-based approach in beach spatial planning and conservation |
| Grantee: | Alexander Turra |
| Support Opportunities: | BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants |
| FAPESP's process: | 18/22036-0 - Evaluating the potential of different benthic indicators to assess sandy beach ecological integrity: subsides for management and monitoring practices |
| Grantee: | Hélio Hermínio Checon |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |
| FAPESP's process: | 15/03804-9 - Environmental governance of macrometropolis paulista in face of climate variability |
| Grantee: | Pedro Roberto Jacobi |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants |
| 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 |