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Global Human Footprint on the Linkage between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Reef Fishes

descriptionPublicationkeyboard_double_arrow_right Article , Other literature type , Journal 05 Apr 2011 United Kingdom, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, France, Costa Rica, Singapore, Spain Publisher:Public Library of Science (PLoS)Journal:PLoS Biology, volume 9, page e1000606 (eissn: 1545-7885,

Authors: Marah J. Hardt; Kevin J. Gaston; Gustavo Paredes; Ivor D. Williams; Ivor D. Williams; Octavio Aburto-Oropeza; Arturo Ayala Bocos; +57 Authors

doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000606

pmid: 21483714

pmc: PMC3071368

handle: 10261/55207 , 10669/77119 , 10088/21178 , 10871/9906

Global Human Footprint on the Linkage between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Reef Fishes

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Abstract

Difficulties in scaling up theoretical and experimental results have raised controversy over the consequences of biodiversity loss for the functioning of natural ecosystems. Using a global survey of reef fish assemblages, we show that in contrast to previous theoretical and experimental studies, ecosystem functioning (as measured by standing biomass) scales in a non-saturating manner with biodiversity (as measured by species and functional richness) in this ecosystem. Our field study also shows a significant and negative interaction between human population density and biodiversity on ecosystem functioning (i.e., for the same human density there were larger reductions in standing biomass at more diverse reefs). Human effects were found to be related to fishing, coastal development, and land use stressors, and currently affect over 75% of the world's coral reefs. Our results indicate that the consequences of biodiversity loss in coral reefs have been considerably underestimated based on existing knowledge and that reef fish assemblages, particularly the most diverse, are greatly vulnerable to the expansion and intensity of anthropogenic stressors in coastal areas.

Countries

United Kingdom, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, France, Costa Rica, Singapore, Spain

Related Organizations

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
United States
James Cook University
Australia
University of Queensland
Australia
University of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
University of Exeter
United Kingdom

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Keywords

2800 Neuroscience, Biomass (ecology), Coral reefs, marine environment, marine protected area, Services, 551, geography, Extinctions, Species extinction, 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Eastern Pacific, Fishes ; Coral reefs ; Biodiversity ; Biomass (ecology) ; Theoretical ecology ; Population density ; Species extinction ; Ecosystem functioning, animal, Biomass, species richness, Biology (General), Indian Ocean, standing biomass, Productivity, biodiversity, Species diversity, [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment, Temperatures, Coral Reefs, species habitat, article, Fishes, 2400 Immunology and Microbiology, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biodiversity, Anthozoa, Coral-reefs, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, coral reef, Pisces, Theoretical ecology, environment, seashore, Research Article, 570, Conservation of Natural Resources, 1300 Biochemistry, QH301-705.5, 577, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Marine Biology, Environment, 333, Marine reserves, Animals, Humans, human, population density, Consequences, environmental protection, fishing, Ecosystem, ecosystem, fish, Population Density, reef fish, nonhuman, Pacific Ocean, biomass, human population density, Deep-sea, land use, 500, Central America, Current knowledge, Ecosystem functioning, Population density

Impact byBIP!

	citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).	516
	popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.	Top 1%
	influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).	Top 1%
	impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.	Top 0.1%