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| DOI | 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0137287 | ||||
| Año | 2015 | ||||
| Tipo | artículo de investigación |
Citas Totales
Autores Afiliación Chile
Instituciones Chile
% Participación
Internacional
Autores
Afiliación Extranjera
Instituciones
Extranjeras
There is a general consensus that marine herbivores can affect algal species composition and abundance, but little empirical work exists on the role of herbivores as modifiers of the spatial structure of resource assemblages. Here, we test the consumption/bulldozing effects of the molluscan grazer Enoplochiton niger and its influence on the spatial structure of a low intertidal community dominated by the bull kelp Durvillaea antarctica and the kelp Lessonia spicata. Through field experiments conducted at a rocky intertidal shore in north-central Chile (similar to 30 degrees-32 degrees S), the edge of the grazer and algae geographic distributions, we estimated the strength and variability of consumptive effects of the grazer on different functional group of algae. We also used data from abundance field surveys to evaluate spatial co-occurrence patterns of the study species. Exclusion-enclosure experiments showed that E. niger maintained primary space available by preventing algal colonization, even of large brown algae species. The grazing activity of E. niger also reduced spatial heterogeneity of the ephemeral algal species, increasing bare space availability and variability through time in similar ways to those observed for the collective effect with other grazers. Overall, our result suggests that E. niger can be considered an important modifier of the spatial structure of the large brown algae-dominated community. Effects of E. niger on resource variability seem to be directly related to its foraging patterns, large body size, and population densities, which are all relevant factors for management and conservation of the large brown algae community. Our study thus highlights the importance of considering functional roles and identity of generalist consumers on spatial structure of the entire landscape.
| Ord. | Autor | Género | Institución - País |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AGUILERA-MOYA, MOISES ANDRES | Hombre |
Universidad Católica del Norte - Chile
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| 2 | VALDIVIA-LAHSEN, NELSON ALEJANDRO | Hombre |
Universidad Austral de Chile - Chile
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| 3 | BROITMAN-ROJAS, BERNARDO OSCAR. | Hombre |
Universidad Católica del Norte - Chile
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| Fuente |
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| UACH |
| Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico of Chile (FONDECYT) |
| Center for Marine Conservation |
| CEAZA |
| Programa de Mejoramiento de la Calidad y la Equidad de la Educacion Superior (MECESUP) |
| Millennium Nucleus Center for the Study of Multiple-drivers on Marine Socio-Ecological Systems (MUSELS) by MINECON Project |
| Agradecimiento |
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| Research was supported by grants from the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico of Chile (FONDECYT) to MAA (grant #11121360), BRB (grants #1090488 and 1120988) and NV (grants #3100014 and 1141037), and by the Programa de Mejoramiento de la Calidad y la Equidad de la Educacion Superior (MECESUP) and UACH to NV (grants #AUS0805 and S-2013-03, respectively). Funds from CEAZA to MAA and BRB greatly appreciated. Finally, the Millennium Nucleus Center for the Study of Multiple-drivers on Marine Socio-Ecological Systems (MUSELS) by MINECON Project NC120086 and the Center for Marine Conservation RC130024 also supported the final stages of this project. |