Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future
Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of coldwater rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological hist...
Published in: | Environmental Conservation |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2002
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892902000322 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0376892902000322 2024-06-23T07:54:59+00:00 Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future Steneck, Robert S. Graham, Michael H. Bourque, Bruce J. Corbett, Debbie Erlandson, Jon M. Estes, James A. Tegner, Mia J. 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892902000322 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Environmental Conservation volume 29, issue 4, page 436-459 ISSN 0376-8929 1469-4387 journal-article 2002 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322 2024-06-12T04:03:00Z Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of coldwater rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological history of kelp forests are examined through case studies from southern California, the Aleutian Islands and the western North Atlantic, well-studied locations that represent the widest possible range in kelp forest biodiversity. Global distribution of kelp forests is physiologically constrained by light at high latitudes and by nutrients, warm temperatures and other macrophytes at low latitudes. Within mid-latitude belts (roughly 40–60° latitude in both hemispheres) well-developed kelp forests are most threatened by herbivory, usually from sea urchins. Overfishing and extirpation of highly valued vertebrate apex predators often triggered herbivore population increases, leading to widespread kelp deforestation. Such deforestations have the most profound and lasting impacts on species-depauperate systems, such as those in Alaska and the western North Atlantic. Globally urchin-induced deforestation has been increasing over the past 2–3 decades. Continued fishing down of coastal food webs has resulted in shifting harvesting targets from apex predators to their invertebrate prey, including kelp-grazing herbivores. The recent global expansion of sea urchin harvesting has led to the widespread extirpation of this herbivore, and kelp forests have returned in some locations but, for the first time, these forests are devoid of vertebrate apex predators. In the western North Atlantic, large predatory crabs have recently filled this void and they have become the new apex predator in this system. Similar shifts from fish- to crab-dominance may have occurred in coastal zones of the United Kingdom and Japan, where large predatory finfish were extirpated long ago. Three North American case studies of kelp forests were examined to ... Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Alaska Aleutian Islands Cambridge University Press Environmental Conservation 29 4 436 459 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of coldwater rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological history of kelp forests are examined through case studies from southern California, the Aleutian Islands and the western North Atlantic, well-studied locations that represent the widest possible range in kelp forest biodiversity. Global distribution of kelp forests is physiologically constrained by light at high latitudes and by nutrients, warm temperatures and other macrophytes at low latitudes. Within mid-latitude belts (roughly 40–60° latitude in both hemispheres) well-developed kelp forests are most threatened by herbivory, usually from sea urchins. Overfishing and extirpation of highly valued vertebrate apex predators often triggered herbivore population increases, leading to widespread kelp deforestation. Such deforestations have the most profound and lasting impacts on species-depauperate systems, such as those in Alaska and the western North Atlantic. Globally urchin-induced deforestation has been increasing over the past 2–3 decades. Continued fishing down of coastal food webs has resulted in shifting harvesting targets from apex predators to their invertebrate prey, including kelp-grazing herbivores. The recent global expansion of sea urchin harvesting has led to the widespread extirpation of this herbivore, and kelp forests have returned in some locations but, for the first time, these forests are devoid of vertebrate apex predators. In the western North Atlantic, large predatory crabs have recently filled this void and they have become the new apex predator in this system. Similar shifts from fish- to crab-dominance may have occurred in coastal zones of the United Kingdom and Japan, where large predatory finfish were extirpated long ago. Three North American case studies of kelp forests were examined to ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Steneck, Robert S. Graham, Michael H. Bourque, Bruce J. Corbett, Debbie Erlandson, Jon M. Estes, James A. Tegner, Mia J. |
spellingShingle |
Steneck, Robert S. Graham, Michael H. Bourque, Bruce J. Corbett, Debbie Erlandson, Jon M. Estes, James A. Tegner, Mia J. Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
author_facet |
Steneck, Robert S. Graham, Michael H. Bourque, Bruce J. Corbett, Debbie Erlandson, Jon M. Estes, James A. Tegner, Mia J. |
author_sort |
Steneck, Robert S. |
title |
Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
title_short |
Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
title_full |
Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
title_fullStr |
Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
title_full_unstemmed |
Kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
title_sort |
kelp forest ecosystems: biodiversity, stability, resilience and future |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892902000322 |
genre |
North Atlantic Alaska Aleutian Islands |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Alaska Aleutian Islands |
op_source |
Environmental Conservation volume 29, issue 4, page 436-459 ISSN 0376-8929 1469-4387 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322 |
container_title |
Environmental Conservation |
container_volume |
29 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
436 |
op_container_end_page |
459 |
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1802647351655923712 |