Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective
Abstract Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the c...
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crwiley:10.1002/ece3.774 2024-06-23T07:55:28+00:00 Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective Smale, Dan A. Burrows, Michael T. Moore, Pippa O'Connor, Nessa Hawkins, Stephen J. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.774 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fece3.774 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.774 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Ecology and Evolution volume 3, issue 11, page 4016-4038 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 journal-article 2013 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.774 2024-06-13T04:20:58Z Abstract Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the coasts of UK and Ireland, which represents an important biogeographic transition zone that is subjected to multiple threats and stressors. We collated existing data on kelp distribution and abundance and reanalyzed these data to describe the structure of kelp forests along a spatial gradient spanning more than 10° of latitude. We then examined ecological goods and services provided by kelp forests, including elevated secondary production, nutrient cycling, energy capture and flow, coastal defense, direct applications, and biodiversity repositories, before discussing current and future threats posed to kelp forests and identifying key knowledge gaps. Recent evidence unequivocally demonstrates that the structure of kelp forests in the NE Atlantic is changing in response to climate‐ and non‐climate‐related stressors, which will have major implications for the structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, kelp‐dominated habitats along much of the NE Atlantic coastline have been chronically understudied over recent decades in comparison with other regions such as Australasia and North America. The paucity of field‐based research currently impedes our ability to conserve and manage these important ecosystems. Targeted observational and experimental research conducted over large spatial and temporal scales is urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northeast Atlantic Wiley Online Library Ecology and Evolution 3 11 4016 4038 |
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English |
description |
Abstract Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the coasts of UK and Ireland, which represents an important biogeographic transition zone that is subjected to multiple threats and stressors. We collated existing data on kelp distribution and abundance and reanalyzed these data to describe the structure of kelp forests along a spatial gradient spanning more than 10° of latitude. We then examined ecological goods and services provided by kelp forests, including elevated secondary production, nutrient cycling, energy capture and flow, coastal defense, direct applications, and biodiversity repositories, before discussing current and future threats posed to kelp forests and identifying key knowledge gaps. Recent evidence unequivocally demonstrates that the structure of kelp forests in the NE Atlantic is changing in response to climate‐ and non‐climate‐related stressors, which will have major implications for the structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, kelp‐dominated habitats along much of the NE Atlantic coastline have been chronically understudied over recent decades in comparison with other regions such as Australasia and North America. The paucity of field‐based research currently impedes our ability to conserve and manage these important ecosystems. Targeted observational and experimental research conducted over large spatial and temporal scales is urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Smale, Dan A. Burrows, Michael T. Moore, Pippa O'Connor, Nessa Hawkins, Stephen J. |
spellingShingle |
Smale, Dan A. Burrows, Michael T. Moore, Pippa O'Connor, Nessa Hawkins, Stephen J. Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
author_facet |
Smale, Dan A. Burrows, Michael T. Moore, Pippa O'Connor, Nessa Hawkins, Stephen J. |
author_sort |
Smale, Dan A. |
title |
Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
title_short |
Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
title_full |
Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
title_fullStr |
Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
title_full_unstemmed |
Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective |
title_sort |
threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast atlantic perspective |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.774 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fece3.774 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.774 |
genre |
Northeast Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northeast Atlantic |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution volume 3, issue 11, page 4016-4038 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.774 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
3 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
4016 |
op_container_end_page |
4038 |
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1802648081032806400 |