Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change.
The determinants of the structure, functioning and resilience of pelagic ecosystems across most of the polar regions are not well known. Improved understanding is essential for assessing the value of biodiversity and predicting the effects of change (including in biodiversity) on these ecosystems an...
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2016
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ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org/ark:/13030/qt6md5z9jm 2023-05-15T14:01:12+02:00 Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. Murphy, EJ Cavanagh, RD Drinkwater, KF Grant, SM Heymans, JJ Hofmann, EE Hunt, GL Johnston, NM 20161646 - 20161646 2016-12-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6md5z9jm unknown eScholarship, University of California qt6md5z9jm https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6md5z9jm public Proceedings. Biological sciences, vol 283, iss 1844 Ecosystem Biodiversity Food Chain Antarctic Regions Arctic Regions Oceans and Seas Climate Change ecosystem functioning ecosystems ocean polar Biological Sciences Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Medical and Health Sciences article 2016 ftcdlib 2021-03-11T09:12:24Z The determinants of the structure, functioning and resilience of pelagic ecosystems across most of the polar regions are not well known. Improved understanding is essential for assessing the value of biodiversity and predicting the effects of change (including in biodiversity) on these ecosystems and the services they maintain. Here we focus on the trophic interactions that underpin ecosystem structure, developing comparative analyses of how polar pelagic food webs vary in relation to the environment. We highlight that there is not a singular, generic Arctic or Antarctic pelagic food web, and, although there are characteristic pathways of energy flow dominated by a small number of species, alternative routes are important for maintaining energy transfer and resilience. These more complex routes cannot, however, provide the same rate of energy flow to highest trophic-level species. Food-web structure may be similar in different regions, but the individual species that dominate mid-trophic levels vary across polar regions. The characteristics (traits) of these species are also different and these differences influence a range of food-web processes. Low functional redundancy at key trophic levels makes these ecosystems particularly sensitive to change. To develop models for projecting responses of polar ecosystems to future environmental change, we propose a conceptual framework that links the life histories of pelagic species and the structure of polar food webs. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change University of California: eScholarship Antarctic Arctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Ecosystem Biodiversity Food Chain Antarctic Regions Arctic Regions Oceans and Seas Climate Change ecosystem functioning ecosystems ocean polar Biological Sciences Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Medical and Health Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Ecosystem Biodiversity Food Chain Antarctic Regions Arctic Regions Oceans and Seas Climate Change ecosystem functioning ecosystems ocean polar Biological Sciences Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Medical and Health Sciences Murphy, EJ Cavanagh, RD Drinkwater, KF Grant, SM Heymans, JJ Hofmann, EE Hunt, GL Johnston, NM Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
topic_facet |
Ecosystem Biodiversity Food Chain Antarctic Regions Arctic Regions Oceans and Seas Climate Change ecosystem functioning ecosystems ocean polar Biological Sciences Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Medical and Health Sciences |
description |
The determinants of the structure, functioning and resilience of pelagic ecosystems across most of the polar regions are not well known. Improved understanding is essential for assessing the value of biodiversity and predicting the effects of change (including in biodiversity) on these ecosystems and the services they maintain. Here we focus on the trophic interactions that underpin ecosystem structure, developing comparative analyses of how polar pelagic food webs vary in relation to the environment. We highlight that there is not a singular, generic Arctic or Antarctic pelagic food web, and, although there are characteristic pathways of energy flow dominated by a small number of species, alternative routes are important for maintaining energy transfer and resilience. These more complex routes cannot, however, provide the same rate of energy flow to highest trophic-level species. Food-web structure may be similar in different regions, but the individual species that dominate mid-trophic levels vary across polar regions. The characteristics (traits) of these species are also different and these differences influence a range of food-web processes. Low functional redundancy at key trophic levels makes these ecosystems particularly sensitive to change. To develop models for projecting responses of polar ecosystems to future environmental change, we propose a conceptual framework that links the life histories of pelagic species and the structure of polar food webs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Murphy, EJ Cavanagh, RD Drinkwater, KF Grant, SM Heymans, JJ Hofmann, EE Hunt, GL Johnston, NM |
author_facet |
Murphy, EJ Cavanagh, RD Drinkwater, KF Grant, SM Heymans, JJ Hofmann, EE Hunt, GL Johnston, NM |
author_sort |
Murphy, EJ |
title |
Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
title_short |
Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
title_full |
Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
title_fullStr |
Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
title_sort |
understanding the structure and functioning of polar pelagic ecosystems to predict the impacts of change. |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6md5z9jm |
op_coverage |
20161646 - 20161646 |
geographic |
Antarctic Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Arctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change |
op_source |
Proceedings. Biological sciences, vol 283, iss 1844 |
op_relation |
qt6md5z9jm https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6md5z9jm |
op_rights |
public |
_version_ |
1766270794035363840 |