Long-term coastal macrobenthic Community Trajectory Analysis reveals habitat-dependent stability patterns ...

• Main Authors: Toumi, Chirine, De Cáceres, Miquel, Grall, Jacques, Boyé, Aurelien, Thiebaut, Éric, Maguer, Marion, Le Garrec, Vincent, Broudin, Caroline, Houbin, Céline, Gauthier, Olivier
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2023
• Subjects: FOS Biological sciences; temporal β diversity; trajectory analysis; null model; long-term monitoring; benthic communities; biogenic habitats; Ibar; McIntyre; Noire; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8gtht76rx; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.8gtht76rx

Long-term monitoring programs are fundamental to detecting changes in ecosystem health and understanding ecological processes. In the current context of increasing anthropogenic threats on marine ecosystems, understanding the dynamics and response of communities becomes essential. We used data collected over 14 years in the REBENT benthic coastal invertebrates monitoring program, at a regional scale in the North-East Atlantic, covering a total of 26 sites and 979 taxa. Four distinct habitats were studied: two biogenic habitats associated with foundation species in the intertidal and subtidal zones and two bare sedimentary habitats in the same respective tidal zones. We used Community Trajectory Analysis, a statistical approach that allows for quantitative measures and comparisons of temporal trajectories of ecosystems. We compared observed community trajectories to trajectories simulated under a non-directional null model in order to better understand the dynamics of the communities, their potential drivers, ... : Benthic communities have been monitored yearly since 2003 along the coast of Brittany (France) within the REBENT program (http://www.rebent.org). We focused on four habitats and their associated endofaunal communities: intertidal seagrass beds (only Zostera marina beds are monitored within the REBENT), intertidal sandy beaches, subtidal maerl beds and subtidal soft sediments (respectively referred to as intertidal biogenic habitat (IBIO), intertidal bare habitat (IBAR), subtidal biogenic habitat (SBIO) and subtidal bare habitat (SBAR) in the manuscript). At each site, three faunal samples were taken at each of three fixed sampling points distributed 200 m apart (0.03 m2 cores in the intertidal and 0.1 m2 Smith-McIntyre grabs in the subtidal), except for Pierre Noire (8) where up to 10 grabs were taken at the sampling site. Sampling was performed between the end of February and the beginning of May before recruitment of most species occurs in the region. In the laboratory, specimens were sorted, counted and ...