Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem
Abiotic and biotic factors control ecosystem biodiversity, but their relative contributions remain unclear. The ultraoligotrophic ecosystem of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a simple yet highly heterogeneous ecosystem, is a natural laboratory well-suited for resolving the abiotic and biotic controls of...
Published in: | Communications Biology |
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2019
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Online Access: | https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/166436010/Biotic.pdf |
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ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e 2024-09-15T17:44:07+00:00 Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem Lee, Charles K Laughlin, Daniel C. Bottos, Eric M. Caruso, Tancredi Joy, Kurt Barrett, John E. Brabyn, Lars Nielsen, Uffe N. Adams, Byron J. Wall, Diana H. Hopkins, David W. Pointing, Stephen B. McDonald, Ian R. Cowan, Don A. Banks, Jonathan C. Stichbury, Glen A. Jones, Irfon Zawar-Reza, Peyman Katurji, Marwan Hogg, Ian D. Sparrow, Ashley D. Storey, Bryan C. Allan Green, T. G. Cary, S. Craig 2019-02-15 application/pdf https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/166436010/Biotic.pdf eng eng https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Lee , C K , Laughlin , D C , Bottos , E M , Caruso , T , Joy , K , Barrett , J E , Brabyn , L , Nielsen , U N , Adams , B J , Wall , D H , Hopkins , D W , Pointing , S B , McDonald , I R , Cowan , D A , Banks , J C , Stichbury , G A , Jones , I , Zawar-Reza , P , Katurji , M , Hogg , I D , Sparrow , A D , Storey , B C , Allan Green , T G & Cary , S C 2019 , ' Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem ' , Communications Biology , no. 2 , 62 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 article 2019 ftqueensubelpubl https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 2024-07-15T23:49:24Z Abiotic and biotic factors control ecosystem biodiversity, but their relative contributions remain unclear. The ultraoligotrophic ecosystem of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a simple yet highly heterogeneous ecosystem, is a natural laboratory well-suited for resolving the abiotic and biotic controls of community structure. We undertook a multidisciplinary investigation to capture ecologically relevant biotic and abiotic attributes of more than 500 sites in the Dry Valleys, encompassing observed landscape heterogeneities across more than 200 km2. Using richness of autotrophic and heterotrophic taxa as a proxy for functional complexity, we linked measured variables in a parsimonious yet comprehensive structural equation model that explained significant variations in biological complexity and identified landscape-scale andfine-scale abiotic factors as the primary drivers of diversity. However, the inclusion of linkages among functional groups was essential for constructing the best-fitting model. Our findings support the notion that biotic interactions make crucial contributions even in an extremely simple ecosystem. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Communications Biology 2 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Queen's University Belfast Research Portal |
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ftqueensubelpubl |
language |
English |
description |
Abiotic and biotic factors control ecosystem biodiversity, but their relative contributions remain unclear. The ultraoligotrophic ecosystem of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a simple yet highly heterogeneous ecosystem, is a natural laboratory well-suited for resolving the abiotic and biotic controls of community structure. We undertook a multidisciplinary investigation to capture ecologically relevant biotic and abiotic attributes of more than 500 sites in the Dry Valleys, encompassing observed landscape heterogeneities across more than 200 km2. Using richness of autotrophic and heterotrophic taxa as a proxy for functional complexity, we linked measured variables in a parsimonious yet comprehensive structural equation model that explained significant variations in biological complexity and identified landscape-scale andfine-scale abiotic factors as the primary drivers of diversity. However, the inclusion of linkages among functional groups was essential for constructing the best-fitting model. Our findings support the notion that biotic interactions make crucial contributions even in an extremely simple ecosystem. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lee, Charles K Laughlin, Daniel C. Bottos, Eric M. Caruso, Tancredi Joy, Kurt Barrett, John E. Brabyn, Lars Nielsen, Uffe N. Adams, Byron J. Wall, Diana H. Hopkins, David W. Pointing, Stephen B. McDonald, Ian R. Cowan, Don A. Banks, Jonathan C. Stichbury, Glen A. Jones, Irfon Zawar-Reza, Peyman Katurji, Marwan Hogg, Ian D. Sparrow, Ashley D. Storey, Bryan C. Allan Green, T. G. Cary, S. Craig |
spellingShingle |
Lee, Charles K Laughlin, Daniel C. Bottos, Eric M. Caruso, Tancredi Joy, Kurt Barrett, John E. Brabyn, Lars Nielsen, Uffe N. Adams, Byron J. Wall, Diana H. Hopkins, David W. Pointing, Stephen B. McDonald, Ian R. Cowan, Don A. Banks, Jonathan C. Stichbury, Glen A. Jones, Irfon Zawar-Reza, Peyman Katurji, Marwan Hogg, Ian D. Sparrow, Ashley D. Storey, Bryan C. Allan Green, T. G. Cary, S. Craig Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
author_facet |
Lee, Charles K Laughlin, Daniel C. Bottos, Eric M. Caruso, Tancredi Joy, Kurt Barrett, John E. Brabyn, Lars Nielsen, Uffe N. Adams, Byron J. Wall, Diana H. Hopkins, David W. Pointing, Stephen B. McDonald, Ian R. Cowan, Don A. Banks, Jonathan C. Stichbury, Glen A. Jones, Irfon Zawar-Reza, Peyman Katurji, Marwan Hogg, Ian D. Sparrow, Ashley D. Storey, Bryan C. Allan Green, T. G. Cary, S. Craig |
author_sort |
Lee, Charles K |
title |
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
title_short |
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
title_full |
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
title_fullStr |
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
title_sort |
biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/166436010/Biotic.pdf |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Lee , C K , Laughlin , D C , Bottos , E M , Caruso , T , Joy , K , Barrett , J E , Brabyn , L , Nielsen , U N , Adams , B J , Wall , D H , Hopkins , D W , Pointing , S B , McDonald , I R , Cowan , D A , Banks , J C , Stichbury , G A , Jones , I , Zawar-Reza , P , Katurji , M , Hogg , I D , Sparrow , A D , Storey , B C , Allan Green , T G & Cary , S C 2019 , ' Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem ' , Communications Biology , no. 2 , 62 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 |
op_relation |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/19c6997b-23cb-4395-a710-1e1c3c14377e |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 |
container_title |
Communications Biology |
container_volume |
2 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1810491474055266304 |