Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance
An understanding of the balance of interspecific competition and the physical environment in structuring organismal communities is crucial because those communities structured primarily by their physical environment typically exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental change than those structured...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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ftsouthampton:oai:eprints.soton.ac.uk:424192 2023-07-30T04:05:54+02:00 Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance Ashford, Oliver S. Kenny, Andrew J. Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S. Bonsall, Michael B. Horton, Tammy Brandt, Angelika Bird, Graham J. Gerken, Sarah Rogers, Alex D. 2018-08-15 https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/424192/ English eng Ashford, Oliver S., Kenny, Andrew J., Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S., Bonsall, Michael B., Horton, Tammy, Brandt, Angelika, Bird, Graham J., Gerken, Sarah and Rogers, Alex D. (2018) Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285 (1884), [20180923]. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.0923 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0923>). Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftsouthampton https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0923 2023-07-09T22:24:55Z An understanding of the balance of interspecific competition and the physical environment in structuring organismal communities is crucial because those communities structured primarily by their physical environment typically exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental change than those structured predominantly by competitive interactions. Here, using detailed phylogenetic and functional information, we investigate this question in macrofaunal assemblages from Northwest Atlantic Ocean continental slopes, a high seas region projected to experience substantial environmental change through the current century. We demonstrate assemblages to be both phylogenetically and functionally under-dispersed, and thus conclude that the physical environment, not competition, may dominate in structuring deep-ocean communities. Further, we find temperature and bottom trawling intensity to be among the environmental factors significantly related to assemblage diversity. These results hint that deep-ocean communities are highly sensitive to their physical environment and vulnerable to environmental perturbation, including by direct disturbance through fishing, and indirectly through the changes brought about by climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Atlantic University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285 1884 20180923 |
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Open Polar |
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University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton |
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ftsouthampton |
language |
English |
description |
An understanding of the balance of interspecific competition and the physical environment in structuring organismal communities is crucial because those communities structured primarily by their physical environment typically exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental change than those structured predominantly by competitive interactions. Here, using detailed phylogenetic and functional information, we investigate this question in macrofaunal assemblages from Northwest Atlantic Ocean continental slopes, a high seas region projected to experience substantial environmental change through the current century. We demonstrate assemblages to be both phylogenetically and functionally under-dispersed, and thus conclude that the physical environment, not competition, may dominate in structuring deep-ocean communities. Further, we find temperature and bottom trawling intensity to be among the environmental factors significantly related to assemblage diversity. These results hint that deep-ocean communities are highly sensitive to their physical environment and vulnerable to environmental perturbation, including by direct disturbance through fishing, and indirectly through the changes brought about by climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ashford, Oliver S. Kenny, Andrew J. Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S. Bonsall, Michael B. Horton, Tammy Brandt, Angelika Bird, Graham J. Gerken, Sarah Rogers, Alex D. |
spellingShingle |
Ashford, Oliver S. Kenny, Andrew J. Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S. Bonsall, Michael B. Horton, Tammy Brandt, Angelika Bird, Graham J. Gerken, Sarah Rogers, Alex D. Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
author_facet |
Ashford, Oliver S. Kenny, Andrew J. Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S. Bonsall, Michael B. Horton, Tammy Brandt, Angelika Bird, Graham J. Gerken, Sarah Rogers, Alex D. |
author_sort |
Ashford, Oliver S. |
title |
Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
title_short |
Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
title_full |
Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
title_fullStr |
Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
title_sort |
phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/424192/ |
genre |
Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northwest Atlantic |
op_relation |
Ashford, Oliver S., Kenny, Andrew J., Barrio Froján, Christopher R.S., Bonsall, Michael B., Horton, Tammy, Brandt, Angelika, Bird, Graham J., Gerken, Sarah and Rogers, Alex D. (2018) Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285 (1884), [20180923]. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.0923 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0923>). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0923 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
285 |
container_issue |
1884 |
container_start_page |
20180923 |
_version_ |
1772818199397531648 |