Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality

The ability of organisms to adapt their foraging behaviour to spatial variations in food availability and habitat quality is crucial to maximize energy intake and hence fitness. Under ideal conditions, habitat selection should result in a spatial distribution of individuals such that their fitness (...

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Published in:Marine Ecology Progress Series
Main Authors: Werner, Karl-Michael, Taylor, Marc, Diekmann, Rabea, Lloret, Josep, Möllmann, Christian, Primicerio, Raul, Fock, Heino O.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Inter Research 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17421
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13120
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spelling ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/17421 2023-05-15T15:27:45+02:00 Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality Werner, Karl-Michael Taylor, Marc Diekmann, Rabea Lloret, Josep Möllmann, Christian Primicerio, Raul Fock, Heino O. 2019-10-24 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17421 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13120 eng eng Inter Research Marine Ecology Progress Series Werner, Taylor M, Diekmann, Lloret J, Möllmann C, Primicerio R, Fock HO. Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2019;629:179-191 FRIDAID 1775184 doi:10.3354/meps13120 0171-8630 1616-1599 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17421 openAccess Copyright 2019 The Author(s) VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920 VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920 VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed publishedVersion 2019 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13120 2021-06-25T17:57:15Z The ability of organisms to adapt their foraging behaviour to spatial variations in food availability and habitat quality is crucial to maximize energy intake and hence fitness. Under ideal conditions, habitat selection should result in a spatial distribution of individuals such that their fitness (energy reserves or condition) is roughly equal across habitats of varying quality. Using 11 yr of field data on Atlantic cod Gadus morhua distribution along the Greenland shelf, we investigated the foraging behaviour and life history of cod in heterogeneous environments. We combined information on energy reserves of cod with spatially resolved diet composition data to derive a measure of habitat quality and heterogeneity. Energy reserves in individual fish were best explained by the particular area they inhabited, whereas growth, population density, food quantity and interannual effects were of minor importance. Condition differed on relatively small spatial scales, at which cod would be capable of redistributing in favour of high-quality habitats. Our results indicate that particular areas may persistently allow higher fitness by sustaining high-conditioned individuals but suggest that replenishment of well-conditioned individuals in these high-quality habitats may take longer than expected. We conclude that cod exhibited limited scope in its behavioural response to spatial variation of habitat quality, leading to persistent spatio-temporal differences in energy reserves. Current climate change and fishing activities alter ecosystems and affect habitat heterogeneity, and the adaptive responsiveness of species to such changes in habitat quality is important in natural resource management. Article in Journal/Newspaper atlantic cod Gadus morhua Greenland University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Greenland Marine Ecology Progress Series 629 179 191
institution Open Polar
collection University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive
op_collection_id ftunivtroemsoe
language English
topic VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920
VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400
spellingShingle VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920
VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400
Werner, Karl-Michael
Taylor, Marc
Diekmann, Rabea
Lloret, Josep
Möllmann, Christian
Primicerio, Raul
Fock, Heino O.
Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
topic_facet VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920
VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400
description The ability of organisms to adapt their foraging behaviour to spatial variations in food availability and habitat quality is crucial to maximize energy intake and hence fitness. Under ideal conditions, habitat selection should result in a spatial distribution of individuals such that their fitness (energy reserves or condition) is roughly equal across habitats of varying quality. Using 11 yr of field data on Atlantic cod Gadus morhua distribution along the Greenland shelf, we investigated the foraging behaviour and life history of cod in heterogeneous environments. We combined information on energy reserves of cod with spatially resolved diet composition data to derive a measure of habitat quality and heterogeneity. Energy reserves in individual fish were best explained by the particular area they inhabited, whereas growth, population density, food quantity and interannual effects were of minor importance. Condition differed on relatively small spatial scales, at which cod would be capable of redistributing in favour of high-quality habitats. Our results indicate that particular areas may persistently allow higher fitness by sustaining high-conditioned individuals but suggest that replenishment of well-conditioned individuals in these high-quality habitats may take longer than expected. We conclude that cod exhibited limited scope in its behavioural response to spatial variation of habitat quality, leading to persistent spatio-temporal differences in energy reserves. Current climate change and fishing activities alter ecosystems and affect habitat heterogeneity, and the adaptive responsiveness of species to such changes in habitat quality is important in natural resource management.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Werner, Karl-Michael
Taylor, Marc
Diekmann, Rabea
Lloret, Josep
Möllmann, Christian
Primicerio, Raul
Fock, Heino O.
author_facet Werner, Karl-Michael
Taylor, Marc
Diekmann, Rabea
Lloret, Josep
Möllmann, Christian
Primicerio, Raul
Fock, Heino O.
author_sort Werner, Karl-Michael
title Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
title_short Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
title_full Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
title_fullStr Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
title_full_unstemmed Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
title_sort evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality
publisher Inter Research
publishDate 2019
url https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17421
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13120
geographic Greenland
geographic_facet Greenland
genre atlantic cod
Gadus morhua
Greenland
genre_facet atlantic cod
Gadus morhua
Greenland
op_relation Marine Ecology Progress Series
Werner, Taylor M, Diekmann, Lloret J, Möllmann C, Primicerio R, Fock HO. Evidence for limited adaptive responsiveness to large-scale spatial variation of habitat quality. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2019;629:179-191
FRIDAID 1775184
doi:10.3354/meps13120
0171-8630
1616-1599
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17421
op_rights openAccess
Copyright 2019 The Author(s)
op_doi https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13120
container_title Marine Ecology Progress Series
container_volume 629
container_start_page 179
op_container_end_page 191
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