Mapping functional groups can provide insight into ecosystem functioning and potential resilience of intertidal sandflats

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dc.contributor.authorGreenfield, Barry L.en_NZ
dc.contributor.authorKraan, Casperen_NZ
dc.contributor.authorPilditch, Conrad A.en_NZ
dc.contributor.authorThrush, Simon F.en_NZ
dc.date.accessioned2016-06-03T00:51:20Z
dc.date.available2016en_NZ
dc.date.available2016-06-03T00:51:20Z
dc.date.issued2016en_NZ
dc.description.abstractThe ability of species to maintain ecosystem functions under environmental stress depends on their vulnerability, adaptability and potential for dispersal and re-establishment. Species that share traits can perform similar functions, thus offering functional redundancy, and therefore potentially confer resilience in ecosystem function. In this regard, both species abundance and occurrence across a landscape are likely to affect the importance of redundancy. To investigate spatial patterns in functional redundancy, we assessed the degree to which specific functional traits linked to ecosystem function are shared, along with patterns of abundance and distribution, in a macrobenthic community (115 taxa; 23 682 individuals) sampled in 400 plots from a large intertidal area (300 000 m2). We defined 26 functional groups; 85% of these contained more than 1 species and 50% more than 3 species. Most functional group (22 of 26) distributions were non-random (as identified by Moran's I) and fell into 1 of 3 spatial patterns - gradients (n = 8 function groups), and large (n = 2) and small patches (n = 12) - that separate the functional attributes of the macrobenthic community. Only 2 functional groups exhibited low species richness and low abundance, but their widespread occurrence could provide resilience to small-scale disturbances. This spatial consideration of functional group distribution stresses the notion that resilience is likely to be scale-dependent rather than a commodity on offer across a whole system. Our findings emphasise the importance not only of within-functional group species richness but also of abundance and occurrence as a framework to investigate functional diversity and resilience of benthic seafloor communities.en_NZ
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationGreenfield, B. L., Kraan, C., Pilditch, C. A., & Thrush, S. F. (2016). Mapping functional groups can provide insight into ecosystem functioning and potential resilience of intertidal sandflats. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 548. http://doi.org/10.3354/meps11692en
dc.identifier.doi10.3354/meps11692en_NZ
dc.identifier.issn0171-8630en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/10297
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-Research Scienceen_NZ
dc.relation.isPartOfMarine Ecology Progress Seriesen_NZ
dc.relation.urihttp://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v548/p1-10/en_NZ
dc.rights© The authors 2016. Open Access under Creative Commons by Attribution Licence. Use, distribution and reproduction are unrestricted. Authors and original publication must be credited.
dc.subjectbiodiversityen_NZ
dc.subjectecosystem functionen_NZ
dc.subjectfunctional redundancyen_NZ
dc.subjectfunctional traitsen_NZ
dc.subjectintertidalen_NZ
dc.subjectNew Zealanden_NZ
dc.subjectscale-dependenceen_NZ
dc.subjectspatial autocorrelationen_NZ
dc.subjectspatial variationen_NZ
dc.titleMapping functional groups can provide insight into ecosystem functioning and potential resilience of intertidal sandflatsen_NZ
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.begin-page1en_NZ
pubs.elements-id138710
pubs.end-page10en_NZ
pubs.notesEBSCOhost confirms peer revieweden_NZ
pubs.organisational-group/Waikato
pubs.organisational-group/Waikato/FSEN
pubs.organisational-group/Waikato/FSEN/School of Science
pubs.volume548en_NZ
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