Scale-dependent effects of biodiversity and stability on marine
ecosystem dynamics
- Louise Flensborg
, - Marcel Montanyès
, - Antoni Vivó-Pons
, - Fernanda Da Silva,
- Martin Lindegren
Abstract
The global biodiversity loss is causing abrupt shifts in the structure
and functioning of ecosystems with severe ecological and socio-economic
consequences. Therefore, improving our understanding of ecosystem
dynamics and regime shifts, as well as the stabilizing role of
biodiversity across multiple scales is needed. Here we investigate the
temporal dynamics and stability of marine ecosystems using
high-resolution monitoring data on fish species composition, abundances
and traits throughout European Seas. More specifically, we quantify and
compare the direction and magnitude of community change at multiple
spatial scales and levels of biological organization. Our results show
less variability in community trajectories at larger spatial scales and
higher levels of biological organization. The main underlying processes
providing stability are statistical averaging arising from a larger pool
of species, while at smaller spatial scales stability also emerge from
functional complementarity channeled through the distribution of species
traits within functional groups.