Ocean acidification affects competition for space: projections of community structure using cellular automata
Abstract
Historical ecological datasets from a coastal marine community of crustose coralline algae (CCA) enabled the documentation of ecological changes in this community over 30 years in the Northeast Pacific. Data on competitive interactions obtained from field surveys showed concordance between the 1980s and 2013, yet also revealed a reduction in how strongly species interact. Here, we extend these empirical findings with a cellular automaton model to forecast ecological dynamics. Our model suggests the emergence of a new dominant competitor in a global change scenario, with a reduced role of herbivory pressure, or trophic control, in regulating competition among CCA. Ocean acidification, due to its energetic demands, may now instead play this role in mediating competitive interactions and thereby promote species diversity within this guild.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 16, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1098/rspb.2015.2561
Entities
People
- Catherine A Pfister
- Sophie J McCoy
- Stefano Allesina
Organizations
- Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Division of Ocean Sciences
- European Research Council
- National Science Foundation
- National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory
- University of Chicago