Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Hannah McCormick, Alison Debney, José M. Fariñas‐Franco, Celine Gamble, Chris Gillies, Boze Hancock, Ane T. Laugen, Stéphane Pouvreau, Joanne Preston, William G. Sanderson, Åsa Strand, Ruth H. Thurstan
{"title":"European Native Oyster Reef Ecosystems Are Universally Collapsed","authors":"Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Hannah McCormick, Alison Debney, José M. Fariñas‐Franco, Celine Gamble, Chris Gillies, Boze Hancock, Ane T. Laugen, Stéphane Pouvreau, Joanne Preston, William G. Sanderson, Åsa Strand, Ruth H. Thurstan","doi":"10.1111/conl.13068","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Oyster reefs are often referred to as the temperate functional equivalent of coral reefs. Yet evidence for this analogy was lacking for the European native species <jats:italic>Ostrea edulis</jats:italic>. Historical data provide a unique opportunity to develop a robust definition for this ecosystem type, confirm that <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> are large‐scale biogenic reef builders, and assess its current conservation status. Today, <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> occur as scattered individuals or, rarely, as dense clumps over a few m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>. Yet historically, <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> reef ecosystems persisted at large scales (several km<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>), with individual reefs within the ecosystems present at the scale of several hectares. Using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Framework, we conclude the European native oyster reef ecosystem type is collapsed under three of five criteria (A: reduction in geographic distribution, B: restricted geographic range, and D: disruption of biotic processes and interactions). Criterion C (environmental degradation) was data deficient, and Criterion E (quantitative risk analysis) was not completed as the ecosystem was already deemed collapsed. Our assessment has important implications for conservation policy and action, highlighting that the habitat definitions on which conservation policies are currently based reflect a highly shifted baseline, and that the scale of current restoration efforts falls far short of what is necessary for ecosystem recovery.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Conservation Letters","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13068","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Oyster reefs are often referred to as the temperate functional equivalent of coral reefs. Yet evidence for this analogy was lacking for the European native species Ostrea edulis. Historical data provide a unique opportunity to develop a robust definition for this ecosystem type, confirm that O. edulis are large‐scale biogenic reef builders, and assess its current conservation status. Today, O. edulis occur as scattered individuals or, rarely, as dense clumps over a few m2. Yet historically, O. edulis reef ecosystems persisted at large scales (several km2), with individual reefs within the ecosystems present at the scale of several hectares. Using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Framework, we conclude the European native oyster reef ecosystem type is collapsed under three of five criteria (A: reduction in geographic distribution, B: restricted geographic range, and D: disruption of biotic processes and interactions). Criterion C (environmental degradation) was data deficient, and Criterion E (quantitative risk analysis) was not completed as the ecosystem was already deemed collapsed. Our assessment has important implications for conservation policy and action, highlighting that the habitat definitions on which conservation policies are currently based reflect a highly shifted baseline, and that the scale of current restoration efforts falls far short of what is necessary for ecosystem recovery.
期刊介绍:
Conservation Letters is a reputable scientific journal that is devoted to the publication of both empirical and theoretical research that has important implications for the conservation of biological diversity. The journal warmly invites submissions from various disciplines within the biological and social sciences, with a particular interest in interdisciplinary work. The primary aim is to advance both pragmatic conservation objectives and scientific knowledge. Manuscripts are subject to a rapid communication schedule, therefore they should address current and relevant topics. Research articles should effectively communicate the significance of their findings in relation to conservation policy and practice.