Overwintering tropical herbivores accelerate detritus production on temperate reefs

S. Zarco‐Perello, T. Langlois, T. Holmes, M. Vanderklift, T. Wernberg
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引用次数: 16

Abstract

The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems can lead to increased herbivory rates, reducing the standing stock of seaweeds and potentially causing increases in detritus production. However, long-term studies analysing these processes associated with the persistence of tropical herbivores in temperate reefs are lacking. We assessed the seasonal variation in abundances, macrophyte consumption, feeding modes and defecation rates of the range-extending tropical rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens and the temperate silver drummer Kyphosus sydneyanus and herring cale Olisthops cyanomelas on tropicalized reefs of Western Australia. Rabbitfish overwintered in temperate reefs, consumed more kelp and other macrophytes in all feeding modes, and defecated more during both summer and winter than the temperate herbivores. Herbivory and defecation increased with rabbitfish abundance, but this was dependent on temperature, with higher rates attained by big schools during summer and lower rates in winter. Still, rabbitfish surpassed temperate herbivores, leading to a fivefold acceleration in the transformation of macrophyte standing stock to detritus, a function usually attributed to sea urchins in kelp forests. Our results suggest that further warming and tropicalization will not only increase primary consumption and affect the habitat structure of temperate reefs but also increase detritus production, with the potential to modify energy pathways.
越冬的热带食草动物加速了温带珊瑚礁上碎屑的产生
温带海洋生态系统的热带化可能导致草食率增加,减少海草的存量,并可能导致碎屑产量增加。然而,缺乏分析这些过程与温带珊瑚礁中热带食草动物持久性相关的长期研究。研究了西澳大利亚热带珊瑚礁上的热带兔鱼Siganus fuscesens、温带银尾鱼Kyphosus sydneyanus和青鱼olisthoops cyanomelas的丰度、大型植物消耗、摄食方式和排便率的季节变化。兔鱼在温带珊瑚礁中越冬,在所有摄食方式中都消耗更多的海带和其他大型植物,并且在夏季和冬季都比温带食草动物排便更多。草食和排便随兔鱼数量的增加而增加,但这取决于温度,夏季大群的排便率较高,冬季则较低。尽管如此,兔鱼还是超过了温带食草动物,导致大型植物存量向碎屑转化的速度加快了5倍,这一功能通常被归因于海带森林中的海胆。我们的研究结果表明,进一步的变暖和热带化不仅会增加温带珊瑚礁的初级消耗和影响生境结构,还会增加碎屑的产生,并有可能改变能量途径。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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