| Contributors: |
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, USA; Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama; The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA; Dauphin Island Sea Lab and University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, USA; Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA; UF|IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, USA; The Centre for Ocean Research and Education (CORE), Gregory Town, Bahamas; International Field Studies, Inc., Forfar Field Station, Blanket Sound, Bahamas; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; CSA Ocean Sciences Inc., Stuart, FL, USA; College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, USA; Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Mexico; Soil and Water Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, ‘Shorelands’, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda; CEAB (CSIC), Girona, Spain; Coastal and Ocean Processes Section, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA; Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), St. George’s, Bermuda |
| Description: |
Climate change is altering the functioning of foundational ecosystems. While the direct effects of warming are expected to influence individual species, the indirect effects of warming on species interactions remain poorly understood. In marine systems, as tropical herbivores undergo poleward range expansion, they may change food web structure and alter the functioning of key habitats. While this process (‘tropicalization’) has been documented within declining kelp forests, we have a limited understanding of how this process might unfold across other systems. Here we use a network of sites spanning 23° of latitude to explore the effects of increased herbivory (simulated via leaf clipping) on the structure of a foundational marine plant (turtlegrass). By working across its geographic range, we also show how gradients in light, temperature and nutrients modified plant responses. We found that turtlegrass near its northern boundary was increasingly affected (reduced productivity) by herbivory and that this response was driven by latitudinal gradients in light (low insolation at high latitudes). By contrast, low-latitude meadows tolerated herbivory due to high insolation which enhanced plant carbohydrates. We show that as herbivores undergo range expansion, turtlegrass meadows at their northern limit display reduced resilience and may be under threat of ecological collapse. ; We are greatly indebted to the many staff, students and volunteers who helped with fieldwork and processing in the lab. We thank those at the Smithsonian Marine Station: S. Jones, Z. Foltz, S. Carlson, I. Segura-Garcia, M. Johnson, A. Looby, O. Carmack and D. Branson. We also thank L Spiers, J. Kuehl and J. Clamp at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) in Little Cayman; A. E. MacDonald at the Galveston site; K. Coates at the Bermuda site; A. John, A. Safryghin, J. Reinhart, K. Malinowski, L. Woodlee, M. Speegle, M, England, S. Glew, T. Leon and N. Knight at the Andros, Bahamas site; S. Engel and J. van Duijnhoven at the Bonaire site; ... |