A bioturbation classification of European marine infaunal invertebrates

Ecology and Evolution

Ana M. Queirós¹  Silvana N. R. Birchenough⁵  Julie Bremner⁵  Jasmin A. Godbold⁶  Ruth E. Parker⁵  Alicia Romero-Ramirez⁷  Henning Reiss³  Martin Solan⁶  Paul J. Somerfield¹  Carl Van Colen⁴  Gert Van Hoey² 

[1] Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, U.K;Bio-Environmental Research Group, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO-Fisheries), Ostend, Belgium;Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway;Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, U.K;Department of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, U.K;EPOC – UMR5805, Université Bordeaux 1- CNRS, Arcachon, France

关键词: Biodiversity;    biogeochemical;    ecosystem function;    functional group;    good environmental status;    Marine Strategy Framework Directive;    process;    trait;   

DOI  :  10.1002/ece3.769

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Bioturbation, the biogenic modification of sediments through particle reworking and burrow ventilation, is a key mediator of many important geochemical processes in marine systems. In situ quantification of bioturbation can be achieved in a myriad of ways, requiring expert knowledge, technology, and resources not always available, and not feasible in some settings. Where dedicated research programmes do not exist, a practical alternative is the adoption of a trait-based approach to estimate community bioturbation potential (BP_c). This index can be calculated from inventories of species, abundance and biomass data (routinely available for many systems), and a functional classification of organism traits associated with sediment mixing (less available). Presently, however, there is no agreed standard categorization for the reworking mode and mobility of benthic species. Based on information from the literature and expert opinion, we provide a functional classification for 1033 benthic invertebrate species from the northwest European continental shelf, as a tool to enable the standardized calculation of BP_c in the region. Future uses of this classification table will increase the comparability and utility of large-scale assessments of ecosystem processes and functioning influenced by bioturbation (e.g., to support legislation). The key strengths, assumptions, and limitations of BP_c as a metric are critically reviewed, offering guidelines for its calculation and application.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.