The interplay between habitat structure and chemical contaminants on biotic responses of benthic organisms

PeerJ

article

Mariana Mayer-Pinto¹  Miguel G. Matias¹  Ross A. Coleman¹ 

[1] Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, Marine Ecology Laboratories A11, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney;InBio/CIBIO, University of Évora;Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus

关键词: Chemical disturbance;    Pollution;    Artificial turfs;    Habitat complexity;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.1985

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Habitat structure influences the diversity and distribution of organisms, potentially affecting their response to disturbances by either affecting their ‘susceptibility’ or through the provision of resources that can mitigate impacts of disturbances. Chemical disturbances due to contamination are associated with decreases in diversity and functioning of systems and are also likely to increase due to coastal urbanisation. Understanding how habitat structure interacts with contaminants is essential to predict and therefore manage such effects, minimising their consequences to marine systems. Here, we manipulated two structurally different habitats and exposed them to different types of contaminants. The effects of contamination and habitat structure interacted, affecting species richness. More complex experimental habitats were colonized by a greater diversity of organisms than the less complex habitats. These differences disappeared, however, when habitats were exposed to contaminants, suggesting that contaminants can override effects of habitats structure at small spatial scales. These results provide insight into the complex ways that habitat structure and contamination interact and the need to incorporate evidence of biotic responses from individual disturbances to multiple stressors. Such effects need to be taken into account when designing and planning management and conservation strategies to natural systems.

【 授权许可】

CC BY