Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls
Abstract A multitude of hypotheses have been invoked to explain increases in richness with increases in energy availability. Experiments have the potential to reveal causality, and species–energy experiments have yielded substantial insights into energetic community assembly. Here, we examine six me...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4667 |
| _version_ | 1797648549939249152 |
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| author | Craig R. McClain S. River D. Bryant Granger Hanks Jarrett Byrnes |
| author_facet | Craig R. McClain S. River D. Bryant Granger Hanks Jarrett Byrnes |
| author_sort | Craig R. McClain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A multitude of hypotheses have been invoked to explain increases in richness with increases in energy availability. Experiments have the potential to reveal causality, and species–energy experiments have yielded substantial insights into energetic community assembly. Here, we examine six mechanisms underlying species–energy relationships in an experimental wood fall system in the deep Gulf of Mexico. Twenty‐four wood falls were deployed in the deep Gulf of Mexico for 21 months. To test for differences in total energy availability, individual wood falls ranged in size from 0.91 to 24 kg, corresponding to different levels of energy available to the wood‐obligate invertebrate communities assembling on wood falls. To test for differences in total energy accessibility, we chose a softwood (pine, n = 12) and soft hardwood (sugarberry, n = 12). Structural equation models were used to disentangle the multiple hypothesized pathways by which changes in wood fall type and mass correlated with richness. Whereas we find support for the more individuals hypothesis, we also find that niche dynamics and competition play important roles as well linking energy and diversity. Furthermore, we find that not only the total energy but also the accessibility of that energy, dictating rates of energy flow, leads to differences in community structure. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we evaluate seven hypotheses to demonstrate that no single hypotheses alone can predict the species–energy relationship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:33:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1277da2c784242968ec7733dca815ffd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:33:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-1277da2c784242968ec7733dca815ffd2023-10-27T00:26:31ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252023-10-011410n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.4667Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood fallsCraig R. McClain0S. River D. Bryant1Granger Hanks2Jarrett Byrnes3Department of Biology University of Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana USADepartment of Biology University of Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana USADepartment of Biology University of Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana USADepartment of Biology University of Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts USAAbstract A multitude of hypotheses have been invoked to explain increases in richness with increases in energy availability. Experiments have the potential to reveal causality, and species–energy experiments have yielded substantial insights into energetic community assembly. Here, we examine six mechanisms underlying species–energy relationships in an experimental wood fall system in the deep Gulf of Mexico. Twenty‐four wood falls were deployed in the deep Gulf of Mexico for 21 months. To test for differences in total energy availability, individual wood falls ranged in size from 0.91 to 24 kg, corresponding to different levels of energy available to the wood‐obligate invertebrate communities assembling on wood falls. To test for differences in total energy accessibility, we chose a softwood (pine, n = 12) and soft hardwood (sugarberry, n = 12). Structural equation models were used to disentangle the multiple hypothesized pathways by which changes in wood fall type and mass correlated with richness. Whereas we find support for the more individuals hypothesis, we also find that niche dynamics and competition play important roles as well linking energy and diversity. Furthermore, we find that not only the total energy but also the accessibility of that energy, dictating rates of energy flow, leads to differences in community structure. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we evaluate seven hypotheses to demonstrate that no single hypotheses alone can predict the species–energy relationship.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4667body sizediversityenergeticsnicheproductivityresource availability |
| spellingShingle | Craig R. McClain S. River D. Bryant Granger Hanks Jarrett Byrnes Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls Ecosphere body size diversity energetics niche productivity resource availability |
| title | Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls |
| title_full | Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls |
| title_fullStr | Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls |
| title_short | Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls |
| title_sort | disentangling mechanisms of species energy relationships in experimental deep sea wood falls |
| topic | body size diversity energetics niche productivity resource availability |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4667 |
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