Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats
Foundation species that modify their habitat can facilitate other species, including other foundation species. Most studies focus solely on a single foundation species, overlooking such facilitation cascades. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the two coastal foundation species...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1354009/full |
| _version_ | 1827288693127249920 |
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| author | Janne Nauta Janne Nauta Kasper J. Meijer Lissie W. de Groot Lissie W. de Groot Valérie C. Reijers Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Daphne van der Wal Daphne van der Wal Han Olff Sander J. Holthuijsen Sander J. Holthuijsen Allert I. Bijleveld Henk W. van der Veer Oscar Franken Oscar Franken Laura L. Govers Laura L. Govers |
| author_facet | Janne Nauta Janne Nauta Kasper J. Meijer Lissie W. de Groot Lissie W. de Groot Valérie C. Reijers Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Daphne van der Wal Daphne van der Wal Han Olff Sander J. Holthuijsen Sander J. Holthuijsen Allert I. Bijleveld Henk W. van der Veer Oscar Franken Oscar Franken Laura L. Govers Laura L. Govers |
| author_sort | Janne Nauta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Foundation species that modify their habitat can facilitate other species, including other foundation species. Most studies focus solely on a single foundation species, overlooking such facilitation cascades. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the two coastal foundation species Mytilus edulis (blue mussel) and Lanice conchilega (sand mason worm). We investigated whether these species engage in facilitative interactions or if their association simply reflects a shared ecological niche on the soft-sediment intertidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea. To do so, we performed species distribution modeling, manipulative field experiments, and field surveys. We found a positive association between both foundation species, with a 2.45 times higher occurrence of both species compared to a random distribution. In addition, these species partially occupied the same ecological niche. We demonstrated that L. conchilega provided settlement substrate for M. edulis spat, increasing densities by 400 times compared to bare plots. Furthermore, M. edulis reefs facilitated L. conchilega occurrence in the wake of the reef. Biogenic reef development revealed that this interspecific facilitation resulted in spatial habitat heterogeneity. Therefore, we conclude that interspecific facilitation can significantly enhance the occurrence of these two important intertidal foundation species. Acknowledgment of such complex facilitation interactions has an untapped potential for improving the success of restoration and conservation programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:36:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-311c7ad67ac44d4d9be0b410da67e05e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:36:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-311c7ad67ac44d4d9be0b410da67e05e2024-04-10T05:20:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452024-04-011110.3389/fmars.2024.13540091354009Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flatsJanne Nauta0Janne Nauta1Kasper J. Meijer2Lissie W. de Groot3Lissie W. de Groot4Valérie C. Reijers5Tjeerd J. Bouma6Tjeerd J. Bouma7Tjeerd J. Bouma8Tjeerd J. Bouma9Daphne van der Wal10Daphne van der Wal11Han Olff12Sander J. Holthuijsen13Sander J. Holthuijsen14Allert I. Bijleveld15Henk W. van der Veer16Oscar Franken17Oscar Franken18Laura L. Govers19Laura L. Govers20Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsForest and Nature Conservation, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Velp, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsSustainable Agroecosystem Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, Zurich, SwitzerlandFaculty of Geosciences, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsFaculty of Geosciences, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsDepartment of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, NetherlandsDelta Academy Applied Research Center, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Vlissingen, NetherlandsDepartment of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, NetherlandsFaculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsDepartment of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, NetherlandsRijkswaterstaat Noord-Nederland, Leeuwarden, NetherlandsDepartment of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, NetherlandsDepartment of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsDepartment of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, NetherlandsConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsDepartment of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, NetherlandsFoundation species that modify their habitat can facilitate other species, including other foundation species. Most studies focus solely on a single foundation species, overlooking such facilitation cascades. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the two coastal foundation species Mytilus edulis (blue mussel) and Lanice conchilega (sand mason worm). We investigated whether these species engage in facilitative interactions or if their association simply reflects a shared ecological niche on the soft-sediment intertidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea. To do so, we performed species distribution modeling, manipulative field experiments, and field surveys. We found a positive association between both foundation species, with a 2.45 times higher occurrence of both species compared to a random distribution. In addition, these species partially occupied the same ecological niche. We demonstrated that L. conchilega provided settlement substrate for M. edulis spat, increasing densities by 400 times compared to bare plots. Furthermore, M. edulis reefs facilitated L. conchilega occurrence in the wake of the reef. Biogenic reef development revealed that this interspecific facilitation resulted in spatial habitat heterogeneity. Therefore, we conclude that interspecific facilitation can significantly enhance the occurrence of these two important intertidal foundation species. Acknowledgment of such complex facilitation interactions has an untapped potential for improving the success of restoration and conservation programs.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1354009/fullfacilitationLanice conchilegaMytilus edulissand mason wormmusselfoundation species |
| spellingShingle | Janne Nauta Janne Nauta Kasper J. Meijer Lissie W. de Groot Lissie W. de Groot Valérie C. Reijers Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Tjeerd J. Bouma Daphne van der Wal Daphne van der Wal Han Olff Sander J. Holthuijsen Sander J. Holthuijsen Allert I. Bijleveld Henk W. van der Veer Oscar Franken Oscar Franken Laura L. Govers Laura L. Govers Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats Frontiers in Marine Science facilitation Lanice conchilega Mytilus edulis sand mason worm mussel foundation species |
| title | Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| title_full | Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| title_fullStr | Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| title_short | Mutual facilitation between foundation species Mytilus edulis and Lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| title_sort | mutual facilitation between foundation species mytilus edulis and lanice conchilega promotes habitat heterogeneity on tidal flats |
| topic | facilitation Lanice conchilega Mytilus edulis sand mason worm mussel foundation species |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1354009/full |
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