Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs
Abstract Climate change and fisheries exploitation are dramatically changing the abundances, species composition, and size spectra of fish communities. We explore whether variation in ‘abundance size spectra’, a widely studied ecosystem feature, is influenced by a parameter theorized to govern the s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8789 |
| _version_ | 1828032342524952576 |
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| author | Amy Rose Coghlan Julia L. Blanchard Freddie J. Heather Rick D. Stuart‐Smith Graham J. Edgar Asta Audzijonyte |
| author_facet | Amy Rose Coghlan Julia L. Blanchard Freddie J. Heather Rick D. Stuart‐Smith Graham J. Edgar Asta Audzijonyte |
| author_sort | Amy Rose Coghlan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Climate change and fisheries exploitation are dramatically changing the abundances, species composition, and size spectra of fish communities. We explore whether variation in ‘abundance size spectra’, a widely studied ecosystem feature, is influenced by a parameter theorized to govern the shape of size‐structured ecosystems—the relationship between the sizes of predators and their prey (predator–prey mass ratios, or PPMRs). PPMR estimates are lacking for avast number of fish species, including at the scale of trophic guilds. Using measurements of 8128 prey items in gut contents of 97 reef fish species, we established predator–prey mass ratios (PPMRs) for four major trophic guilds (piscivores, invertivores, planktivores, and herbivores) using linear mixed effects models. To assess the theoretical predictions that higher community‐level PPMRs leads to shallower size spectrum slopes, we compared observations of both ecosystem metrics for ~15,000 coastal reef sites distributed around Australia. PPMRs of individual fishes were remarkably high (median ~71,000), with significant variation between different trophic guilds (~890 for piscivores; ~83,000 for planktivores), and ~8700 for whole communities. Community‐level PPMRs were positively related to size spectrum slopes, broadly consistent with theory, however, this pattern was also influenced by the latitudinal temperature gradient. Tropical reefs showed a stronger relationship between community‐level PPMRs and community size spectrum slopes than temperate reefs. The extent that these patterns apply outside Australia and consequences for community structure and dynamics are key areas for future investigation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:03:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9cb770a7658046cca747ae2cbd4da554 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:03:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-9cb770a7658046cca747ae2cbd4da5542023-02-15T09:01:28ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582022-04-01124n/an/a10.1002/ece3.8789Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefsAmy Rose Coghlan0Julia L. Blanchard1Freddie J. Heather2Rick D. Stuart‐Smith3Graham J. Edgar4Asta Audzijonyte5Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania AustraliaAbstract Climate change and fisheries exploitation are dramatically changing the abundances, species composition, and size spectra of fish communities. We explore whether variation in ‘abundance size spectra’, a widely studied ecosystem feature, is influenced by a parameter theorized to govern the shape of size‐structured ecosystems—the relationship between the sizes of predators and their prey (predator–prey mass ratios, or PPMRs). PPMR estimates are lacking for avast number of fish species, including at the scale of trophic guilds. Using measurements of 8128 prey items in gut contents of 97 reef fish species, we established predator–prey mass ratios (PPMRs) for four major trophic guilds (piscivores, invertivores, planktivores, and herbivores) using linear mixed effects models. To assess the theoretical predictions that higher community‐level PPMRs leads to shallower size spectrum slopes, we compared observations of both ecosystem metrics for ~15,000 coastal reef sites distributed around Australia. PPMRs of individual fishes were remarkably high (median ~71,000), with significant variation between different trophic guilds (~890 for piscivores; ~83,000 for planktivores), and ~8700 for whole communities. Community‐level PPMRs were positively related to size spectrum slopes, broadly consistent with theory, however, this pattern was also influenced by the latitudinal temperature gradient. Tropical reefs showed a stronger relationship between community‐level PPMRs and community size spectrum slopes than temperate reefs. The extent that these patterns apply outside Australia and consequences for community structure and dynamics are key areas for future investigation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8789coastal ecosystemscommunity compositionhabitat complexitypredationpredator–prey mass ratiosize spectrum |
| spellingShingle | Amy Rose Coghlan Julia L. Blanchard Freddie J. Heather Rick D. Stuart‐Smith Graham J. Edgar Asta Audzijonyte Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs Ecology and Evolution coastal ecosystems community composition habitat complexity predation predator–prey mass ratio size spectrum |
| title | Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs |
| title_full | Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs |
| title_fullStr | Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs |
| title_short | Community size structure varies with predator–prey size relationships and temperature across Australian reefs |
| title_sort | community size structure varies with predator prey size relationships and temperature across australian reefs |
| topic | coastal ecosystems community composition habitat complexity predation predator–prey mass ratio size spectrum |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8789 |
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