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Invasive ecosystem engineer selects for different phenotypes of an associated native species
Citation
Wright, JT and Gribben, PE and Byers, JE and Monro, K, Invasive ecosystem engineer selects for different phenotypes of an associated native species, Ecology, 93, (6) pp. 1262-1268. ISSN 0012-9658 (2012) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 by the Ecological Society of America
Abstract
Invasive habitat-forming ecosystem engineers modify the abiotic environment
and thus represent a major perturbation to many ecosystems. Because native species often
persist in these invaded habitats but have no shared history with the ecosystem engineer, the
engineer may impose novel selective pressure on native species. In this study, we used a
phenotypic selection framework to determine whether an invasive habitat-forming ecosystem
engineer (the seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia) selects for different phenotypes of a common cooccurring
native species (the bivalve Anadara trapezia). Compared to unvegetated habitat,
Caulerpa habitat has lower water flow, lower dissolved oxygen, and sediments are more silty and
anoxic. We determined the performance consequences of variation in key functional traits that
may be affected by these abiotic changes (shell morphology, gill mass, and palp mass) for
Anadara transplanted into Caulerpa and unvegetated habitat. Both linear and nonlinear
performance gradients in Anadara differed between habitats, and these gradients were stronger
in Caulerpa compared to unvegetated sediment. Moreover, in Caulerpa alternate phenotypes
performed well, and these phenotypes were different from the dominant phenotype in
unvegetated sediment. By demonstrating that phenotype–performance gradients differ between
habitats, we have highlighted a role for Caulerpa as an agent of selection on native species.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | bivalve, ecosystem engineers, hypoxia, invasive species, marine algae, performance, phenotypic selection, plasticity, selection gradient analysis |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments |
Objective Field: | Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments |
UTAS Author: | Wright, JT (Associate Professor Jeffrey Wright) |
ID Code: | 81209 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 17 |
Deposited By: | NC Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability |
Deposited On: | 2012-11-27 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-31 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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