Inter‐country differences in the cultural ecosystem services provided by cockles

1. Coastal systems provide many cultural ecosystem services (CES) to humans. Fewer studies have focused solely on CES, while those comparing CES across countries are even rarer. In the case of shellfish, considerable ecosystem services focus has been placed on nutrient remediation, with relatively little on the cultural services provided, despite strong historical, cultural, social and economic links between shellfish and coastal communities. The ecosystem services provided by the common cockle, Cerastoderma edule, have recently been described, yet the cultural benefits from cockles remain mostly unknown. 2. Here, we documented the CES provided by C. edule in five maritime countries along the Atlantic coast of western Europe, classifying evidenced examples of services into an a priori framework. The high-level classes, adapted from the Millennium Assessment and the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, were: inspirational, sense of place, spiritual & religious, aesthetic, recreation & ecotourism, cultural heritage and educational. A further 19 sub-classes were defined. We followed a narrative approach to draw out commonalities and differences among countries using a semi-quantitative analysis. 3. Examples of CES provided by cockles were found for all classes in most countries. Cockles supply important and diverse cultural benefits to humans across Atlantic Europe, making it an ideal model species to study CES in coastal areas. Most examples were in cultural heritage, highlighting the importance of this class in comparison with classes which typically receive more attention in the literature like recreation or aesthetics. We also found that the cultural associations with cockles differed among countries, including between neighbouring countries that share a strong maritime heritage. The extent to which cultural associations were linked with the present or past also differed among countries, with stronger association with the present in southern countries and with the past in the north. 4. Understanding the wider benefits of cockles could deepen the recognition of this important coastal resource, and contribute to promoting sustainable management practices, through greater engagement with local communities. This study is an important step towards better integration of CES in coastal environments and could be used as a framework to study the CES of other species or ecosystems

Spatial variability in the structure of fish assemblages associated with Laminaria hyperborea forests in the NE Atlantic

Understanding fish-habitat associations is critical for ecosystem-based approaches to management and conservation. Kelp species, which are estimated to inhabit around 25% of the world's coastline and underpin highly productive and biodiverse ecosystems, are widely recognised as important nursery and foraging habitats for coastal fish species. However, quantitative assessments of fish assemblages within kelp forests are lacking for many regions. Here, we used Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and Underwater Visual Census (UVC) to quantify fish assemblages in Laminaria hyperborea forests at eight shallow subtidal rocky reefs that spanned 9° of latitude in the United Kingdom (UK). Fish assemblages were a ubiquitous and conspicuous component of kelp forest communities at all sites. BRUV surveys recorded marked regional-scale variability, with latitudinal shifts in assemblage structure and particularly distinct assemblages recorded in southwest England. These patterns were largely due to greater abundances of Pollachius spp. (i.e. saithe and pollock) in northern regions and higher numbers of Gobiusculus flavescens (two-spotted goby) and labrid species (i.e. rock cook, goldsinny and ballan wrasses) in southern regions. Unlike BRUVs, UVC surveys did not detect significant regional-scale variation in assemblage structure but did detect significant site-level differences, highlighting differences between the two techniques. BRUV surveys also recorded clear latitudinal trends in richness, with more taxa recorded at lower latitudes. Fish assemblages in the NE Atlantic have been, and will continue to be, impacted by ocean warming and fishing activities. Greater spatiotemporal coverage of kelp forest surveys and ongoing robust monitoring is needed to better understand and manage future ecological changes

Climate‐driven substitution of foundation species causes breakdown of a facilitation cascade with potential implications for higher trophic levels

1. Climate change can alter ecological communities both directly, by driving shifts in species distributions and abundances, and indirectly by influencing the strength and direction of species interactions. Within benthic marine ecosystems, foundation species such as canopy -forming macro-algae often underpin important cascades of facilitative interactions. 2. We examined the wider impacts of climate-driven shifts in the relative abundances of foundation species within a temperate reef system, with particular focus on a habitat cascade whereby kelp facilitate epiphytic algae that in turn facilitate mobile invertebrates. Specifically we tested whether the warm water kelp Laminaria ochroleuca, which has proliferated in response to recent warming trends, facilitated a secondary habitat-former (epiphytic algae on stipes) and associated mobile invertebrates, to the same degree as the cold water kelp Laminaria hyperborea. 3. The facilitative interaction between kelp and stipe-associated epiphytic algae was dramatically weaker for the warm water foundation species, leading to breakdown of a habitat cascade and impoverished associated faunal assemblages. On average, the warm water kelp supported >250 times less epiphytic algae (by biomass) and >50 times fewer mobile invertebrates (by abundance) than the cold water kelp. Moreover, by comparing regions of pre and post range expansion by L. ochroleuca, we found that warming-impacted kelp forests supported around half the biomass of epiphytic algae and one-fifth of the abundance of mobile invertebrates, per unit area, compared with unimpacted forests. We suggest that disruption to this facilitation cascade has the potential to impact upon higher trophic levels, specifically kelp forest fishes, through lower prey availability. 5. Synthesis. Climate-driven shifts in species’ distributions and the relative abundances of foundation organisms will restructure communities and alter ecological interactions, with consequences for ecosystem functioning. We show that climate-driven substitutions of seemingly similar foundation species can alter local biodiversity and trophic processes in temperate marine ecosystems

Topsoil physico-chemical properties from the UKCEH Countryside Survey, Great Britain, 2021

This dataset consists of measures of topsoil (0-15 cm) physico-chemical properties from soils sampled from 110 x 1 km squares across Great Britain in 2021 as part of a rolling soil and vegetation monitoring program of 500 1km squares repeated every 5 years. The properties included are: pH, soil organic matter (loss on ignition, LOI), derived carbon concentration and carbon stock (SOC), soil group, soil bulk density of fine earth, soil moisture of wet soil, fine earth volumetric water content (dry), nitrogen concentration and stock, and Olsen-phosphorus concentration. The UKCEH Countryside Survey is a unique study or 'audit' of the natural resources of the UK's countryside. The sample sites are chosen from a stratified random sample, based on a 15 by 15 km grid of GB. Surveys have been carried out in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1998 and 2007 by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and predecessors, with repeated visits to most of the squares. The countryside is sampled and surveyed using rigorous scientific methods, allowing us to compare new results with those from previous surveys. In this way, we can detect the gradual and subtle changes that occur in the UK's countryside over time. In addition to soil data, vegetation species data are also gathered by the current phase of the UKCEH Countryside Survey. This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability