7 research outputs found
Seabird colony effects on soil properties and vegetation zonation patterns on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic
The influence of a seabird colony on abundance and species composition of water bears (Tardigrada) in Hornsund (Spitsbergen, Arctic)
Temperature (latitude) and nutrient (seabird guano) effects on limno-terrestrial Tardigrada ( Testechiniscus spitsbergensis
The structure of Cochlearia groenlandica population along the bird colony influence gradient (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)
30 years revisit survey for long-term changes in the Antarctic subtidal algal assemblage
Can nesting waterbirds influence the community structure of macroinvertebrates in southern Brazilian intermittent wetlands?
Ecological Drivers of and Responses by Arctic Benthic Communities, with an Emphasis on Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Knowledge on the causes and consequences that structure benthic communities is essential to understand and conserve Arctic ecosystems. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on species interactions and community traits, i.e. diversity, structure, and functioning of Arctic coastal hard- and soft-bottom habitats, with emphasis on Kongsfjorden (Svalbard). Current evidence indicates that descriptive and mensurative studies on the distribution of species prevail and few studies allow inferences on the underlying processes generating observed patterns. Furthermore, Arctic hard- and soft-bottom communities show some fundamental differences in their ecology. The recovery in hard-bottom communities from disturbance, for instance, takes exceptionally long (i.e. > decadal) due to slow growth and/or sporadic recruitment, while it is considerably shorter in soft-bottom communities. Also, Arctic hard-bottom
communities display strong competitive hierarchies that appear negligible in communities populating sedimentary shores. This review concludes with a suggestion to shift the focus in Arctic benthos research from pattern to processes and the identification of major research gaps. These include (i) the apparent demarcation of studies being devoted to either rocky or to sedimentary shores, which hamper studies on habitat connectivity, (ii) the lack of studies addressing the effects of pathogens and diseases on community ecology, and (iii) the incomplete assessment of potentially significant drivers of community ecology, such as trophic interactions, recruitment success, and competition