13 research outputs found
Ergonomics, user comfort, and performance in standard and robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery
Stable isotopic characterization of a coastal floodplain forest community: a case study for isotopic reconstruction of Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages
Dietary differences in archosaur and lepidosaur reptiles revealed by dental microwear textural analysis
Fallen Nestlings and Regurgitant as Mechanisms of Nutrient Transfer from Nesting Wading Birds to Crocodilians
Influence of earthworms on the nitrogen transfer of sewage sludge in the vermifilter process
Dietary diversity and evolution of the earliest flying vertebrates revealed by dental microwear texture analysis
Predators help protect carbon stocks in blue carbon ecosystems
Predators continue to be harvested unsustainably throughout most of the Earth\u27s ecosystems. Recent research demonstrates that the functional loss of predators could have far-reaching consequences on carbon cycling and, by implication, our ability to ameliorate climate change impacts. Yet the influence of predators on carbon accumulation and preservation in vegetated coastal habitats (that is, salt marshes, seagrass meadows and mangroves) is poorly understood, despite these being some of the Earth\u27s most vulnerable and carbon-rich ecosystems. Here we discuss potential pathways by which trophic downgrading affects carbon capture, accumulation and preservation in vegetated coastal habitats. We identify an urgent need for further research on the influence of predators on carbon cycling in vegetated coastal habitats, and ultimately the role that these systems play in climate change mitigation. There is, however, sufficient evidence to suggest that intact predator populations are critical to maintaining or growing reserves of \u27blue carbon\u27 (carbon stored in coastal or marine ecosystems), and policy and management need to be improved to reflect these realities