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Non-linear density-dependent effects of an intertidal ecosystem engineer

  • Community ecology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Ecosystem engineering is an important process in a variety of ecosystems. However, the relationship between engineer density and engineering impact remains poorly understood. We used experiments and a mathematical model to examine the role of engineer density in a rocky intertidal community in northern California. In this system, the whelk Nucella ostrina preys on barnacles (Balanus glandula and Chthamalus dalli), leaving empty barnacle tests as a resource (favorable microhabitat) for other species. Field experiments demonstrated that N. ostrina predation increased the availability of empty tests of both barnacle species, reduced the density of the competitively dominant B. glandula, and indirectly increased the density of the competitively inferior C. dalli. Empty barnacle tests altered microhabitat humidity, but not temperature, and presumably provided a refuge from wave action. The herbivorous snail Littorina plena was positively associated with empty test availability in both observational comparisons and experimental manipulations of empty test availability, and L. plena density was elevated in areas with foraging N. ostrina. To explore the effects of variation in N. ostrina predation, we constructed a demographic matrix model for barnacles in which we varied predation intensity. The model predicted that number of available empty tests increases with predation intensity to a point, but declines when predation pressure was strong enough to severely reduce adult barnacle densities. The modeled number of available empty tests therefore peaked at an intermediate level of N. ostrina predation. Non-linear relationships between engineer density and engineer impact may be a generally important attribute of systems in which engineers influence the population dynamics of the species that they manipulate.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Bodega Marine Laboratory for facilitating this work and providing us with space, equipment, and access to field sites. J. Clegg, A. Newsom, and S. Williams provided invaluable support, assistance, and advice. L. Miller kindly provided the cages used in the N. ostrina exclusion experiment. Constructive criticisms by E. Sanford and two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript. J.O. was supported by a Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship (U.S. National Science Foundation Grant # DBI0453251), and C.H. was supported by BML institutional funds and a Canadian National Science and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant. This paper is a contribution of the Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California at Davis. The research described in this paper complies with the current laws of the United States and Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA, 94923, USA

    Christopher D. G. Harley & Jaclyn L. O’Riley

  2. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4 , Canada

    Christopher D. G. Harley

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  1. Christopher D. G. Harley
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  2. Jaclyn L. O’Riley
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Correspondence to Christopher D. G. Harley.

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Communicated by Pete Peterson.

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Harley, C.D.G., O’Riley, J.L. Non-linear density-dependent effects of an intertidal ecosystem engineer. Oecologia 166, 531–541 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1864-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1864-1

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