ALBERT

Description: This contribution aims to report the reflections we had with the scientific community during two international workshops on reference materials for stable isotopes in Davos (2002) and Nice (2003). After evaluating the isotopic homogeneity of some existing reference materials, based on either certificates, literature data or specific inter-laboratory rounds, we confirm these as primary reference materials or propose new ones relative to which stable isotope compositions should be reported. We propose DSM-3 for Mg, NIST SRM 915a for Ca, L-SVEC for Li and NBS28 for Si. Cadmium does not yet have a well identified delta zero material, although three commercial mono-elemental Cd solutions have yielded the same isotopic composition relative to one another. In order to scale the linearity of any mass spectrometer, some secondary reference materials are also proposed: Cambridge-1 solution for Mg, the “Münster-Cd” and JEPPIM Cd solutions for Cd and the “Big Batch” silicate for Si. The team from Nancy propose to prepare a mixed spike solution for Li isotopes. Well-characterised natural samples such as ocean or continental waters, diatoms, sponges, rocks and minerals are needed to validate the entire analytical procedure, particularly to take into account the effect of sample mineralisation and of chemical manipulations for elemental separation prior to analysis.

Description: Ecological stoichiometry describes the biochemical constraints of trophic interactions emerging from the different nutrient content and nutrient demand of producers and consumers, respectively. Most research on this topic originates from well-mixed pelagic food webs, whereas the idea has received far less attention in spatially structured habitats. Here, we test how light as well as grazing and nutrient regeneration by consumers affects growth and biomass of benthic primary producers. In the first laboratory experiment, we manipulated grazer presence (two different snail species plus ungrazed control), in the second experiment we factorially combined manipulation of grazer presence and light intensity. We monitored snail and periphyton biomass as well as dissolved and particulate nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) over time. Grazers significantly reduced algal biomass in both experiments. Grazers affected periphyton nutrient content depending on the prevailing nutrient limitation and their own body stoichiometry. In the nitrogen (N-) limited first experiment, grazers increased N both in the periphyton and in the water column. The effect was stronger for grazers with lower N-content. In the phosphorus (P-) limited second experiment, grazers increased the P-content of the periphyton, but the grazer with lower N-content had additionally positive effects on algal N. Light reduction did not affect periphyton biomass, but increased chlorophyll-, N- and P-content of the periphyton. These experiments revealed that the indirect effects of grazers on periphyton were bound by stoichiometric constraints of nutrient incorporation and excretion.

Description: Ecosystem resistance to a single stressor relies on tolerant species that can compensate for sensitive competitors and maintain ecosystem processes, such as primary production. We hypothesize that resistance to additional stressors depends increasingly on species tolerances being positively correlated (i.e. positive species co-tolerance). Initial exposure to a stressor combined with positive species co-tolerance should reduce the impacts of other stressors, which we term stress-induced community tolerance. In contrast, negative species co-tolerance is expected to result in additional stressors having pronounced additive or synergistic impacts on biologically impoverished functional groups, which we term stress-induced community sensitivity. Therefore, the sign and strength of the correlation between species sensitivities to multiple stressors must be considered when predicting the impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning as mediated by changes in biodiversity.

Description: Recent experiments, mainly in terrestrial environments, have provided evidence of the functional importance of biodiversity to ecosystem processes and properties. Compared to terrestrial systems, aquatic ecosystems are characterised by greater propagule and material exchange, often steeper physical and chemical gradients, more rapid biological processes and, in marine systems, higher metazoan phylogenetic diversity. These characteristics limit the potential to transfer conclusions derived from terrestrial experiments to aquatic ecosystems whilst at the same time provide opportunities for testing the general validity of hypotheses about effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. Here, we focus on a number of unique features of aquatic experimental systems, propose an expansion to the scope of diversity facets to be considered when assessing the functional consequences of changes in biodiversity and outline a hierarchical classification scheme of ecosystem functions and their corresponding response variables. We then briefly highlight some recent controversial and newly emerging issues relating to biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Based on lessons learnt from previous experimental and theoretical work, we finally present four novel experimental designs to address largely unresolved questions about biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. These include (1) investigating the effects of non-random species loss through the manipulation of the order and magnitude of such loss using dilution experiments; (2) combining factorial manipulation of diversity in interconnected habitat patches to test the additivity of ecosystem functioning between habitats; (3) disentangling the impact of local processes from the effect of ecosystem openness via factorial manipulation of the rate of recruitment and biodiversity within patches and within an available propagule pool; and (4) addressing how non-random species extinction following sequential exposure to different stressors may affect ecosystem functioning. Implementing these kinds of experimental designs in a variety of systems will, we believe, shift the focus of investigations from a species richness-centred approach to a broader consideration of the multifarious aspects of biodiversity that may well be critical to understanding effects of biodiversity changes on overall ecosystem functioning and to identifying some of the potential underlying mechanisms involved.

Description: Marine and fisheries scientists are increasingly using metapopulation concepts to better understand and model their focal systems. Consequently, they are considering what defines a metapopulation. One perspective on this question emphasizes the importance of extinction probability in local populations. This view probably stems from the focus on extinction in Levins' original metapopulation model, but places unnecessary emphasis on extinction–recolonization dynamics. Metapopulation models with more complex structure than Levins' patch-occupancy model and its variants allow a broader range of population phenomena to be examined, such as changes in population size, age structure and genetic structure. Analyses along these lines are critical in fisheries science, where presence–absence resolution is far too coarse to understand stock dynamics in a meaningful way. These more detailed investigations can, but need not, aim to assess extinction risk or deal with extinction-prone local populations. Therefore, we emphasize the coupling of spatial scales as the defining feature of metapopulations. It is the degree of demographic connectivity that characterizes metapopulations, with the dynamics of local populations strongly dependent upon local demographic processes, but also influenced by a nontrivial element of external replenishment. Therefore, estimating rates of interpopulation exchange must be a research priority. We contrast metapopulations with other spatially structured populations that differ in the degree of local closure of their component populations. We conclude with consideration of the implications of metapopulation structure for spatially explicit management, particularly the design of marine protected area networks.

Description: Three simple fisheries indicators are presented: (i) percentage of mature fish in catch, with 100% as target; (ii) percent of specimens with optimum length in catch, with 100% as target; and (iii) percentage of ‘mega-spawners‘ in catch, with 0% as target, and 30–40% as representative of reasonable stock structure if no upper size limit exists. Application of these indicators to stocks of Gadus morhua, Sardinella aurita and Epinephelus aeneus demonstrate their usefulness. It is argued that such simple indicators have the potential to allow more stakeholders such as fishers, fish dealers, supermarket managers, consumers and politicians to participate in fisheries management and eventually hold and reverse the global pattern of convenience overfishing, which is defined here as deliberate overfishing sanctioned by official bodies who find it more convenient to risk eventual collapse of fish stocks than to risk social and political conflicts.