Engineering by an invasive species alters landscape‐level ecosystem function, but does not affect biodiversity in freshwater systems

Diversity and Distributions - Tập 20 Số 2 - Trang 214-222 - 2014
Christopher B. Anderson1,2,3, María Vanessa Lencinas1, Petra K. Wallem4, Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela5, Michael P. Simanonok6, Guillermo Martínez Pastur1
1Austral Center for Scientific Research (CADIC-CONICET), Houssay 200, Ushuaia, 9410 Argentina
2Institute of Polar Sciences, Natural Resources & Environment, National University of Tierra del Fuego, Onas 450, Ushuaia, 9410 Argentina
3Omora Sub-Antarctic Research Alliance, 510 Calahaln Road, Mocksville, NC, 27028 USA
4Bioamérica Consultores Monseñor Sótero Sanz 55 ‐ Oficina 601A Providencia Santiago Chile
5Southern Patagonia Coordination Office Argentine National Park Administration San Martín 1395 Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
6Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA

Tóm tắt

AbstractAimEcological theory predicts that invasive ecosystem engineers like the American beaver (Castor canadensis) in Tierra del Fuego (TDF) affect landscape‐level biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) when engineered habitats are novel or extensive. We tested these hypotheses on freshwater BEF, sampling benthic habitat and macroinvertebrates in natural lotic (forest and grassland streams) and natural lentic habitats (bogs, lakes) and beaver‐modified lentic ecosystems (active and abandoned ponds).LocationTierra del Fuego Archipelago (Chile and Argentina).MethodsTo determine effects on patch‐scale BEF, we assessed two drivers: substrate diversity (H′) and benthic organic matter standing crop (BOM, g m−2). Extent of impact was estimated as relative stream length (%) for each patch type in four 1000 ha images.ResultsThe freshwater landscape was 56% free‐flowing streams (natural lotic), 13% bogs and lakes (natural lentic) and 31% active and abandoned beaver ponds (beaver lentic). While engineering significantly modified lotic habitats (converting them to ponds), the beaver ponds were largely similar to natural lentic systems, but engineered lentic patches retained more BOM. While benthic biodiversity in beaver ponds was less than streams, the assemblage contained no habitat‐specific taxa and was a subset of the natural lentic community.Main conclusionsInvasive beavers engineer habitats whose biodiversity is similar to the landscape's natural lentic habitats, but by increasing the surface area and unit area retention of BOM via its impoundments, this invasion augments carbon standing stock approximately 72% in watersheds. While this invasion is considered the largest alteration to TDF's forested biome in the Holocene, here we discover that its impact is to ecosystem function, rather than biodiversity in the aquatic landscape.

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Diversity and Distributions

Tập 20 Số 2

214-222

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