Absence of overall feedback in a benthic estuarine community: A system potentially buffered from impacts of biological invasions |
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| Authors: | Gonzalo C Castillo Hiram W Li Philippe A Rossignol |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oregon State University, Nash Hall 104, 97331, Corvallis, Oregon
3. Department of Entomology, Oregon State University, Cordley Hall, 97331, Corvallis, Oregon
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| Abstract: | Species introductions are among the most dramatic human-induced impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems around the world.
Stability patterns of an estuarine benthic community were investigated through guild interaction models representing the community
before and after human-mediated species invasions. The study area was Yaquina Bay, a developed estuary on the central Oregon
coast, U.S., where at least 12 species of nonindigenous invertebrates have been inadvertently introduced. Three of the introduced
species (the polychaetes Hobsonia florida and Pseudopolydora kempi and the cumacean Nippoleucon hinumensis) are probably among the 10 most abundant invertebrate species in the intertidal benthic community. To estimate effects and
potential risks of species introductions on the native community we constructed 2 types of community models based on functional-group
interactions, namely, activity guild models and trophic guild models. In both cases we observed that overall feedback has
a strong tendency towards zero in pre-invasion and post-invasion models. We generated 12,000 random models of similar size
and could not detect this tendency. We suggest that the weak or absent overall feedback in this community may be an ecological
property and not an intrinsic property of large systems as such. The reduced response to input from either invertebrate invasions
or removal of native top predators, may to some extent buffer the community from such impacts. Alternative guild models suggested
increased risk of stability decline in the invaded community even after accounting for potential complexity effects on stabllity.
Further species introductions in this intermediately invaded estuary should be avoided. |
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