RRC ID 81196
Author Cortese MR, Freestone AL.
Title When species don't move together: Non-concurrent range shifts in Eastern Pacific kelp forest communities.
Journal PLoS One
Abstract Species range shifts due to changing ocean conditions are occurring around the world. As species move, they build new interaction networks as they shift from or into new ecological communities. Typically, species ranges are modeled individually, but biotic interactions have been shown to be important to creating more realistic modeling outputs for species. To understand the importance of consumer interactions in Eastern Pacific kelp forest species distributions, we used a Maxent framework to model a key foundation species, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), and a dominant herbivore, purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). With neither species having previously been modeled in the Eastern Pacific, we found evidence for M. pyrifera expansion in the northern section of its range, with no projected contraction at the southern range edge. Despite its known co-occurrence with M. pyrifera, models of S. purpuratus showed a non-concurrent southern range contraction and a co-occurring northern range expansion. While the co-occurring shifts may lead to increased spatial competition for suitable substrate, this non-concurrent contraction could result in community wide impacts such as herbivore release, tropicalization, or ecosystem restructuring.
Volume 19(5)
Pages e0303536
Published 2024-5-24
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0303536
PII PONE-D-23-40279
Description J-OBIS data were referenced.
PMID 38787811
PMC PMC11125554
MeSH Animals Ecosystem* Forests Kelp* / physiology Macrocystis / physiology Models, Biological Pacific Ocean Sea Urchins / physiology
IF 2.74
Resource
GBIF Marine Biological Sample Database, JAMSTEC