Article (Scientific journals)
High environmental stress and productivity increase functional diversity along a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent gradient
Alfaro-Lucas, Joan M.; Pradillon, Florence; Zeppilli, Daniela et al.
2020In Ecology, 101 (11), p. 03144
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
Alfaro et al 2020.pdf
Publisher postprint (4.22 MB)
Download

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
colonization; community assembly; energy; environmental filtering; functional beta diversity; species beta diversity
Abstract :
[en] Productivity and environmental stress are major drivers of multiple biodiversity facets and faunal community structure. Little is known on their interacting effects on early community assembly processes in the deep sea (>200 m), the largest environment on Earth. However, at hydrothermal vents productivity correlates, at least partially, with environmental stress. Here, we studied the colonization of rock substrata deployed along a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent gradient at four sites with and without direct influence of vent fluids at 1,700‐m depth in the Lucky Strike vent field (Mid‐Atlantic Ridge [MAR]). We examined in detail the composition of faunal communities (>20 μm) established after 2 yr and evaluated species and functional patterns. We expected the stressful hydrothermal activity to (1) limit functional diversity and (2) filter for traits clustering functionally similar species. However, our observations did not support our hypotheses. On the contrary, our results show that hydrothermal activity enhanced functional diversity. Moreover, despite high species diversity, environmental conditions at surrounding sites appear to filter for specific traits, thereby reducing functional richness. In fact, diversity in ecological functions may relax the effect of competition, allowing several species to coexist in high densities in the reduced space of the highly productive vent habitats under direct fluid emissions. We suggest that the high productivity at fluid‐influenced sites supports higher functional diversity and traits that are more energetically expensive. The presence of exclusive species and functional entities led to a high turnover between surrounding sites. As a result, some of these sites contributed more than expected to the total species and functional β diversities. The observed faunal overlap and energy links (exported productivity) suggest that rather than operating as separate entities, habitats with and without influence of hydrothermal fluids may be considered as interconnected entities. Low functional richness and environmental filtering suggest that surrounding areas, with their very heterogeneous species and functional assemblages, may be especially vulnerable to environmental changes related to natural and anthropogenic impacts, including deep‐sea mining.
Research center :
FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Zoology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Alfaro-Lucas, Joan M.
Pradillon, Florence
Zeppilli, Daniela
Michel, Loïc  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution
Martinez-Arbizu, Pedro
Tanaka, Hayato
Foviaux, Martin
Sarrazin, Jozée
Language :
English
Title :
High environmental stress and productivity increase functional diversity along a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent gradient
Publication date :
November 2020
Journal title :
Ecology
ISSN :
0012-9658
Publisher :
Wiley-Blackwell, United States - District of Columbia
Volume :
101
Issue :
11
Pages :
e03144
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
ANR - Agence Nationale de la Recherche [FR]
Available on ORBi :
since 18 September 2020

Statistics


Number of views
87 (4 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
109 (1 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
18
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
13
OpenCitations
 
13

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi