PARENT SESSION
Symposium 16: Incorporating trophic diversity into the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning debate: Lessons from aquatic ecosystems
Organized by: P McIntyre, K France, JE Duffy, and AS Flecker
Thursday, August 11, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Room 517 A, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Recovery of trophic diversity and ecosystem functioning in marine protected areas.

Micheli, Fiorenza^*,1, Halpern, Benjamin², ¹ Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA² National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

ABSTRACT- Degradation of coastal marine ecosystems from fishing and other human activities has resulted in widespread declines and losses of species. The relationship between changes in species and functional diversity, and the consequences of such alterations for ecosystem functioning remain poorly understood for nearly all ecosystem types, yet determining this relationship is necessary for understanding community assembly and producing appropriate expectations and approaches to protecting and restoring biological communities. We used a global synthesis of data from marine reserves, and surveys of kelp forest and coral reef communities, to directly test how variation in species diversity translates into changes in functional diversity, and in the ecological functions and services provided by these ecosystems. We find positive relationships between species and functional diversity, and increased functional diversity of fish assemblages coinciding with recovery of species diversity in marine reserves, independent of the method used for classifying species in functional groups. These structural changes are associated with recovery of ecological functions and ecosystem services, including recovery from disturbances and fish production.

Key words: marine reserves, functional diversity, ecosystem function, ecosystem services