Abstract

In a context of reduced global biodiversity, the potential impacts from the loss of habitat-forming species (HFS) on ecosystem structure and functioning must be established. These species are often the main community primary producers and have a major role in the establishment of organisms through facilitation processes. This study focuses on macroalgae and mussels as HFS within an intertidal zone along the St. Lawrence estuary (Quebec, Canada). Over a 16-week period, we manipulated the in situ diversity profile (richness, evenness, identity, and abundance) of the dominant HFS (Fucus distichus edentatus, F. vesiculosus, and Mytilus spp.) in order to define their role in both the establishment of associated species and community primary production. Contrary to expectation, no general change in HFS richness, evenness, abundance, or identity on associated species community establishment was observed. However, over the study period, the HFS diversity profile modified the structure within the trophic guilds, which may potentially affect further community functions. Also, our results showed that the low abundance of HFS had a negative impact on the primary productivity of the community. Our results suggest that HFS diversity profiles have a limited short-term role in our study habitat and may indicate that biological forcing in these intertidal communities is less important than environmental conditions. As such, there was an opportunistic establishment of species that ensured rapid colonization regardless of the absence, or the diversity profile, of facilitators such as HFS.

Highlights

  • Anthropogenic activities and climate change are the main drivers of global biodiversity loss via habitat destruction and modification [1,2,3]

  • Varying dominance structure and richness in habitat-forming species (HFS), and their identity in the monospecific treatment, did not change the abundance structure or the composition of associated species

  • The effects of richness, evenness, identity, and abundance of habitat-forming species (HFS) on the diversity and establishment of associated species were studied over a 16-week period in a subarctic environment

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Summary

Introduction

Anthropogenic activities and climate change are the main drivers of global biodiversity loss via habitat destruction and modification [1,2,3]. These stressors negatively affect biodiversityecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships by altering the interaction between species [e.g. complementarity, 4] and decreasing habitat quality [5], thereby reducing ecosystem services, such as fisheries and enhanced coastal production and water purification provided by biodiversity [6]. Habitat-forming species (hereafter HFS) have positive impacts on species richness and abundance, play a major role in organizing community structure, and have an important function in determining community productivity [6,20]

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