Functional diversity and secondary production of macrofaunal assemblages can provide insights of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships

Abstract

BackgroundSemi-enclosed bays are important links in the material cycle and energy flow between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. They are also areas of intense human activities and heavily influenced by such activities as aquaculture, industrial and agricultural wastewater discharge. The rate of biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystems have prompted research into the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functioning. Studies have shown that application of functional diversity indices is useful for assessing the status of ecosystem functioning. We quantitatively sampled macrofauna in a semi-enclosed bay in four seasons and analyzed the relationship between species, functional diversity and secondary production, biomass and feeding functional groups of macrofauna.ResultsThe annual secondary production was 325.01 kJ m−2 year−1. Detritivorous, carnivorous and planktophagous feeders were the main functional groups of macrofauna. Differences in the spatial–temporal distribution of functional groups were influenced by Ruditapes philippinarum and Hemileucon bidentatus. Functional richness had significant negative correlations with macrofaunal biomass and secondary production. Functional divergence, functional dispersion and Rao's quadratic entropy had highly significant negative correlations with macrofaunal biomass and secondary production.ConclusionThe results showed that high overlap of ecological niches can increase competition for habitat resources, leading to a decline in biomass and secondary production. In addition, aquaculture could promote the use of habitat resources to some extent, while it could increase competition for ecosystem resources (including habitat resources, atmospheric resources, water resources, etc.). Functional diversity is a good indicator for the ecosystem functioning and the competition status for habitat resources, which can provide insights into the current state of ecosystem function.