The response of trophic interaction networks to multiple stressors along a large-scale latitudinal range in the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract

Ecological networks offer valuable insights into community structure, key species identification, and ecosystem management. Understanding how these networks respond to global change stressors is of increasing interest, especially along geographical gradients. This review summarizes potential stressor responses in marine food webs from the Southwest Atlantic to the Antarctic (45–78°S), encompassing areas such as San Jorge Gulf, Beagle Channel, Burdwood Bank, Scotia Sea, Potter Cove, and the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. The objectives are (1) to describe the structure of marine food webs along this latitudinal axis using a network approach; (2) to identify predominant global change-related stressors affecting each ecosystem; and (3) to summarize observed food web changes and hypothesize on stressor impacts. The effects of stressors were primarily reviewed at the species level. Alternative hypotheses for each study area were formulated considering (a) main stressors; (b) impacted parameters; (c) node-level species properties; and (d) network-level food web properties. Global warming emerges as the most common stressor among the studied areas across the latitudinal gradient, except in the Beagle Channel and Burdwood Bank, where alien species introduction and fisheries are more influential. We offer a series of alternative hypotheses on how warming may affect the food webs. This review emphasizes the benefits of using a network approach to understand and predict stressor effects in Southern Hemisphere marine ecosystems. This approach provides a holistic understanding of ecosystems, which enhances our ability to identify key species and their interactions, offering insights for ecosystem management and conservation in the face of global change stressors.