Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units?

Culhane, FE ORCID: 0000-0002-0488-1277, Frid, C, Gelabert, ER, White, L and Robinson, LA ORCID: 0000-0002-3146-361X (2018) Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units? Ecological Applications, 28 (7). pp. 1740-1751.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Text Culhaneetal2018-Ecological_Applications.pdf - Published version Download (2MB)

Abstract

Marine ecosystems support supply of ecosystem services (ESs) through processes and functions carried out by diverse biological elements. Managing sustainability of ES use requires linking services to the parts of ecosystems supplying them. We specified marine service providing units (SPUs) as plausible combinations of a biotic group (e.g., bacteria, seabirds) with an associated major habitat (e.g., sublittoral sediment). We developed a network model for large marine ecosystems, documenting 2,916 links between 153 SPUs with 31 services. Coastal habitats and their taxa accounted for 48% of links, but all habitats with their taxa contribute to at least 20 ESs. Through network analysis, we showed some services link to certain key habitats, while others are less clearly defined in space, being supported by a variety of habitats and their taxa. Analysis highlighted large‐scale flows across marine habitats that are essential in underpinning continued supply of certain ESs, for example, seed dispersal. If we only protect habitats where services are used, we will not fully protect the supply of services reliant on mobile taxa moving between habitats. This emerged because we considered habitats and their taxa together. We recommend using combinations of habitats and taxa as SPUs when informing marine ecosystem management and conservation.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	biodiversity, conservation, ecological connectivity, ecosystem service, mobile species, network analysis
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	08 Jan 2019 10:52
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 01:07
DOI:	10.1002/eap.1779
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1779
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3030943

Available Versions of this Item

• Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units? (deposited 05 Sep 2018 12:10)
  • Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units? (deposited 08 Jan 2019 10:52) [Currently Displayed]