Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Jiménez-Ramos, Rocío
• Brun, Fernando G.
• Vergara, Juan J.
• Hernández, Ignacio
• Pérez-Lloréns, J. Lucas
• Egea, Luis G.

Titel

Nutrient enrichment and herbivory alter carbon balance in temperate seagrass communities

Ist Teil von

• Marine pollution bulletin, 2024-09, Vol.206, p.116784, Article 116784

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Large nutrient levels and herbivory stress, particularly when acting together, drive a variety of responses in seagrass communities that ultimately may weaken their carbon balance. An in situ three-months experiment was carried out in two contrasting seasons to address the effects of two levels of nutrient load and three levels of artificial clipping on Cymodocea nodosa plants. Nutrient enrichment shifted the community from autotrophic to heterotrophic and reduced DOC fluxes in winter, whereas enhanced community carbon metabolism and DOC fluxes in summer. Herbivory stress decreased the net primary production in both seasons, whereas net DOC release increased in winter but decreased in summer. A reduction of seagrass food-web structure was observed under both disturbances evidencing impacts on the seagrass ecosystems services by altering the carbon transfer process and the loss of superficial OC, which may finally weaken the blue carbon storage capacity of these communities. •Effects of nutrients and simulated herbivory on seagrass C dynamics and biodiversity•An in situ 3-months experiment in two seasons in a full factorial design•Seagrass production–DOC fluxes relationship can be altered under disturbance conditions.•90 % leaf clipping under nutrient increase stimulate respiration and loss of sediment OC•Fewer trophic groups and links connecting top to basal species under disturbances