S31.08
Global wa ming is e oding he esilience o kelp beds
Pe e S aeh (1), T We nbe g(2), M Thomsen(2), F Tuya(2), G Kend ick(3), B Toohey(3),
(1) Uni e si y o Copenhagen, Biological Ins i u e, Aqua ic Sec ion, Hille ød, Denma k
(2) Edi h Cowan Uni e si y, Cen e o Ma ine Ecosys ems Resea ch, Pe h, WA, Aus alia
(3) Uni e si y o Wes e n Aus alia, School o Plan Biology, Pe h, WA, Aus alia
Global wa ming’s e ec on he phenology and dis ibu ion o bio a h ea ens he p ese a ion o biodi e si y
and ecosys em se ices wo ldwide. A c i ical elemen o conse a ion success in he u u e is
unde s anding he link be ween physiological and ecological esponses o key species o mul iple concu en
en i onmen al changes. Cu en e idence o how ocean empe a u e a ec s he bio a in socio-economically
impo an ma ine habi a s is scan , co ela i e and p o ides li le causal in o ma ion on likely syne gis ic
e ec s o mul iple pe u ba ions. He e, we use a compa a i e expe imen al app oach o demons a e ha , in
Aus alasian kelp beds, physiological adjus men o main ain abundance in a wa m ocean clima e educes
he ecological compe ency o ju enile kelp, and ha his supp esses he capaci y o canopy eco e y om
physical dis u bances o inc easing in ensi y. The implied e osion o esilience is media ed by a shi in
adul -ju enile in e ac ions om compe i i e unde cool (benign) o acili a i e unde wa m (ad e se)
condi ions. This suppo s ecen heo e ical p edic ions ha posi i e in e ac ions among o ganisms will
become inc easingly impo an o he main enance o ecological unc ion in a wa me u u e. These esul s
demons a e ha , a he han g adually shi ing ange bounda ies pole-wa d, he commonly p edic ed
esponse o global wa ming, pa e ns o abundance may be main ained h ough physiological adjus men
while he unde lying ecological p ocesses change. The combined e ec o ocean wa ming and inc easing
dis u bances om ex eme e en s will he e o e b ing kelp beds close o a h eshold whe e pe sis en loss o
habi a and ecological unc ion will occu i hey a e subjec ed o addi ional s esso s (e.g., educed wa e
quali y).
Clima e Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions IOP Publishing
IOP Con . Se ies: Ea h and En i onmen al Science 6(2009) 312008 doi:10.1088/1755-1307/6/1/312008
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2009 IOP Publishing L d
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