6533b86ffe1ef96bd12cd345
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The invasive Asparagopsis taxiformis hosts a low diverse and less trophic structured molluscan assemblage compared with the native Ericaria brachycarpa
Riccardo D'agostaroMarco MilazzoRenato ChemelloF. Paolo Mancusosubject
0106 biological sciencesAsparagopsis taxiformisBiodiversityAquatic ScienceOceanography010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciencesInvasive speciesRocky shoreCystoseira sensu latoEcosystemTrophic levelBiomass (ecology)biologyEcology010604 marine biology & hydrobiologyfungiEricaria brachycarpaTrophic guildsfood and beveragesBiodiversityGeneral MedicineSeaweedbiology.organism_classificationMolluscs diversityPollutionHabitatRhodophytaMediterranean seaAsparagopsis taxiformisIntroduced SpeciesGlobal biodiversitydescription
Abstract Invasive seaweeds threaten biodiversity and socio-economics values of worldwide marine ecosystems. Understanding to what extent invasive seaweeds can modify local biodiversity is one of the main priorities in conservation ecology. We compared the molluscan assemblage of the invasive Asparagopsis taxiformis with that of the native Ericaria brachycarpa and explore if variation in the molluscan assemblage diversity was related to the substrate attributes (biomass, and thallus, canopy, and interstitial volumes) of the algae. Results showed that A. taxiformis harboured lower diversity and trophic structure of the molluscan assemblage compared to E. brachycarpa. Biomass was the variable that better explained the variation of abundance and number of species as well as the multivariate structure of the molluscan assemblage. Overall, our results suggest that a complete habitat shift from native to invasive species can potentially trigger bottom-up effects in rocky shores habitats, reducing the biodiversity and the services provided by the invaded habitat.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-04-01 | Marine Environmental Research |