Increasing instability of a rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem
Bruce A Menge1, Sarah A Gravem1, Angela Johnson1
1Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331.
Summary
Climate change is subtly destabilizing Oregon
Area of Science:
- Marine ecology
- Climate change impacts
- Ecosystem resilience
Background:
- Climate change can shift ecological communities to new states.
- Increasing variability in ecological processes signals ecosystem state shifts.
- Rocky intertidal ecosystems are vital but vulnerable to climate impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate signs of ecological destabilization in a rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem.
- To determine if observed community states mask underlying resilience loss.
- To identify drivers of ecological change on the Oregon coast.
Main Methods:
- Studied three regions across 260 km of the Oregon coast.
- Analyzed annually cleared intertidal sites over a decade.
- Monitored community recovery rates and variability.
Main Results:
- Annually cleared sites show increasing community destabilization.
- Recovery rates slowed and became more variable over time.
- External drivers like marine heat waves and altered ocean currents are implicated.
Conclusions:
- Subtle ecological destabilization is occurring in this iconic ecosystem.
- Resilience is being lost despite persistent community states.
- Climate change impacts manifest as gradual loss of ecosystem stability.
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