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Life History Strategies Drive Meso-Scale Distribution Patterns in Coastal Benthic Macroinvertebrates.

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Summary

Species distribution is shaped by environment and traits. Trait interactions, not just the environment, drive species patterns and biomass along the South African coast, revealing complex Life History Strategies (LHS).

Keywords:
biogeographyfunctional diversitylifestylemarine environmentreproductionsea surface temperaturetrade‐offs and spin‐offstrait interactions

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Ecology
  • Biogeography
  • Trait-based Ecology

Background:

  • Species distribution is influenced by environmental factors and species traits.
  • Trait biogeography studies explore the link between species traits and their geographic distribution.
  • Interactions among species traits can also impact their adaptability and distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how species distribution is influenced by environmental factors, species traits, and interactions among traits.
  • To analyze trait information of intertidal macroinvertebrates along a South African coastal gradient.
  • To define and analyze Life History Strategies (LHS) based on functional entities (FEs) in Reproduction and Lifestyle domains.

Main Methods:

  • Collected trait data for 150 intertidal macroinvertebrates along a 3000 km South African coastal gradient.
  • Analyzed trait data by defining functional entities (FEs) and condensing them into Reproduction and Lifestyle domains.
  • Defined and analyzed Life History Strategies (LHS) as combinations of Lifestyle and Reproduction FEs, assessing their biomass dominance and geographic patterns.

Main Results:

  • Seven LHS combinations dominated total biomass, with some being ubiquitous and others showing geographic patterns.
  • Filter-feeders showed high abundance at both East and West extremes of the gradient, differing in reproductive traits, suggesting trade-offs between Reproduction and Lifestyle domains.
  • Within the Reproduction domain, gonochoristic, annual planktotrophic reproduction was common, indicating spin-offs among traits, while episodic reproduction involved trade-offs with size and maturation time.

Conclusions:

  • Species distribution and biomass patterns along the South African coast are significantly influenced by trait interactions and Life History Strategies (LHS).
  • While environmental drivers (habitat templet model) are important, trait interactions play a crucial role in shaping observed patterns.
  • The study highlights the complexity of factors, including trait trade-offs and spin-offs, that determine species distribution and abundance in marine intertidal zones.