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Marine Benthic Community Assembly Is Taxonomically Stochastic but Functionally Deterministic in a Dynamic Coastal

Milenka Sloots1, Oscar Franken1,2, Kasper J Meijer1

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Summary

Ecological community assembly is driven by both random (stochastic) and predictable (deterministic) processes. This study found species composition relies on stochasticity, while functional traits are more deterministic, informing coastal management strategies.

Keywords:
Wadden Seadisturbancefunctional traitsmacrozoobenthosstochastic processes

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Area of Science:

  • Marine ecology
  • Community ecology
  • Benthic ecology

Background:

  • Understanding ecological community assembly is key to interpreting dynamics and informing conservation.
  • Deterministic processes are manageable through interventions, unlike stochastic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the balance of deterministic and stochastic processes in macrozoobenthic community assembly.
  • To assess the influence of hydrodynamic disturbance gradients on these processes.
  • To provide insights for effective coastal ecosystem management.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a large-scale, spatially explicit macrozoobenthic monitoring campaign.
  • Collected data from 1323 sampling locations in the Dutch Wadden Sea.
  • Analyzed community assembly based on species and functional traits, considering disturbance gradients.

Main Results:

  • Species-based community assembly was predominantly driven by stochastic processes.
  • Trait-based community assembly showed stronger deterministic and environmental influences.
  • Environmental disturbance levels had minimal impact on the relative importance of stochastic versus deterministic processes.

Conclusions:

  • Coastal benthic ecosystem management should focus on targeting desired functional groups.
  • This approach is more effective than attempting to control specific community composition changes.
  • Management strategies need to account for the interplay of deterministic and stochastic factors in ecological assembly.