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Macrobenthos trophic responses to mangrove restoration in Yanpu Bay: Insights from trophic niches and food source
Mengjia Shi1, Yuwei Qu1, Minghai Xu2
1Fishery College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China.
Abstract:
Mangroves represent a highly productive coastal ecosystem, which supports complex community structures that give rise to intricate trophic relationships among species. To evaluate the impact of mangrove restoration on the trophic ecology of macrobenthos, this study compared the trophic niche characteristics and food sources of mangrove and mudflat habitats in Yanpu Bay. Based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis, macrobenthos in the mangrove exhibited trophic levels ranging from 1.36 (Cerithidea rhizophorarum) to 3.91 (Varuna litterata), while those in the mudflat ranged from 1.28 to 3.39. The δ13C range (CR) (2.72) and total convex hull area encompassing the data points (TA = 133.00) in the mangrove were greater than those in the mudflat (CR = 0.82; TA = 50.17). These findings suggest that niche differentiation among macrobenthos in mangroves was more distinct, and that these organisms were able to access a broader range of resources. Additionally, the mangrove exhibited lower values of mean nearest neighbour distance (MNND) but higher standard deviation of the nearest neighbour distance (SDNND). Given the relatively short restoration history, the mangrove ecosystem is still in an early stage of succession, and the stability of its ecological functions and structural parameters remains under development. In both habitats, soil organic matter (SOM) was the dominant carbon source, contributing 63% and 66.2% of the carbon in the mangrove and mudflat habitats, respectively; this suggests that the food web is primarily supported by a sediment-based pathway driven by endogenous carbon. Moreover, mangrove leaf litter provided a more substantial supplementary food source for macrobenthos compared to the mudflat. This study demonstrates that restored mangroves enhance the trophic structure and food web complexity of macrobenthos, offering a scientific foundation for mangrove restoration and benthic organism conservation.
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