カリブ海のサンゴ礁の発展は,2800万年以上にわたってサンゴの多様性から独立していた
Kenneth G Johnson1, Jeremy B C Jackson, Ann F Budd
1Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. K.Johnson@nhm.ac.uk
まとめ
珊瑚の種の多様性は,サンゴ礁の成長に不可欠ではありません. 多様性が50%減少した後でも,大きなサンゴ礁は発展を続け,サンゴ礁の生態系に関する以前の仮定に異議を唱えました.
科学分野:
- マリン・バイオロジー マリン・バイオロジー
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 生態系科学 生態系科学 生態系科学
背景:
- サンゴの種の多様性は地域によって大きく異なるが,サンゴ礁の成長率は一貫しているようだ.
- これは,サンゴ礁の多様性が,サンゴ礁の発展や生態系機能の主要な原動力ではないことを示唆しています.
- 多様性の地域差は,長期の生物学的歴史と環境要因に起因する可能性があります.
研究 の 目的:
- 地質学的時間尺度におけるサンゴの多様性とサンゴ礁の発展の関係を調査する.
- 珊瑚礁の成長と持続のために高い珊瑚種の多様性が必要かどうかを判断する.
主な方法:
- 新しい化石データと公開された化石データの組み合わせを用いた.
- 熱帯西大西洋の層図記録を分析した.
- 過去2800万年におけるサンゴの多様性とサンゴ礁の発展の変化を比較する.
主要な成果:
- サンゴ礁の発展は,サンゴの種多様性とは無関係であることが判明しました.
- 最も広大なサンゴ礁は,サンゴの多様性が減少した (50%まで減少) 期間に形成された.
- 大規模なサンゴの絶滅の時期は,サンゴ礁の成長を妨げなかった.
結論:
- 高いサンゴ種の多様性は,サンゴ礁の成長と持続のための前提条件ではありません.
- 生態系の機能とサンゴ礁の発展は,サンゴの多様性が低い場合でも維持できます.
- 過去のサンゴ礁開発は,種の豊かさがサンゴ礁の構造に不可欠であるという考えに異議を唱える.
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