Abstract:
The relationship between functional diversity and secondary production is known to influence ecosystem stability and can be used to measure the functioning of an ecosystem. Long-term data is used to compare four mid-coastal Texas estuaries (Nueces, Laguna Madre, Guadalupe, and Lavaca-Colorado Estuaries) to test the hypothesis. Freshwater inflow differences among these estuaries affects nutrient supply, habitat, biodiversity, and productivity. Functional diversity was calculated based on seven classifiers: feeding strategy, habitat, mobility, lifespan, reproduction, sediment depth, and body size. There was a positive correlation between benthic production and diversity for species richness, species diversity, and species evenness and secondary production. Most functional diversity indices did not correlate with production, except for functional dispersion, which explains >77% of variation for secondary production. Apart from functional originality, there were no relationships between indicators of freshwater inflow influence (i.e., increase in nutrients and decrease in salinity) and the diversity metrics. Overall, classical measures of macrofauna species diversity have a strong relationship with secondary production, while functional diversity does not appear to have any relationship. Thus, for Texas USA estuaries, it appears that functional diversity metrics do not explain or drive benthic ecosystem processes.
Suggested Citation:
Montagna, Paul. A., Trevino, Karin I., and Cockett, Patricia. Macrofauna Productivity, Species Diversity, and Functional Diversity in Texas Bays from April 1988 - July 2008. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/4nx2zg7b
Data Parameters and Units:
Depth (m), Temperature (°C), Salinity (psu), Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L), pH, Chl a (ug/L), Ammonium (μmol/L), Nitrite+Nitrate (μmol/L), Orthophosphate (μmol/L), Silicate SIO4 (μmol/L), Biomass (g/m²), Biomass (gC/m²), Abundance (ind./m²), Richness (S/sample), Diversity (N1/sample), Diversity (H'/sample), Evenness (J'/sample), number of dominant species (Hill's N1/sample), number of dominant species (Simpson's λ/sample), Delta (Taxonomic diversity Δ/sample), TD (Taxonomic distinctness Δ*/sample), AvTD ( Average taxonomic distinctness Δ+/sample), TTD (Total taxonomic distinctness SΔ+/sample), VarTD (Variation in taxonomic distinctness λ+/sample), Phi (Average phylogenetic diversity φ+/sample), TPD Faith's PD (Total phylogenetic diversity Sφ/sample), F_TD (Functional Taxonomic distinctness fΔ*/sample), F_AvTD (Functional Average taxonomic distinctness fΔ+/sample), F_AvTD (Functional average taxonomic distinctness fΔ+/sample), F_TTD (Functional total taxonomic distinctness fSΔ+/sample), F_VarTD (Functional variation in taxonomic distinctness fλ+/sample),
.
Methods:
Sediment is collected with 35.4 cm2 cores, macrofauna is extracted with a 0.5 mm sieve and identified to lowest taxonomic level possible, and biomass is measured after drying samples for 24 h at 55 C. Various diversity calculations are made using Primer and R software.
Provenance and Historical References:
Kim, H. -C. and Montagna, P.M. 2012. Effects of climate-driven freshwater inflow variability on macrobenthic secondary production in Texas lagoonal estuaries: A modeling study. Ecological Modelling 235– 236: 67– 80. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.03.022
VanDiggelen, A. D. and Montagna, P.A. 2016. Is salinity variability a benthic disturbance in estuaries? Estuaries and Coasts 39:967-980. doi: 10.1007/s12237-015-0058-9
Montagna, P. A. 2023. Long-term monitoring of water and sediment quality to identify freshwater inflow effects from 1984-01-01 to 2019-10-01. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. https://doi.org/10.7266/aa36pm7h