Dataset Information

Long-distance facilitation of coastal ecosystem structure and resilience.

ABSTRACT: Biotic interactions that hierarchically organize ecosystems by driving ecological and evolutionary processes across spatial scales are ubiquitous in our biosphere. Biotic interactions have been extensively studied at local and global scales, but how long-distance, cross-ecosystem interactions at intermediate landscape scales influence the structure, function, and resilience of ecological systems remains poorly understood. We used remote sensing, modeling, and field data to test the hypothesis that the long-distance impact of an invasive species dramatically affects one of the largest tidal flat ecosystems in East Asia. We found that the invasion of exotic cordgrass Spartina alterniflora can produce long-distance effects on native species up to 10 km away, driving decadal coastal ecosystem transitions. The invasive cordgrass at low elevations facilitated the expansion of the native reed Phragmites australis at high elevations, leading to the massive loss and reduced resilience of the iconic Suaeda salsa "Red Beach" marshes at intermediate elevations, largely as a consequence of reduced soil salinity across the landscape. Our results illustrate the complex role that long-distance interactions can play in shaping landscape structure and ecosystem resilience and in bridging the gap between local and global biotic interactions.

SUBMITTER: Wang B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9282383 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Long-distance facilitation of coastal ecosystem structure and resilience.

Wang Bo B Zhang Kang K Liu Quan-Xing QX He Qiang Q van de Koppel Johan J Teng Shuqing N SN Miao Xinyu X Liu Maosong M Bertness Mark D MD Xu Chi C

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20220627 28

Biotic interactions that hierarchically organize ecosystems by driving ecological and evolutionary processes across spatial scales are ubiquitous in our biosphere. Biotic interactions have been extensively studied at local and global scales, but how long-distance, cross-ecosystem interactions at intermediate landscape scales influence the structure, function, and resilience of ecological systems remains poorly understood. We used remote sensing, modeling, and field data to test the hypothesis th ...[more]

PMID: 35759652

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Dataset Information

Long-distance facilitation of coastal ecosystem structure and resilience.

Publications

Long-distance facilitation of coastal ecosystem structure and resilience.

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