BIODIV-LOG

A global approach towards linking climate and marine biodiversity to ecosystem functioning

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Pelagic ecosystems play a fundamental role in modulating the global environment via their regulatory effects on the Earth’s climate and their role in biogeochemical cycling. Recent global climate change has refocused concerns about the potential effect of environmental change on pelagic communities such as changes in biodiversity or community composition that can alter ecosystem properties and the goods and services they provide. Therefore, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research in marine systems is urgently needed at a time when the pelagic realm is known to be responding to climate change, especially for key trophic groups. The aims of this project are 1) to investigate geographic co-variations in copepod species diversity and the mean community body size structure at a global scale and their effects on carbon export, 2) to integrate these global diversity patterns across different trophic levels (from phytoplankton to fish), 3) to evaluate the influence of climate and environment on global marine biodiversity and the carbon cycle, and 4) to forecast potential shifts in distribution of pelagic biodiversity under different climate change scenarios to predict future changes in ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services. For the data analysis, cutting edge statistical modelling techniques will be used to evaluate the spatial distribution of a species, together with changes in biodiversity and ecosystem function under different climate change scenarios. The results of this study will enable, for the first time, to assess the relationships between pelagic biodiversity, mean community size structure and the functioning of the ecosystems at a global scale and as a consequence yield a key insight to how climate-induced effects in the plankton may affect global carbon cycling providing important data for models of global climate change.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Research is urgently needed into the effect of climate on the biodiversity of key groups of marine organisms in the food chain, such as plankton. An EU-funded initiative addressed this issue by studying copepods, a group of tiny planktonic crustaceans.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Open ocean (pelagic) ecosystems play a crucial role in modifying the global environment due to their regulatory effects on the Earth's climate and their role in biogeochemical cycling. Concern has been expressed about the effects of environmental change on pelagic communities, such as alterations in biodiversity or community composition.

Scientists from the BIODIV-LOG (A global approach towards linking climate and marine biodiversity to ecosystem functioning) project investigated geographic variation in copepod species diversity and body size at a global scale, and its effect on carbon export. These patterns in global diversity were integrated across different levels of the food chain, from phytoplankton to fish.

Researchers also evaluated the effect of a changing climate and environment on global marine diversity and the carbon cycle. In addition, they forecast potential shifts in the distribution of pelagic biodiversity under different climate change scenarios. The results were used to predict future changes in the functioning of ecosystems and the benefits they provide.

The project tested 74 ecologically realistic scenarios. They were then compared with observed patterns of biodiversity for foraminifers (a single-celled organism) and copepods, both important forms of pelagic plankton. Results revealed the significant effect of temperature on biodiversity at the global scale.

A study was carried out on copepod size variation and distribution along latitudinal gradients, associated with temperature and other physical factors. It was discovered that copepods show a strong geographic variation in body size within the same species. However, although large individuals are found everywhere, small individuals mainly occur in lower latitudes and transition zones.

Variation in body size within species was found to follow environmental gradients, such as seasonal variability in primary production. This result agreed with earlier studies where environmental temperature was shown to affect the body size of copepods. The high level of copepod body size variability within species on a global scale demonstrates the need to consider temperature regime and body size in models.

BIODIV-LOG will enable relationships to be assessed between pelagic biodiversity, mean community size structure and the functioning of the ecosystem at global scale. This information can be used to understand how the impacts of climate change on plankton will affect global carbon cycling, thereby providing vital data for models of global climate change.