Tipping points and interactive effects of chronic human disturbance and acute heat stress on coral diversity

Dominique G. Maucieri, Samuel Starko, Julia K. Baum

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Multiple anthropogenic stressors co-occur ubiquitously in natural ecosystems. However, multiple stressor studies often produce conflicting results, potentially because the nature and direction of stressor interactions depends upon the strength of the underlying stressors. Here, we first examine how coral α- and β-diversities vary across sites spanning a gradient of chronic local anthropogenic stress before and after a prolonged marine heatwave. Developing a multiple stressor framework that encompasses non-discrete stressors, we then examine interactions between the continuous and discrete stressors. We provide evidence of additive effects, antagonistic interactions (with heatwave-driven turnover in coral community composition diminishing as the continuous stressor increased), and tipping points (at which the response of coral Hill-richness to stressors changed from additive to near synergistic). We show that community-level responses to multiple stressors can vary, and even change qualitatively, with stressor intensity, underscoring the importance of examining complex, but realistic continuous stressors to understand stressor interactions and their ecological impacts.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20230209
Number of pages10
JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume290
Issue number1996
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Apr 2023

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