Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene
- PMID: 30857757
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.005
Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene
Abstract
Arguments for the need to conserve aquatic predator (AP) populations often focus on the ecological and socioeconomic roles they play. Here, we summarize the diverse ecosystem functions and services connected to APs, including regulating food webs, cycling nutrients, engineering habitats, transmitting diseases/parasites, mediating ecological invasions, affecting climate, supporting fisheries, generating tourism, and providing bioinspiration. In some cases, human-driven declines and increases in AP populations have altered these ecosystem functions and services. We present a social ecological framework for supporting adaptive management decisions involving APs in response to social and environmental change. We also identify outstanding questions to guide future research on the ecological functions and ecosystem services of APs in a changing world.
Keywords: ecosystem effects; lake; ocean; predator; river; trophic cascade.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Comment in
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Aquatic Predators Influence Flux of Essential Micronutrients.Trends Ecol Evol. 2019 Oct;34(10):880-881. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Jul 1. Trends Ecol Evol. 2019. PMID: 31272694 No abstract available.
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Aquatic Predators Influence Micronutrients: Important but Understudied.Trends Ecol Evol. 2019 Oct;34(10):882-883. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.07.006. Epub 2019 Aug 11. Trends Ecol Evol. 2019. PMID: 31409517 No abstract available.
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