Open AccessMolluscs community as a keystone group for assessing the impact of urban sprawl at intertidal ecosystems
Author(s) -
Elena Ortega-Jiménez,
Francisco Sedano,
Free Espinosa
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
urban ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.985
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1573-1642
pISSN - 1083-8155
DOI - 10.1007/s11252-021-01192-6
Subject(s) - ecology , urban sprawl , trophic level , community structure , ecosystem , intertidal zone , urban ecology , context (archaeology) , habitat , geography , biology , urban planning , archaeology
Mollusc communities are getting endangered in the aftermath of urban sprawl because artificial structures do not surrogate natural substrates. In this study, we compared the diversity, community and trophic arrangements of molluscs among different models of artificial substrate and their adjacent natural rock, to detect relationships between some abiotic variables and the mollusc communities. Complexity, chemical composition and age were tested as potential drivers of the community. Diversity, community and trophic structure differed between natural and artificial substrates. Complexity at the scale of cm was detected as the most important factor driving the community structure. In addition, a chemical composition based on silica and/or scarce calcium carbonates seems to be relevant for molluscs, as well as for the secondary substrate where they inhabit. However, age did not seem to be a driving factor. Among the different artificial structures, macroscale complexity was detected as the main factor diverging a drastically poor community at seawall from other artificial structures. In this context, macro and microscale complexity, chemical composition and mineral type are variables to consider in future designs of artificial substrates.