Hyman et al.PRSB submersed aquatic vegetation.csv from Long-term persistence of structured habitats: seagrass meadows as enduring hotspots of biodiversity and faunal stability

Ecological studies indicate that structurally complex habitats support elevated biodiversity, stability and resilience. The long-term persistence of structured habitats and their importance in maintaining biodiverse hotspots remain underexplored. We combined geohistorical data (dead molluscs, ‘DA’) and contemporary surveys (live molluscs, ‘LA’) to assess the persistence of local seagrass habitats over multi-centennial timescales and to evaluate whether they acted as long-term drivers of biodiversity, stability and resilience of associated fauna. We sampled structured seagrass meadows and open sandy bottoms along Florida's Gulf Coast. Results indicated that (i) LA composition differed significantly between the two habitat types, (ii) LA from seagrass sites were characterized by significantly elevated local biodiversity and significantly higher spatial stability, (iii) DA composition differed significantly between the two habitat types, and (iv) fidelity between LA and DA was significantly greater for seagrass habitats. Contemporary results support the hypotheses that local biodiversity and spatial stability of marine benthos are both elevated in structured seagrass habitats. Geohistorical results suggest that structured habitats persist as local hotspots of elevated biodiversity and faunal stability over centennial-to-millennial timescales; indicating that habitat degradation and concomitant loss within structurally complex marine systems is a key driver of declining biodiversity and resilience.

生态学研究表明，结构复杂的生境可维持更高的生物多样性、稳定性与恢复力。但结构化生境的长期存续性，及其在维持生物多样性热点区域中的关键作用，目前仍未得到充分探索。本研究结合地质历史数据（死亡软体动物，记为DA）与当代调查数据（活体软体动物，记为LA），旨在评估局域海草生境在数百年尺度上的存续情况，并验证其是否为关联动物群落的生物多样性、稳定性与恢复力的长期驱动因子。研究团队在佛罗里达墨西哥湾沿岸对结构化海草床与开阔沙质底生境开展了采样。研究结果显示：（1）两类生境的活体软体动物群落组成存在显著差异；（2）海草生境中的活体软体动物群落具有显著更高的局域生物多样性与空间稳定性；（3）两类生境的死亡软体动物群落组成同样存在显著差异；（4）海草生境中活体与死亡软体动物群落组成的保真度显著更高。当代调查结果验证了相关假说：结构化海草生境中的海洋底栖生物，其局域生物多样性与空间稳定性均显著更高。地质历史数据分析结果则表明，结构化生境可在百年至千年尺度上持续作为高生物多样性与群落稳定性的局域热点区域；这意味着结构复杂的海洋生态系统中，生境退化及其伴随的生境丧失，是导致生物多样性下降与恢复力降低的关键驱动因素。