Warming winters promote biodiversity through reduced mortality of a habitat-forming species in soft-sediment intertidal systems - data

Habitat-forming species enhance biodiversity by providing shelter, substrate, and feeding grounds for many species. Climate-change effects on these species may have wide ranging impacts on local species richness and abundance. Warmer winter temperatures in particular are an important driver of demographic parameters in temperate to polar environments. However, the extent of these effects on local biodiversity remains unclear. We address this topic by studying the abundance of the tube-worm Lanice conchilega, a habitat-forming species that shows mass mortalities in intertidal areas after cold winters. Using 15 years of data collected throughout the intertidal Dutch Wadden Sea, we modelled population dynamics of L. conchilega relative to inundation and winter temperatures, and related its population growth to changes in species richness. Winter temperature was positively associated with L. conchilega’s population growth, which in turn correlated with increased local species richness. Specifically, for every 10 fold increase in L. conchilega population, 0.69 additional species were found. We conclude that increases in winter temperature promote L. conchilega’s abundance and, in turn, species richness due to its role as a habitat-forming species. The direct positive effect of warmer winters on L. conchilega abundance and the subsequent indirect effect on biodiversity might represent a silver lining within the environmental and biodiversity crisis we are facing.

造生境物种（Habitat-forming species）通过为众多物种提供庇护场所、附着基质与摄食生境，助力区域生物多样性提升。气候变化对这类物种的影响，可能会对本地物种丰富度与种群丰度产生广泛波及效应。其中，冬季气温升高是温带至极地环境中调控种群统计参数的关键驱动因子。然而，此类效应对本地生物多样性的具体影响程度仍不明晰。本研究依托荷兰瓦登海潮间带全域15年的监测数据，针对管栖蠕虫Lanice conchilega展开研究——该物种作为造生境类群，会在寒冷冬季过后的潮间带出现大规模种群死亡事件。我们通过构建模型，分析了Lanice conchilega的种群动态与潮汐淹没程度、冬季气温的关联，并探讨了其种群增长与本地物种丰富度变化的关系。研究结果表明，冬季气温与Lanice conchilega的种群增长呈显著正相关，而该种群的增长又与本地物种丰富度提升存在显著关联。具体而言，当Lanice conchilega的种群规模每提升10倍时，调查样地可多观测到0.69个物种。我们据此得出结论：冬季气温升高可促进Lanice conchilega的种群丰度，进而借助其造生境物种的生态角色提升本地物种丰富度。冬季变暖对Lanice conchilega种群的直接正向效应，以及由此引发的生物多样性间接增益，或许能为当前我们面临的环境与生物多样性危机带来一线曙光。