2013 03 21 Impacts of Biodiversity Loss On Ocean Ecosystem Services
2013 03 21 Impacts of Biodiversity Loss On Ocean Ecosystem Services
2013 03 21 Impacts of Biodiversity Loss On Ocean Ecosystem Services
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Home > Science Magazine > 3 November 2006 > Worm et al., 314 (5800): 787-790
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Benjamin S. Halpern7, Jeremy B. C. Jackson8,9, Heike K. Lotze1, Fiorenza Micheli10, Stephen R. Palumbi10,
Enric Sala8, Kimberley A. Selkoe7, John J. Stachowicz11, Reg Watson12
- Author Affiliations
ABSTRACT
What is the role of biodiversity in maintaining the ecosystem services on which a growing human
population depends? Recent surveys of the terrestrial literature suggest that local species richness
may enhance ecosystem productivity and stability (1–3). However, the importance of biodiversity
changes at the landscape level is less clear, and the lessons from local experiments and theory do not
seem to easily extend to long-term, large-scale management decisions (3). These issues are
particularly enigmatic for the world's oceans, which are geographically large and taxonomically
complex, making the scaling up from local to global scales potentially more difficult (4). Marine
ecosystems provide a wide variety of goods and services, including vital food resources for millions of
people (5, 6). A large and increasing proportion of our population lives close to the coast; thus the
loss of services such as flood control and waste detoxification can have disastrous consequences (7,
8). Changes in marine biodiversity are directly caused by exploitation, pollution, and habitat
destruction, or indirectly through climate change and related perturbations of ocean biogeochemistry
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(9–13). Although marine extinctions are only slowly uncovered at the global scale (9), regional
ecosystems such as estuaries (10), coral reefs (11), and coastal (12) and oceanic fish communities (13)
are rapidly losing populations, species, or entire functional groups. Although it is clear that particular
species provide critical services to society (6), the role of biodiversity per se remains untested at the
ecosystem level (14). We analyzed the effects of changes in marine biodiversity on fundamental
ecosystem services by combining available data from sources ranging from small-scale experiments
to global fisheries.
Experiments. We first used meta-analysis of published data to examine the effects of variation in
marine diversity (genetic or species richness) on primary and secondary productivity, resource use,
nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability in 32 controlled experiments. Such effects have been
contentiously debated, particularly in the marine realm, where high diversity and connectivity may blur
any deterministic effect of local biodiversity on ecosystem functioning (1). Yet when the available
experimental data are combined (15), they reveal a strikingly general picture (Fig. 1). Increased
diversity of both primary producers (Fig. 1A) and consumers (Fig. 1B) enhanced all examined
ecosystem processes. Observed effect sizes corresponded to a 78 to 80% enhancement of primary and
secondary production in diverse mixtures relative to monocultures and a 20 to 36% enhancement of
resource use efficiency (Fig. 1, A and B).
Fig. 1.
Experiments that manipulated species diversity (Fig. 1B) or genetic diversity (Fig. 1C) both found that
diversity enhanced ecosystem stability, here defined as the ability to withstand recurrent
perturbations. This effect was linked to either increased resistance to disturbance (16) or enhanced
recovery afterward (17). A number of experiments on diet mixing further demonstrated the
importance of diverse food sources for secondary production and the channeling of that energy to
higher levels in the food web (Fig. 1D). Different diet items were required to optimize different life-
history processes (growth, survival, and fecundity), leading to maximum total production in the mixed
diet. In summary, experimental results indicate robust positive linkages between biodiversity,
productivity, and stability across trophic levels in marine ecosystems. Identified mechanisms from the
original studies include complementary resource use, positive interactions, and increased selection of
highly performing species at high diversity.
Coastal ecosystems. To test whether experimental results scale up in both space and time, we
compiled long-term trends in regional biodiversity and services from a detailed database of 12 coastal
and estuarine ecosystems (10) and other sources (15). We examined trends in 30 to 80 (average, 48)
economically and ecologically important species per ecosystem. Records over the past millennium
revealed a rapid decline of native species diversity since the onset of industrialization (Fig. 2A). As
predicted by experiments, systems with higher regional species richness appeared more stable,
showing lower rates of collapse and extinction of commercially important fish and invertebrate taxa
over time (Fig. 2B, linear regression, P < 0.01). Overall, historical trends led to the present depletion
(here defined as >50% decline over baseline abundance), collapse (>90% decline), or extinction (100%
decline) of 91, 38, or 7% of species, on average (Fig. 2C). Only 14% recovered from collapse (Fig. 2C);
these species were mostly protected birds and mammals.
Fig. 2.
Regional loss of species diversity and ecosystem services in coastal oceans. (A) Trends of collapse
(circles, >90% decline) and extinction (triangles, 100% decline) of species over the past 1000
years. Means and standard errors are shown (n = 12 regions in Europe, North America, and
Australia). (B) Percentage of collapsed (circles) and extinct (triangles) fisheries in relation to
regional fish species richness. Significant linear regression lines are depicted (P < 0.01). (C to E)
Relative losses or gains in (C) biodiversity, (D) ecosystem services, and (E) risks that are associated
with the loss of services. The number of studies is given in parentheses; error bars indicate
standard errors.
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These regional biodiversity losses impaired at least three critical ecosystem services (Fig. 2D): number
of viable (noncollapsed) fisheries (–33%); provision of nursery habitats such as oyster reefs, seagrass
beds, and wetlands (–69%); and filtering and detoxification services provided by suspension feeders,
submerged vegetation, and wetlands (–63%). Loss of filtering services probably contributed to
declining water quality (18) and the increasing occurrence of harmful algal blooms, fish kills, shellfish
and beach closures, and oxygen depletion (Fig. 2E). Increasing coastal flooding events (Fig. 2E) are
linked to sea level rise but were probably accelerated by historical losses of floodplains and erosion
control provided by coastal wetlands, reefs, and submerged vegetation (7). An increased number of
species invasions over time (Fig. 2E) also coincided with the loss of native biodiversity; again, this is
consistent with experimental results (19). Invasions did not compensate for the loss of native
biodiversity and services, because they comprised other species groups, mostly microbial, plankton,
and small invertebrate taxa (10). Although causal relationships are difficult to infer, these data
suggest that substantial loss of biodiversity (Fig. 2, A and C) is closely associated with regional loss of
ecosystem services (Fig. 2D) and increasing risks for coastal inhabitants (Fig. 2E). Experimentally
derived predictions that more species-rich systems should be more stable in delivering services (Fig.
1) are also supported at the regional scale (Fig. 2B).
Large marine ecosystems. At the largest scales, we analyzed relationships between biodiversity and
ecosystem services using the global catch database from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and other sources (15, 20). We extracted all data on fish and invertebrate catches
from 1950 to 2003 within all 64 large marine ecosystems (LMEs) worldwide. LMEs are large (>150,000
km2) ocean regions reaching from estuaries and coastal areas to the seaward boundaries of
continental shelves and the outer margins of the major current systems (21). They are characterized
by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and food webs. Collectively, these areas produced
83% of global fisheries yields over the past 50 years. Fish diversity data for each LME were derived
independently from a comprehensive fish taxonomic database (22).
Globally, the rate of fisheries collapses, defined here as catches dropping below 10% of the recorded
maximum (23), has been accelerating over time, with 29% of currently fished species considered
collapsed in 2003 (Fig. 3A, diamonds). This accelerating trend is best described by a power relation (y
= 0.0168x1.8992, r = 0.96, P < 0.0001), which predicts the percentage of currently collapsed taxa as a
function of years elapsed since 1950. Cumulative collapses (including recovered species) amounted to
65% of recorded taxa (Fig. 3A, triangles; regression fit: y = 0.0227x2.0035, r = 0.96, P < 0.0001). The
data further revealed that despite large increases in global fishing effort, cumulative yields across all
species and LMEs had declined by 13% (or 10.6 million metric tons) since passing a maximum in 1994.
Fig. 3.
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Consistent with the results from estuaries and coastal seas (Fig. 2B), we observed that these collapses
of LME fisheries occurred at a higher rate in species-poor ecosystems, as compared with species-rich
ones (Fig. 3A). Fish diversity varied widely across LMEs, ranging from ∼20 to 4000 species (Fig. 3B),
and influenced fishery-related services in several ways. First, the proportion of collapsed fisheries
decayed exponentially with increasing species richness (Fig. 3C). Furthermore, the average catches of
non-collapsed fisheries were higher in species-rich systems (Fig. 3D). Diversity also seemed to
increase robustness to overexploitation. Rates of recovery, here defined as any post-collapse increase
above the 10% threshold, were positively correlated with fish diversity (Fig. 3E). This positive
relationship between diversity and recovery became stronger with time after a collapse (5 years, r =
0.10; 10 years, r = 0.39; 15 years, r = 0.48). Higher taxonomic units (genus and family) produced very
similar relationships as species richness in Fig. 3; typically, relationships became stronger with
increased taxonomic aggregation. This may suggest that taxonomically related species play
complementary functional roles in supporting fisheries productivity and recovery.
A mechanism that may explain enhanced recovery at high diversity is that fishers can switch more
readily among target species, potentially providing overfished taxa with a chance to recover. Indeed,
the number of fished taxa was a log-linear function of species richness (Fig. 3F). Fished taxa richness
was negatively related to the variation in catch from year to year (Fig. 3G) and positively correlated
with the total production of catch per year (Fig. 3H). This increased stability and productivity are likely
due to the portfolio effect (24, 25), whereby a more diverse array of species provides a larger number
of ecological functions and economic opportunities, leading to a more stable trajectory and better
performance over time. This portfolio effect has independently been confirmed by economic studies of
multispecies harvesting relationships in marine ecosystems (26, 27). Linear (or log-linear)
relationships indicate steady increases in services up to the highest levels of biodiversity. This means
that proportional species losses are predicted to have similar effects at low and high levels of native
biodiversity.
Marine reserves and fishery closures. A pressing question for management is whether the loss of
services can be reversed, once it has occurred. To address this question, we analyzed available data
from 44 fully protected marine reserves and four large-scale fisheries closures (15). Reserves and
closures have been used to reverse the decline of marine biodiversity on local and regional scales (28,
29). As such, they can be viewed as replicated large-scale experiments. We used meta-analytic
techniques (15) to test for consistent trends in biodiversity and services across all studies (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4.
We found that reserves and fisheries closures showed increased species diversity of target and
nontarget species, averaging a 23% increase in species richness (Fig. 4A). These increases in
biodiversity were associated with large increases in fisheries productivity, as seen in the fourfold
average increase in catch per unit of effort in fished areas around the reserves (Fig. 4B). The
difference in total catches was less pronounced (Fig. 4B), probably because of restrictions on fishing
effort around many reserves. Resistance and recovery after natural disturbances from storms and
thermal stress tended to increase in reserves, though not significantly in most cases (Fig. 4C).
Community variability, as measured by the coefficient of variation in aggregate fish biomass, was
reduced by 21% on average (Fig. 4C). Finally, tourism revenue measured as the relative increase in
dive trips within 138 Caribbean protected areas strongly increased after they were established (Fig.
4D). For several variables, statistical significance depended on how studies were weighted (Fig. 4,
solid versus open circles). This is probably the result of large variation in sample sizes among studies
(15). Despite the inherent variability, these results suggest that at this point it is still possible to
recover lost biodiversity, at least on local to regional scales; and that such recovery is generally
accompanied by increased productivity and decreased variability, which translates into extractive (fish
catches around reserves) and nonextractive (tourism within reserves) revenue.
Conclusions. Positive relationships between diversity and ecosystem functions and services were
found using experimental (Fig. 1) and correlative approaches along trajectories of diversity loss (Figs.
2 and 3) and recovery (Fig. 4). Our data highlight the societal consequences of an ongoing erosion of
diversity that appears to be accelerating on a global scale (Fig. 3A). This trend is of serious concern
because it projects the global collapse of all taxa currently fished by the mid–21st century (based on
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the extrapolation of regression in Fig. 3A to 100% in the year 2048). Our findings further suggest that
the elimination of locally adapted populations and species not only impairs the ability of marine
ecosystems to feed a growing human population but also sabotages their stability and recovery
potential in a rapidly changing marine environment.
We recognize limitations in each of our data sources, particularly the inherent problem of inferring
causality from correlation in the larger-scale studies. The strength of these results rests on the
consistent agreement of theory, experiments, and observations across widely different scales and
ecosystems. Our analysis may provide a wider context for the interpretation of local biodiversity
experiments that produced diverging and controversial outcomes (1, 3, 24). It suggests that very
general patterns emerge on progressively larger scales. High-diversity systems consistently provided
more services with less variability, which has economic and policy implications. First, there is no
dichotomy between biodiversity conservation and long-term economic development; they must be
viewed as interdependent societal goals. Second, there was no evidence for redundancy at high levels
of diversity; the improvement of services was continuous on a log-linear scale (Fig. 3). Third, the
buffering impact of species diversity on the resistance and recovery of ecosystem services generates
insurance value that must be incorporated into future economic valuations and management
decisions. By restoring marine biodiversity through sustainable fisheries management, pollution
control, maintenance of essential habitats, and the creation of marine reserves, we can invest in the
productivity and reliability of the goods and services that the ocean provides to humanity. Our
analyses suggest that business as usual would foreshadow serious threats to global food security,
coastal water quality, and ecosystem stability, affecting current and future generations.
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13. B. Worm, M. Sandow, A. Oschlies, H. K. Lotze, R. A. Myers, Science 309, 1365 (2005).
Abstract/FREE Full Text
15. Details on methods and data sources are available as supporting material on Science Online.
16. A. R. Hughes, J. J. Stachowicz, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 8998 (2004).
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17. T. B. H. Reusch, A. Ehlers, A. Hämmerli, B. Worm, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 2826 (2005).
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30. This work was conducted as part of the Linking Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Working Group, supported by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis funded by
NSF, the University of California, and the Santa Barbara campus. The project was stimulated by N.
Loder after discussion at the conference Marine Biodiversity: The Known, Unknown, and
Unknowable, funded by the Sloan Foundation. The authors thank D. Pauly and the Sea Around Us
Project (http://seaaroundus.org), supported by the the Pew Charitable Trusts, for access to
global catch data; W. Blanchard and M. Sandow for technical support; E. Green for dive trip data;
and N. Baron, P. Kareiva, R. A. Myers, U. Sommer, and D. Tittensor for helpful comments.
In Science Magazine
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Comment on "Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services"
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