Action in Ecosystems: Biothermodynamics for Sustainability pdf

[...]... water bodies, sediment, and plankton among systems The type of ecosystem connectivity that is covered in this book refers to ecological interactions among ecosystems The term ecological connectivity is used here as the book is focused on interactions among ecosystems by movement of animals, and by exchange of nutrients and organic matter which form part of the ecological processes in these systems... biogeochemical connectivity among these tropical coastal ecosystems Specifically, we will consider the roles of hydrologic flushing/water residence time, spatial connectivity, proximity to sources of nutrients (i.e., rivers and zones of upwelling), and human impacts in driving patterns of concentration and flux of nitrogen and phosphorus 2.1.2 Conceptual Model of N and P Exchange Among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems. .. University, College Station, TX, USA, e-mail: sedavis@tamu.edu I Nagelkerken (ed.), Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-2406-0 2, C Springer Science+Business Media B.V 2009 9 10 S.E Davis et al 2.1 Introduction Mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems are among the most threatened ecosystems in the tropics due primarily to human impacts such as overfishing,... mechanisms The nursery role of tropical habitats is affected by many sources of variability Chapter 11 evaluates these sources and how they have caused different conclusions on the nursery function of these habitats Our understanding of the ecological connectivity among tropical coastal ecosystems has been partly impeded by the lack of (advanced) techniques to measure 4 I Nagelkerken connectivity Only quite... interactions among and functioning of tropical ecosystems (e.g., Roessig et al 2004, Day et al 2008, Gilman et al 2008, but see Chapters 3, 9, and 16) The present book consists of four parts, each covering a different topic: biogeochemical linkages, ecological linkages, tools to study these linkages, and management and socio-economic implications Part 1 starts with the biogeochemical linkages among tropical ecosystems. .. known about the fate and transport of these important macronutrients in analogous tropical and subtropical coastal wetlands (i.e., mangrove swamps) and nearshore waters supporting seagrass and coral reef ecosystems Despite the body of work reviewed by Nixon (1980) and subsequent reviews that incorporated tropical coastal ecosystems (Boto 1982, Alongi et al 1992, Lee 1995, Childers et al 2000), little... i.nagelkerken@science ru.nl I Nagelkerken (ed.), Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-2406-0 1, C Springer Science+Business Media B.V 2009 1 2 I Nagelkerken they occur together considerable interactions may occur (Ogden and Zieman 1977, Sheaves 2005, Valentine et al 2008, Mumby and Hastings 2008) We are just beginning to understand their ecological linkages, but for optimal... these settings 2.2 N and P in Tropical Coastal Ecosystems Given the growing impact of nutrient enrichment and the potential for eutrophication, as well as the ubiquitous influence of tides and river inflows linking these ecosystems, understanding the surface water exchanges of ecologically important elements such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) within and among these ecosystems is needed Phosphorus... coastal systems are examined, including the effects of human perturbations and climate change The importance of carbon exchange among systems for faunal and microbial communities is evaluated In Part 2, eight chapters review the ecological linkages among tropical coastal ecosystems Chapter 4 starts with examining how reefs are connected through spawning migrations of fish and decapods, and the effects... reef ecosystems 2 Nitrogen and Phosphorus Exchange Among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems 13 guide discussion of our synthesis of concentration and flux data from the literature It is comparable to Fig 3.1 in Chapter 3 Because of tidal influences, flowmediated ecosystem exchanges of materials are presented as bi-directional paths of equivalent magnitude However, episodic pulses in river inflow to the coastal . R Murray 15. Action in Ecosystems: Biothermodynamics for Sustainability I R Kennedy Action in Ecosystems: Biothermodynamics for Sustainability By . 44, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK 3 Chapter 1 INTRODUCING ACTION Action at a distance Sustaining ecosystems Action in ecosystems 1.1. Action