A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems

J. Emmett Duffy; John J. Stachowicz; Pamela L. Reynolds; Kevin A. Hovel; Marlene Jahnke; Erik E. Sotka; Christoffer Boström; Katharyn E. Boyer; Mathieu Cusson; Johan Eklöf; Aschwin H. Engelen; Britas Klemens Eriksson; F. Joel Fodrie; John N. Griffin; Clara M. Hereu; Masakazu Hori; A. Randall Hughes; Mikhail V. Ivanov; Pablo Jorgensen; Claudia Kruschel; Kun Seop Lee; Jonathan S. Lefcheck; Per Olav Moksnes; Masahiro Nakaoka; Mary I. O'Connor; Nessa E. O'Connor; Robert J. Orth; Bradley J. Peterson; Henning Reiss; Katrin Reiss; J. Paul Richardson; Francesca Rossi; Jennifer L. Ruesink; Stewart T. Schultz; Jonas Thormar; Fiona Tomas; Richard Unsworth; Erin Voigt; Matthew A. Whalen; Shelby L. Ziegler; Jeanine L. Olsen

doi:10.1073/pnas.2121425119

A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems

J. Emmett Duffy^*, John J. Stachowicz, Pamela L. Reynolds, Kevin A. Hovel, Marlene Jahnke, Erik E. Sotka, Christoffer Boström, Katharyn E. Boyer, Mathieu Cusson, Johan Eklöf, Aschwin H. Engelen, Britas Klemens Eriksson, F. Joel Fodrie, John N. Griffin, Clara M. Hereu, Masakazu Hori, A. Randall Hughes, Mikhail V. Ivanov, Pablo Jorgensen, Claudia KruschelKun Seop Lee, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Per Olav Moksnes, Masahiro Nakaoka, Mary I. O'Connor, Nessa E. O'Connor, Robert J. Orth, Bradley J. Peterson, Henning Reiss, Katrin Reiss, J. Paul Richardson, Francesca Rossi, Jennifer L. Ruesink, Stewart T. Schultz, Jonas Thormar, Fiona Tomas, Richard Unsworth, Erin Voigt, Matthew A. Whalen, Shelby L. Ziegler, Jeanine L. Olsen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Distribution of Earth's biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate-trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth's environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass (Zostera marina), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more recent within-basin bottlenecks and genetic differentiation. This evolutionary legacy in turn influences the biomass of associated algae and invertebrates that fuel coastal food webs, with effects comparable to or stronger than effects of current environmental forcing. Such historical lags in phenotypic acclimatization may constrain ecosystem adjustments to rapid anthropogenic climate change, thus altering predictions about the future functioning of ecosystems.

Original language	English
Article number	e2121425119
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	119
Issue number	32
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121425119
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

biogeography
climate
foundation species
genetic structure

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10.1073/pnas.2121425119

pnas.2121425119Final published version, 2.1 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023020625879

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Emmett Duffy, J., Stachowicz, J. J., Reynolds, P. L., Hovel, K. A., Jahnke, M., Sotka, E. E., Boström, C., Boyer, K. E., Cusson, M., Eklöf, J., Engelen, A. H., Eriksson, B. K., Joel Fodrie, F., Griffin, J. N., Hereu, C. M., Hori, M., Randall Hughes, A., Ivanov, M. V., Jorgensen, P., ... Olsen, J. L. (2022). A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(32), Article e2121425119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121425119

@article{1bafbe14101a4e22b727f189f6c2ba4d,

title = "A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems",

abstract = "Distribution of Earth's biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate-trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth's environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass (Zostera marina), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more recent within-basin bottlenecks and genetic differentiation. This evolutionary legacy in turn influences the biomass of associated algae and invertebrates that fuel coastal food webs, with effects comparable to or stronger than effects of current environmental forcing. Such historical lags in phenotypic acclimatization may constrain ecosystem adjustments to rapid anthropogenic climate change, thus altering predictions about the future functioning of ecosystems.",

keywords = "biogeography, climate, foundation species, genetic structure",

author = "{Emmett Duffy}, J. and Stachowicz, {John J.} and Reynolds, {Pamela L.} and Hovel, {Kevin A.} and Marlene Jahnke and Sotka, {Erik E.} and Christoffer Bostr{\"o}m and Boyer, {Katharyn E.} and Mathieu Cusson and Johan Ekl{\"o}f and Engelen, {Aschwin H.} and Eriksson, {Britas Klemens} and {Joel Fodrie}, F. and Griffin, {John N.} and Hereu, {Clara M.} and Masakazu Hori and {Randall Hughes}, A. and Ivanov, {Mikhail V.} and Pablo Jorgensen and Claudia Kruschel and Lee, {Kun Seop} and Lefcheck, {Jonathan S.} and Moksnes, {Per Olav} and Masahiro Nakaoka and O'Connor, {Mary I.} and O'Connor, {Nessa E.} and Orth, {Robert J.} and Peterson, {Bradley J.} and Henning Reiss and Katrin Reiss and {Paul Richardson}, J. and Francesca Rossi and Ruesink, {Jennifer L.} and Schultz, {Stewart T.} and Jonas Thormar and Fiona Tomas and Richard Unsworth and Erin Voigt and Whalen, {Matthew A.} and Ziegler, {Shelby L.} and Olsen, {Jeanine L.}",

year = "2022",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.2121425119",

language = "English",

volume = "119",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

issn = "0027-8424",

publisher = "National Academy of Sciences",

number = "32",

}

Emmett Duffy, J, Stachowicz, JJ, Reynolds, PL, Hovel, KA, Jahnke, M, Sotka, EE, Boström, C, Boyer, KE, Cusson, M, Eklöf, J, Engelen, AH, Eriksson, BK, Joel Fodrie, F, Griffin, JN, Hereu, CM, Hori, M, Randall Hughes, A, Ivanov, MV, Jorgensen, P, Kruschel, C, Lee, KS, Lefcheck, JS, Moksnes, PO, Nakaoka, M, O'Connor, MI, O'Connor, NE, Orth, RJ, Peterson, BJ, Reiss, H, Reiss, K, Paul Richardson, J, Rossi, F, Ruesink, JL, Schultz, ST, Thormar, J, Tomas, F, Unsworth, R, Voigt, E, Whalen, MA, Ziegler, SL & Olsen, JL 2022, 'A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 119, no. 32, e2121425119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121425119

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems

AU - Emmett Duffy, J.

AU - Stachowicz, John J.

AU - Reynolds, Pamela L.

AU - Hovel, Kevin A.

AU - Jahnke, Marlene

AU - Sotka, Erik E.

AU - Boström, Christoffer

AU - Boyer, Katharyn E.

AU - Cusson, Mathieu

AU - Eklöf, Johan

AU - Engelen, Aschwin H.

AU - Eriksson, Britas Klemens

AU - Joel Fodrie, F.

AU - Griffin, John N.

AU - Hereu, Clara M.

AU - Hori, Masakazu

AU - Randall Hughes, A.

AU - Ivanov, Mikhail V.

AU - Jorgensen, Pablo

AU - Kruschel, Claudia

AU - Lee, Kun Seop

AU - Lefcheck, Jonathan S.

AU - Moksnes, Per Olav

AU - Nakaoka, Masahiro

AU - O'Connor, Mary I.

AU - O'Connor, Nessa E.

AU - Orth, Robert J.

AU - Peterson, Bradley J.

AU - Reiss, Henning

AU - Reiss, Katrin

AU - Paul Richardson, J.

AU - Rossi, Francesca

AU - Ruesink, Jennifer L.

AU - Schultz, Stewart T.

AU - Thormar, Jonas

AU - Tomas, Fiona

AU - Unsworth, Richard

AU - Voigt, Erin

AU - Whalen, Matthew A.

AU - Ziegler, Shelby L.

AU - Olsen, Jeanine L.

PY - 2022/8/1

Y1 - 2022/8/1

N2 - Distribution of Earth's biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate-trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth's environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass (Zostera marina), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more recent within-basin bottlenecks and genetic differentiation. This evolutionary legacy in turn influences the biomass of associated algae and invertebrates that fuel coastal food webs, with effects comparable to or stronger than effects of current environmental forcing. Such historical lags in phenotypic acclimatization may constrain ecosystem adjustments to rapid anthropogenic climate change, thus altering predictions about the future functioning of ecosystems.

AB - Distribution of Earth's biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate-trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth's environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass (Zostera marina), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more recent within-basin bottlenecks and genetic differentiation. This evolutionary legacy in turn influences the biomass of associated algae and invertebrates that fuel coastal food webs, with effects comparable to or stronger than effects of current environmental forcing. Such historical lags in phenotypic acclimatization may constrain ecosystem adjustments to rapid anthropogenic climate change, thus altering predictions about the future functioning of ecosystems.

KW - biogeography

KW - climate

KW - foundation species

KW - genetic structure

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135344705&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2121425119

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2121425119

M3 - Article

C2 - 35914147

AN - SCOPUS:85135344705

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 119

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 32

M1 - e2121425119

ER -

A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems

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Keywords

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