FOUNDATION SPECIES
Foundation species are habitat forming species that perform essential ecosystem services. The presence of these species in communities add biological structure that is used by a wide variety of species in the food web. We are interested in assessing their spatial and temporal distribution, their effect on species in various trophic levels and relationships between foundation species and environmental parameters.
Collaborators: Semme Dijkstra (CCOM), Colin Ware (CCOM), Jarrett Byrnes (University of Massachusetts, Boston), Kylla Benes (University of Montana)
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
J.A. Dijkstra, K. Mello, D. Sowers, M. Malik, L. Watling, L.A. Mayer, Fine-scale mapping of deep-sea habitat-forming species densities reveals taxonomic specific environmental drivers. Global Ecology and Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13287. 2021
J.A. Dijkstra, A. Litterer**, K. Mello, B.S. O’Brien*, Y. Rzhanov. Temperature, phenology, and turf macroalgae drive seascape change: Connections to mid-trophic level species. Ecosphere 10(11): e02923, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2923.
C. Ware, J.A. Dijkstra, K. Mello, A. Stevens*, B. O’Brien*, W. Ikedo**, A novel three-dimensional analysis of functional architecture that describe the properties of macroalgae as refuge. Marine Ecology Progress Series 106:93-103, 2019.
B.S. O’Brien*, K. Mello**, A. Litterer**, J.A. Dijkstra, Seaweed structure shapes trophic interactions: A case study using a mid-trophic level fish species. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 506:1-8, 2018.
J.A. Dijkstra, L.G. Harris, K. Mello**, A. Litterer**, C. Wells, C. Ware. Invasive seaweeds transform habitat structure and increase biodiversity of associated species. Journal of Ecology, 105:1668-1678 2017.
J.A. Dijkstra, J. Boudreau, M. Dionne, Species-specific mediation of temperature and community interactions by multiple foundation species. Oikos 121(5):646-654, 2012.
*Graduate student author, **Undergraduate student author
J.A. Dijkstra, A. Litterer**, K. Mello, B.S. O’Brien*, Y. Rzhanov. Temperature, phenology, and turf macroalgae drive seascape change: Connections to mid-trophic level species. Ecosphere 10(11): e02923, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2923.
C. Ware, J.A. Dijkstra, K. Mello, A. Stevens*, B. O’Brien*, W. Ikedo**, A novel three-dimensional analysis of functional architecture that describe the properties of macroalgae as refuge. Marine Ecology Progress Series 106:93-103, 2019.
B.S. O’Brien*, K. Mello**, A. Litterer**, J.A. Dijkstra, Seaweed structure shapes trophic interactions: A case study using a mid-trophic level fish species. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 506:1-8, 2018.
J.A. Dijkstra, L.G. Harris, K. Mello**, A. Litterer**, C. Wells, C. Ware. Invasive seaweeds transform habitat structure and increase biodiversity of associated species. Journal of Ecology, 105:1668-1678 2017.
- Highlighted by British Ecological Society as a study leading the way in empirical and synthetic ecological studies that transcends terrestrial and aquatic systems. Also featured in the virtual issue of Aquatic Ecology, 2017.
J.A. Dijkstra, J. Boudreau, M. Dionne, Species-specific mediation of temperature and community interactions by multiple foundation species. Oikos 121(5):646-654, 2012.
*Graduate student author, **Undergraduate student author
