Herbivore and predator diversity interactively affect ecosystem properties in an experimental marine community

摘要: Interacting changes in predator and prey diversity likely influence ecosystem properties but have rarely been experimentally tested. We manipulated the species richness of herbivores predators an experimental benthic marine community measured their effects on predator, herbivore primary producer performance. Predator composition strongly affected several population responses, mostly via sampling effects. However, some survived better polycultures than monocultures, suggesting complementarity due to stronger intra- interspecific interactions. also differed between additive substitutive designs, emphasizing that relationship abundance assemblage can whether how are realized. Changing interacted both total predatory crab growth, these interactive were weak. Overall, presence dominated biotic properties.