TY - CONF

T1 - Creating patches of comprehension and filling gaps in knowledge

T2 - 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics

AU - Folkard, Andrew Martin

PY - 2016/12/19

Y1 - 2016/12/19

N2 - Most “eco-scapes” (by which I mean spatial distributions of ecosystems), including those in aquatic environments, are heterogeneous, a condition which can be indicative of a healthy, resilient diversity of habitats, or of fragmentation, stress and decay. This heterogeneity is often conceptualised in terms of “patches” and “gaps”, amongst other spatial elements. Interactions between the ambient hydrodynamics and patches and gaps in organism distributions are therefore central to determining ecosystems’ structure, functioning, possible future trajectories and responses to anthropogenic interventions. This paper will review work carried out over the past few years aimed at understanding these interactions and their implications, which has used physical modelling as its primary modus operandi. The key findings of this work are that the nature and density of gap-patch boundaries, and the relative locations of patches and patch-wakes, are of overriding importance in determining how the organisms and hydrodynamics influence each other and the morphological, sedimentary and biogeochemical aspects of their wider environments. This paper discusses these issues using examples from studies of two keystone coastal organisms, seagrasses and mussels, and suggests ways in which research in this area might best try to proceed.

AB - Most “eco-scapes” (by which I mean spatial distributions of ecosystems), including those in aquatic environments, are heterogeneous, a condition which can be indicative of a healthy, resilient diversity of habitats, or of fragmentation, stress and decay. This heterogeneity is often conceptualised in terms of “patches” and “gaps”, amongst other spatial elements. Interactions between the ambient hydrodynamics and patches and gaps in organism distributions are therefore central to determining ecosystems’ structure, functioning, possible future trajectories and responses to anthropogenic interventions. This paper will review work carried out over the past few years aimed at understanding these interactions and their implications, which has used physical modelling as its primary modus operandi. The key findings of this work are that the nature and density of gap-patch boundaries, and the relative locations of patches and patch-wakes, are of overriding importance in determining how the organisms and hydrodynamics influence each other and the morphological, sedimentary and biogeochemical aspects of their wider environments. This paper discusses these issues using examples from studies of two keystone coastal organisms, seagrasses and mussels, and suggests ways in which research in this area might best try to proceed.

KW - ecohydraulics

KW - Vegetation

KW - hydrodynamics

KW - heterogeneity

KW - patches

KW - landscape ecology

M3 - Conference paper

Y2 - 7 February 2016 through 12 February 2016

ER -