title: The fundamental role of ecological feedback mechanisms for the adaptive management of seagrass ecosystems - a review.
abstract: Seagrass meadows are vital ecosystems in coastal zones worldwide, but are also under global threat. One of the major hurdles restricting the success of seagrass conservation and restoration is our limited understanding of ecological feedback mechanisms. In these ecosystems, multiple, self-reinforcing feedbacks can undermine conservation efforts by masking environmental impacts until the decline is precipitous, or alternatively they can inhibit seagrass recovery in spite of restoration efforts. However, no clear framework yet exists for identifying or dealing with feedbacks to improve the management of seagrass ecosystems. Here we review the causes and consequences of multiple feedbacks between seagrass and biotic and/or abiotic processes. We demonstrate how feedbacks have the potential to impose or reinforce regimes of either seagrass dominance or unvegetated substrate, and how the strength and importance of these feedbacks vary across environmental gradients. Although a myriad of feedbacks have now been identified, the co-occurrence and likely interaction among feedbacks has largely been overlooked to date due to difficulties in analysis and detection. Here we take a fundamental step forward by modelling the interactions among two distinct above- and belowground feedbacks to demonstrate that interacting feedbacks are likely to be important for ecosystem resilience. On this basis, we propose a five-step adaptive management plan to address feedback dynamics for effective conservation and restoration strategies. The management plan provides guidance to aid in the identification and prioritisation of likely feedbacks in different seagrass ecosystems.
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
authors: Paul S
authors: PS
authors: Maxwell
authors: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Johan S
authors: JS
authors: Eklöf
authors: Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Marieke M
authors: MM
authors: van Katwijk
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
authors: Katherine R
authors: KR
authors: O'Brien
authors: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Maricela
authors: M
authors: de la Torre-Castro
authors: Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Turku, Finland.
authors: Christoffer
authors: C
authors: Boström
authors: Department of Yerseke Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 4401 NT, Yerseke, The Netherlands.
authors: Tjeerd J
authors: TJ
authors: Bouma
authors: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark.|Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000, Århus C, Denmark.
authors: Dorte
authors: D
authors: Krause-Jensen
authors: Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, U.K.
authors: Richard K F
authors: RKF
authors: Unsworth
authors: Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Unidad Académica Sistemas Arrecifales/Puerto Morelos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 1152, Cancún 77500, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
authors: Brigitta I
authors: BI
authors: van Tussenbroek
authors: Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Tjisse
authors: T
authors: van der Heide
mesh_terms: D035961:Alismatales / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment
keywords: adaptive management; alternative stable states; conservation; ecosystem engineer; feedbacks; interacting feedbacks; restoration; seagrass; stress gradients