English: Effect of herbivore abundance in seagrass meadows

Summary of the expected change in herbivore abundance, key seagrass meadow properties and selected ecosystem services as habitats shift from seagrass-dominated to megaherbivore-dominated. At low levels of herbivory, disturbance is minimal and seagrass biomass dominates the system. As herbivory increases, the system moves toward a balanced state where productivity increases in response to herbivory and productivity-associated ecosystem services’ (i.e., carbon sequestration and storage, nutrient uptake leading to improved water quality) delivery increases. In this system, the diversity of both seagrass and herbivore assemblages are generally at their highest. As herbivory increases further, seagrass biomass, diversity and productivity decreases and most ecosystem services’ delivery reduces before the meadow becomes overgrazed and collapses, at which point ecosystem services’ delivery ceases. Cultural ecosystem services’ delivery may be influenced by herbivory, but responses will be highly variable and changes in cultural ecosystem service delivery with increasing herbivory cannot be confidently predicted (Díaz et al., 2006; Garcia Rodrigues et al., 2017). Bars illustrate likely direction of change and do not signify predicted linear relationships.

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