Regional environmental variation and local species interactions influence biogeographic structure on oyster reefs

• Published in: Ecology (Durham) Vol. 101; no. 2; p. e02921
• Main Authors: Grabowski, Jonathan H, Gouhier, Tarik C, Byers, James E, Dodd, Luke F, Hughes, A Randall, Piehler, Michael F, Kimbro, David L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.2020
• Subjects: oyster reef; foundation species; biogeography; food web dynamics; top-down forcing; predation; physical and biological coupling; South Atlantic Bight

Although species interactions are often assumed to be strongest at small spatial scales, they can interact with regional environmental factors to modify food web dynamics across biogeographic scales. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a widespread foundational species of both ecological a...