Parsing human and biophysical drivers of coral reef regimes.
Proc Biol Sci
; 286(1896): 20182544, 2019 02 13.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30963937
ABSTRACT
Coral reefs worldwide face unprecedented cumulative anthropogenic effects of interacting local human pressures, global climate change and distal social processes. Reefs are also bound by the natural biophysical environment within which they exist. In this context, a key challenge for effective management is understanding how anthropogenic and biophysical conditions interact to drive distinct coral reef configurations. Here, we use machine learning to conduct explanatory predictions on reef ecosystems defined by both fish and benthic communities. Drawing on the most spatially extensive dataset available across the Hawaiian archipelago-20 anthropogenic and biophysical predictors over 620 survey sites-we model the occurrence of four distinct reef regimes and provide a novel approach to quantify the relative influence of human and environmental variables in shaping reef ecosystems. Our findings highlight the nuances of what underpins different coral reef regimes, the overwhelming importance of biophysical predictors and how a reef's natural setting may either expand or narrow the opportunity space for management interventions. The methods developed through this study can help inform reef practitioners and hold promises for replication across a broad range of ecosystems.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Mudança Climática
/
Conservação dos Recursos Naturais
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Biodiversidade
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Recifes de Corais
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Aprendizado de Máquina
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article