Published

Site: Santa Barbara Coastal LTER

Credit: Brandon Doheny

Results from long term measurements and experiments reveal that climate-driven disturbances that alter giant kelp abundance cascade through the kelp forest community, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem function. These effects are due to kelp’s overwhelming influence on environmental conditions and habitat availability rather than its effects as a food source for fauna.

For Further Reading:
  • Byrnes, JE et al. 2011. Climate-driven increases in storm frequency simplify kelp forest food webs. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02409.x
  • Miller, RJ et al. 2018. Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, increases faunal diversity through physical engineering. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2571
For Further Info:
  • Robert Miller
Contact email: