Trait composition

 Indicator summary

 Summary of indicator structure and function

Examples of how the indicators is used for ecosystem management and ecosystem status and trends

Definition and/or background

The following is from Fulton et al 2004a -

It is now fairly widely accepted that fishing effects the life history traits of fished populations (Jennings and Kaiser 1998, Rochet 1998, Hall 1999, Rochet et al. 2000, Jennings et al. 2001, ICES 2002). Changes in the mean values of traits have been used to consider the effects of fishing, but consideration of the variance could also be useful (Rochet and Trenkel 2003). While past use in fisheries has usually concentrated on considering the change in traits of targeted species, it is being extended to consider communities (Jennings et al. 1999, ICES 2002). This is in keeping with its use in biomonitoring of freshwater (Hellawell 1986, Charvet et al. 2000) and marine benthic (Frid et al. 2000) communities, where biological and ecological traits (e.g. size, life span, diet and distribution) weighted by species abundance are analysed using a multivariate framework. Based on its success as an indicator of pollution, trait composition has a lot of potential as an indicator of the effects of fishing. A range of traits will need to be analysed though, as an application to data from the North Sea Scottish August Groundfish Survey data (ICES 2002) indicated that some traits (growth rates, length at maturity and von Bertalanffy L_∞) may be relatively insensitive to increased levels of fishing if applied to areas that are already disturbed. That is, these traits could distinguish between low and medium levels of fishing, but beyond a threshold level of perturbation they failed to respond further (ICES 2002). Of the traits considered in this analysis of North Sea Scottish August Groundfish Survey data (growth rates, age and length at maturity and von Bertalanffy L_∞), age at maturity showed the greatest promise as an indicator of the continuing effects of fishing (and its management) on the North Sea Scottish Groundfish community. Irrespective of the trait(s) under consideration, it will require the collection of more data to verify the potential of traits as indicators and to establish “reference-conditions” (Rochet and Trenkel 2003). The existence of reference areas would also be highly beneficial, as they would allow for the separation of the effects due to fishing from those due to other factors affecting the ecosystem.

Attribute

what is the ecological attribute(s) that is related to this indicator?

possible examples include (from Fulton et al 2004):

• ecosystem structure
• ecosystem function
• community structure
• community function
• Eutrophication
• trophic shifts
• trophic structure
• habitat quality
• discard availability
• population structure
• predator-prey balance
• community heterogeneity
• habitat condition
  
• efficiency of by-catch reduction measures 

Just a list of which attribute(s) is sufficient unless there is other information that is of interest.

Purpose

Pick one or more of the following:

• fisheries
• seabirds/penguins
• mammals
• phytoplankton
•  ....others??

Taxa

Data required

The following is from Fulton et al 2004a -

Ecosystem applicability

The following is from Fulton et al 2004a -

Identified capability

Is there any additional information that would be of interest in regards to the identified capability?

Otherwise can leave this section blank and just fill in the table instead.

Biological classification level

Is there any additional information that would be of interest in regards to the biological classification?

Otherwise can leave this section blank and just fill in the table instead.

Response variable

Is there any additional information that would be of interest in regards to the response variable?

Otherwise can leave this section blank and just fill in the table instead.

Drivers

Is there any additional information that would be of interest in regards to ecological drivers?

If not can leave this section blank and just fill in the table instead.

Robustness

The following is from Fulton et al 2004a -

Current status and trends

what was it like in an undisturbed/unexploited system?

how would it be expected to change?

which way is the indicator showing a population is going in?  decreasing or increasing ??

Management strategies and/or objectives

define a standard set of management objectives?? ie from Indiseas

• Conservations biodiversity
• Ecosystem stability and resistance to perturbations
• ecosystem structure and functioning
• resource potential

has it been used in a management strategy? if so how?

relationship to management strategies/ objectives

Stakeholder/public acceptability

Acceptability with stakeholders

• by all stakeholder
• by the public
• understandable to the stakeholders

Associated links

Hyperlinks to organisations, databases, webportals, and ID books, that are associated with this indicator, if appropriate.

References

A list of references referred to on this page.

Background reading

Other references that would be useful to read in regard to the indicator referred to on this page.

Other references that can be used to update this page

Citation

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Page created by:Shavawn Donoghue

Last modified on: Sep 04, 2012 16:25

Versions: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

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