Foundation species support immense biodiversity and underpin stability and resilience of entire ecosystems. Understanding the physical and environmental conditions that mediate variation in the presence and abundance of foundation species is key to managing and understanding these ecosystems in the face of anthropogenic change. We examine potential drivers of the presence and percent cover of the kelp, Ecklonia radiata along ten degrees of latitude off mainland Eastern Australia. We used a model selection process to determine what environmental drivers explained the most variability in the spatial distribution and cover of Ecklonia. Interestingly, the distribution and cover of Ecklonia was not related to sea surface temperature or latitude. Instead, depth and the presence of urchins best explained the presence of Ecklonia with the addition of nutrients (in neighbouring catchments) and substrate in explaining percent cover of Ecklonia. The highest covers of Ecklonia occurred on reefs close to catchments with high and very high nutrient and sediment loads. The heterogenous distribution and the high covers of Ecklonia at warmer, low latitudes demonstrate the thermal tolerance of this kelp. Kelp forest presence and abundance can be complex and driven by spatially heterogeneous drivers rather than gradients in environmental conditions such as temperature. Understanding the interplay of drivers in structuring kelp forest distribution and cover is critical for predicting how changing climates and anthropogenic stress impacts foundation species and the ecosystems they support.

基础物种支持巨大的生物多样性，并支撑整个生态系统的稳定性和复原力。理解在人为改变面前管理和理解这些生态系统的关键是理解介导基础物种的存在和丰富度变化的物理和环境条件。我们研究了东澳大利亚大陆以外十个纬度上海带，Ecklonia辐射的存在和覆盖率的潜在驱动因素。我们使用模型选择过程来确定哪些环境驱动因素解释了埃克罗尼亚岛的空间分布和覆盖范围最易变性。有趣的是，Ecklonia的分布和覆盖范围与海面温度或纬度无关。取而代之的是，深度和海胆的存在可以最好地解释埃克洛尼亚的存在，并补充了营养物质（在邻近流域）和基质，可以解释埃克洛尼亚的覆盖率。Ecklonia的最高覆盖层发生在营养和沉积物负荷很高和非常高的流域附近的珊瑚礁上。Ecklonia的分布不均和高覆盖在温暖的地方，低纬度证明了这种海带的耐热性。海带森林的存在和丰度可能是复杂的，并且是由空间异质性驱动因素驱动的，而不是环境条件（例如温度）的梯度驱动的。了解驱动因素在构造海带森林分布和覆盖度方面的相互作用对于预测气候变化和人为压力如何影响基础物种及其支持的生态系统至关重要。