Ecologists employ a diverse body of theory to help explain patterns and processes in ecological systems, with the consistency of ecological theories tested against an increasingly altered world. The global redistribution of species is a prominent impact of climate change and human‐mediated biological invasions and often results in negative impacts to ecosystems. Recently, a species of colonial tunicate not previously present, Clavelina oblonga, has become prominent within the marine fouling community of Beaufort, North Carolina, USA. Fifty years ago, researchers tested theories of ecological succession developed in terrestrial systems and found that this marine community was characterized by a heterogeneous mixture of species that varied inter‐annually (i.e., multiple community states) and increased in diversity over time. A recent follow‐up study found that the fouling community is dominated by C. oblonga with patterns of community development and structure that led to the loss of alternative community states, domination by C. oblonga, and reduced species diversity. The present study addressed the question: Will patterns of community development identified over 50 yr ago still operate under reduced cover of invasive C. oblonga? This study also quantified the impacts of two large‐scale environmental disturbances (extremely cold winter and hurricane) on the abundance of C. oblonga and the resulting fouling community. Clavelina oblonga remains a dominant component of the fouling community due to its rapid growth and strong seasonal recruitment. Under conditions of reduced percent cover of C. oblonga, the local fouling community displayed unique community states that became even more distinct over time, consistent with the pattern of multiple community states identified by researchers over 50 yr ago, and that were dependent upon date of disturbance. Natural disturbances in this study caused by a harsh winter and a hurricane greatly reduced the presence of C. oblonga. This experiment advanced our understanding of marine community ecology by testing whether the concept of multiple community states identified over 50 yr ago is still operable in the absence of invasive C. oblonga, and highlights how natural environment disturbances can potentially moderate the spread of this invasive tunicate.

中文翻译：

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测试人类世间的生态理论：入侵海洋物种的演替变化

生态学家运用多样化的理论体系来帮助解释生态系统的模式和过程，并针对不断变化的世界检验了生态学理论的一致性。物种的全球重新分布是气候变化和人类介导的生物入侵的显着影响，并且常常对生态系统造成负面影响。最近，以前不存在的一种殖民地被膜种，长圆形长吻鳄（Clavelina oblonga），在美国北卡罗来纳州的博福特的海洋污染社区中已成为重要的代表。五十年前，研究人员测试了在陆地系统中发展的生态演替理论，发现该海洋群落的特征是物种的异质混合，这些物种每年间变化（即，多个群落状态），并且随着时间的流逝而增加。最近的一项后续研究发现，结垢群落以长圆形梭菌为主导，其群落发展和结构模式导致替代群落状态的丧失，长圆形梭菌的主导以及物种多样性的降低。本研究解决了一个问题：50年前确定的社区发展模式是否仍将在减少侵袭性的情况下发挥作用C. longlonga？这项研究还量化了两个大规模环境干扰（极度寒冷的冬天和飓风）对长形梭菌和由此造成的结垢群落的影响。由于生长迅速和旺盛的季节性募集，长圆形标枪仍然是结垢社区的主要组成部分。在长形梭菌覆盖率降低的条件下，当地的污垢社区显示出独特的社区状态，随着时间的推移，社区状态变得更加独特，这与研究人员在50年前确定的多个社区状态的模式一致，并且取决于日期。骚乱。由于严酷的冬季和飓风造成的本研究中的自然干扰极大地减少了C.长方形。该实验通过测试在50年前未发现长圆形梭状芽胞杆菌的情况下是否仍然可以操作的多种群落状态的概念，提高了我们对海洋群落生态学的理解，并强调了自然环境干扰如何潜在地缓解这种侵入性被膜的传播。