3.2
Ecosystem effects
Keywords
Ecosystem effects, environmental impacts, ecosystem
sustainability, disturbance ecology, animal and plant
production
Expertise
What happens when you upset the delicate balance of an
ecosystem? The University of Liverpool investigates the
widespread ecosystem effects of different perturbations,
including those related to natural disturbances (such as
hurricanes, fires and temperature extremes) and climate
change. We also study the impacts of human intervention
such as overfishing, regulated burning of moorland, and
habitat loss and fragmentation caused by urban
development or changes in agricultural practices.
These perturbations have widespread effects, from
individual organisms right up to entire ecosystems.
Our research covers marine and terrestrial species and
ecosystems. Effects are studied from the perspective of
physiological, behavioural and demographic adaptations
right up to the effects on community assembly,
landscape dynamics, ecological processes and the
functioning of ecosystems.
Approaches include advancing new theory, performing
field studies, developing analysis and modelling
techniques and advising partners on conservation and
environmental management practices.
We perform large-scale environmental manipulation
experiments on replicated whole ecosystems, including
ponds and grasslands. This work draws heavily on our
expertise and experience in assembling model
experimental communities and ecosystems, controlling
and monitoring environmental manipulations, measuring
the impact of these manipulations on natural systems,
and constructing statistical and theoretical models to
quantify, summarise and understand outcomes.
Our expertise in predicting environmental impacts
and the responses of ecosystems to natural and
anthropogenic perturbations can be employed by
organisations that wish to predict impacts of such drivers
on whole ecosystems (eg production, biodiversity,
nutrient cycling) or specific components (eg abundance,
adaptation, growth or body size shifts of particular
species or groups of species).
The University owns a unique experimental facility
for ecosystem studies. Our 50 outdoor 3,000 litre
experimental ponds have been used to investigate
the impacts of warming, nutrient and organic
loading, salinity, and fish densities on water
quality, fish production and ecosystem structure
and function. The ponds can also be used to test
new methods for improving water quality (eg by
nutrient sequestration) and investigate the
resilience of food production (eg aquaculture)
systems, for example in response to environmental
perturbations such as warming or pollutants.
Capabilities and facilities
•
Europe’s largest experimental system for
investigating warming and other environmental
stressors on aquatic systems (50 centrally heated
outdoor freshwater ecosystems)
•
A system of rain shelters to investigate the impact
of precipitation changes on plant communities
and ecosystems
•
Measurement and monitoring aspects of
biodiversity, community structure, water quality,
and ecosystem function including respiration,
photosynthesis, community dynamics, and
adaptive responses to environmental change
•
Development of theory and models of
environmental impacts on growth, size and
production of animals, and on ecosystem
functioning
•
Expertise in performing meta-analyses to
quantify global trends in environmental impact
and ecosystem effects.
Our expertise in predicting
environmental impacts
and the responses of
ecosystems to natural
and anthropogenic
perturbations can be
employed by organisations
that wish to predict
impacts of such drivers
on whole ecosystems.
Environment & Climate Change
63
Also see:
Food Security & Safety,
page 127
