Population Performance and Resilience in Polychaetes as Environmental Indicators of Estuarine Ecosystems

Smallegange, IM; Edwards, LHA; Attle, A

doi:10.5772/intechopen.1011169

Population Performance and Resilience in Polychaetes as Environmental Indicators of Estuarine Ecosystems

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Isabel Smallegange ORCiD, Dr Lukas Edwards

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Abstract

Understanding how estuarine populations respond to environmental changes is crucial for estuarine ecosystem management. Life history theory, particularly the fast-slow and parity continuums, offers a framework to predict population performance and resilience. However, applying these continuums to estuarine, environmental indicator species like spionida polychaetes remain underexplored. We investigated the applicability of the fast-slow and parity continuums as trait-based indicators of performance and resilience in seven estuarine polychaete species (Axiothella serrata, Boccardia proboscidea, Dimorphilus gyrociliatus—formerly Dinophilus gyrociliatus, Ophryotrocha labronica, Polydora cornuta, Pygospio elegans, and Streblospio benedicti). Using a Dynamic Energy Budget Integral Projection Model (DEB-IPM), we quantified eight life history traits across different feeding levels, reflecting environmental quality. Principal component analysis revealed that life history variation in polychaetes can be decomposed into two primary continuums: adult performance and growth. Species with higher adult performance exhibited increased population growth rates, while resilience was influenced by the interaction between adult performance and growth. Interestingly, these two continuums identified in estuarine polychaetes diverge from the traditionally recognised fast-slow and parity continuums. This divergence is likely because, in our framework, life history variation was driven by differences in environmental quality rather than resource allocation as in the fast-slow parity framework. Since polychaete presence and abundance are often used as indicators of environmental quality, our approach can therefore enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of environmental assessments for estuarine ecosystems. More generally, these findings highlight the importance of considering context-specific continuums and mechanistic models in life history analyses to better predict population responses to environmental changes.