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Human land use masks the effects of warming in freshwater ecosystems
  • +4
  • Olivia Morris,
  • Charlie Loewen,
  • Guy Woodward,
  • Ralf Schaefer,
  • Jeremy Piggott,
  • Rolf Vinebrooke,
  • Michelle Jackson
Olivia Morris
Imperial College London

Corresponding Author:olivia.morris15@imperial.ac.uk

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Charlie Loewen
University of Toronto
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Guy Woodward
Imperial College, London
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Ralf Schaefer
University of Koblenz Landau - Campus Landau
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Jeremy Piggott
Trinity College Dublin
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Rolf Vinebrooke
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
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Michelle Jackson
Oxford University
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Abstract

Climate warming is a ubiquitous stressor in freshwater ecosystems, yet its interactive effects with other stressors are poorly understood. We address this by testing the ability of three contrasting null models to predict the joint impacts of warming and a second stressor using a new database of 296 experimental combinations. Despite concerns that stressors will interact to cause synergisms, we found that net impacts were best explained by the effect of the stronger stressor (the dominance null model), especially if it was associated with human land use. Prediction accuracy depended on stressor identity and the magnitude of asymmetry between their effects. These findings suggest we can often effectively forecast impacts of multiple stressors by focusing on the stronger stressor, as habitat alteration and contamination often override the biological consequences of higher temperatures in freshwater ecosystems.
09 May 2022Submitted to Ecology Letters
12 May 2022Submission Checks Completed
12 May 2022Assigned to Editor
14 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 May 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
11 Jun 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
02 Aug 20221st Revision Received
03 Aug 2022Submission Checks Completed
03 Aug 2022Assigned to Editor
08 Aug 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Aug 2022Editorial Decision: Accept