{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T07:55:52Z","timestamp":1789113352750,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":71,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]],"date-time":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685318400000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]],"date-time":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685318400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000001","name":"National Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["#DEB\u20101237517"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["#DEB\u20101237517"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000001","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007681","name":"Florida International University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["#1566"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["#1566"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007681","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Animal Ecology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>\n<jats:list>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The potential for animals to modify spatial patterns of nutrient limitation for autotrophs and habitat availability for other members of their communities is increasingly recognized. However, net trophic effects of consumers acting as ecosystem engineers remain poorly known. The American Alligator <jats:italic>Alligator mississippiensis<\/jats:italic> is an abundant predator capable of dramatic modifications of physical habitat through the creation and maintenance of pond\u2010like basins, but its role in influencing community structure and nutrient dynamics is less appreciated.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>We investigated if alligators engineer differences in nutrient availability and changes to community structure by their creation of \u2018alligator ponds\u2019 compared to the surrounding phosphorus (P)\u2010limited oligotrophic marsh.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>We used a halo sampling design of three distinct habitats extending outward from 10 active alligator ponds across a hydrological gradient in the Everglades, USA. We performed nutrient analysis on basal food\u2010web resources and quantitative community analyses, and stoichiometric analyses on plants and animals.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Our findings demonstrate that alligators act as ecosystem engineers and enhance food\u2010web heterogeneity by increasing nutrient availability, manipulating physical structure and altering algal, plant and animal communities. Flocculent detritus, an unconsolidated layer of particulate organic matter and soil, showed strong patterns of P enrichment in ponds. Higher P availability in alligator ponds also resulted in bottom\u2010up trophic transfer of nutrients as evidenced by higher growth rates (lower N:P) for plants and aquatic consumers. Edge habitats surrounding alligator ponds contained the most diverse communities of invertebrates and plants, but low total abundance of fishes, likely driven by high densities of emergent macrophytes. Pond communities exhibited higher abundance of fish compared to edge habitat and were dominated by compositions of small invertebrates that track high nutrient availability in the water column. Marshes contained high numbers of animals that are closely tied to periphyton mats, which were absent from other habitats.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Alligator\u2010engineered habitats are ecologically important by providing nutrient\u2010enriched \u2018hotspots\u2019 in an oligotrophic system, habitat heterogeneity to marshes, and refuges for other fauna during seasonal disturbances. This work adds to growing evidence that efforts to model community dynamics should routinely consider animal\u2010mediated bottom\u2010up processes like ecosystem engineering.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list>\n<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1365-2656.13939","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,30]],"date-time":"2023-05-30T04:01:10Z","timestamp":1685419270000},"page":"1388-1403","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["An apex predator engineers wetland food\u2010web heterogeneity through nutrient enrichment and habitat modification"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"92","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6443-7672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bradley A.","family":"Strickland","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment Florida International University  Miami Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter J.","family":"Flood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment Florida International University  Miami Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey L.","family":"Kline","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"South Florida Natural Resources Center Everglades National Park  Homestead Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frank J.","family":"Mazzotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center University of Florida  Davie Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael R.","family":"Heithaus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment Florida International University  Miami Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joel C.","family":"Trexler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment Florida International University  Miami Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/0471249688.ch3"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.en.41.010196.000451"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13157-012-0288-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.25148\/etd.FIDC000760"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/f76-346"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03161658"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1656\/1528-7092(2004)003[0583:CONAAA]2.0.CO;2"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","volume-title":"Change in marine communities: An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation","author":"Clarke K. 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