Explaining Recruitment Stochasticity at a Species’ Range Margin

Advancing our understanding of how environmental variability affects the distribution organisms is crucial for ecology and conservation. The exploration changes in demographic patterns close to species margins important as populations here may provide a window into future population also elsewhere. However, knowledge factors causing recruitment variation still inadequate many systems this deficiency particularly evident species’ borders. We studied spatiotemporal recruit-adult dynamics blue mussel, Mytilus trossulus , get insights variables drive adult growth. Thirty sites along wave exposure gradient were monitored during four consecutive years. From each site, mussels collected both from artificial units natural mussel beds. Our results showed high year-to-year strength with spatial variation. Mussel later benthos correlated highly. Juvenile abundances 1 year paralleled prior strengths caused synchronous but time-lagged cohorts. Seawater salinity was strongest predictor variation, whereas sea temperature had low predictive power early life stage. For juveniles adults benthos, explained best, especially less. indicate that (a) strongly driven by (b) drives size cohorts, possibly even (c) limited some study predicts challenging range population, resulting higher frequency failure deteriorating climate. Knowledge about underlying thus essential forecasting conserving its state.