File:Figure 2.37 - Simulation of a benthic succession.png

Climate change is potentially altering iceberg scouring frequency due to enhanced deglaciation in Antarctica. Thus, spatially explicit models can be a useful tool predicting biodiversity changes under these different environmental conditions. In addition, time spans clearly exceeding periods of research programmess can be easily simulated by different model runs. The results contribute to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and allow predictions of future developments of the Antarctic biosphere. This individual-based simulation of a benthic succession with a total of 12 benthic model species (colours) demonstrates that iceberg scouring, indicated by the patch in the centre, increases macrobenthic biodiversity due to the coexistence and succession of model species (red/orange: pioneer species, green/yellow: intermediate colonizers, blue/purple: climax species). (model design: M. Potthoff).