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Background. Coastal communities are highly dependent on ecosystem services, but the benefits and livelihoods people derive from natural ecosystems are directly and indirectly affected by climate change. The need for a mechanistic understanding of how components of climate change translate into measurable impacts on ecosystems and society is fundamental to the ability to manage, plan and mitigate for the most likely environmental futures, yet progress in this area in tropical and subtropical countries is frustrated by a lack of research capacity at the local and regional level. Objectives. Here, we investigate the research capacity of the countries along the Pacific coast, between Mexico and Chile, a region with an extensive coastline (23,191 km) that spans 11 countries of varying socio-economic development status and anticipated to be especially vulnerable to climate change. Methods. Specifically, our focus was to explore how the effects of climate change on ecosystem services (provision, regulation and cultural) may relate to research capacity and gross domestic product (GDP) in each country along the Pacific coast of the Americas. Results. We find that, since 1980, the number of peer-reviewed scientific studies relevant to this topic strongly correlates with GDP (r = 0.90, p < 0.05) and that research effort is an order of magnitude lower along the Latin American Pacific coast (13.8 studies 1000 km-1) than in the neighbouring Californian coast (103 studies 1000 km-1). Conclusions. Our results highlight the need to better develop the research in the Latin America Pacific, and for more work on the key links between climate change and ecosystem services.

The effects of three biotic factors (a new species, grazing, and plant-plant interactions) were considered on the spatial patterns and temporal changes observed on coastal methods and manipulative field experiments were conducted at several locations in the Solent region. The Solent has a rich resource of saltmarsh habitats, which are of high scientific value and are of national conservation importance. Palaeoecological saltmarshes. Palaeoecological investigations were carried out on three sites (Beaulieu, Hythe and Marchwood) to investigate the long term effects of the appearance of the hybrid grass Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard (common cord grass). Historical records were researched to complement the data obtained from the analysis of sediment cores, to characterise the saltmarsh environments before the appearance of the new species. The evidence suggests that before S. anglica appeared in the region (in the second half of the nineteenth century), mudflat and pioneer marsh were much more significant features of the Solent coast than they are at present. Manipulative experiments were carried out at two locations on the Beaulieu Estuary. The effects of excluding large wild grazing animals (principally geese, rabbits and deer) on the plant communities were investigated by constructing experimental exclosures. These were monitored for three years, after which above ground biomass was harvested from randomly selected parts. Excluding grazing animals produced rapid structural changes in the plant canopy. Palatable species, which had previously been suppressed by grazing (e.g. Plantaeo maritima L.), proliferated rapidly. Some low-growing species, which had previously been conspicuous in the community (e.g. Armeria maritima (Mill.)), declined significantly, possibly due to shading by the increased growth of other species. The importance of competition and facilitation in setting the positions of two plant species within the zonation of a saltmarsh was investigated by transplanting them to different vertical zones. When the lower marsh grass S. anglica was transplanted to the upper marsh it was outcompeted by more competitive plant species. When the surrounding above ground vegetation was removed, it grew successfully. The upper marsh rush Juncus gerardii Loisel was transplanted to the lower marsh. This species could not tolerate the harsher physical conditions at a lower level, but that the presence of neighbouring plant growth increased its success.