Feeding and burrowing ecology of two East African mangrove crabs

Micheli, Fiorenza; Gherardi, Francesca; Vannini, Marco

doi:10.1007/bf01319706

Cited by 125 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Both crabs showed leaf preference because of the flora associated to their habitat, they showed high level of omnivorous feeding habit, as shown in the stomach content analysis indicated that they both feed on plant materials, crustaceans, fish fragments (bone and scales), sand grains and unidentified items, this support the work of Micheli [13] for Cardiosoma carnifex and Sesarma mainerti. Fish fragments and crustacean found in their stomach content was attributed to the inter migration to shallow part of coastal water.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Biodiversity of a Mangrove Swamp Ecosystem: Size Composition and Growth Pattern of Land Crabs as an Ecological Indicator

E¹,

Ao²

2015

Poult Fish Wildl Sci

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Biodiversity of a Mangrove Swamp Ecosystem: Size Composition and Growth Pattern of Land Crabs as an Ecological Indicator

E¹,

Ao²

2015

Poult Fish Wildl Sci

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“…Impeded microflora and macroinvertebrate colonisation due to deforestation subsequently impairs degradation processes. Mangroves modify physico-chemical parameters (Bosire et al, 2003) and create a variety of microhabitats besides providing many food materials, which encourage faunal colonisation (Macnae and Kalk, 1962;Macnae, 1968;Micheli et al, 1991;DahdouhGuebas et al, 1999). The modified physico-chemical conditions and macroinvertebrate colonisation seem to support higher weight loss rates in treatments with mangrove cover as compared to bare treatments (Camilleri, 1992;Benner and Hodson, 1985;Steinke et al, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Litter degradation and CN dynamics in reforested mangrove plantations at Gazi Bay, Kenya

Bosire

Dahdouh‐Guebas

Kairo

et al. 2005

Biological Conservation

102

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The main objective of this study was to assess how mangrove reforestation has influenced litter degradation and concomitant nutrient dynamics in previously deforested plantations. Dynamics of nutrients (carbon, nitrogen and C:N ratios) in decomposing leaves of conspecific species were investigated with litterbags in Sonneratia alba and Rhizophora mucronata reforested treatments using appropriate bare and natural less disturbed treatments as controls. Bare treatments had the lowest decay rates (Kd À1) and thus the highest t 50 values (when 50% of the original weight had been decomposed) for both species. The contrary was true for natural treatments, while both parameters were intermediate in reforested treatments, suggesting that other than direct litter input, reforestation has modified site conditions which have enhanced organic matter decomposition. There were significant seasonal differences in decay rates for treatments within the R. mucronata species, with rates being higher during the wet season with accompanying lower t 50 values. Decay rates were overall higher (P < 0.05) in the S. alba species and as a result no litter was retrieved from its natural treatment by the 5th week. Higher amphipod colonisation was observed in reforested and natural treatments than bare treatments, which may have contributed to higher decay rates in the former. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in N concentration among treatments with natural and reforested treatments having similarly higher concentrations than bare treatments in both seasons. C:N ratios (an important determinant of nutritional leaf quality) were also similarly low in natural and reforested treatments and higher in bare treatments. Mangrove reforestation thus seems to have enhanced litter degradation and concomitant nutrient remineralisation, suggesting that other than species litter quality, tidal inundation and seasonal factors, specific stand management regimes play an important role in determining the efficiency of these ecological processes in mangrove ecosystems.

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“…Verwey, 1929;Gerlach, 1958;Macnae, 1968). More recent ecological studies mainly deal with burrowing crabs from the intertidal (Dye and Lasiak, 1986;Robertson, 1986;Warren and Underwood, 1986;Macintosh, 1988;Robertson and Daniel, 1989;Micheli et al, 1991;Smith et al, 1991). Burrow construction and maintenance, ventilation and import of organic matter may play a significant role in the energy flow and element cycling in shallow coastal systems (for a review with respect to tropical ecosystems see Alongi, 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decapod burrows in mangrove‐channel and back‐reef environments at the Atlantic barrier reef, Belize

Dworschak

Ott

1993

Ichnos

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Burrows of decapod crustaceans were investigated by in situ resin casting in various mangrove and back-reef environments. Alpheid shrimps (A. floridanus and A. heterochaelis) were the most numerous burrowing shrimps in soft muddy sediments of mangrove channels. Their burrows consist either of a single U or a series of U's inhabited by a pair of shrimp or are Y-shaped and inhabited by a single shrimp and a gobiid associate. Large mounds and deep funnels are produced by the thalassinidean Glypturus acanthochirus, both in bare sediments of mangrove channels and in back-reef subtidal sediments. Their burrows consist of a spiral with several radiating branches leading to the surface and deeper blind chambers often filled with shell particles reaching to a depth of over 160 cm. The thalassinidean Neocallichirus grandimana inhabits the intertidal of protected back-reef sands; it occupies shallow, mainly horizontal burrows. Corallianassa longiventris, characteristic of coarse sediments of the intertidal and shallow subtidal back-reef, inhabits simple J-to U-shaped burrows with blindly ending chambers in 60 to 80 cm sediment depth. Axiopsis serratifrons lives in pairs in sediments with a higher content of coral rubble; its burrows are simple, inclined, and spiral-shaped and reach a sediment depth of 30 cm.All burrows described in this paper are similar to those previously recorded for the respective species. Only the burrows of alpheids are less deep than those described from the intertidal. The burrowing activity of G. acanthochirus greatly influences grain size distribution and accumulation of large shell particles in deeper sediment layers. Burrow types reflect the systematic group to which the animals belong rather than feeding modes.

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Feeding and burrowing ecology of two East African mangrove crabs

Cited by 125 publications

References 34 publications

Biodiversity of a Mangrove Swamp Ecosystem: Size Composition and Growth Pattern of Land Crabs as an Ecological Indicator

Biodiversity of a Mangrove Swamp Ecosystem: Size Composition and Growth Pattern of Land Crabs as an Ecological Indicator

Litter degradation and CN dynamics in reforested mangrove plantations at Gazi Bay, Kenya

Decapod burrows in mangrove‐channel and back‐reef environments at the Atlantic barrier reef, Belize

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