Influence of Sediment Grain Size on the Burrowing of Bivalves: Correlation with Distribution and Stratigraphic Persistence of Selected Neogene Clams

Alexander, Richard R.; Stanton, Robert J.; Dodd, J. Robert

doi:10.2307/3515151

Cited by 126 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Escape burrowing has been widely studied among modern marine bivalves [51][52][53][54][59][60][61][62][63][64], particularly those bivalves with some economic value. A parameter of prime interest has been escape potential-i.e., the ability of an animal to escape a given depth of burial.…”

Section: Marine Bivalvesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Escape Burrowing of Modern Freshwater Bivalves as a Paradigm for Escape Behavior in the Devonian Bivalve Archanodon catskillensis

Knoll¹,

Chamberlain

2017

Geosciences

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Many freshwater bivalves restore themselves to the sediment water interface after burial by upward escape burrowing. We studied the escape burrowing capacity of two modern unionoids, Elliptio complanata and Pyganodon cataracta and the invasive freshwater venerid Corbicula fluminea, in a controlled laboratory setting varying sediment grain size and burial depth. We found that the relatively streamlined E. complanata is a better escape burrower than the more obese P. cataracta. E. complanata is more likely to escape burial in both fine and coarse sand, and at faster rates than P. cataracta. However, successful escape from 10 cm burial, especially in fine sand, is unlikely for both unionoids. The comparatively small and obese C. fluminea outperforms both unionoids in terms of escape probability and escape time, especially when body size is taken into consideration. C. fluminea can escape burial depths many times its own size, while the two unionoids rarely escape from burial equivalent to the length of their shells. E. complanata, and particularly P. cataracta, are morphological paradigms for the extinct Devonian unionoid bivalve Archanodon catskillensis, common in riverine facies of the Devonian Catskill Delta Complex of the eastern United States. Our observations suggest that the escape burrowing capability of A. catskillensis was no better than that of P. cataracta. Archanodon catskillensis was likely unable to escape burial of more than a few centimeters of anastrophically deposited sediment. The long (up to 1 meter), vertical burrows that are associated with A. catskillensis, and interpreted to be its escape burrows, represent a response to episodic, small-scale sedimentation events due to patterns of repetitive hydrologic or weather-related phenomena. They are not a response to a single anastrophic event involving the influx of massive volumes of sediment.

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Section: Marine Bivalvesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Escape Burrowing of Modern Freshwater Bivalves as a Paradigm for Escape Behavior in the Devonian Bivalve Archanodon catskillensis

Knoll¹,

Chamberlain

2017

Geosciences

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“…For example, behavioural functions that are important for individuals living in sandy intertidal habitats, such as burrowing and locomotion (Brown & McLachlan 1990), may be affected by the mean grain size of the sediment. Experimental studies have demonstrated that coarse sediments have negative effects on the burrowing ability of sandy beach species, e.g., bivalves (Alexander et al 1993), cirolanid isopods (Yannicelli 1999), and anomuran crabs (Brazeiro 1999b). Likewise, a recent study by McLachlan (1996) on the effects of disposal of diamond-mine tailings on sandy beach fauna in Namibia indicated that grain size can affect species richness.…”

Section: Sediment Typementioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between species richness and morphodynamics in sandy beaches: what are the underlying factors?

Brazeiro¹

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

106

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One of the most documented generalisations in sandy beach ecology is the trend for species richness of macroinvertebrates to decrease along a morphodynamic gradient from the dissipative to the reflective condition. This widely documented pattern remains unexplained, because the responsible ecological factors and underlying biological processes are still unknown. It has been proposed that swash condition, which changes significantly along the morphodynamic gradient, is the key limiting factor underlying this biological pattern. In this study, I suggest that 2 other physical factors could also be involved: sediment grain size and erosion-accretion dynamics. This proposal is supported by a 2 yr study of 12 sandy beaches in Chile, which showed that grain size becomes coarser, erosion-accretion dynamics more intense, and swash frequency and velocity increase as morphodynamic conditions change from dissipative to reflective extremes. I propose that these 3 environmental factors, although physically interrelated, may have independent influences on different biological processes or species. I suggest therefore that the reduction of species towards the reflective extreme is caused by increasing environmental severity, which is generated by the action (of at least) the 3 physical factors mentioned above. This proposal constitutes the hypothesis of 'multicausal environmental severity', which agrees with the large interspecific variability in the life history and ecological traits of sandy beach communities, since it admits that species with different characteristics could be controlled by different limiting factors. Thus, the present hypothesis provides a more general and flexible framework for investigating the relationship between species richness and morphodynamics in sandy beaches.

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“…Since the benthic inhabitants are intimately linked to the substratum (Snelgrove and Butman, 1994), such changes, if of sufficient severity or duration, will physically impair biological community structure and its long term survival, larval settlement and recruitment (Alexander et al, 1993). Similarly, the removal of species will affect a feedback loop whereby the organisms modify the sedimentary conditions through bioturbation, bioengineering, biodeposition, etc.…”

Section: Refining Dpsir Pressure-state Change Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing the Marine Environment, Conceptual Models and Assessment Considerations for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

et al. 2016

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Influence of Sediment Grain Size on the Burrowing of Bivalves: Correlation with Distribution and Stratigraphic Persistence of Selected Neogene Clams

Cited by 126 publications

References 24 publications

Escape Burrowing of Modern Freshwater Bivalves as a Paradigm for Escape Behavior in the Devonian Bivalve Archanodon catskillensis

Escape Burrowing of Modern Freshwater Bivalves as a Paradigm for Escape Behavior in the Devonian Bivalve Archanodon catskillensis

Relationship between species richness and morphodynamics in sandy beaches: what are the underlying factors?

Managing the Marine Environment, Conceptual Models and Assessment Considerations for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

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