Predation on Posidonia australis seeds in seagrass habitats of Rottnest Island, Western Australia: patterns and predators

Orth, Robert J.; Kendrick, Gary A.; Marion, Scott R.

doi:10.3354/meps313105

Cited by 39 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Seed feeding is now recorded for three orders and five suborders of Malacostraca ( Fishman & Orth, 1996;Holbrook et al , 2000;Orth et al , 2006Orth et al , , 2007. Congruent with the field observations (P. Saska, pers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Granivory in terrestrial isopods

Saska

2008

Ecological Entomology

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Granivory (seed feeding) evolved in many animal groups. Field observations hint at the existence of granivory in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), for which it was previously unknown. In this paper granivory in terrestrial isopods is addressed for the first time, focusing on (i) seed acceptance in the presence of plant litter and (ii) size as a constraint for acceptance and consumption. In a laboratory choice experiment, Armadillidium vulgare consumed seeds of Capsella bursa-pastoris and Poa annua when plant litter was present. In a no-choice experiment, seeds of seven plant species were offered to four isopod species giving 13 combinations in total [ A. vulgare (seven species of seeds), Oniscus asellus (two), Porcellio scaber (two), and Porcellionides pruinosus (two)]. The tested isopods differed in their acceptance (proportion of individuals consuming seeds) and consumption (both number and amount of seeds eaten) of seed species. Size as a constraint was demonstrated in A. vulgare offered Cirsium arvense seed, since the probability that this large seed was eaten increased with body size of the isopod. In the other 10 seed -isopod pairs, seed consumption increased linearly with isopod body size. Granivory is thus widespread in terrestrial isopods, although the tendency to eat seeds differs between species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Granivory in terrestrial isopods

Saska

2008

Ecological Entomology

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“…Seagrass beds also harbor a denser assemblage of other animals (Orth et al 1984), many of which are potential seed predators (Wigand & Churchill 1988;Fishman & Orth 1996), whereas in bare sand, potential seed predators are themselves prey for fish or large blue crabs. Recent work in seagrass systems in Australia showed higher seed predation rates in seagrass compared with bare sand, with crustaceans identified as the primary seed consumers (Orth et al , 2006d(Orth et al , 2007.…”

Section: Zostera Marina Seedling Establishment In R Maritimamentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing Seedling Establishment Rates in Zostera marina and Their Implications for Seagrass Restoration

Marion

Orth

2009

Restoration Ecology

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Selection of strategies to efficiently utilize limited seed supplies in efforts to restore the seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) requires a better understanding of the processes that limit seedling establishment at potential restoration sites. We investigated the effect of seed distribution timing on seedling establishment and tested for interactive effects of seed burial and distribution timing. We also investigated the effect of habitat type on seedling establishment by distributing Z. marina seeds inside and outside of established Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass) patches and examined mechanisms causing habitat differences by manipulating seed position (buried or unburied) and vulnerability to seed predators (unprotected or protected in packets). Seeds distributed on the sediment surface in the summer (July or August) produced fewer seedlings than seeds distributed in fall (October) in five of six trials over 3 years.Seed burial increased success rates for seeds distributed in summer at one of two sites tested, eliminating the effect of season, but reduced success at the other site. Seeds placed in R. maritima generally produced fewer seedlings than seeds in bare sand, and although seed burial and protection in packets increased success in bare sand at three of four sites, the effect was less consistent in R. maritima. We conclude that seed predation and physical interactions were influential in reducing seedling establishment in R. maritima, contrary to hypotheses positing a nursery role for existing vegetation. Efficient restoration efforts with Z. marina seeds should target unvegetated areas after summertime sources of mortality have diminished. Direct seed burial may enhance seedling establishment rates.

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“…Seagrasses are suitable subjects for the application of geostatistics as the majority of their growth is clonal and they spread from rhizome elongation (Kendrick et al 2005a, Sintes et al 2005). They also release seeds that are widely dispersed by currents and tend to settle and take root in protected areas, but have a low likelihood of survival if they settle within existing meadows (Orth et al 2006b) or onto sediments with high detrital loads (Orth et al 2007) due to high levels of seed predation in these environments. Geostatistical methods have been widely used in ecology (as stated above), and in seagrasses, geostatistics have previously been applied to mapping seagrass density (Fourqurean et al 2001), species presence (Kelly et al 2001, Holmes et al 2007) and fertile seagrass shoot density (Campey et al 2002).…”

Section: Application Of Geostatistics To Study Multiscale Variation Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐scale spatial patterns of three seagrass species with different growth dynamics

Kendrick¹,

Holmes²,

Niel³

2008

Ecography

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Knowledge of landscape spatial patterns of seagrasses and their rates of loss and natural colonization is critical for understanding the ecology of this group of submerged aquatic plants. Seagrasses form extensive meadows that occupy sheltered coastal seas of the world. In this paper, we examine the multi-scale variability of three seagrass species over a large near-shore region (42 km 2 ) in Western Australia. Geostatistical non-parametric methods were used to explore spatial variation in presence of Amphibolis griffithii, Posidonia coriacea and P. sinuosa, and to identify the spatial scales at which distinct patterns in the species distributions occur: B50, 50Á610 and 610 m. Each species showed unique variance structure across local (B50 and 50Á610 m) and regional scales ( 610 m), suggesting differences in species biology, environmental requirements, inter-species interactions, and their ability to modify their environment. These observations reflect that 1) seagrass landscapes are created by processes that independently act on each seagrass species at different spatial scales; 2) the species' distributions differ in their hydrodynamic forcing, and; 3) seagrass species distributions reflect colonization history such that related species are separated in space because they have different places in the successional sequence. This cross-scale study demonstrates that shoot studies only partly address the spatial structure of seagrass landscapes and further large-scale spatially-explicit research is required before we can interpret the driving processes.

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Predation on Posidonia australis seeds in seagrass habitats of Rottnest Island, Western Australia: patterns and predators

Cited by 39 publications

References 30 publications

Granivory in terrestrial isopods

Granivory in terrestrial isopods

Factors Influencing Seedling Establishment Rates in Zostera marina and Their Implications for Seagrass Restoration

Multi‐scale spatial patterns of three seagrass species with different growth dynamics

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