Spatial, temporal and interactive variability of infauna in Swedish coastal sediments

Norén, K.; Lindegarth, Mats

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2004.11.014

Cited by 29 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…These studies include soft sediments (Thrush 1986a, Volckaert 1987, Edgar & Barrett 2002, Stark et al 2003, Norén & Lindegarth 2005, Commito et al 2006, Chapman et al 2010, hardbottom intertidal (Underwood & Chapman 1996, Chapman 2002, 2005, hard-bottom subtidal (Thrush 1986b, Glasby 1998, Anderson et al 2005, Dethier & Schoch 2005, Fraschetti et al 2005) and fine sands (Kendall & Widdicombe 1999). A registration of most variability at the smallest investigated scales can probably be attributed to behavioural responses to smallscale patches of microhabitat (Underwood & Chapman 1996, Chapman et al 2010.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale-dependent distribution of soft-bottom infauna and possible structuring forces in low diversity systems

Kraufvelin

Perus²,

Bonsdorff³

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Despite their central roles in ecology, patterns and scales of variation in the distribution of species and their densities are seldom satisfactorily described for most ecosystems. This is mainly due to spatial structures being scale-dependent across broad ranges of scales with partly different processes operating at different scales. In this study, scale-dependent distributional patterns in softsediment macrofaunal communities of naturally low species richness were studied on the Åland Islands, northern Baltic Sea, in 3 model areas (I, II and III) representing different environmental regimes with regard to openness (water renewal rate), depth, and organic and nutrient content as well as an increasing intrasite variability. A systematic grid design comprising 64 biotic and 16 abiotic sampling points, hierarchically arranged at 3 (at distances 10, 100 and 1000 m) and 2 spatial scales (100 and 1000 m), respectively, was used in each area. The intrasite distribution of macrofauna was predictably the most uniform in Area I, the least variable environmentally, followed by Area II, which was intermediate with respect to both abiotic and biotic variability, and then Area III, which was always the most variable area. This was true when analysed by both univariate and multivariate statistical means. When examining the contribution of each spatial scale to the total variance, most variability was observed at the smallest sampled level (10 m) for the majority of the studied variables. Despite a high overlap in species composition, the areas differed significantly in animal community structure. This was driven by both (1) the top-dominant species (Macoma, Mytilus, Monoporeia, Oligochaeta, Marenzelleria) and (2) the proportion and distribution of rare species. These systems with low diversity showed clear species distribution patterns driven by local environmental conditions, but also showed a substantial biotic component seen as the proportion and role of rare species and the high spatial variability observed at the smallest scale. Our understanding of spatial variability (or 'stability') is thus influenced by both the habitat and the species composition. The results are valuable for the refinement of sampling design, improved interpretation of monitoring programs (including detection of anthropogenic impact) and incorporation of scaling issues into questions of marine biodiversity and conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale-dependent distribution of soft-bottom infauna and possible structuring forces in low diversity systems

Kraufvelin

Perus²,

Bonsdorff³

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Despite their apparent environmental homogeneity, marine caves often show high variability because many complex mechanisms, both physical and biological, structure the soft-bottom communities (e.g. Morrisey et al 1992, Snelgrove 1998, Norén and Lindegarth 2005. Moreover, each marine cave has particular environmental conditions determined by features such as its topography, depth and orientation.…”

Section: Internal Vs External Stationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amphipods from marine cave sediments of the southern Iberian Peninsula: diversity and ecological distribution

Navarro‐Barranco¹,

Guerra-García²,

Sánchez-Tocino³

et al. 2014

Sci. Mar.

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Summary:The present study explores the amphipod assemblages of six marine caves on the Mediterranean coast of southern Spain. Replicate samples were taken both inside and outside each marine cave in order to characterize the amphipod fauna and the physicochemical properties of the sediment. As a result, 44 amphipods species were identified. The high number of species found in a relatively limited area highlighted the richness of the Alboran Sea fauna, which is mainly due to the mixture of species from different biogeographic areas. Harpinia genus was the dominant amphipod taxa inside marine caves and Perioculodes longimanus was also very abundant in the caverns. On the other hand, external communities were dominated by Siphonoecetes sabatieri, Metaphoxus fultoni and Photis longipes. There was a high degree of variability in both the internal and the external stations. Only the external station situated at low-medium depth showed a relatively homogeneous amphipod assemblage. The structure and behaviour of soft-bottom communities inside marine caves is difficult to predict because their environmental conditions depend on a particular combination of factors such as topography, depth and orientation. Therefore, no constant patterns were observed for species richness, Shannon diversity and abundance of amphipods in marine caves in comparison with open habitats. According to canonical correspondence analysis, sediment granulometry, organic matter and nitrogen concentration were the parameters that best explained the distribution of amphipods. Species were also classified by their tolerance to environmental pollution according to criteria followed by the Azti Marine Biotic Index and the BENTIX index. The great abundance of sensitive species at both the internal and external stations indicates the good ecological quality of the soft bottom studied. However, the suitability of biotic indices in marine caves should be tested in future studies.Keywords: marine caves; soft-bottom communities; Amphipoda; benthic ecology; Mediterranean Sea. Anfípodos en sedimentos de cuevas submarinas del Sur de la Península Ibérica: diversidad y distribución ecológicaResumen: En el presente trabajo se estudia la fauna de anfípodos presente en el sustrato blando de seis cuevas submarinas de la costa Mediterránea del sur de España. Con el objetivo de caracterizar tanto la comunidad biótica como las características físico-químicas del sedimento, se tomaron muestras de sedimento a la salida y en el interior de las cuevas submarinas. Como resultado, se identificaron un total de cuarenta y cuatro especies de anfípodos diferentes. Este elevado número de especies encontrado en un área relativamente limitada pone de manifiesto la riqueza faunística del Mar de Alborán, la cual se atribuye principalmente a la mezcla de especies de diferentes áreas biogeográficas. El género Harpinia fue el taxón dominante en el interior de las cuevas, junto con Perioculodes longimanus. Por otro lado, la comunidad en las zonas externas estaba dominada por Siphonoecetes s...

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“…In the marine sediment environment, heterogeneity in both biodiversity and ecosystem processes is well recognized at a variety of spatial and temporal scales and is known to be generated by microbial activity (mm 2 -seconds scale), the behaviour and bioturbatory activities of infaunal invertebrates (cm 2 -day), the feeding activities of epibenthic vertebrate predators (m 2 -months) and storms and anoxic events (km 2 -years) (Hall et al 1994;Teixido et al 2002;Parry et al 2003;Noren and Lindegarth 2005). The dominant explanatory paradigm for this pattern is that patches are in diVerent successional stages that reXect the time for reassembly following disturbance (Johnson 1972;Pearson and Rosenberg 1978;Rhoads et al 1978).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species effects on ecosystem processes are modified by faunal responses to habitat composition

et al. 2008

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Heterogeneity is a well-recognized feature of natural environments, and the spatial distribution and movement of individual species is primarily driven by resource requirements. In laboratory experiments designed to explore how different species drive ecosystem processes, such as nutrient release, habitat heterogeneity is often seen as something which must be rigorously controlled for. Most small experimental systems are therefore spatially homogeneous, and the link between environmental heterogeneity and its effects on the redistribution of individuals and species, and on ecosystem processes, has not been fully explored. In this paper, we used a mesocosm system to investigate the relationship between habitat composition, species movement and sediment nutrient release for each of four functionally contrasting species of marine benthic invertebrate macrofauna. For each species, various habitat configurations were generated by selectively enriching patches of sediment with macroalgae, a natural source of spatial variability in intertidal mudflats. We found that the direction and extent of faunal movement between patches differs with species identity, density and habitat composition. Combinations of these factors lead to concomitant changes in nutrient release, such that habitat composition effects are modified by species identity (in the case of NH4-N) and by species density (in the case of PO4-P). It is clear that failure to accommodate natural patterns of spatial heterogeneity in such studies may result in an incomplete understanding of system behaviour. This will be particularly important for future experiments designed to explore the effects of species richness on ecosystem processes, where the complex interactions reported here for single species may be compounded when species are brought together in multi-species combinations.

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Spatial, temporal and interactive variability of infauna in Swedish coastal sediments

Cited by 29 publications

References 59 publications

Scale-dependent distribution of soft-bottom infauna and possible structuring forces in low diversity systems

Scale-dependent distribution of soft-bottom infauna and possible structuring forces in low diversity systems

Amphipods from marine cave sediments of the southern Iberian Peninsula: diversity and ecological distribution

Species effects on ecosystem processes are modified by faunal responses to habitat composition

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