The sandflat habitat: scaling from experiments to conclusions

Thrush, Simon F.; Pridmore, R. D.; Bell, Robert G.; Cummings, Vonda J.; Dayton, Paul K.; Ford, Richard B.; Grant, John A.; Green, M. O.; Hewitt, Judi E.; Hines, Anson H.; Hume, Terry M.; Lawrie, S.; Legendre, Pierre; McArdle, Brian H.; Morrisey, Donald J.; Schneider, D. C.; Turner, Stephanie; Walters, Roy A.; Whitlatch, Robert B.; Wilkinson, M. R.

doi:10.1016/s0022-0981(97)00087-7

Cited by 52 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…These patterns suggest a scale-dependent set of processes operating along the estuarine benthic communities of Uruguay, as for other estuaries (Ysebaert and Herman 2002;Thrush et al 2003) and intertidal communities (Thrush et al 1997;Gime´nez and Yannicelli 2000). The observed patterns should be related to (1) the salinity gradient produced by the Rı´o de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean at a regional scale, (2) morphological and/or sedimentological differences among lagoons and streams or rivers at the scale of sites and (3) the gradient in desiccation and colonization rates of sediments at the scale of intertidal levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Scale-dependent patterns of distribution have been increasingly evidenced in studies of benthic fauna (Thrush et al 1997(Thrush et al , 2003Gime´nez and Yannicelli 2000;Ysebaert and Herman 2002). An evaluation of these patterns is the first step to understand the set of processes that structures the communities and thus to formulate predictive models (Underwood et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scale-dependent patterns of macrofaunal distribution in soft-sediment intertidal habitats along a large-scale estuarine gradient

et al. 2005

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We investigated the pattern of distribution of intertidal soft-bottom fauna in streams and lagoons of the Uruguayan coast at three spatial scales. The Rı´o de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean produce on this coast a large-scale gradient in salinity, defining a freshwater (west), an estuarine (central) and a marine (east) region. Within each region, there are several streams and coastal lagoons (sites) that define a second scale of variability. A third scale is given by intertidal gradients within each site. Species richness and total abundance was low in the freshwater west region and high in the central and east regions. The community in the west region was characterized by the clam Curbicula fluminea; in the other regions, it was dominated mainly by the polychaete Heteromastus similis. The polychaete Nephtys fluviatilis was more abundant in the east region, while another polychaete, Laeonereis acuta, characterized the central region. Sediment fractions did not vary significantly at this scale. At the scale of the sites, species richness and total macrofaunal abundance were higher in coastal lagoons than in streams. Coarse sands were more common in coastal lagoons, while medium and fine sand characterized the sediment in streams. Within each site, species richness and total abundance increased towards the lower intertidal level; the macrofauna of the upper levels were a subsample of the fauna occurring at the lower levels. There was also a significantly lower proportion of fine sand at the upper level. At regional scales, the observed patterns may be indirectly or directly related to the gradient in salinity, through differential physiological tolerance to osmotic stress. At the scale of the sites, variability may be explained mainly by geomorphological and sedimentological differences between lagoons and streams. Variation among levels may be related to gradients in desiccation, colonization and predation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale-dependent patterns of macrofaunal distribution in soft-sediment intertidal habitats along a large-scale estuarine gradient

et al. 2005

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“…Wiens et al 1986, Irlandi et al 1995, Irlandi 1996, Thrush et al 1996, 1997a,b, Micheli 1997. In marine benthic systems, results of experiments may differ in time or space due to interactions with broader scale phenomena associated with habitat or oceanographic variability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable effect of a large suspension-feeding bivalve on infauna: experimenting in a complex system

Cummings

Thrush²,

Hewitt³

et al. 2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In soft-sediment habitats there are many examples of species that modify their habitat and thus can be expected to have an important influence on macrobenthic community structure. The large, suspension-feeding pinnid bivalve Atrina zelandica adds complexity to soft-sediment habitats by protruding into the water column and altering boundary-flow conditions and by providing predation refuges and substrates for epifaunal settlement. To investigate effects of A. zelandica density on macrobenthic community composition, we conducted a density manipulation experiment in 4 different habitat types in and around Mahurangi Estuary, New Zealand. Our experiment incorporated a comparatively large spatial and temporal scale: each habitat was separated by at least 1.75 km, and was sampled 3 times over 16 mo. Based on previous work, we predicted that macrofaunal community responses would differ between sites and would be stronger at sandy sites than muddy sites, and that variability in site hydrodynamic and sediment characteristics would help explain differences in benthic community responses to the density manipulation. While these predictions were supported, there was considerable temporal variation in the response. We also made predictions of the response of different aggregate macrofaunal groups to the A. zelandica manipulation (i.e. total numbers of individuals and taxa, suspension feeders, deposit feeders, top 2 cm dwellers, and mobile, short and long-lived species). Whether these predictions were supported varied spatially as well as temporally. To be able to generalise results, larger scale experiments, conducted at more than 1 site and at more than 1 time, are generally considered preferable. Although our A. zelandica manipulation experiment has these attributes, the results have demonstrated that the influence of this large suspension feeder on the associated macrofaunal community is not simple (except perhaps in sandy, relatively non-tidal environments), and illustrates our limited success in 'reducing' the complexity of this system using a field experiment. However, we were able to demonstrate that interactions between A. zelandica, site hydrodynamic conditions and sediment characteristics were all important in influencing macrofauna, rather than there being a simple A. zelandica density-macrofauna relationship. Thus, where multi-species interactions, indirect effects, non-linear biotic/abiotic interactions and threshold effects play an important role, specific experiments may not always lead to generalisable results, simply because the system is too complex.

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“…Because recruitment is often extremely variable, both spatially and temporally, subsequent abundance patterns are often highly dependent upon the scale at which they are measured. Patterns apparent at one scale can decouple when viewed from other scales (Tolimieri 1995, Thrush et al 1997.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale blue crab recruitment: linking postlarval transport, post-settlement planktonic dispersal, and multiple nursery habitats

Etherington¹,

Eggleston²

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

117

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A large-scale study of early juvenile blue crab Callinectes sapidus recruitment within a shallow, predominantly wind-driven estuarine system demonstrated that distribution and abundance patterns were jointly influenced by location from oceanic sources of postlarvae, time period, habitat type, and post-settlement planktonic dispersal. The Croatan-Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System (CAPES) in North Carolina, USA, is a lagoonal body of water that is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a chain of barrier islands, which are bisected by Oregon, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Inlets. For sampling purposes, the CAPES was divided into 4 regions that differed in distance and orientation from oceanic sources of postlarvae, as well as available complex benthic habitat types. The Eastern region was closest to oceanic waters, contained 3 major inlets, and harbored extensive seagrass beds. The Northern and Western regions were located along the inland boundary of the CAPES, and contained alternative habitat types including the submersed rooted vascular plant Myriophyllum spicatum and shallow detrital habitats. The Southern region was inshore and contained patchy seagrass. During a period that lacked storm events, virtually all juvenile recruitment occurred within seagrass beds at the Eastern region. Conversely, early juvenile blue crabs were distributed widely throughout the CAPES after the passage of tropical cyclones. The Eastern region appears to act as a relatively consistent initial recruitment site, whereas Northern and Western regions of the CAPES may act as episodic recruitment areas after the passage of tropical cyclones. Similar densities of early juveniles were found in different complex benthic habitats (seagrass, shallow detrital habitat, M. spicatum). A comparison of site-specific, settler-recruit densities (which represent distinct cohorts) suggested that post-settlement juveniles dispersed planktonically throughout the CAPES, most likely due to stormdriven transport. Post-settlement, planktonic dispersal altered the settler-recruit relationship, by both masking and potentially enhancing a density-dependent relationship between settlers and recruits. This study illustrates that ecological processes influencing recruitment, such as post-settlement dispersal, may be missed when studied at relatively small spatial scales, and that our interpretation of population regulation can vary depending on the scale of study. Studies conducted over broad spatial scales can provide a more complete understanding of recruitment dynamics and can elucidate the interconnectedness of subpopulations by identifying potential 'source' areas in species with open populations.

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The sandflat habitat: scaling from experiments to conclusions

Cited by 52 publications

References 46 publications

Scale-dependent patterns of macrofaunal distribution in soft-sediment intertidal habitats along a large-scale estuarine gradient

Scale-dependent patterns of macrofaunal distribution in soft-sediment intertidal habitats along a large-scale estuarine gradient

Variable effect of a large suspension-feeding bivalve on infauna: experimenting in a complex system

Large-scale blue crab recruitment: linking postlarval transport, post-settlement planktonic dispersal, and multiple nursery habitats

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