Document of bibliographic reference 295256

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Seagrass macrofaunal abundance shows both multifractality and scale-invariant patchiness

Abstract

Spatial patterns of abundance of the whole macrobenthic assemblage and of its 10 most numerous species were examined across hierarchically nested scales within a 0.85 ha area of intertidal seagrass in subtropical Moreton Bay, Queensland. Multifractality characterised the assemblage and all ten dominant species across those scales (c. 33, 130, 530 & 2115 m2), with patchiness of assemblage numbers and those of at least some dominants exhibiting scale-invariance. The system displayed several abundance peaks, 12% of stations accounting for 88% of total variance, with many individual dominants showing a series of non-overlapping 'hot-spots'. Scale invariance and multifractality occurred notwithstanding low levels of species interaction consequent on maintenance at very low density. This suggests that critical self-organisation cannot be responsible for such patterning. Contrary to received wisdom, coefficient β of Taylor's power-law cannot form an index of aggregation, although it does indicate direction of change in dispersion pattern with changing numbers.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000434748700010

Bibliographic citation

Barnes, R.S. K.; Laurie, H. (2018). Seagrass macrofaunal abundance shows both multifractality and scale-invariant patchiness. Mar. Environ. Res. 138: 84-95. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.04.009

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true