Document of bibliographic reference 311148

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Local patchiness of macrobenthic faunal abundance displays homogeneity across the disparate seagrass systems of an estuarine bay

Abstract

Spatial variation in the degree of local patchiness of macrobenthic assemblage abundance was assessed across the 16 km² warm-temperate Knysna estuarine bay (South Africa) where the seagrass Zostera (Zosterella) capensis grows under a broad spectrum of environmental conditions and supports invertebrate assemblages at a wide range of local density (<2000->320000 ind. M⁻²). Macrobenthic assemblage abundance at all 27 representative sites examined displayed low-level but highly-significant spatial patchiness (mean Lloyd's index, I_P = 1.148). Except at high tidal levels, however, the magnitude of this local patchiness did not vary statistically across the system (CV 4.3%) regardless of assemblage abundance, location or species composition. Patchinesses well within ±1 standard deviation of Knysna's value also characterise an equivalent Z. (Zosterella) capricorni assemblage in subtropical Queensland (I_P 1.169) and another, Z. (Zosterella) noltei, assemblage in cool-temperate England (I_P 1.135), suggesting that at local scales intertidal dwarf-eelgrass macrobenthic abundance displays a characteristic level of patchiness.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000472688400012

Bibliographic citation

Barnes, R.S.K. (2019). Local patchiness of macrobenthic faunal abundance displays homogeneity across the disparate seagrass systems of an estuarine bay. Mar. Environ. Res. 148: 99-107. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.05.001

Topic

Marine

Fresh water

Brakish water

Is peer reviewed

true