Effects of macroinfauna sediment disturbance on nematode vertical distribution
Pinto, T.K.; Austen, M.C.; Bemvenuti, C.E. (2006). Effects of macroinfauna sediment disturbance on nematode vertical distribution. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 86(2): 227-233. dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025315406013075 In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press/Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: Cambridge. ISSN 0025-3154; e-ISSN 1469-7769, more | |
Authors | | Top | - Pinto, T.K.
- Austen, M.C., more
- Bemvenuti, C.E.
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Abstract | Within a subtropical estuary in southern Brazil, an experiment was carried out to test the hypotheses that the deposit feeding macrofaunal polychaete Laeonereis acuta affects nematode community structure and the vertical distribution patterns of nematodes in sediments. Inclusion cages were deployed with two different densities of the polychaete and meiofaunal nematodes were sampled from six different vertical sediment layers: 0-1, 1-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8 and 8-10 cm depth. Although L. acuta did change the vertical distribution of both nematode and trophic groups in the sediment, allowing nematodes to inhabit deeper sediment layers, there were no apparent effects of different polychaete densities. |
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