Temporal variations in annual production and biomass in estuarine populations of two polychaetes, Nephtys hombergi and Ampharete acutifrons
Price, R.; Warwick, R.M. (1980). Temporal variations in annual production and biomass in estuarine populations of two polychaetes, Nephtys hombergi and Ampharete acutifrons. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 60(2): 481-187 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 |  |
| Keywords | Population characteristics > Biomass
Production (biological)
Ampharete acutifrons (Grube, 1860) [WoRMS]; Nephtys hombergii Savigny in Lamarck, 1818 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal; Brackish water |
| Authors | | Top | - Price, R.
- Warwick, R.M., more
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| Abstract | The annual production (P) and mean annual biomass (B) of N. hombergi and A. acutifrons , have been estimated over a 5-yr period, from October 1972 to October 1977, in the estuary of the River Lynher, Cornwall. For Nephtys , P varied btween 6.00 g dry wt/m-2 in 1973 and 2.84 g/m-2 in 1977, and B between 4.76 g/m-2 in 1976 and 3.21 g/m-2 in 1975. The P/B ratio varied between 1.42 in 1973 and 0.81 in 1977. Over the period of study the P/B ratio gradually declined as a result of reduced recruitment which resulted in a higher proportion of older year-classes in the population. In Ampharete , P varied between 12.54 g/m-2 in 1976 and 0.12 g/m-2 in 1977 and B between 2.29 g/m-2 in 1976 and 0.03 g/m-2 in 1977, a much larger variation than in Nephtys . However, the P/Bratio was more stable than for Nephtys , varying between 5.47 in 1976 and 4.00 in 1977; because Ampharete is an annual species the P/B value is not dependent on the balance of year-class strengths as in Nephtys . the variability of these values is discussed in relation to the reproductive biology and longevity of the two species. |
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