Meiobenthos of Ceriops and Rhizophora mangroves at Gazi Bay, Kenya: human impact
Schrijvers, J. (1996). Meiobenthos of Ceriops and Rhizophora mangroves at Gazi Bay, Kenya: human impact. Meded. Kon. Acad. Wet. Lett. Kunst. Klasse der Wet. 58(1): 97-114 In: Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België. Klasse der Wetenschappen. Paleis der Academiën: Brussel. ISSN 0369-285x, more |  |
| Keywords | Marine/Coastal; Brackish water |
| Abstract | The meiobenthos of the mangrove sediments of virgin Ceriops tagal and Rhizophora mucronata vegetations in Gazi Bay, Kenya, was examined. Higher taxa were counted and Nematoda were determined to genus level. The composition of nematode feeding types was examined and nematode diversity, biomass and production were measured.Total meiofaunal densities were 3100 ind./10 cm² for Ceriops tagal and 6101 ind./10 cm² for Rizophora mucronata. In general, Gazi mangals had higher meiobenthic densities than other mangrove sediments described in literature. Nematodes were numerically dominant in both stations.Rhizophora mucronata sediment contained higher total, nematode and oligochaete densities and revealed a higher nematode diversity, biomass and production than Ceriops tagal sediment. Epistrate feeders and omnivore/predators were dominant in the nematode population of Rhizophora mucronata while deposit-feeding nematodes were more important in Ceriops tagal. These differences were related to the intertidal position of the respective sites reflected as a difference in amount of mud, sand and organic matter of the sediment.A comparison with two partially denuded sites of the same vegetation showed a decrease of total meiobenthos and nematodes and an increase of oligochaetes. This was probably due to the loss in the amount of organic material and mud caused by the thinning of the mangal. |
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