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Composition and seasonal fluctuations of meiofauna in a Southern African mangrove estuary
Fluctuations in population structure and abundance of mangrove meiofauna were monitored over a period of 14 months. The greatest mean abundance was directly correlated with mean redox potential (Eh), but showed poor relationships with pH and temperature. Maximum density occurred at the mid to high l...
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Published in: | Marine biology 1983-01, Vol.73 (2), p.165-170 |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Fluctuations in population structure and abundance of mangrove meiofauna were monitored over a period of 14 months. The greatest mean abundance was directly correlated with mean redox potential (Eh), but showed poor relationships with pH and temperature. Maximum density occurred at the mid to high levels and nematodes accounted for 80% of the total numbers. Large ciliates were the next most abundant groups accounting for 6.4%. These were followed by oligochaetes (4.5%), turbellarians (3%) and kinorhynchs (2.7%). The remainder consisted of low numbers of copepods, polychaetes, gastrotrichs, the larvae of crustacea (prawns and crabs) and insects. Although there was a tendency for density to increase in summer, the numbers were variable and seasonal correlations with physical parameters were obscure. The estimated production from the standing crop is 4.34 gC m super(-2) yr super(-1). |
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ISSN: | 0025-3162 1432-1793 |
DOI: | 10.1007/BF00406884 |