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

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 invertebra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine environmental research 2019-06, Vol.148, p.99-107
Main Author: Barnes, R.S.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abundance
Animals
Aquatic plants
Benthos
Biodiversity
Brackishwater environment
Displays
Environmental conditions
Environmental Monitoring
Estuaries
Estuarine environments
Estuary
Grasses
Homogeneity
Invertebrates
Knysna
Marine Biology
Patchiness
Sea grasses
Seagrass
Self-organisation
South Africa
Spatial variation
Spatial variations
Species composition
Zosteraceae - growth & development
Zosterella
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Summary: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 (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, IP = 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 (IP 1.169) and another, Z. (Zosterella) noltei, assemblage in cool-temperate England (IP 1.135), suggesting that at local scales intertidal dwarf-eelgrass macrobenthic abundance displays a characteristic level of patchiness. [Display omitted] •Patchiness of macrobenthic abundance assessed at 27 sites in Knysna estuarine bay.•All 27 support dwarf-eelgrass but represent different faunas and habitat conditions.•All 27 displayed highly-significant but low-level local patchiness.•Local patchiness at all 18 sites along estuarine axis of same magnitude (CV
ISSN:0141-1136
1879-0291
DOI:10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.05.001