Density dependence, spatial scale and patterning in sessile biota

Sessile biota can compete with or facilitate each other, and the interaction of facilitation and competition at different spatial scales is key to developing spatial patchiness and patterning. We examined density and scale dependence in a patterned, soft sediment mussel bed. We followed mussel growt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 2005-09, Vol.145 (3), p.371-381
Main Authors: Gascoigne, J.C, Beadman, H.A, Saurel, C, Kaiser, M.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biota
Bivalvia - growth & development
Competition
Crabs
Demography
Density
Density dependence
Ecological competition
Ecology
environmental factors
facilitation
Flux density
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Geologic Sediments
intraspecific competition
Invertebrates
Mechanical stress
Models, Theoretical
Mollusca
Mollusks
Mussels
Mytilus edulis
Population Density
Population Ecology
seasonal variation
Seasons
Summer
Vegetation
Wales
Water Movements
Winter
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Summary:Sessile biota can compete with or facilitate each other, and the interaction of facilitation and competition at different spatial scales is key to developing spatial patchiness and patterning. We examined density and scale dependence in a patterned, soft sediment mussel bed. We followed mussel growth and density at two spatial scales separated by four orders of magnitude. In summer, competition was important at both scales. In winter, there was net facilitation at the small scale with no evidence of density dependence at the large scale. The mechanism for facilitation is probably density dependent protection from wave dislodgement. Intraspecific interactions in soft sediment mussel beds thus vary both temporally and spatially. Our data support the idea that pattern formation in ecological systems arises from competition at large scales and facilitation at smaller scales, so far only shown in vegetation systems. The data, and a simple, heuristic model, also suggest that facilitative interactions in sessile biota are mediated by physical stress, and that interactions change in strength and sign along a spatial or temporal gradient of physical stress.
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s00442-005-0137-x