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Publication
Influence of disturbance and nutrient enrichment on early successional fouling communities in an oligotrophic marine system
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Disturbance and productivity are often cited as the main factors determining
temporal and spatial patterns in species distribution and the diversity of com munities. A field experiment was conducted to test the role of these factors in
the structuring of early successional fouling communities in a nutrient limited
system at the south coast of Madeira Island. Macro-benthic sessile communi ties, established on artificial settlement substrata, were manipulated and sur veyed over a 9-week period. We applied mechanical disturbances of four
different frequencies crossed with three levels of inorganic nutrient enrichment.
Fertilization enhanced community diversity by favouring the establishment and
growth of macroalgae. Disturbance reduced diversity by eliminating species –
but only at the highest nutrient level. This is explained by a multiple-stressor
model; species most sensitive to nutrient deficiency (only present in the highest
enrichment treatment) were simultaneously the most sensitive to disturbance.
Description
Keywords
Disturbance Diversity Fouling Madeira Island (Portugal) Multiple stressors Nutrient enrichment Productivity . Faculdade de Ciências da Vida
Citation
Canning‐Clode, J., Kaufmann, M., Molis, M., Wahl, M., & Lenz, M. (2008). Influence of disturbance and nutrient enrichment on early successional fouling communities in an oligotrophic marine system. Marine Ecology, 29(1), 115-124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0485.2007.00210.x
Publisher
Stazione Zoologica di Napoli