The Leaf Canopy of Seagrass Beds: Faunal Community in a Salinity Gradient
231
partly restricting Zostera to more-exposed, deeper areas. In addition, Zostera
is dependent on carbon uptake from carbonate instead of carbon dioxide,
which is an unlimited resource in fully saline water, but probably a limiting
factor in the brackish parts of the Baltic Sea. By growing in exposed areas,
Zostera can partly compensate for this by increasing access to carbonate
through increased shear velocity. Strong water movements probably also
determine plant morphology, size and density of the Zostera leaf canopy, and
thus also the composition of the associated animal assemblages.
Acknowledgements. Erik Bonsdorff, Kenneth L. Heck and Leif Pihl gave valuable
comments on earlier versions of this chapter. The authors acknowledge the financial
support of the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural (Research Grant
40.0182/99) (SB) and the Academy of Finland (38021) (CB).
References
Adams SM (1976) The ecology of eelgrass, Zostera marina (L.), fish communities. I.
Structural analysis. II. Functional analysis. J Exp Mar BioI EcoI22:269-311
Asmus H, Theede H, Neuhoff H-G, Schramm W (1980) The role of epibenthic macrofauna in the oxygen budget of Zostera communities from the Baltic Sea. Ophelia
Suppll :99-111
Baden SP (1990) The cryptofauna of Zostera marina (L.): Abundance, biomass and
population dynamics. Neth J Sea Res 27(1):81-92
Baden SP, Pihl L (1984) Abundance, biomass and production of mobile epibenthic fauna
in Zostera marina (L.) meadows, western Sweden. Ophelia 23:65-90
Baden SP, Gerhardt L, Roberts C (2001) The fouling community on eelgrass, Zostera
marina (L.), along the Swedish West coast. J Sea Res, subm.
Bonsdorff E, Pearson TH (1999) Varation in the sublittoral macrobenthos of the Baltic Sea
along environmental gradients: a functional-group approach. Aust J Ecol 24:312326
Borum J (1985) Development of epiphytic communities on eelgrass (Zostera marina)
along a nutrient gradient in a Danish estuary. Mar Bioi 87:211-218
Bostrom C (1996) Zoobenthic community structure in Zostera marina L. meadows -
spatial and temporal variation. MSc thesis (in Swedish, abstract in English), Abo
Akademi Univ, 87 pp
Bostrom C, Bonsdorff E (1997) Community structure and spatial variation of benthic
invertebrates associated with Zostera marina L.) beds in the northern Baltic Sea. J Sea
Res 37:153-166
Bostrom C, Bonsdorff E (2000) Zoobenthic community establishment and habitat complexity - the importance of seagrass shoot density and morphology for faunal
recruitment. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 205:123-138
Bostrom C, Mattila J (1999) The relative importance of food and shelter for seagrassassociated invertebrates: a latitudinal comparison of habitat choice by isopod
grazers. Oecologia 120: 162-170
Bronmark C (1985) Interactions between macrophytes, epiphytes and herbivores: an
experimental approach. Oikos 45:26-30
231
partly restricting Zostera to more-exposed, deeper areas. In addition, Zostera
is dependent on carbon uptake from carbonate instead of carbon dioxide,
which is an unlimited resource in fully saline water, but probably a limiting
factor in the brackish parts of the Baltic Sea. By growing in exposed areas,
Zostera can partly compensate for this by increasing access to carbonate
through increased shear velocity. Strong water movements probably also
determine plant morphology, size and density of the Zostera leaf canopy, and
thus also the composition of the associated animal assemblages.
Acknowledgements. Erik Bonsdorff, Kenneth L. Heck and Leif Pihl gave valuable
comments on earlier versions of this chapter. The authors acknowledge the financial
support of the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural (Research Grant
40.0182/99) (SB) and the Academy of Finland (38021) (CB).
References
Adams SM (1976) The ecology of eelgrass, Zostera marina (L.), fish communities. I.
Structural analysis. II. Functional analysis. J Exp Mar BioI EcoI22:269-311
Asmus H, Theede H, Neuhoff H-G, Schramm W (1980) The role of epibenthic macrofauna in the oxygen budget of Zostera communities from the Baltic Sea. Ophelia
Suppll :99-111
Baden SP (1990) The cryptofauna of Zostera marina (L.): Abundance, biomass and
population dynamics. Neth J Sea Res 27(1):81-92
Baden SP, Pihl L (1984) Abundance, biomass and production of mobile epibenthic fauna
in Zostera marina (L.) meadows, western Sweden. Ophelia 23:65-90
Baden SP, Gerhardt L, Roberts C (2001) The fouling community on eelgrass, Zostera
marina (L.), along the Swedish West coast. J Sea Res, subm.
Bonsdorff E, Pearson TH (1999) Varation in the sublittoral macrobenthos of the Baltic Sea
along environmental gradients: a functional-group approach. Aust J Ecol 24:312326
Borum J (1985) Development of epiphytic communities on eelgrass (Zostera marina)
along a nutrient gradient in a Danish estuary. Mar Bioi 87:211-218
Bostrom C (1996) Zoobenthic community structure in Zostera marina L. meadows -
spatial and temporal variation. MSc thesis (in Swedish, abstract in English), Abo
Akademi Univ, 87 pp
Bostrom C, Bonsdorff E (1997) Community structure and spatial variation of benthic
invertebrates associated with Zostera marina L.) beds in the northern Baltic Sea. J Sea
Res 37:153-166
Bostrom C, Bonsdorff E (2000) Zoobenthic community establishment and habitat complexity - the importance of seagrass shoot density and morphology for faunal
recruitment. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 205:123-138
Bostrom C, Mattila J (1999) The relative importance of food and shelter for seagrassassociated invertebrates: a latitudinal comparison of habitat choice by isopod
grazers. Oecologia 120: 162-170
Bronmark C (1985) Interactions between macrophytes, epiphytes and herbivores: an
experimental approach. Oikos 45:26-30