Recovery Dynamics in Benthic Communities: Balancing Detail with Simplification
311
stand or predict the ecological consequences of much larger scale disturbance
events. Field experiments examining the recovery process reveal that biotic
interactions during succession are highly variable but that some important
generalisations can be reached based on the functional aspects of the organisms, in particular the provision of complex habitat structure either above or
below the sediment/water interface. There is some evidence for scale-dependence limiting our ability to directly scale-up manipulative experiments. We
noted the importance of interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic processes that limit the use of simple hierarchical models. However, our review
highlights the importance of mobility in influencing colonisation. We suggest
that assessing the relative importance of biological and physical processes
that influence the mobility of potential colonists over different spatial scales is
a critical factor in helping us to scale-up from small manipulative experiments. By conceptualising how the potential source of colonists may vary
depending on the scale, intensity and location of disturbance we emphasise
the importance of differences in mobility within species, dependent on lifehistory stage, and between species in determining critical thresholds in recovery rates. Assessing the value of location -dependent recovery rates for different life stages, species or assemblages based on critical thresholds is one
way of defining common units to enable us to make quantitative comparisons
between locations. This cannot be achieved with the information currently
available. We suggest that a coherent programme of the assessment of macrobenthic succession would provide important resources enabling us to improve our ability to predict recovery and document chronic degradative
change within estuarine and coastal ecosystems.
Acknowledgements. We thank Judi Hewitt, Vonda Cummings, Alf Norkko, Joanne Ellis,
Roman Zajac and Erik Bonsdorff for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.
We thank Karsten Reise for the opportunity to discuss this perspective on coastal
comparisons on Sylt. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Foundation for Research
Science and Technology (NZ) and the National Science Foundation (USA) for their
continued support in helping us to extend the understanding of marine benthic
ecosystems.
References
Allen TFH, Starr TB (1982) Hierarchy perspectives for ecological complexity. Univ
Chicago Press, Chicago
Alongi DM (1990) The ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthic ecosystems. Oceanogr
Mar BioI Annu Rev 28:381-496
Arnqvist G, Wooster D (1995) Meta-analysis: synthesizing research findings in ecology
and evolution. TREE 10:236-240
311
stand or predict the ecological consequences of much larger scale disturbance
events. Field experiments examining the recovery process reveal that biotic
interactions during succession are highly variable but that some important
generalisations can be reached based on the functional aspects of the organisms, in particular the provision of complex habitat structure either above or
below the sediment/water interface. There is some evidence for scale-dependence limiting our ability to directly scale-up manipulative experiments. We
noted the importance of interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic processes that limit the use of simple hierarchical models. However, our review
highlights the importance of mobility in influencing colonisation. We suggest
that assessing the relative importance of biological and physical processes
that influence the mobility of potential colonists over different spatial scales is
a critical factor in helping us to scale-up from small manipulative experiments. By conceptualising how the potential source of colonists may vary
depending on the scale, intensity and location of disturbance we emphasise
the importance of differences in mobility within species, dependent on lifehistory stage, and between species in determining critical thresholds in recovery rates. Assessing the value of location -dependent recovery rates for different life stages, species or assemblages based on critical thresholds is one
way of defining common units to enable us to make quantitative comparisons
between locations. This cannot be achieved with the information currently
available. We suggest that a coherent programme of the assessment of macrobenthic succession would provide important resources enabling us to improve our ability to predict recovery and document chronic degradative
change within estuarine and coastal ecosystems.
Acknowledgements. We thank Judi Hewitt, Vonda Cummings, Alf Norkko, Joanne Ellis,
Roman Zajac and Erik Bonsdorff for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.
We thank Karsten Reise for the opportunity to discuss this perspective on coastal
comparisons on Sylt. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Foundation for Research
Science and Technology (NZ) and the National Science Foundation (USA) for their
continued support in helping us to extend the understanding of marine benthic
ecosystems.
References
Allen TFH, Starr TB (1982) Hierarchy perspectives for ecological complexity. Univ
Chicago Press, Chicago
Alongi DM (1990) The ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthic ecosystems. Oceanogr
Mar BioI Annu Rev 28:381-496
Arnqvist G, Wooster D (1995) Meta-analysis: synthesizing research findings in ecology
and evolution. TREE 10:236-240