350
D. Raffaelli and M. Emmerson
(transient or ephemeral species) was greater in the enriched HUs than in
controls.
In South Australia, Hall (2000) demonstrated that algal diversity increased
in enriched habitats relative to control areas along with biomass. The total
number of faunal species and total number of individuals were also significantly greater in enriched habitats. Thus, Hall's observations are consistent
with the predictions of the RHH for a low nutrient site, whereas our own are
consistent with respect to the Shannon-Weiner measure of diversity for a high
nutrient site.
16.5 Conclusions
Comparisons of ecological processes along environmental gradients and between regions are likely to yield important insights into the key factors
organising assemblages on sandy and muddy shores. However, unlike comparisons of the distribution patterns of dominant species, comparisons of
processes demand agreed protocols if such comparisons are to be meaningful. The International Biological Programme provided the ideal structure for
studies on production and energy flow in marine systems, whereas the lack of
agreed protocols for experimental ecologists means that manipulative studies
are more idiosyncratic and hence more difficult to compare.
In this chapter, we have discussed several areas where there may be links
between production and community structure and dynamics. However, the
number of similar studies elsewhere is as yet too few to permit general comparisons between shores. The use of artificial habitat units has merits in this
respect, in that they are cheap, standardised and easily deployed. Indeed,
other researchers have already used them successfully to explore patterns of
marine biodiversity (Gee and Warwick 1996; Kendall et al. 1996). Establishing links between production and dynamics is difficult, but is becoming a
pressing issue given the scale of alteration in the fluxes of materials brought
about by global climate change - at present we are simply not able to predict
the effects of these changes in these fluxes on community structure and
dynamics.
References
Baird D, Milne H (1981) Energy flow in the Ythan estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 12:217-232
D. Raffaelli and M. Emmerson
(transient or ephemeral species) was greater in the enriched HUs than in
controls.
In South Australia, Hall (2000) demonstrated that algal diversity increased
in enriched habitats relative to control areas along with biomass. The total
number of faunal species and total number of individuals were also significantly greater in enriched habitats. Thus, Hall's observations are consistent
with the predictions of the RHH for a low nutrient site, whereas our own are
consistent with respect to the Shannon-Weiner measure of diversity for a high
nutrient site.
16.5 Conclusions
Comparisons of ecological processes along environmental gradients and between regions are likely to yield important insights into the key factors
organising assemblages on sandy and muddy shores. However, unlike comparisons of the distribution patterns of dominant species, comparisons of
processes demand agreed protocols if such comparisons are to be meaningful. The International Biological Programme provided the ideal structure for
studies on production and energy flow in marine systems, whereas the lack of
agreed protocols for experimental ecologists means that manipulative studies
are more idiosyncratic and hence more difficult to compare.
In this chapter, we have discussed several areas where there may be links
between production and community structure and dynamics. However, the
number of similar studies elsewhere is as yet too few to permit general comparisons between shores. The use of artificial habitat units has merits in this
respect, in that they are cheap, standardised and easily deployed. Indeed,
other researchers have already used them successfully to explore patterns of
marine biodiversity (Gee and Warwick 1996; Kendall et al. 1996). Establishing links between production and dynamics is difficult, but is becoming a
pressing issue given the scale of alteration in the fluxes of materials brought
about by global climate change - at present we are simply not able to predict
the effects of these changes in these fluxes on community structure and
dynamics.
References
Baird D, Milne H (1981) Energy flow in the Ythan estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 12:217-232