Geographic distribution of two mussel species and associated assemblages along the northern Argentinean coast

Aquatic Biology

关键词: Spatial variations;    Rocky shores;    Ecosystem engineers;    Environmental factors;    Benthos;    Southwest Atlantic;   

DOI  :  10.3354/ab00495

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Ecosystem engineers can modify habitat, creating structural microhabitats. This structural complexity can affect species richness. Marine ecosystem engineers are able to produce local effects in combination with environmental variables (e.g. to create more humid habitat during low tides). We tested the hypotheses that if there is a relationship between mussel morphology and environmental factors, mussels would be larger at warmer than at cooler locations, and in areas where 2 species of mussels overlap, size and biomass will decrease and density will increase. At a smaller scale, we predicted that there is a relationship between the assemblage structure and hardness of the substratum and sediment content of a mussel bed. Using a nested design, we measured density, biomass and size of 2 species of mussels,

【 授权许可】

CC BY