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Influence of macrofaunal assemblages and environmental heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in experimental systems

Influence of macrofaunal assemblages and environmental heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in experimental systems
Influence of macrofaunal assemblages and environmental heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in experimental systems
Despite the complexity of natural systems, heterogeneity caused by the fragmentation of habitats has seldom been considered when investigating ecosystem processes. Empirical approaches that have included the influence of heterogeneity tend to be biased towards terrestrial habitats; yet marine systems offer opportunities by virtue of their relative ease of manipulation, rapid response times and the well-understood effects of macrofauna on sediment processes. Here, the influence of heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in synthetic estuarine assemblages is examined. Heterogeneity was created by enriching patches of sediment with detrital algae (Enteromorpha intestinalis) to provide a source of allochthonous organic matter. A gradient of species density for four numerically dominant intertidal macrofauna (Hediste diversicolor, Hydrobia ulvae, Corophium volutator, Macoma balthica) was constructed, and microphytobenthic biomass at the sediment surface was measured. Statistical analysis using generalized least squares regression indicated that heterogeneity within our system was a significant driving factor that interacted with macrofaunal density and species identity. Microphytobenthic biomass was highest in enriched patches, suggesting that nutrients were obtained locally from the sediment-water interface and not from the water column. Our findings demonstrate that organic enrichment can cause the development of heterogeneity which influences infaunal bioturbation and consequent nutrient generation, a driver of microphytobenthic production.
2547-2554
Dyson, Kirstie E.
d8aae459-e72a-4051-b63f-3e64d91147b9
Bulling, Mark T.
0a9186c7-5457-46f4-8c83-1b26a571e402
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf
Hernandez-Milian, Gema
698dee0f-b45b-441a-a53e-2bb61e126247
Raffaelli, David G.
5b3a819c-28de-4776-b84e-e2e3a4bf0ca5
White, Piran C. L.
f5623b1d-deab-4e08-8f44-ca733a43d569
Paterson, David M.
cb3a1995-cd31-46b5-970c-71d0f571d63b
Dyson, Kirstie E.
d8aae459-e72a-4051-b63f-3e64d91147b9
Bulling, Mark T.
0a9186c7-5457-46f4-8c83-1b26a571e402
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf
Hernandez-Milian, Gema
698dee0f-b45b-441a-a53e-2bb61e126247
Raffaelli, David G.
5b3a819c-28de-4776-b84e-e2e3a4bf0ca5
White, Piran C. L.
f5623b1d-deab-4e08-8f44-ca733a43d569
Paterson, David M.
cb3a1995-cd31-46b5-970c-71d0f571d63b

Dyson, Kirstie E., Bulling, Mark T., Solan, Martin, Hernandez-Milian, Gema, Raffaelli, David G., White, Piran C. L. and Paterson, David M. (2007) Influence of macrofaunal assemblages and environmental heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in experimental systems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 274 (1625), 2547-2554. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0922).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Despite the complexity of natural systems, heterogeneity caused by the fragmentation of habitats has seldom been considered when investigating ecosystem processes. Empirical approaches that have included the influence of heterogeneity tend to be biased towards terrestrial habitats; yet marine systems offer opportunities by virtue of their relative ease of manipulation, rapid response times and the well-understood effects of macrofauna on sediment processes. Here, the influence of heterogeneity on microphytobenthic production in synthetic estuarine assemblages is examined. Heterogeneity was created by enriching patches of sediment with detrital algae (Enteromorpha intestinalis) to provide a source of allochthonous organic matter. A gradient of species density for four numerically dominant intertidal macrofauna (Hediste diversicolor, Hydrobia ulvae, Corophium volutator, Macoma balthica) was constructed, and microphytobenthic biomass at the sediment surface was measured. Statistical analysis using generalized least squares regression indicated that heterogeneity within our system was a significant driving factor that interacted with macrofaunal density and species identity. Microphytobenthic biomass was highest in enriched patches, suggesting that nutrients were obtained locally from the sediment-water interface and not from the water column. Our findings demonstrate that organic enrichment can cause the development of heterogeneity which influences infaunal bioturbation and consequent nutrient generation, a driver of microphytobenthic production.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 14 August 2007
Published date: 22 October 2007
Additional Information: © 2007 The Royal Society

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 457761
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/457761
PURE UUID: b2557e94-3cf4-4660-af3e-d068d3fd8f17
ORCID for Martin Solan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9924-5574

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Date deposited: 16 Jun 2022 16:32
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:15

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Contributors

Author: Kirstie E. Dyson
Author: Mark T. Bulling
Author: Martin Solan ORCID iD
Author: Gema Hernandez-Milian
Author: David G. Raffaelli
Author: Piran C. L. White
Author: David M. Paterson

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