An experimental analysis of the effects of herbivory and nutrient enrichment on benthic community dynamics on a Hawaiian reef

Coral Reefs ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 332-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Smith ◽  
C. Smith ◽  
C. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Enrichment ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
Benthic Community ◽  
Community Dynamics

scholarly journals Pre- and post-settlement events in benthic community dynamics

2002 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 285-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simonetta Fraschetti ◽  
Adriana Giangrande ◽  
Antonio Terlizzi ◽  
Ferdinando Boero
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Community ◽  
Community Dynamics

Benthic community dynamics during summer low‐flows in two rivers of contrasting enrichment 2. Invertebrates

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair M. Suren ◽  
Barry J. F. Biggs ◽  
Maurice J. Duncan ◽  
Liz Bergey ◽  
Paul Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Community ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Low Flows

scholarly journals High frequency variability of environmental drivers determining benthic community dynamics in headwater streams

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1629-1636 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Snell ◽  
P. A. Barker ◽  
B. W. J. Surridge ◽  
A. R. G. Large ◽  
J. Jonczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Benthic Community ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Headwater Streams ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Antecedent Conditions ◽  
High Frequency Variability

Headwater streams are an important feature of the landscape, with their diversity in chlorophyll-a and community structure a function of mean antecedent conditions.

scholarly journals Seasonal regulation of herbivory and nutrient effects on macroalgal recruitment and succession in a Florida coral reef

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Duran ◽  
Ligia Collado-Vides ◽  
Deron E. Burkepile
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Nutrient Enrichment ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Herbivore Exclusion

Herbivory and nutrient enrichment are drivers of benthic dynamics of coral reef macroalgae; however, their impact may vary seasonally. In this study we evaluated the effects of herbivore pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on seasonal recruitment and succession of macroalgal communities on a Florida coral reef. Recruitment tiles, replaced every three months, and succession tiles, kept in the field for nine months, were established in an ongoing factorial nutrient enrichment-herbivore exclusion experiment. The ongoing experiment had already created very different algal communities across the different herbivory and nutrient treatments. We tracked algal recruitment, species richness, and species abundance through time. Our results show seasonal variation in the effect of herbivory and nutrient availability on recruitment of coral reef macroalgae. In the spring, when there was higher macroalgal species richness and abundance of recruits, herbivory appeared to have more control on macroalgal community structure than did nutrients. In contrast, there was no effect of either herbivory or nutrient enrichment on macroalgal communities on recruitment tiles in cooler seasons. The abundance of recruits on tiles was positively correlated with the abundance of algal in the ongoing, established experiment, suggesting that propagule abundance is likely a strong influence on algal recruitment and early succession. Results of the present study suggest that abundant herbivorous fishes control recruitment and succession of macroalgae, particularly in the warm season when macroalgal growth is higher. However, herbivory appears less impactful on algal recruitment and community dynamics in cooler seasons. Ultimately, our data suggest that the timing of coral mortality (e.g., summer vs. winter mortality) and freeing of benthic space may strongly influence the dynamics of algae that colonize open space.

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