RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Spatial variability, structure and composition of crustose algal communities in Diadema africanum barrens
A1 Afonso Carrillo, Julio
A1 Sangil, Carlos
A1 Sansón Acedo, Marta
A1 Díaz Villa, Tania
A1 Hernández, José Carlos
A1 Clemente, Sabrina
A2 BotánicaEcología y Fisiología Vegetal
A2 Botánica Marina
AB Crustose algal communities were studied inDiadema africanum urchin barrens around Tenerife (Canary Islands, NE Atlantic). A hierarchical nested samplingdesign was used to study patterns of community variabilityat different spatial scales (sectors, three sides of the island;sites within each sector, 5–10 km apart; stations withineach site, 50–100 m apart). Although noncrustose speciescontributed the most to community richness, cover wasdominated by crustose forms, like the coralline algae Hydrolithon farinosum, H. samoe¨nse, H. onkodes, Neogoniolithon orotavicum and N. hirtum, and the phaeophyceanPseudolithoderma adriaticum. The structure of thesecommunities showed high spatial variability, and we founddifferences in the structure of urchin barrens when compared across different spatial scales. Multivariate analysisshowed that variability in community structure was relatedto the five environmental variables studied (wave exposure,urchin density, substrate roughness, productivity anddepth). Wave exposure was the variable that contributedmost to community variability, followed by urchin densityand substrate roughness. Productivity and depth had limited influence. The effects of these variables differed depending on the spatial scale; wave exposure and productivity were the main variables influencing communitychanges at the largest scale (between different sectors ofthe island), while D. africanum density, roughness anddepth were the most influential at medium and small scales.
YR 2014
FD 2014
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/28315
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/28315
LA en
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 19-dic-2024