Meiobenthic diversity in space and time: The case of harpacticoid copepods in two Mediterranean microtidal sandy beaches |
| |
| Authors: | Katerina Sevastou Nikolaos Lampadariou Anastasios Eleftheriou |
| |
| Institution: | aDepartment of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;bHellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;cHellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biology and Genetics, P.O. Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece |
| |
| Abstract: | Meiobenthic data from two microtidal sandy beaches of the eastern Mediterranean (Crete, Greece) were used to investigate patterns of both alpha and beta diversity in space and time. Copepod assemblages and environmental variables related to sediment characteristics, morphodynamics and food were studied over a year at four distinct habitats at each beach; the retention, resurgence and saturation zones of Salvat's intertidal scheme (midlittoral zone), and the surf zone of the sublittoral. Αlpha diversity analysis indicated similar species richness at both beaches when the whole 13-month data set was considered but was higher at the sheltered site when each sampling period was examined separately. Both beaches supported higher diversity in the sublittoral zone. Species richness increased seawards at the midlittoral zone of the sheltered site whereas, no pattern was evident at the exposed site, where the intense hydrodynamic conditions homogenized the sediments. Beta diversity increased markedly towards the sublittoral, indicating greater differences in alpha diversity between the sublittoral and the midlittoral zone. Species turnover was more variable at the exposed beach and at the most landward stations, where environmental conditions change often between extremes. A proportion of the variation in alpha diversity was explained by food availability at both beaches and additionally by grain size at the sheltered site. However, no environmental variable explained beta diversity patterns. Although the results of our study support the hypothesis of Multicausal Environmental Severity proposed for sandy beach macrofauna, we believe the classic Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis is a more appropriate framework for the meiofauna communities of the studied sites. |
| |
| Keywords: | Meiobenthic Copepods Alpha Diversity Beta Diversity Turnover Diversity Sandy Beaches Eastern Mediterranean |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
