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Structural complexity facilitates accumulation and retention of fragments of the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia
Citation
Davis, A and Ferguson, AM and Wright, JT, Structural complexity facilitates accumulation and retention of fragments of the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 371, (2) pp. 163-169. ISSN 0022-0981 (2009) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2009.01.017
Abstract
Free-drifting fragments represent an abundant potential source of recruits to the invasive alga, Caulerpa
taxifolia. Here we examine how this fragment pool interacts with real and artificial habitat structure in
estuarine environments. Specifically, we tested two hypotheses; (i) the fragment pool was unrelated to the
structural complexity of Caulerpa beds and, (ii) fragment accumulation and retention was unrelated to
canopy height of seagrass meadows. We examined fragment accumulation and retention using artificial
seagrass units (ASUs) mimicking seagrasses with long (20 cm) leaves (Posidonia/Zostera) and short (5 cm)
leaves (Halophila spp.). Both hypotheses were rejected. Fragment biomass was a positive function of the
blade height and cover of Caulerpa taxifolia. ASUs with structure had greater fragment accumulation than
controls, but we did not detect differences between ASUs of different canopy heights. However, fragment
accumulation within ASUs was strongly affected by site, with the site experiencing the strongest tidal flows
accumulating the most fragments. Structurally complex ASUs also retained more fragments relative to the
bare control, but the degree of complexity did not affect retention and we could not distinguish between
ASUs of different canopy height and the procedural control (metal frame lacking ‘leaves’). Overall, we
conclude that the entanglement of C. taxifolia fragments is facilitated by structurally complex habitat and
likely contributes to the successful establishment of this invader.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
| Objective Division: | Environment |
| Objective Group: | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species |
| Objective Field: | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Marine Environments |
| UTAS Author: | Wright, JT (Dr Jeffrey Wright) |
| ID Code: | 60967 |
| Year Published: | 2009 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 3 |
| Deposited By: | NC Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability |
| Deposited On: | 2010-02-24 |
| Last Modified: | 2011-11-04 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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