Small-scale Variation in a Benthic Community at an Intertidal Flat in Thailand: Effects of Spatial Heterogeneity of Seagrass Vegetation

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Abstract: I examined the diversity and abundance of benthic animal communities in an intertidal seagrass bed at Haad Chao Mai National Park, Thailand, in relation to small-scale spatial heterogeneity of the seagrass vegetation. In this seagrass bed, two dominant seagrasses, Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii, coexist in a mosaic of monospecific vegetation. I collected benthic animals at the center, edge and outside of the H. ovalis vegetation at one site that bordered an unvegetated sand flat and at another site surrounded by T. hemprichii vegetation. A total of 3146 benthic animals from 61 taxa were collected. The most numerious species was the lucinid bivalve Pillucina sp., composing more than 60% of the individuals. Although the species composition of benthic animals did not differ largely among the three positions at each site, taxa richness(the number of taxa)was higher in the center of the H. ovalis vegetation than the edge of and outside the vegetation. Among the four dominant taxa, Pillucina sp. and a sabellid polychaete were generally more abundant in the center of the vegetation than at the edge of and outside the vegetation, whereas significant variation among positions was not detected in the densities of capitellid and spionid polychaetes. Significant among-position variation was also detected in the relative abundance of some taxa. The patterns of among-position variation in taxa richness and abundance did not differ between the two sites. These findings suggest that small-scale spatial heterogeneity of seagrass vegetation has a great impact on the diversity and abundance of benthic communities in intertidal seagrass beds, and that the responses of benthic animals to habitat heterogeneity are species specific.

Journal

  • BENTHOS RESEARCH

    BENTHOS RESEARCH 56 (2), 63-71, 2001

    JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF BENTHOLOGY

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