Effects of habitat area and spatial configuration on biodiversity in an experimental intertidal community
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Published source details
Loke L.H.L., Chisholm R.A. & Todd P.A. (2019) Effects of habitat area and spatial configuration on biodiversity in an experimental intertidal community. Ecology, 100, e02757.
Published source details Loke L.H.L., Chisholm R.A. & Todd P.A. (2019) Effects of habitat area and spatial configuration on biodiversity in an experimental intertidal community. Ecology, 100, e02757.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
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Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
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Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures
A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2014–2015 on an intertidal seawall on an island coastline in the Singapore Strait, Singapore (Loke et al. 2019) found that creating groove habitats on the seawalls, along with pits, increased the macroalgae and invertebrate species richness on seawall surfaces, and that increasing the density and fragmentation of grooves and pits had mixed effects on species richness. After 12 months, macroalgae and invertebrate species richness was higher on seawall surfaces with grooves and pits (13–29 species/surface) than on surfaces without (3/surface). Species richness varied on surfaces with high-density (19–29/surface), medium-density (14–27/surface) and low-density (13–16/surface) grooves and pits, depending on their arrangement, and vice versa (unfragmented arrangement: 14–20/surface; moderately-fragmented: 13–29/surface; highly-fragmented: 15–20/surface). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of creating grooves or pits. Concrete settlement plates (200 × 200 mm) were moulded with seven groove habitats amongst 37 pits, both with variable length, width and depth (2–56 mm). Plates with grooves and pits were attached to 2.4 × 2.4 m seawall surfaces in varying densities (high: 30 plates/surface; medium: 20/surface; low: 10/surface) and arrangement (unfragmented, moderately-fragmented, highly-fragmented). Four surfaces with each density-fragmentation combination and four with no plates were randomly arranged, spanning low-highshore, on a granite boulder seawall in February 2014. Macroalgae on seawall surfaces with and without plates were counted from photographs and invertebrates in the laboratory after 12 months.
(Summarised by: Ally Evans)
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Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures
A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2014–2015 on an intertidal seawall on an island coastline in the Singapore Strait, Singapore (Loke et al. 2019) found that creating pit habitats on the seawalls, along with grooves, increased the macroalgae and invertebrate species richness on seawall surfaces, and that increasing the density and fragmentation of pits and grooves had mixed effects on species richness. After 12 months, macroalgae and invertebrate species richness was higher on seawall surfaces with pits and grooves (13–29 species/surface) than on surfaces without (3/surface). Species richness varied on surfaces with high-density (19–29/surface), medium-density (14–27/surface) and low-density (13–16/surface) pits and grooves, depending on their arrangement, and vice versa (unfragmented arrangement: 14–20/surface; moderately-fragmented: 13–29/surface; highly-fragmented: 15–20/surface). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of creating pits or grooves. Concrete settlement plates (200 × 200 mm) were moulded with 37 round pit habitats amongst seven grooves, both with variable length, width and depth (2–56 mm). Plates with pits and grooves were attached to 2.4 × 2.4 m seawall surfaces in varying densities (high: 30 plates/surface; medium: 20/surface; low: 10/surface) and arrangement (unfragmented, moderately-fragmented, highly-fragmented). Four surfaces with each density-fragmentation combination and four with no plates were randomly arranged, spanning low-highshore, on a granite boulder seawall in February 2014. Macroalgae on seawall surfaces with and without plates were counted from photographs and invertebrates in the laboratory after 12 months.
(Summarised by: Ally Evans)
