[en] Physical disturbances and resource pulses are major structuring drivers of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The accumulations of exported dead leaves from the Neptune grass, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile are ephemeral and highly dynamic detrital habitats offering food sources and shelter for vagile macrofauna community. These habitats are frequently subject to wind and storms which can add “new” detrital material to previous accumulations; these can be defined as resource pulses and could potentially impact the associated macrofauna. This study assesses the impact of an experimental resource pulse on the macrofauna associated with exported P. oceanica litter accumulations. The experimental design consisted of two pulse treatments (the addition of dead leaves with and without the associated fauna), and two controls (one procedural, and one total control), where the added material was left underwater for 14 days. Invertebrates then present in the sampled detritus were all identified and counted. Our data suggest that the responses of these invertebrates to resource pulses present intermediate characteristics between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems responses. Inputting a moderate amount of dead P. oceanica leaves into experimental mesocosms had a non-negligible impact and rapidly affected the macrofauna community. Specialist detritivores species were boosted while herbivore/detritivore species dramatically decreased. Predators also showed a modest but significant density increase, demonstrating the fast propagation of the pulse response throughout the entire community and through several trophic levels. Strict hypoxia-tolerant species were also only observed in the treated mesocosms, indicating the strong influence of resource pulses on physico-chemical conditions occurring inside litter accumulations.
Research center :
FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
Disciplines :
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Remy, François ; Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique
Gobert, Sylvie ; Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique
Lepoint, Gilles ; Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique
Language :
English
Title :
Effects of an experimental resource pulse on the macrofaunal assemblage inhabiting seagrass macrophytodetritus
Publication date :
14 July 2017
Journal title :
Belgian Journal of Zoology
ISSN :
0777-6276
eISSN :
2295-0451
Publisher :
Royal Belgian Zoological Society, Bruxelles, Belgium
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