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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Structure Of Macrofaunal Assemblages Inhabiting An Intertidal Sandflat In Tomales Bay, California, Jay Charles Carroll Jan 1978

The Structure Of Macrofaunal Assemblages Inhabiting An Intertidal Sandflat In Tomales Bay, California, Jay Charles Carroll

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Confronted with a diverse sandflat community of interacting organisms and a spectrum of physical forces, a meaningful community analysis should begin with a description of physical characteristics and faunal distributions over time. The functional importance of certain species in the community should then be investigated by using both field and laboratory experiments. Consequently, the purpose of this research was twofold: (1) to apply the methods of similarity and gradient analysis to describe the faunal gradation on an intertidal sandflat and; (2) use these data to design a predator exclusion field experiment aimed at assessing the effects of shorebird, crab and …


Experimental Studies Of Interactions Between Zostera Marina And The Associated Benthic Fauna, David Marshall Penny Jan 1978

Experimental Studies Of Interactions Between Zostera Marina And The Associated Benthic Fauna, David Marshall Penny

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of the present study are to: (1) Describe the macro-invertebrate species composition and seasonal changes in abundance of the benthic infauna within an eelgrass bed; (2) Observe what immediate effects occur to the benthic community as a result of experimental removal of eelgrass plants from plants within the Zostera bed; (3) Measure the seasonal variation of eelgrass turion length over an annual cycle and determine its correlation to biomass (dry weight); (4) Examine, by means of field experiments, the importance of incident solar irradiation in affecting the seasonal growth of Zostera; and (5) Determine the relationship, if any, …


The Effects Of Predation And Sediment Reworking By The Maldanid Polychaete Axiothella Rubrocincta (Johnson) On Benthic Littoral Microalgae Assemblages, Gary Scott Shusta Jan 1978

The Effects Of Predation And Sediment Reworking By The Maldanid Polychaete Axiothella Rubrocincta (Johnson) On Benthic Littoral Microalgae Assemblages, Gary Scott Shusta

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The taxonomic composition of the diatom assemblages inhabiting the substrate on the mudflat, and the effects of a cohabiting deposit-feeding invertebrate on the diatom assemblage structure are the subjects of this paper. While pelagic diatoms have received considerable attention in the literature to date, comparatively little is known about the ecology and distribution of benthic diatoms are known to be cosmopolitan in their distributions (Alee, 1950). These plants have been found to be opportunistic species in that they are quick to respond to relatively small perturbations in physical conditions. It has also been demonstrated that distinct associations of diatoms exist …