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Habitat structure and community dynamics in marine benthic systems

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Habitat Structure

Part of the book series: Population and Community Biology Series ((PCBS,volume 8))

Abstract

Animals and plants of the marine benthos depend on their substrata for attachment, on surfaces or within sediments, and for access to a source of prey and nutrients. In the case of sessile species, the two-dimensional surface is a primary resource for which individuals and colonies of many species potentially compete. However, substratum is not as simple a resource as one might expect. Even solid rock surfaces are usually dissected by small to large crevices, have different orientations with respect to each other and to water flow, and are often made of varied rock types. Soft substrata can be extremely diverse, consisting of both organic and inorganic materials differing in grain sizes and in chemical composition. These materials are further modified through the activities of the residents themselves, adding organic material, aggregating particles and sometimes changing the nature of the substratum so much that other species can be totally excluded. On hard substrata, biogenic effects can also be extremely important. These include the provision of secondary substratum through growth processes and calcium carbonate deposition, and the addition of physical relief that affects water flow and thus the transport of resources and propagules within the community.

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  1. K. P. Sebens
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Susan S. Bell , Earl D. McCoy  & Henry R. Mushinsky ,  & 

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Sebens, K.P. (1991). Habitat structure and community dynamics in marine benthic systems. In: Bell, S.S., McCoy, E.D., Mushinsky, H.R. (eds) Habitat Structure. Population and Community Biology Series, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_11

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