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Patterns of species diversity in estuarine benthic communities along teh US west coast
Citation:
FRAZIER, M. R., H. LEE, II, C. A. BROWN, W. G. NELSON, AND D. REUSSER. Patterns of species diversity in estuarine benthic communities along teh US west coast. Presented at 39th Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC, March 10 - 13, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
Estuaries in the Pacific North West (PNW) were recently classified by whether the estuary is river- or ocean-dominated, the extent of intertidal to subtidal environments, and spatial salinity patterns.
Description:
Estuaries in the Pacific North West (PNW) were recently classified by whether the estuary is river- or ocean-dominated, the extent of intertidal to subtidal environments, and spatial salinity patterns. We examine whether these characteristics predict patterns of soft-sediment, macrobenthic diversity (number of species per sample) in estuaries along the US west coast. We have compiled data from >4,000 benthic samples from Puget Sound, WA to Northern Mexico collected using a 0.1 m2 grab and 1-mm sieve. Preliminary mixed-model analyses, with estuary as a random effect, suggest that species richness varies by ecoregion (P < 0.001, N=1,377 and 176 estuaries): Oregonian/N. California < S. California < Puget Sound. For PNW estuaries (Oregonian and N. CA ecoregions), ocean-dominated estuaries have about twice as many benthic infaunal species as river-dominated estuaries (P<0.001, N=418 and 39 estuaries). Species diversity did not differ among intertidal and subtidal estuarine environments as identified by the National Wetlands Inventory. We are currently compiling data to analyze the relationship between diversity and within estuary salinity patterns. This is a first step towards developing models to predict benthic diversity at the estuarine and regional scale, a goal which is becoming increasingly important for providing criteria for conservation in estuarine environments.