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Ecological periodic tables for nekton and benthic macrofaunal community usage of estuarine habitats Slides
Citation:
Ferraro, S. Ecological periodic tables for nekton and benthic macrofaunal community usage of estuarine habitats Slides. Presented at ESA 2012, August 05, 2002 - August 10, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
Ecological periodic tables are simple, easy to understand, exceptionally useful and they foster the expansion of scientific understanding and inquiry.
Description:
Ecological periodic tables for nekton and benthic macrofaunal community usage of estuarine habitats Steven P. Ferraro, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Newport, OR Background/Questions/Methods The chemical periodic table, the Linnaean system of classification, and the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram are iconic information organizing systems because they are simple, easy to understand, exceptionally useful, and they foster the expansion of scientific understanding and inquiry. Ecological periodic tables are information organizing systems founded on the ecological tenet that the biophysical environment, that is, habitats, structure biotic communities. Their elements are operationally defined habitat types. Their attributes are recurring (periodic) properties of a biotic community. To address the question “Can ecological periodic tables be constructed for nekton and benthic macrofaunal communities in estuarine habitats?,” we conducted replicate, estuary-wide, stratified-by-habitat, quantitative field studies and tested for periodic habitat usage patterns in species composition (Bray–Curtis similarity; ANOSIM) and community structure (species richness, abundance, biomass, and diversity; ANOVA). For nekton, four habitat types (intertidal eelgrass [Zostera marina], burrowing mud shrimp [Upogebia pugentensis], burrowing ghost shrimp [Neotrypaea californiensis], and bare sand) were investigated for periodic patterns of community usage; for benthic macrofauna, those four habitat types and up to five others (intertidal dwarf eelgrass [Zostera japonica], bare mud, oyster, shell, and subtidal) were investigated. Results/Conclusions Nekton Bray–Curtis similarity was significantly different across all habitats. Nekton species richness, abundance and biomass were, respectively, on average, 8×, 25×, and 25× greater in eelgrass, 4×, 6×, and 5× greater in burrowing mud shrimp, and 2×, 3×, and 2× grea