Influence of Spartina alterniflora invasion stages on macrobenthic communities on a tidal flat in Wenzhou Bay, China

Abstract

A B S T R A C TMany coastal habitats in eastern China are being substantially altered by the invasion of Spartina alterniflora. The species richness, density, Margalef's diversity index (R) and Shannon's diversity index (H') of macrobenthic communities on a tidal flat in Wenzhou Bay, China, were analyzed with the factors of invasion stage and season, in 2007. A significant effect of invasion stage, season, and the interaction between them on communities was detected. The macrobenthic community was more complex in the patch of initial S. alterniflora invasion than in the patches of some other invasion stages. Macrobenthic communities were classified by cluster and ordination in accordance with the habitat character of the S. alterniflora invasion stage. Our research demonstrated that the S. alterniflora invasion stage affected the macrobenthic communities significantly. The results indicated that biodiversity increased in the initial stage of invasion (invasion age 1-2 years) and then decreased in the stage of invasion underway (invasion age 3-4 years) and in the stage of invasion completed (invasion age 5-6 years); this phenomenon was related to the change in the S. alterniflora canopy which accompanied the invasion stages. R E S U M OMuitos habitats costeiros vêm sendo alterados substancialmente pela invasão de Spartina alterniflora no leste da China. Em 2007, em uma planície de maré situada em Wenzhou Bay, foram analisadas riqueza de espécies, densidade e diversidade da macrofauna bêntica em relação a diferentes estágios da invasão da gramínea e à estação do ano. Para as medidas de diversidade foram usados os índices de Margalef (R) e de Shannon (H'). Foram detectados efeitos significativos do estágio de invasão e época do ano sobre a macrofauna. As comunidades macrofaunais foram mais complexas nas manchas onde a invasão de S. alterniflora estava no seu início, quando considerados os locais onde as manchas estavam em estágios mais avançados. Através das análises de agrupamento e ordenação as comunidades puderam ser classificadas pelo tipo de habitat formado em cada estágio de invasão da Spartina. Os resultados indicaram que a biodiversidade aumentou no estágio de invasão inicial (idade de invasão de 1 a 2 anos), mas diminuiu gradativamente com os estágios intermediário (idade de invasão de 3 a 4 anos) e completo (idade de invasão de 5 a 6 anos), mostrando assim o efeito deletério de S. alterniflora sobre a estrutura da macrofauna presente no local.

Seasonal and Intra-Annual Patterns of Sedimentary Evolution in Tidal Flats Impacted by Laver Cultivation along the Central Jiangsu Coast, China

“…Presently, studies relating to the impact of human activities on the sediment, hydrodynamics and ecological environment of tidal flats have concentrated on (1) artificial reclamation [16][17][18][19][20][21][22], (2) artificial introduction of plants [23][24][25][26], (3) seawall construction and repair [27][28][29] and (4) harbor and wind farm construction [30,31]. Despite significant interest, the effect of artificial seafood cultivation on the geomorphic evolution process has not been sufficiently studied and lacks thorough analysis due to the difficulty of data acquisition.…”

Early Invasion of Common Cordgrass (Spartina Anglica) Increases Belowground Biomass and Decreases Macrofaunal Density and Diversity in a Tidal Flat Marsh

“…We observed no differences in biomass among habitats. Ge et al (2012) demonstrated that macrobenthic communities were more complex in initial S. alterni ora invasion patches than in patches at other invasion stages, and that S. alterni ora invasion stage signi cantly affected macrobenthic community structure; their results also indicated higher biodiversity in the initial stage of invasion (1-2 years), decreasing during invasion progress (3-4 years) until completion (5-6 years), perhaps due to S. alterni ora canopy changes.…”

Molecular Identification and Biotechnological Potential of Cerithidea cingulata-and Lottia scabra Associated Fungi as Extracellular Enzyme Producer and Anti-Vibriosis Agent

“…C. cingulata and L. scabra are the most common gastropods that can be found in the mangrove habitat in the North Sulawesi area. Gastropod C. cingulata has a very wide distribution and is almost found all over the world and distributed in tidal flat areas (Ge et al, 2015). Extensive previous research that C. cingulata is found in mangrove habitats in various regions in Indonesia such as Pemalang (Puryono and Suryanti, 2019), Aceh besar (Irma and Sofyatuddin, 2012), Tanah besar (Nugroho et al, 2019), and Cilacap (Sugiarto et al, 2021).…”