Orientation behaviour and heterozygosity of sandhopper populations in relation to stability of beach environments

Scapini, Felicita; Buiatti, M.; Matthaeis, Elvira De; Mattoccia, Marco

doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.1995.8010043.x

Cited by 58 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…In this context, individuals from populations inhabiting reflective beaches are able to adapt to the harsh conditions by plastic-mediated responses. The higher or even similar abundance in a priori adverse scenarios, or under contrasting environmental conditions and on a biogeographic scale, should mean a locally adjusted phenotype in reproduction, fecundity and growth in order to optimize fitness (Stearns & Koella 1986, Scapini et al 1995. This high phenotypic plasticity enables the species to adapt to both short-and long-term stress (Brown 1996, Soares et al 1999.…”

Section: Towards a Theoretical Model On Sandy Beach Population Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the swash exclusion hypothesis in sandy beach populations: the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in Uruguay

Defeo¹,

Gómez²,

Lercari³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

116

102

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Exposed marine beaches are physically rigorous habitats in which macrofauna community patterns have been well correlated with physical factors such as grain size, beach slope and wave/swash processes. In this context, the swash exclusion hypothesis (SEH) gained wide acceptability in explaining the control of species abundance and diversity of the sandy beach macrofauna by swash climate, determined by wave height and beach face slope. This hypothesis predicts a consistent increase in species richness, abundance and biomass from reflective to dissipative conditions. However, predictions of the SEH have not been adequately tested at a population level. Here, demographic and life history characteristics of the intertidal mole crab Emerita brasiliensis were compared between populations of 2 microtidal exposed sandy beaches with contrasting morphodynamics during 22 consecutive months. The major prediction of the paradigm does not hold for the mole crab: total abundance, as well as that of males, females, males with spermatophores and megalops did not differ between beaches. Moreover, the reflective beach population presented higher male growth rates in size and lower natural mortality. Other population processes and life history traits gave support for the SEH: the dissipative beach population presented (1) higher abundance of ovigerous females, female growth rates, fecundity, egg production potential, size at maturity, as well as weight at size; and (2) lower female mortality and burrowing rates (for both sexes). The SEH seems to be particularly useful in explaining female somatic growth and reproductive features, which could be related to a major amount of food availability in dissipative beaches. However, other competing, but not exclusive, hypotheses are needed to explain variations in population abundance and other processes such as male growth and survivorship. The empirical evidence from several recent studies on the Uruguayan coast showed that sandy beach populations that co-occur in contrasting environments are less sensitive to variations in beach morphodynamics, which should not be considered the primary factor affecting the abundance and some life history traits. The importance of alternative population regulation processes and mechanisms are stressed.

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Section: Towards a Theoretical Model On Sandy Beach Population Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the swash exclusion hypothesis in sandy beach populations: the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in Uruguay

Defeo¹,

Gómez²,

Lercari³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

116

102

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“…Gerard, Vancassel, & Laffort, 1993;Scapini, 1997;Scapini, Lagar, & Mezzeti, 1993), while factors influencing their spatial distribution and oriented movements in sandy beaches have also been studied to a great extent (e.g. Borgioli et al, 1999;Scapini, Buiatti, De Matthaeis, & Mattoccia, 1995;Scapini, Buiatti, & Fallaci, 1989;Scapini & Fasinella, 1990;Scapini, Porri, Borgioli, & Martelli, 1999;Scapini & Quochi, 1992). With regard to biodiversity, along the European coasts, talitrid populations have been compared genetically to assess interand intra-specific variations (De Matthaeis, Cobolli, Mattocia, & Scapini, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Talitrus saltator (Amphipoda, Talitridae) biology, dynamics, and secondary production in Atlantic (Portugal) and Mediterranean (Italy and Tunisia) populations

Marques

Gonçalves

Pardal

et al. 2003

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Talitrus saltator biology, population dynamics, and reproduction were studied more or less simultaneously at three sand beaches: Lavos, on the western coast of Portugal; Collelungo, on the Italian coast of the Thyrrenian Sea; and Zouara, on the northern coast of Tunisia. The species exhibited a consistent pattern of aggregated distribution. Densities were higher at Lavos than at Collelungo and Zouara. Reproduction took place from early March to late September at Lavos and Collelungo, and from late February to early November at Zouara. The average sex ratio was favourable to males at Lavos and Collelungo, and to females at Zouara. Based on data from Lavos, the population abundance was positively correlated with temperature, while the percentage of juveniles in the population was positively correlated with temperature and sediment moisture. Adult individuals from the Atlantic population were larger than the Mediterranean ones, while newborn individuals from the Mediterranean were slightly larger than Atlantic ones. Life span was estimated at 7-11 months at Lavos, 6-9 months at Collelungo, and 6-8 months at Zouara. Cohorts born at the beginning of the reproductive period tend to have shorter lives than the ones born later in the season, with longer life spans occurring in cohorts that crossed the winter to breed in the next year. The minimum period necessary for sexual differentiation after birth was estimated at AE4 weeks at Lavos, AE3 weeks at Collelungo, and AE4.5 weeks at Zouara, for males, and AE6 weeks at Lavos, and AE5 weeks at Collelungo and Zouara, for females. The period necessary for female's sexual maturation after being born was estimated at AE10 weeks at Lavos, and AE8 weeks at Collelungo and Zouara. At the studied sites, T. saltator appeared as semiannual species, with iteroparous females appearing to produce at least two broods per year, and exhibited a bivoltine life cycle. Growth production (P) was estimated at 0.74 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ashfree dry weight (AFDW; 17.7 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Lavos, 0.12 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 AFDW (2.8 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Collelungo, and 0.61 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 AFDW (14.3 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Zouara. Elimination production (E) was estimated at 1.40 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 AFDW (33.5 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Lavos, 0.20 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 AFDW (4.8 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Collelungo, and 1.11 g m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 AFDW (26.6 kJ m ÿ2 yr ÿ1 ) at Zouara. The average annual biomass ð B BÞ (standing stock) was estimated at 0.13 g m ÿ2 at Lavos, 0.014 g m ÿ2 at Collelungo, and 0.084 g m ÿ2 at Zouara, resulting in P= B B ratios of 5.7 at Lavos, 8.2 at Collelungo, and 7.3 at Zouara, and E= B B ratios of 10.8 at Lavos, 14.4 at Collelungo, and 13.1 at Zouara. The present results, combined with information from literature, revealed a geographic variation in T. saltator populations with regard to their morphological characteristics, growth rates, life spans, and life cycles.

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“…In sebkhas and oueds, this species was correlated only with edaphic factors (unpublished data). Several studies were focused on the role of environmental factors and showed the influence of factors than others Scapini et al 1995;Scapini and Fasinella 1990;Scapini et al 1999;Scapini and Quochi 1992). Jelassi et al (2012) showed that Talitridae abundance was tightly controlled by air temperature.…”

Section: )mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This group constitutes one of the dominant macrofaunal groups in sandy beaches (Dahl 1946;McLachlan and Jaramillo 1995). Their ecological relevance has justified worldwide studies, for instance with respect to their behavioral plasticity (Scapini and Fasinella 1990;Scapini et al 1993;Scapini et al 1995), locomotor activity rhythms Morgan 2005, 2006;Ayari and NasriAmmar 2012a, b;Jelassi and Nasri-Ammar 2013;Jelassi et al 2013a, b), the factors influencing their spatial distribution and oriented movements in sandy beach (Scapini and Quochi 1992;Borgioli et al 1999;Scapini et al 1999;Ayari and Nasri-Ammar 2011;Jelassi et al 2012;Jelassi et al 2013c), their behavioral strategies (Fallaci et al 1999), and genetic structure of different populations Bulnheim and Schwenzer 1999). With regard to biodiversity, along the European coasts, talitrid populations have been compared genetically to assess inter-and intraspecific variations .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of Talitridae family (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in some Tunisian coastal lagoons

et al. 2015

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Background: Although wetlands were remarkable habitats with their fauna and flora diversity, few studies have been devoted to the study of amphipod distribution in this type of environment. To study both qualitatively and quantitatively amphipod community, surveys were conducted during the spring season in ten coastal lagoons ranging from subhumid to arid bioclimatic stage. At each station, eight quadrats of 50 × 50 cm were randomly placed. Amphipods were preserved in alcohol 70°C. In the laboratory, the specimens collected were identified and counted. Meanwhile, analyses of organic matter, particle size, and heavy metals from the soil taken from each station were made. Results: A total of 1,340 specimens of amphipods were collected, and eight species belonging to Talitridae family were identified. Species richness ranges from one species collected in the supralittoral zone of El Bcherliya (Ghar El Melh lagoon) and eight species in the supralittoral zone of Bizerte lagoon. In this last station, the relative abundance of amphipods was significantly higher (36.04%, N = 483). In addition, the diversity indices of Simpson, Shannon-Weaver, and equitability shows that the highest species diversity characterizes this same station while the community was more balanced in opposite El Boughaz (Ghar El Melh lagoon) (J″ = 0.996). Conclusions: The spatial distribution of different amphipod species depends on edaphic (heavy metals, granulometry, organic matter) and climatic (temperature, humidity) factors.

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Orientation behaviour and heterozygosity of sandhopper populations in relation to stability of beach environments

Cited by 58 publications

References 18 publications

Testing the swash exclusion hypothesis in sandy beach populations: the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in Uruguay

Testing the swash exclusion hypothesis in sandy beach populations: the mole crab Emerita brasiliensis in Uruguay

Comparison of Talitrus saltator (Amphipoda, Talitridae) biology, dynamics, and secondary production in Atlantic (Portugal) and Mediterranean (Italy and Tunisia) populations

Biodiversity of Talitridae family (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in some Tunisian coastal lagoons

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