The Lethal Temperatures of Some Common British Littoral Molluscs

Evans, Ronald G.

doi:10.2307/1480

Cited by 110 publications

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“…Evans (1948), Fraenkel (1960) and Wolcott (1973) noted species with tolerances which exceeded the temperatures present in their study areas whereas Frank (1965), Sutherland (1970) and Branch (1975) observed substantial mortalities of intertidal species during seasonal hot weather. Croker (1967) and Sameoto (1969a) have examined the heat/desiccation tolerance of infaunal amphipods but the effects of this stress have not been previously tested on epifaunal amphipod species.…”

Section: Size-selective Predatiof1 Studiesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Factors Regulating the Distribution and Population Dynamics of the Amphipod Gammarus palustris in an Intertidal Salt Marsh Community

Dolah¹

1978

Ecological Monographs

151

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Seasonal changes in the intertidal distribution, abundance and population dynamics of the epifaunal amphipod Gammarus palustris were studied in salt marshes bordering 2 estuarine rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. The amphipod populations inhabiting the Patuxent River study site showed abundance peaks during the spring and autumn, and major declines in density during the summer and winter. Populations at 2 study sites in the Rhode River showed only 1 peak of abundance during the late spring and early summer which was followed by a decline in density throughout the remainder of the year. In both rivers, the low amphipod densities observed during the winter corresponded with a subtidal migration. Migrations did not account for the low numbers observed at other times and an examination of the life cycle of this species as well as an egg—ratio analysis of the populations indicated that low densities during the summer (Patuxent) or late summer and fall (Rhode) were not due solely to life—cycle events. The tolerance of G. palustris to 3 environmental parameters was tested in the laboratory. These included low—salinity, heat/desiccation and freezing—stress experiments. Comparisons of the results with observed fluctuations of these variables at the study sites demonstrated that only freezing stress would probably cause significant mortality in intertidal populations of this species. Insufficient tolerance to this stress was postulated as the reason for the observed distributional shift to subtidal areas during the winter. Amphipod distribution within the intertidal zone at other times of the year was highly correlated with Spartina density. Substratum preference experiments indicated that this was due to a strong behavioral preference by this species for Spartina culms. Intraspecific and interspecific competition for food were tested by an analysis of 3 reproductive indices: the estimated birth rate as calculated by the egg—ratio method, the average brood size and the average brood size/ovigerous ♀. The former 2 indices declined during the early summer as a result of natural adult female mortality and a decreased proportion of ovigerous to nonovigerous ♀ ♀. The average brood size/ovigerous ♀ did not decline significantly throughout the reproductive period indicating that food limitation did not induce the observed summer decline in amphipod abundance. Intraspecific competition for space was tested in the laboratory by crowding and competitive—displacement experiments. The results indicated that competition for space was not directly responsible for the summer decrease in amphipod density but did influence amphipod distribution when Spartina culms were a limited resource. In this situation, G. palustris was capable of intraspecific displacement and evidence is presented which indicates that adults are able to displace juveniles from the preferred substratum. Interspecific competition was not examined experimentally because most of the associated fauna inhabiting the marsh beds were infaunal species. Laboratory predati...

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Section: Size-selective Predatiof1 Studiesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Factors Regulating the Distribution and Population Dynamics of the Amphipod Gammarus palustris in an Intertidal Salt Marsh Community

Dolah¹

1978

Ecological Monographs

151

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“…This specifically applies to a string of papers on intertidal molluscs (HuNTSMAN & SPARKS 1924, HAYSE 1929, HENDERSON 1929, BROEKHUYSEN 1940, EvANS 1948, SouTtl:WARD 1958, all applying a method devised by HuNTSMAN & SPARKS. The animals were heated in sea water at a temperature increase of 1°/5 minutes, and were removed after they showed signs of heat coma.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Heat Resistance of Intertidal Snails at Shirahama, Wakayama-Ken, Japan

Fraenkel¹

1966

Publ. SMBL

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It is well known that animals differ greatly in their tolerance of extreme temperatures, high or low, and that such differences are correlated with the temperatures of the organism's natural environment. With regard to a particular ecological group, the intertidal animals, it has been frequently stated that they are subjected to and adapted to tolerate much higher temperatures than related forms which are permanently submerged, and that within a particular area the resistance of a particular species is correlated with its position in the intertidal zone.Intertidal organisms live an amphibious life, being periodically in or out of the water. Since the amplitude of temperature changes in air greatly exceeds those in water, one would expect that one of the adaptations of a marine organism to periodic existence out of the water would be the ability to stand high temperatures. The magnitude of temperatures to be tolerated would then also depend on the climatic characteristics of a particular area. vVhile these principles have often been stated in recent reviews (GuNTER 1957, NEWELL 1964, UsHAKOV 1964, and their verity can hardly be doubted, underlying evidence is often sketchy, incomplete, or based on faulty experimentation. Most of the relevant data apply to relatively temperate zones, and are based on criteria which, as will be explained in the section on methods, are only useful in a comparative sense.In the voluminous recent Russian literature on this subject (see the comprehensive reviews by ALEXANDROV 1964, U SHAKOV 1964, and the collection of articles, Problems of Cytology, 1961) the adaptation of an organism to the temperature of its surrounding has been taken largely for granted, at least in all the work concerning intertidal molluscs, and the inquiry deals with the heat resistance of isolated muscles and enzymes. Some of this work, insofar as it is relevant to the present investigation, will be discussed later. v\'hile there now exists massive evidence for a correlation of muscular activity and enzyme action according to the temperatures to which intertidal molluscs in different climates and tidal zones are subjected, there still exists a gap in our knowledge concerning the tolerance of the whole organism to high temperatures. I began the analysis of the heat resistance of intertidal snails with what I considered 1)

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“…It has previously been shown that the significant decrease of Littofina spp. below the Fucus-serratus-zone is not caused mainly by predation but by their physiology and behaviour (see Evans, 1948;Newell, 1979;Underwood, 1979;Branch, 1981;Heil & Eichelberg, 1983), especially patterns of behaviour adapted to tidal rhythms (see Underwood, 1972;Hawkins & Hartnoll, 1983;Hartnoll & Hawkins, 1985). Lubchenco (1978) demonstrated that selective herbivory of L. fittorea can be a controlling factor for algal diversity.…”

Section: Herbivorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological interactions and their role in community structure in the rocky intertidal of Helgoland (German Bight, North Sea)

Janke

1990

Helgolander Meeresunters

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Over 3 successive seasonal cycles (April 1986 to October 1988, field experiments were established within 3 intertidal levels in the sheltered rocky intertidal of Helgoland (North Sea, German Bight). Competitors for space (A4ytilus edulis, macroalgae), herbivores (iittorina spp.) and predators (Carcinus maenas) were either excluded from areas (0.25 m 2) covered by undisturbed communities or enclosed at natural densities on areas that were cleared before of animals and plants. All the experimental fields (each 0.25 m 2) were covered by cages with 4 mm gauze at the sides and a plexiglas top. The results of the experiments in the u p p e r i n t e r t i d a 1 (occupied by Littorina spp. and Enteromorpha) showed that a natural density of herbivores could not prevent algal settlement and had only little influence on algal growth. Instead, abiotic factors (storms, algae washed ashore) decreased the stock of the green algae. Experiments in the m i d i n t e r t i d a 1, dominated by Myfilus (50 % cover), Fucus spp. (20 %) and grazing L. littorea (100 ind. m -2) showed that community structure was directly changed both by grazing periwinkles and by competition for space between mussels and macroalgae. Whenever Littorina was excluded, the canopy of Fucus spp. increased continuously and reached total cover within two years. In addition to the increase of Fucus spp., the rock surface and the mussel shells were overgrown by Ulva pseudocurvata, which covered the experimental fields during parts of the summer in the absence of herbivores. As soon as perennial species (fucoids) covered most of the experimental areas, the seasonal growth of Ulva decreased drastically. Presence and growth of macroalgae were also controlled by serious competition for space with mussels. Established Nfytilus prevented the growth of all perennial and ephemeral algae on the rocks. However, the shells of the mussels provided free space for a new settlement of Fucus and Ulva. In the 1 o w e r i n t e r t i d a I (dominated by total algal cover of it:. serratus, herbivores such as L. littorea and L. mariae, and increasing number of predators such as Carcinus), the feeding activity of herbivores can neither prevent the settlement of the fucoid sporelings nor reduce the growth of macroalgae. F. serratus achieved a total canopy on the rock within one year. Doubled density of herbivores prevented the settlement of Pucus and most of the undercover algae. Predation by Carcinus on Littorina spp. had little influence on the herbivore community patterns. However, the crabs supported the establishment of macroalgae by excluding the mussels from the lower intertidal. In summary, the community organization and maintenance in the mid and lower intertidal is influenced to a high degree by biological interactions. Whereas both the relatively important herbivory by L. littorea and competition for space between mussels and macroalgae dominate in the mid intertidal, predation reaches it s highest relative degree of importance for community structure in the lowe...

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The Lethal Temperatures of Some Common British Littoral Molluscs

Cited by 110 publications

References 0 publications

Factors Regulating the Distribution and Population Dynamics of the Amphipod Gammarus palustris in an Intertidal Salt Marsh Community

Factors Regulating the Distribution and Population Dynamics of the Amphipod Gammarus palustris in an Intertidal Salt Marsh Community

The Heat Resistance of Intertidal Snails at Shirahama, Wakayama-Ken, Japan

Biological interactions and their role in community structure in the rocky intertidal of Helgoland (German Bight, North Sea)

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