Ecology of the free-living marine nematodes from the Voordelta (Southern Bight of the North Sea). 1. Species composition and structure of the nematode communities
Vanreusel, A. (1990). Ecology of the free-living marine nematodes from the Voordelta (Southern Bight of the North Sea). 1. Species composition and structure of the nematode communities. Cah. Biol. Mar. 31(4): 439-462
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, meer
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| Abstract |
The structure of nematode communities (species composition and abundance) of twenty stations in the Voordelta (Southern Bight of the North Sea) was investigated in relation to the sediment composition, the bottom morphology, the hydrodynamical forces, the salinity and the chlorophyll-a content. Similarities between stations were determined using classification (TWINSPAN) and ordination (DCA) techniques. Changes in the structure and the composition of the nematode communities are mainly correlated to the sedimentological gradient. Apart from the sediment composition, the salinity also determines the species composition of these communities. Finally, a correlation between the ecophysiological characteristics of the species present, the environmental stability and the food supply is hypothesized. However, further investigations are required to support these results. |
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