The predictability of biological populations and communities: an example from the meiobenthos |
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Authors: | Peter M. J. Herman Carlo Heip |
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Affiliation: | (1) Marine Biology Section, Zoology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium |
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Abstract: | The predictability of temporal changes was analysed in the population density of three meiobenthic copepod species, and for three parameters characterizing this community. For Paronychocamptus nanus and Tachidius discipes a large part of the variation in time scales longer than 1 year is explainable as cyclic factors. In P. nanus clear cyles with periods of 2 years and 1.5 years were found. These cyclic factors can be extrapolated for prediction. In Canuella perplexa almost all the variation was due to unpredictable long-term drift. Community parameters are generally better predicted than population densities. In our data set total density of the copepods was the best parameter to monitor. Monitoring does not necessitate a strict sampling scheme; irregular quarterly sampling from the P. nanus series showed that the essential features of the series were still discernible. |
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Keywords: | benthos time series monitoring prediction copepods |
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