Drivers of colonization and succession in polar benthic macro- and microalgal communities
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Gabriela Laura Campana
Abstract
Information on succession in marine benthic primary producers in polar regions is very scarce, particularly with regard to effects of abiotic and biotic drivers of community structure. Primary succession begins with rapid colonizers, such as diatoms and ephemeral macroalgae, whereas slow, highly seasonal recruitment and growth are characteristic of annual or perennial seaweed species. Colonization of intertidal and subtidal assemblages on polar rocky shores is severely affected by physical disturbance and by seasonal changes in abiotic conditions. Biotic factors, such as grazing, can strongly affect colonization patterns and also alter competitive interactions among benthic algae. Ambient UV radiation affects the diversity of macroalgal communities during early and later stages of succession. In contrast, microalgal assemblages have high tolerance to UV stress. Climate warming could alter algal latitudinal distribution and favor invasion of polar regions by cold-temperate species. Reduced sea ice cover and retreating glaciers could expand colonization areas but alter light, salinity, sedimentation and disturbance processes. Although the key role of macroalgae in coastal systems and, to a much reduced extent, the importance of microphytobenthos have been documented for polar regions, information on the successional process is incomplete and will benefit from further ecological studies.
©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Guest introduction
- Biology of polar benthic algae
- Environment, biogeography and biodiversity
- The abiotic environment of polar marine benthic algae
- Biodiversity, biogeography and zonation of marine benthic micro- and macroalgae in the Arctic and Antarctic
- Notes on the systematics and biogeographical relationships of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Rhodophyta with descriptions of four new genera and five new species
- Chemical ecology
- Defenses of polar macroalgae against herbivores and biofoulers
- Field studies on deterrent properties of phlorotannins in Antarctic brown algae
- Primary production and ecophysiology
- Benthic microalgal production in the Arctic: applied methods and status of the current database
- Microphytobenthic biomass along gradients of physical conditions in Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
- Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds
- Light and temperature demands of marine benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions
- Freezing tolerance and photosynthetic performance of polar seaweeds at low temperatures
- Polar benthic algae in a changing world
- Impact of oceanic warming on the distribution of seaweeds in polar and cold-temperate waters
- Physiological responses of polar benthic algae to ultraviolet radiation
- Drivers of colonization and succession in polar benthic macro- and microalgal communities
- Conclusion and outlook
- Future perspectives on the investigation of polar benthic algae
- Meetings
- Meetings
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Guest introduction
- Biology of polar benthic algae
- Environment, biogeography and biodiversity
- The abiotic environment of polar marine benthic algae
- Biodiversity, biogeography and zonation of marine benthic micro- and macroalgae in the Arctic and Antarctic
- Notes on the systematics and biogeographical relationships of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Rhodophyta with descriptions of four new genera and five new species
- Chemical ecology
- Defenses of polar macroalgae against herbivores and biofoulers
- Field studies on deterrent properties of phlorotannins in Antarctic brown algae
- Primary production and ecophysiology
- Benthic microalgal production in the Arctic: applied methods and status of the current database
- Microphytobenthic biomass along gradients of physical conditions in Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
- Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds
- Light and temperature demands of marine benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions
- Freezing tolerance and photosynthetic performance of polar seaweeds at low temperatures
- Polar benthic algae in a changing world
- Impact of oceanic warming on the distribution of seaweeds in polar and cold-temperate waters
- Physiological responses of polar benthic algae to ultraviolet radiation
- Drivers of colonization and succession in polar benthic macro- and microalgal communities
- Conclusion and outlook
- Future perspectives on the investigation of polar benthic algae
- Meetings
- Meetings
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
