Journal Articles - UP - MSI
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- Species composition and plant performance of mixed seagrass beds along a siltation gradient at Cape Bolinao, The PhilippinesBach, S. S.; Borum, J.; Fortes, M. D.; Duarte, C. M. (Inter-Research Science Center, 1998)The response of mixed Southeast Asian seagrass beds to siltation was analyzed based on field data, a transplantation experiment and experimental manipulation of light availability in seagrass populations along a silt gradient at Cape Bolinao,The Philippines. Seagrass species diversity, shoot density and depth penetration declined with increasing amounts of suspended material and increasing water column light attenuation along the silt gradient. The seagrass species could be ranked according to decreasing tolerance to siltation as: Enhalus acoroides > Cymodocea serrulata > Halodule uninervis > Thalassia hemprichii > Halophila ovalis > Cymodocearotundata > Syringodium isoetifolium. A gradual decline in shoot density and depth penetration of the different species along the silt gradient suggested that changes in the vertical light attenuation coefficient in the water column, primarily caused by differences in suspended inorganic solids, was the most important factor affecting seagrass performance. However, inconsistency among the species in response to increasing water depth, artificial shading and transplantation indicated that other factors, such as siltation-derived changes in sediment conditions, contribute to the sequential loss of seagrass species along the silt gradient.
- Feeding ecology and trophic role of sea urchins in a tropical seagrass communityKlumpp, David W.; Salita-Espinosa, J. T.; Fortes, M. D. (Elsevier BV, 1993-04)The grazing impact of urchins on seagrass and algal resources, and the relative importance of this to the lower-level trophic flux of a tropical seagrass community were investigated. Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers. accounted for 80–93% of seagrass frond biomass at Bolinao in the Philippines. Growth rate of seagrass was 6.6 mm per shoot day−1, or 2.3 mg AFDW per shoot day−1. Production of seagrass fronds per unit area of seagrass bed varied with location from 870 to 1850 mg AFDW m−2 day−1. Urchin density ranged from 0.9 to 4.2 m−2, with Tripneustes gratilla (L.) and Salmacis sphaeroides (L.) being the most common species. Tripneustes gratilla fed mostly on attached seagrass fronds (77–89% of diet), especially Thalassia hemprichii, whereas S. sphaeroides was a generalist, consuming Thalassia hemprichii fronds (13–65%), detached seagrass debris (5–39%), the red alga Amphiroa fragilissima (L.) Lamour. (0–30%), algal-coated sediment and rubble (0–51%) in proportions that varied with the availability of preferred food types. Live Thalassia hemprichii fronds were clearly preferred over macroalgae or dead seagrass fronds by Tripneustes gratilla, but S. sphaeroides consumed all three food types without preference. Both urchins avoided the common brown alga, Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh. Urchins absorbed 73–76% of organic matter in seagrass fronds with epiphytes (75% of DW), and 55% of that in epiphyte-free fronds. Seagrass debris and the macroalgae A. fragilissima were of lower food quality as they were lower in organic matter, and this matter was absorbed less efficiently by urchins. Rates of ingestion (IR in g WW per urchin day−1) were proportional to body weight (W in g WW) according to the functions: IR = 0.56W0.34 (T. gratilla) and IR = 0.17W0.53 (Salmacis sphaeroides). Predicted grazing impact of urchins on seagrass resources varied spatially and temporally. Estimated annual grazing rate at the main study site was 158 g AFDW m−2, equivalent to 24% of annual seagrass production, but owing to large changes in urchin population structure and density, grazing impact is expected to vary from < 5% to > 100% at different times of year. A synthesis of knowledge on the lower-level trophic pathways in this system indicates that seagrass-urchin and periphyton-epifauna grazing interactions are both important in their contribution to overall trophic flux.
- Observations on a multi-seagrass meadow offshore of Negros Oriental, Republic of the PhilippinesTomasko, D. A.; Dawes, C. J.; Fortes, M. D.; Largo, D. B.; Alava, M. N. R. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 1993)Eight species of seagrasses were encountered in a multi-species meadow offshore of Negros Oriental, Republic of the Philippines: Halodule uninervis (Forssk.) Aschers., Halodule pinifolia (Miki) Den Hartog, Cymodocea rotundata Ehrenb. et Hempr. ex Aschers., Cymodocea serrulata (R. Br.) Aschers., Syringodium isoetifolium (Aschers.) Dandy, Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers., Enhalus acoroides (L./.) Royle, and Halophila ovalis (R. Br.) Hook./. A transect survey showed that five of the eight species were quite common, with cover estimates of individual species ranging from less than 10% to over 50%. Above- and below-ground biomass and leaf productivity data were collected for at least four species at each of three stations. Above-ground biomass for combined species ranged from 125 to 250g dw m~2, and below-ground biomass of combined species ranged from 264 to 828 g dw m~2. Areal production rates for combined species ranged between 4.78 to 9.38g dw m~2 d"1, with considerable inter-specific variation. High levels of protein and low levels of soluble carbohydrate were consistent with the rapid above-ground growth observed for all species, and also suggested high growth for below-ground portions of C. serrulata, H. uninervis, S. isoetifolium, and T. hemprichii. Epiphyte loads were low compared to sister species from other locations, perhaps due to rapid blade turnover rates (up to 7.8% day"1 for S. isoetifolium).
- Nutrient limitation of Philippine seagrasses (Cape Bolinao, NW Philippines): in situ experimental evidenceAgawin, N. S. R.; Duarte, C. M.; Fortes, M. D. (Inter-Research Science Center, 1996)Nutrient limitation of Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii and Cymodocea rotundata in 2 mixed seagrass beds (Silaqui and Lucero) in Cape Bolinao, NW Philippines was investigated through a 4 mo in situ nutrient addition experiment. Leaf growth of T. hemprichii and E. acoroides significantly increased by 40 to 100% and 160%, respectively, following fertilization. Leaf biomass of the 3 species also increased significantly by 60 to 240% following nutrient additions. The increased growth and biomass with fertilization was supported by enhanced photosynthetic activity, consequently by higher chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations in the photosynthetic tissues. These results demonstrated nutrient limitation of seagrass growth and photosynthetic performance at the 2 sites in Cape Bolinao. The nature and extent of nutrient limitation, however, varied between sites and among species. T. hemprichii and E. acoroides appeared to be mainly P deficient and N deficient, respectively (from significant increases in tissue P and N concentration following fertilization, respectively). The deficiency was moderate (26% of requirement) for T. hemprichii but substantial for E. acoroides (54% of requirement). Moreover, N and P deficiency was greater in Lucero than in Silaqui, consistent with the higher ambient nutrient concentration in the porewater and sediment nutrient and organic matter content in Silaqui. These results emphasize the importance of local differences in the factors controlling nutrient losses and gains in seagrass meadows and, more importantly, the importance of identifying the species-specific traits that generate the interspecific plasticity of nutrient status.
- The role of epiphytic periphyton and macroinvertebrate grazers in the trophic flux of a tropical seagrass communityKlumpp, D.W.; Salita-Espinosa, J. S.; Fortes, M. D. (Elsevier, 1992-11)Biomass and production of epiphytic periphyton, and the abundance, distribution and grazing rate of epifauna were measured in tropical seagrass beds in the Philippines. Periphyton comprised mainly detritus, diatoms and filamentous algae (Polysiphonia sp. 1, Centroceras clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne, Ceramium gracillimum Harvey and Cladophora sp.). Mean biomass of periphyton was 0.16 mg ash-free dry weight (AFDW) cm−2 frond of Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle and 0.24 mg AFDW cm−2 frond of Cymodocea serrulata (R. Br.) Aschers. and Magnus. Total periphyton biomass per unit area (m2) of seagrass bed varied between habitats because of differing densities of seagrass, and ranged from 598 to 1061 mg AFDW or (24–646 mg C). Maximum (midday, summer) in situ rates of photosynthesis and respiration by epiphytes colonising artificial seagrass material averaged 11.6 μg O2 cm−2 h−1 and 2.0 μg O2 cm−2 h−1, respectively. Daily net productivity was 14 μg C cm−2 frond. Productivity of epiphytes per area of seagrass bed varied with site (36–77 mg C m−2 day−1). Relative to biomass, these data show that epiphytes are highly productive, with turnover times of 6–8 days, compared with known values of 30–100 + days for tropical seagrass fronds. The epifaunal grazer community was dominated by a few species of gastropod molluscs (especially Strombus mutabilis Swainson and Cerithium tenellum (Sowerby)). Within habitats, numbers of grazers on particular seagrass species were directly related to their available surface. Three groups of grazers were identified: those occurring on fronds day and night (e.g. S. mutabilis); those foraging over sediment during the day and fronds at night (e.g. Cerithium tenellum); those mainly confined to sediments (e.g. Strombus urceus L.). All epifaunal grazers exhibited upward movement into the seagrass canopy at night. Grazing was non-selective, removing the periphyton, except for the unutilised encrusting coralline algae, in proportion to abundance. Epifaunal grazers consumed between 20 and 62% of periphyton net production and, as in temperate systems, must therefore play a major role in the trophic flux of this tropical seagrass community.