Display options
Cite
Bell JD, Westoby M. Abundance of macrofauna in dense seagrass is due to habitat preference, not predation. Oecologia. 1986;68(2):205-209doi: 10.1007/BF00384788.
Bell, J. D., & Westoby, M. (1986). Abundance of macrofauna in dense seagrass is due to habitat preference, not predation. Oecologia, 68(2), 205-209. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384788
Bell, Johann D, and Westoby, Mark. "Abundance of macrofauna in dense seagrass is due to habitat preference, not predation." Oecologia vol. 68,2 (1986): 205-209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384788
Bell JD, Westoby M. Abundance of macrofauna in dense seagrass is due to habitat preference, not predation. Oecologia. 1986 Jan;68(2):205-209. doi: 10.1007/BF00384788. PMID: 28310128.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Oecologia. 1986 Jan;68(2):205-209. doi: 10.1007/BF00384788.

Abundance of macrofauna in dense seagrass is due to habitat preference, not predation.

Oecologia

Johann D Bell, Mark Westoby

Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2113, North Ryde, N.S.W., Australia.
  2. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box K220, 2000, Haymarket, N.S.W., Australia.

PMID: 28310128 DOI: 10.1007/BF00384788

Abstract

Two main hypotheses compete to explain why prey abundance decreases when seagrass density is reduced. One proposes that predators are more successful amongst seagrass of lower density; the other invokes habitat choice by prey. We reduced the density of seagrass in the presence, and in the absence, of predators in a field experiment to discriminate between these hypotheses. When seagrass was manipulated abundances of all six prey species decreased simultaneously both in the presence and in the absence of predators. We conclude that correlations of prey abundance and shoot density within a seagrass bed are proximately due to habitat preference of dense seagrass by prey. We report another experiment which supports this conclusion and shows that habitat preference is exercised at the earliest opportunity. However, the habitat preferences may have been selected by predation pressure.

References

  1. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 1950 Jan;25(1):1-45 - PubMed

Publication Types