Suchergebnisse

Colonization, Epibenthos, Subtidal, Recruitment, Temporal variability, ENSO, Disturbance, macrozoobenthos, soft-bottom community recovery. - Community ecological succession consists of the sequence of changes in species composition through time that occurs after a site has been disturbed or on the appearance of a pristine substratum, and it is one of the key processes modulating patterns of diversity, structure and evolutionary history of benthic landscapes. I have used field experiments to describe the successional development of both sublittoral hard- and soft-bottom communities off northern Chile. The Humboldt Current System off northern Chile is an excellent natural laboratory to study succession because there are several sources of disturbances operating at different scales including the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which drastically influences biodiversity patterns. This thesis specifically aimed (i) to describe the successional development of subtidal hard- and soft-bottom communities over 27 months and a two year period, respectively; (ii) to estimate the time necessary for the developing communities to resemble the surrounding natural community, and (iii) to evaluate the effect of the seasonal starting point of community succession over a one year period of development. Succession in hard-bottom habitats showed a progressive change in community structure and competition for space, which was identified as the most important factor during succession. After 27 months, the developing communities contained the same species as the natural community but did not yet fully resemble their surroundings. Seasonality had an effect on successful species settlement, but the final stages of the developing community were influenced by interspecific competition for space (i.e. hierarchical competition). Succession followed ...