Title: Effects of biological disturbance by benthic amphipods Monoporeia affinis on meiobenthic community structure: a laboratory approach
Abstract:In order to evaluate the importance of biological disturbance on meiofaunal communities in muddy habitats, a laboratory experiment was performed at the Asko Laboratory in the northwestern Baltic prope...In order to evaluate the importance of biological disturbance on meiofaunal communities in muddy habitats, a laboratory experiment was performed at the Asko Laboratory in the northwestern Baltic proper The benthic amphipod Monoporeia aff~nis (Lindstrom) was added to microcosms containing sublittoral mud, in quantities varying from zero up to 80 ind.104cm-~ After 2 mo the density of nematodes, the most abundant meiofauna taxon (97 %), was greatest in microcosms without amphipods, but they also occurred in higher numbers in microcosms containing a high density of M.affinis, compared to low and medium density microcosms.M. affinis appears to have a negative effect on surface-dwelling nematode species but a positive effect on the deeper dwelling Daptonema sp.However, nematode assemblage structure remained very similar in all treatments.Copepod abundances increased with increas~ng numbers of amphipods (p <0.002) and were highest in the high density microcosms.In the microcosms without amphipods, Macoma balthica spat was almost twice as abundant as in the amphipod treatments.For kinorhynchs and turbellarians there were also significant differences between treatments.The different responses of the major taxa to the biological disturbance may reflect the multifactorial nature of biotic perturbations.Read More