Skip to main content
Log in

Patterns in the spatial arrangements of polychaetes and bivalves in intertidal sandflats

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spatial autocorrelation correlograms based on Moran's coefficient were constructed for common polychaetes (Goniada emerita, Heteromastus filiformis, Macroclymenella stewartensis, Boccardia spp. and Magelona? dakini)_and bivalves (Nucula hartvigiana, Soletellina siliqua and Tellina liliana) collected from intertidal sandflats of Manukau Harbour (New Zealand) during October, 1987. Patterns of heterogeneity on a scale smaller than inter-sample distance, homogenous density patches (5 to 30 m radius) and gradients in abundance running through sample sites (9 000 m2) were identified. Patterns could be defined even for species with distributions which, based on the variance: mean ratio test, were not significantly different from random. The possible influence on two of the study sites of sediment disturbances generated by feeding rays is discussed. Identification of spatial patterns is considered an important aspect of the design of surveys and manipulative field experiments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature cited

  • Angel, H. H., Angel, M. V. (1967). Distribution pattern analysis in a marine benthic community. Helgoländer wiss. Meersunters. 15: 44–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Begon, M., Harper, J., Townsend, C. R. (1986). Ecology: individuals, populations and communities. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassie, R. M. (1963). Microdistribution of plankton. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 1: 223–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliff, A. D., Ord, J. K. (1981). Spatial processes: models and applications. Pion Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Conover, W. J. (1980). Practical nonparametric statistics. John Wiley & Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Diggle, P. J. (1983). Statistical analysis of spatial point patterns. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk, R. L. (1968). Petrology of sedimentary rocks. Hemphill's, Austin, Texas

    Google Scholar 

  • Gage, J.D., Coghill, G. C. (1977). Studies on the dispersion patterns of Scottish sea-loch benthos from contiguous core transects. In: Coull, B. C. (ed.) Ecology of marine benthos. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, p. 319–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Gage, J. D., Geekie, A. D. (1973). Community structure of the benthos in Scottish sea-lochs. II. Spatial patterns. Mar. Bol. 19: 41–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Greig-Smith, P. (1983). Quantitative plant ecology. 2nd ed. Butterworths, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jumars, P. A. (1975). Environmental grain and polychaete species diversity in a bathyal benthic community. Mar. Biol. 30: 253–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Jumars, P. A. (1978). Spatial autocorrelation with RUM (remote underwater manipulator): vertical and horizontal structure of a bathyal benthic community. Deep-Sea Res. 25: 589–604

    Google Scholar 

  • Jumars, P. A., Thistle, D., Jones, M. L. (1977). Detecting two-dimensional spatial structure in biological data. Oceologia 28: 109–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Kooijman, S. A. L. M. (1979). The description of point patterns. In: Cormack, R. M., Ord, J. K. (eds.) Spatial and temporal analysis in ecology. International Co-operative Publishing House, Fairland, Maryland, p. 305–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre, P., Troussellier, M. (1988). Aquatic heterotrophic bacteria: modeling in the presence of spatial autocorrelation. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33: 1055–1067

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingston, R. J. (1987). Field sampling in estuaries: the relationship of scale to variability. Estuaries 10: 194–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Picket, S. T. A., White, P. S. (1985). The ecology of patch disturbance and patch dynamics. Academic Press Inc. Orlando

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielou, E. C. (1977). Mathematical ecology. 2nd ed. J. Wiley & Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Reise, K. (1979). Spatial configurations generated by motile benthic polychaetes. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 32: 55–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, R. (1974). Spatial dispersion of an estuarine benthic faunal community. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 15: 69–80

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc. (1987). Statistical software analysis. Version 5.16. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R. (1979). Ecological parameters inferred from spatial correlograms. In: Patil, G. P., Rosenweig, M. (eds.) Contemporary quantitative ecology and related ecometrics. International Co-operative Publishing House, Fairland, Maryland, p. 167–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R., Oden, N. L. (1978a). Spatial autocorrelation in biology. 2. Some biological implications and four applications of evolutionary and ecological interest. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 10: 229–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R., Oden, N. L. (1978b). Spatial autocorrelation in biology. 1. Methodology. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 10: 199–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, L. R. (1984). Assessing and interpreting the spatial distributions of insect populations. A. Rev. Ent. 29: 321–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Upton, J. G. J., Fingleton, B. (1985). Spatial data analysis by example. Vol. 1. Point patterns and quantitative date. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolckaert, F. (1987). Spatial pattern of soft-bottom Polychaeta of Nova Scotia, Canada. Mar. Biol. 93: 627–639

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodin, S. A. (1983). Biotic interactions in recent marine sedimentary environments. In: Tevesz, M. J. S., McCall, P. L. (eds.) Biotic interactions in recent and fossil benthic communities. Plenum Press, New York, p. 3–38

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by G. F. Humphrey, Sydney

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thrush, S.F., Hewitt, J.E. & Pridmore, R.D. Patterns in the spatial arrangements of polychaetes and bivalves in intertidal sandflats. Mar. Biol. 102, 529–535 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00438355

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00438355

Keywords

Navigation