Seagrass beds in South-east Asia sometimes consist of a mosaic of different species in monospecific patches. We examined whether the magnitude of within-patch variation in the seagrass Halophila ovalis is affected by the presence or absence of surrounding vegetation consisting of another seagrass species Thalassia hemprichii in an intertidal flat in Thailand waters. We measured biomass and growth rates of H. ovalis at the edges and centers of two different types of patches: (i) H. ovalis patches adjoining T. hemprichii vegetation (HT patches), and (ii) H. ovalis patches adjoining unvegetated sand flats (HS patches). Furthermore, we examined the possible effects of interspecific interactions on the growth of H. ovalis by experimentally removing adjoining T. hemprichii at the edges of HT patches. The biomass of H. ovalis was greater at the patch centre than the patch edge in both types of patches. For the growth rate of H. ovalis, significant interactions were detected between patch types and positions in patches. The difference in growth was significant and more than 4-fold between edges and centers of the HS patches, whereas the growth was not significantly different between edges and centers of the HT patches. The removal of T. hemprichii did not significantly affect the growth rate of H. ovalis at the edge of the HT patches. These findings demonstrate that the magnitude of within-patch variation in H. ovalis growth is affected by the conditions of adjoining habitats. However, any effects of local competition with T. hemprichii on H. ovalis growth were not evident in this short-term manipulative experiment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Adachi N., Terashima I., Takahashi M. (1996) Central die-back of monoclonal stands of Reynoutria japonica in an early stage of primary succession on Mount Fuji. Annals of Botany 77: 477–486.
Agawin N. S. R., Duarte C. M., Fortes M. D. (1996) Nitrogen limitation of Philippine seagrasses (Cape Bolinao, NW Philippines): in situ experimental evidence. Marine Ecology Progress Series 138: 233–243.
Antonovics J. & Levin D. A. (1980) The ecological and genetic consequences of density-dependent regulation in plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 11: 411–452.
Bertness M. D. (1991) Interspecific interactions among high marsh perennials in a New England (USA) salt marsh. Ecology 72: 125–137.
Buchanan J. B. (1984) Sediment analysis. In: Methods for the Study of Marine Benthos. (eds N. A. Holme & A. D. McIntyre) pp. 41–65. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Cain M. L., Pacala S. W., Silander Jr J. A., Fortin M. J. (1995) Neighborhood models of clonal growth in the white clover Trifolium repens. American Naturalist 145: 888–917.
Chansang H. & Poovachiranon S. (1994) The distribution and species composition of seagrass beds along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin 59: 43–52.
Duarte C. M., Marbà N., Agawin N. S. R., Cebrián J., Enríquez S., Fortes M. D., Gallegos M. E., Merino M., Olsen B., Sand-Jensen K., Uri J. S., Vermaat J. E. (1994) Reconstruction of seagrass dynamics: Age determination and associated tools for the seagrass ecologist. Marine Ecology Progress Series 107: 195–209.
Duarte C. M. & Sand-Jensen K. (1990) Seagrass colonization: patch formation and patch growth in Cymodocea nodosa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 65: 193–200.
Duarte C. M., Terrados J., Agawin N. S. R., Fortes M. D., Bach S., Kenworthy W. J. (1997) Response of a mixed Philippine seagrass meadow to experimental burial. Marine Ecology Progress Series 147: 285–294.
Erftemeijer P. L. A. & Herman P. M. J. (1994) Seasonal changes in environmental variables, biomass, production and nutrient contents in two contrasting tropical intertidal seagrass beds in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Oecologia 99: 45–59.
Evans J. P. & Cain M. L. (1995) A spatially explicit test of foraging behavior in a clonal plant. Ecology 76: 1147–1155.
Fonseca M. S. & Cahalan J. A. (1992) A preliminary evaluation of wave attenuation by four species of seagrass. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 35: 565–576.
Fourqurean J. W., Powell G. V. N., Kenworthy W. J., Zieman J. C. (1995) The effects of long-term manipulation of nutrient supply on competition between the seagrass Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii in Florida Bay. Oikos 72: 349–358.
Goldberg D. E. (1987) Neighbourhood competition in an old-field plant community. Ecology 68: 1211–1223.
Huber-Sannwald E., Pyke D. A., Caldwell M. M., Durham S. (1998) Effects of nutrient patches and root systems on the clonal plasticity of a rhizomatous grass. Ecology 79: 2267–2280.
Hutchings M. J. & Mogie M. (1990) The spatial structure of clonal plants: controls and consequences. In: Clonal Growth in Plants: Regulation and Function. (eds J. van Groenendael & H. de Kroon) pp. 57–76. SPB Academic Publishing, Hague.
Hutchings M. J. & Wijesinghe D. K. (1997) Patchy habitats, division of labour and growth dividends in clonal plants. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 12: 390–394.
Lewmanomont K., Deetae S., Shimanobhas V. (1996) Seagrasses of Thailand. In: Seagrass Biology: Proceedings of an International Workshop, Rotenest Island, Western Australia, 25–29 January 1996 (eds J. Kuo, R. C. Phillips, D. I. Walker & H. Kirkman) pp. 21–26. Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands.
Mack R. & Harper J. L. (1977) Interference in dune annuals: spatial pattern and neighbourhood effects. Journal of Ecology 65: 345–353.
Marbà N. & Duarte C. M. (1995) Coupling of seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) patch dynamics to subaqueous dune migration. Journal of Ecology 83: 381–389.
Nakaoka M. & Aioi K. (1999) Growth of the seagrass Halophila ovalis at the dugong trails compared to existing within-patch variation in a Thailand intertidal flat. Marine Ecology Progress Series 184: 97–103.
Nakaoka M. & Supanwanid C. (2000) Quantitative estimation of the distribution and biomass of a seagrass bed at Haad Chao Mai National Park, Trang, Thailand. Kasetsart University Fishery Research Bulletin (in press).
Nienhuis P. H., Coosen J., Kiswara W. (1989) Community structure and biomass distribution of seagrasses and macrofauna in the Flores Sea, Indonesia. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research 23: 197–214.
Nomme K. M. & Harrison P. G. (1991) Evidence for interaction between the seagrasses Zostera marina and Zostera japonica on the Pacific coast of Canada. Canadian Journal of Botany 69: 2004–2010.
Terrados J., Duarte C. M., Fortes M. D., Borum J., Agawin N. S. R., Bach S., Thampanya U., Kamp-Nielsen L., Kenworthy W. J., Geertz-Hansen O., Vermaat J. (1998) Changes in community structure and biomass of seagrass communities along gradients of siltation in SE Asia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 46: 757–768.
Tilman D. (1994) Competition and biodiversity in spatially structured habitats. Ecology 75: 2–16.
Tilman D. & Kareiva P. (1997) Spatial Ecology: the Role of Space in Population Dynamics and Interspecific Interactions. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Turner S. J., Thrush S. F., Wilkinson M. R., Hewitt J. E., Cummings V. J., Schwarz A.-M., Morrisey D. J., Hawes I. (1996) Patch dynamics of the seagrass Zostera novazelandica (?) at three sites in New Zealand. In: Seagrass Biology: Scientific Discussion from an International Workshop, Rottenest Island, Western Australia, 25–29 January 1996. (eds J. Kuo, D. I. Walker & H. Kirkman) pp. 21–31. Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands.
Vermaat J. E., Agawin N. S. R., Duarte C. M., Fortes M. D., Marbà N., Uri J. S. (1995) Meadow maintenance, growth and productivity of a mixed Philippine seagrass bed. Marine Ecology Progress Series 124: 215–225.
Vermaat J. E., Agawin N. S. R., Fortes M. D., Marbà N., Uri J. S., Duarte C. M., Enriquez S., van Vierssen W. (1997) The capacity of seagrasses to survive increased turbidity and siltration: the significance of growth form and light use. Ambio 25: 499–504.
Williams S. L. (1987) Competition between the seagrass Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme in a Caribbean lagoon. Marine Ecology Progress Series 35: 91–98.
Williams S. L. (1990) Experimental studies of Caribbean seagrass bed development. Ecological Monographs 60: 449–469.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Nakaoka, M., Iizumi, H. Magnitude of within-patch variation in seagrass Halophila ovalis growth affected by adjacent Thalassia hemprichii vegetation. Ecol Res 15, 415–424 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1703.2000.00362.x
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1703.2000.00362.x