کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
5766212 | 1627554 | 2017 | 13 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
- Rocky shore assemblages differed according to proximity to large estuaries.
- Urbanisation and agriculture apparently influenced assemblages.
- Assemblage structure was also related to SST, latitude and reef width.
- Variability over 100s of km was similar to variability over scales of 10s of m.
This study tested for differences in the composition of intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky reef habitats subjected to a range of human pressures across â¼1000Â km of coastline in New South Wales, Australia over 5 years. Percentage covers of habitats were sampled using aerial photography and a large grain size (20Â m2 intertidal; 800Â m2 subtidal) in a nested hierarchical design. Results were consistent with anthropogenic impacts on habitat structure only around estuaries with the most heavily urbanised or agriculturally-intense catchments. The most convincing relationships documented here related to environmental variables such as SST, latitude, reef width and proximity to large estuaries irrespective of human disturbance levels. Moreover, there were suggestions that any influences of estuarine waters (be they anthropogenic or natural) on reef assemblages could potentially extend 10s of kilometres from major estuaries. In general, our results supported those of studies that utilised smaller grain sizes (greatest variability often at smallest spatial scales), but we found that variability over scales of 100s of km can be similar to or greater than variability over scales of 10s of metres.
Journal: Marine Environmental Research - Volume 129, August 2017, Pages 291-303