Spatial pattern in a low-density population of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite Darwin
The spatial distribution of an intertidal population of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite was studied close to a sewage outfall near Quequén, Argentina (38° 34′ S, 58° 38′ 30″ W). All individuals within an area of 0.8 m2 were mapped during 12 censuses, from September 1990 to May 1993. Population densi...
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | JOUR |
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| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00188158_v357_n1-3_p129_LopezGappa |
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| Sumario: | The spatial distribution of an intertidal population of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite was studied close to a sewage outfall near Quequén, Argentina (38° 34′ S, 58° 38′ 30″ W). All individuals within an area of 0.8 m2 were mapped during 12 censuses, from September 1990 to May 1993. Population density within the study area varied between 401 and 99 ind m-2. Spatial pattern was analysed using mean distances to the nearest neighbour (NND), goodness of fit tests between observed and expected frequency distributions of NND, and analysis of crowding. The spatial pattern of the population was clumped during most of the study period. This trend persisted, although not reaching statistical significance, when the population density decreased as a consequence of mortality and failure of successive annual recruitments. The cohort recruited in summer 1992 (49 individuals) was randomly distributed relative to adult barnacles already present within the study area. No consistent relationship was observed between mortality and NND. © 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. |
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