Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wg55d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T06:15:26.478Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Congruency analysis to determine potential surrogates of littoral macroinvertebrate communities: a case study in intertidal ecosystems of northern Yellow Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2012

Guangjian Xu
Affiliation:
College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Molecular Biology, Liaoning Province, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Yulian Li
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China Normal College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 26671, China
Chongbo He*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Molecular Biology, Liaoning Province, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China
Henglong Xu
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. He, Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Molecular Biology, Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China email: hechongbo@hotmail.com

Abstract

To determine potential surrogates of littoral macroinvertebrate communities for marine bioassessment and for evaluating biological conservation, the different taxonomic resolutions as surrogates were studied based on six datasets collected from intertidal zones of the Yellow Sea, near Qingdao, northern China, during the period of 1989–1998. Samples were collected yearly at five stations with different bottom types during the summer season (June). The genus- and family-level resolutions maintained sufficient information to analyse the ecological patterns of the macroinvertebrate communities for assessing ecological quality status in littoral ecosystems. The mollusc assemblages, alone or in combination with arthropod assemblages, may be used as a surrogate of littoral macroinvertebrate communities, at both species- and genus-level resolutions. The results suggest that the use of simplifications in macroinvertebrate fauna at genus-level resolutions or using smaller taxonomic assemblages (e.g. molluscs and arthropods) are time-efficient and would allow improving sampling strategies of large spatial/temporal scale bioassessment programmes and biological conservation researches in littoral ecosystems.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, M.J., Connell, S.D., Gillanders, B.M., Diebel, C.E., Blom, W.M., Saunders, J.E. and Landers, T.J. (2005) Relationships between taxonomic resolution and spatial scales of multivariate variation. Journal of Animal Ecology 74, 636646.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bacci, T., Tracucco, B., Marzialetti, S., Marusso, V., Lomiri, S., Vani, D. and Lamberti, C.V. (2009) Taxonomic sufficiency in two case studies: where does it work better? Marine Ecology 30, 1319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Basset, A., Barbone, E., Borja, A., Brucet, S., Pinna, M., Quintana, X.D., Reizopoulou, S., Rosati, I. and Simboura, N. (2012) A benthic macroinvertebrate size spectra index for implementing the Water Framework Directive in coastal lagoons in Mediterranean and Black Sea ecoregions. Ecological Indicators 12, 7283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bertasi, F., Colangelo, M.A., Colosio, F. and Gregoria, G. (2009) Comparing efficacy of different taxonomic resolutions and surrogates in detecting changes in soft bottom assemblages due to coastal defence structures. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 686694.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bevilacqua, S., Fraschetti, S., Musco, L. and Terlizzi, A. (2009) Taxonomic sufficiency in the detection of natural and human-induced changes in marine assemblages: a comparison of habitats and taxonomic groups. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 18501859.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cardoso, P., Silva, I., Oliveira, N.G. and Serrano, A.R.M. (2004) Higher taxa surrogates of spider (Araneae) diversity and their efficiency in conservation. Biological Conservation 117, 453459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carneiro, F.M., Nini, L.M. and Rodrigues, L.C. (2010) Influence of taxonomic and numerical resolution on the analysis of temporal changes in phytoplankton communities. Ecological Indicators 10, 249255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castanedo, N.D., Lopez, R.R., Weiss, V.S., Alcantara, P.H. and Barba, A.G. (2007) The use of higher taxa to assess the benthic conditions in southern Gulf of Mexico. Marine Ecology 28 (Supplement 1), 161168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, K.R. and Gorley, R.N. (2006) User manual/tutorial. Plymouth: PRIMER-E Ltd.Google Scholar
Dauvin, J.C., Gesteria, J.L.G. and Fraga, M.S. (2003) Taxonomic sufficiency: an overview of its use in the monitoring of sublittoral benthic communities after oil spills. Marine Pollution Bulletin 46, 552555.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Biasi, A.M., Bianchi, C.N. and Morri, C. (2003) Analysis of macrobenthic communities at different taxonomic levels: an example from an estuarine environment in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 58, 99106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Díez, I., Santolaria, A. and Gorostiaga, J.M. (2010) Different levels of macroalgal sampling resolution for pollution assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60, 17791789.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellingsen, K.E., Clarke, K.R., Somerfield, P.J. and Warwick, R.M. (2005) Taxonomic distinctness as a measure of diversity applied over a large scale: the benthos of the Norwegian continental shelf. Journal of Animal Ecology 74, 10691079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, D. (1985) Taxonomic sufficiency in pollution assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 16, 459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferraro, S.P. and Cole, F.A. (1992) Taxonomic level sufficient for assessing a moderate impact on macrobenthic communities in Puget sound, Washington, USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 67, 251262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gomez Gesteira, J.L., Dauvin, J.C. and Salvande Fraga, M. (2003) Taxonomic level for assessing oil spill effects on soft-bottom sublittoral benthic communities. Marine Pollution Bulletin 46, 562572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heino, J. and Soininen, J. (2007) Are higher taxa adequate surrogates for species-level assemblage patterns and species richness in stream organisms? Biological Conservation 137, 7889.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karakassiss, I. and Hatziyanni, E. (2000) Benthic disturbance due to fish farming analyzed under different levels of taxonomic resolution. Marine Ecology Progress Series 203, 247253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, S.A. (2006) Is species level identification essential for environmental impact studies? Current Science 91, 2934.Google Scholar
Lovell, S., Hamer, M., Slotow, R. and Herbert, D. (2007) Assessment of congruency across invertebrate surrogates. Biological Conservation 139, 113125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendes, C.L.T., Tavares, M. and Soares-Gomes, A. (2007) Taxonomic sufficiency for soft-bottom sublittoral mollusk assemblages in a tropical estuary, Guanabara Bay, Southeast Brazil. Marine Pollution Bulletin 54, 377384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munari, C., Manini, E., Pusceddu, A., Danovaro, R. and Mistri, M. (2009) Response of BITS (a benthic index based on taxonomic sufficiency) to water and sedimentary variables and comparison with other indices in three Adriatic lagoons. Marine Ecology 30, 255268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsgard, F., Somerfield, P.J. and Carr, M.R. (1977) Relationships between taxonomic resolution and data transformations in analyses of macrobenthic community along an established pollution gradient. Marine Ecology Progress Series 149, 173181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsgard, F. and Somerfield, P.J. (2000) Surrogates in marine benthic investigations—which taxonomic unit to target? Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery 7, 2542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pagola-Carte, S., Urkiaga-Alberdi, J., Bustamante, M. and Saiz-Salinas, J.I. (2002) Concordance degrees in macrozoobenthic monitoring programmes using different sampling methods and taxonomic resolution levels. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44, 6367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Puente, A. and Juanes, J.A. (2008) Testing taxonomic resolution, data transformation and selection of species for monitoring macroalgae communities. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 78, 327340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sánchez-Monroya, M.M., Cidal-Abarca, M.R. and Suárez, M.L. (2010) Comparing the sensitivity of diverse macroinvertebrate metrics to a multiple stressor gradient in Mediterranean streams and its influence on the assessment of ecological status. Ecological Indicators 10, 896904.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somerfield, P.J. and Clarke, K.R. (1995) Taxonomic levels, in marine community studies, revisited. Marine Ecology Progress Series 127, 113119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stark, J.S., Riddle, M.J. and Simpson, R.D. (2003) Human impacts in soft-sediment assemblages at Casey Station East Antarctica: spatial variation, taxonomic resolution and data transformation. Austral Ecology 28, 207304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tataranni, M., Maltagliati, F., Floris, A., Castelli, A. and Lardicci, C. (2009) Variance estimate and taxonomic resolution: an analysis of macrobenthic spatial patterns at different scales in a Western Mediterranean coastal lagoon. Marine Environmental Research 67, 219229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terlizzi, A., Bevilacqua, S., Fraschetti, S. and Boero, F. (2003) Taxonomic sufficiency and the increasing insufficiency of taxonomic expertise. Marine Pollution Bulletin 46, 556561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Terlizzi, A., Scuderi, D., Fraschetti, S., Guidetti, P. and Boero, F. (2005) Molluscs on subtidal cliffs: patterns of spatial distribution. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 83, 165172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanderklift, M.A., Ward, T.J. and Jacoby, C.A. (1996) Effect of reducing taxonomic resolution on ordinations to detect pollution-induced gradients in macrobenthic infaunal assemblages. Marine Ecology Progress Series 136, 137145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanderklift, M.A., Ward, T.J. and Phillips, J.C. (1998) Use of assemblages derived from different taxonomic levels to select areas for conserving marine biodiversity. Biological Conservation 86, 307315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waite, I.R., Herlihy, A.T., Larsen, D.P., Urquhart, N.S. and Klemm, D.J. (2004) The effects of macroinvertebrate taxonomic resolution in large landscape bioassessments: an example from the Mid-Atlantic Highlands, U.S.A. Freshwater Biology 49, 474489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warwick, R.M. (1988a) The level of taxonomic discrimination required to detect pollution effects on marine benthic communities. Marine Pollution Bulletin 19, 259268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warwick, R.M. (1988b) Analysis of community attributes of the macrobenthos of Frierfjord/Langesoundfjord at taxonomic levels higher than species. Marine Ecology Progress Series 46, 167170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wildsmith, M.D., Rose, T.H., Potter, I.C., Warwick, R.M., Clarke, K.R. and Valesini, F.J. (2009) Changes in the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of a large microtidal estuary following extreme modifications aimed at reducing eutrophication. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 12501262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xu, H., Zhang, W., Jiang, Y., Min, G.S. and Choi, J.K. (2011a) An approach to identifying potential surrogates of periphytic ciliate communities for monitoring water quality of coastal waters. Ecological Indicators 11, 12281234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, H., Jiang, Y., Zhang, W., Zhu, M. and Al-Rasheid, K.A.S. (2011b) An approach to determining potential surrogates for analyzing ecological patterns of planktonic ciliate communities in marine bioassessments. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 18, 14331441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar