Hybridization and Plasticity Contribute to Divergence Among Coastal and Wetland Populations of Invasive Hybrid Japanese Knotweed <Emphasis Type="Italic">s</Emphasis>.<Emphasis Type="Italic">l</Emphasis>. (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fallopia</Emphasis> spp.)

Japanese knotweed s.l. (Fallopia spp.) is a highly invasive clonal plant, best known from roadside and riparian habitats. Its expansion into beaches on Long Island, NY, USA, represents a major habitat shift. I surveyed populations from beaches and wetlands and conducted a common garden experiment to test for variation in drought tolerance and phenotype among populations and habitats. All populations were composed mostly of first- and later-generation hybrids. I found significant variation among populations in growth, lamina size, specific leaf area (SLA), and biomass allocation, in both the field and the common garden. Lamina size, growth, and root-to-shoot responded plastically to drought treatment. Wetland populations tolerated drought as well as beach populations. Differentiation in SLA between habitats suggests that some selection for beach genotypes may have occurred. It appears that both hybridization and phenotypic plasticity are contributing to the expansion of Fallopia spp. into novel habitat.     

Fish community ecology in an Altered River delta: Spatial patterns in species composition, life history strategies, and biomass

We sampled nearshore fishes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, United States, during 2001 and 2003 with beach seines and gill nets. We addressed three questions. How and why did fish assemblages vary, and what local habitat features best explained the variation? Did spatial variation in assemblages reflect greater success of particular life history strategies? Did fish biomass vary among years or, across habitats? Nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed that habitat variables had more influence on fish assemblages than temporal variables. Results from both gear types indicated fish assemblages varied between Sacramento and San Joaquin River sampling sites. Results from gill net sampling were less pronounced than those from beach seine sampling. The Sacramento and San Joaquin river sites differed most notably in terms of water clarity and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), suggesting a link between these habitat characteristics and fish relative abundance. Among-site differences in the relative abundance of periodic and equilibrium strategist species suggested a gradient in the importance of abiotic versus biotic community structuring mechanisms. Fish biomass varied among years, but was generally higher in SAV-dominated habitats than the turbid, open habitats in which we found highest abundances of striped bassMorone saxatilis and special-status native fishes such as delta smeltHypomesus transpacificus, Chinook salmonOncorhyncus tschawytscha, and splittailPogonichthys macrolepidotus. The low abundance of special-status fishes in the comparatively productive SAV-dominated habitats suggests these species would benefit more from large-scale restoration actions that result in abiotic variability that mirrors natural river-estuary habitat than from actions that emphasize local (site-specific) productivity.     

Invasions in Marine Communities: Contrasting Species Richness and Community Composition Across Habitats and Salinity

While many studies of non-native species have examined either soft-bottom or hard-bottom marine communities, including artificial structures at docks and marinas, formal comparisons across these habitat types are rare. The number of non-indigenous species (NIS) may differ among habitats, due to differences in species delivery (trade history) and susceptibility to invasions. In this study, we quantitatively compared NIS to native species richness and distribution and examined community similarity across hard-bottom and soft-sediment habitats in San Francisco Bay, California (USA). Benthic invertebrates were sampled using settlement panels (hard-bottom habitats) and sediment grabs (soft-bottom habitats) in 13 paired sites, including eight in higher salinity areas and five in lower salinity areas during 2 years. Mean NIS richness was greatest in hard-bottom habitat at high salinity, being significantly higher than each (a) native species at high salinity and (b) NIS richness at low salinity. In contrast, mean NIS richness in soft-bottom communities was not significantly different from native species richness in either high- or low-salinity waters, nor was there a difference in NIS richness between salinities. For hard-bottom communities, NIS represented an average of 79% of total species richness per sample at high salinity and 78% at low salinity, whereas the comparable values for soft bottom were 46 and 60%, respectively. On average, NIS occurred at a significantly higher frequency (percent of samples) than native species for hard-bottom habitats at both salinities, but this was not the case for soft-bottom habitats. Finally, NIS contributed significantly to the existing community structure (dissimilarity) across habitat types and salinities. Our results show that NIS richness and occurrence frequency is highest in hard-bottom and high-salinity habitat for this Bay but also that NIS contribute strongly to species richness and community structure across each habitat evaluated.     

Ditching and Ditch-Plugging in New England Salt Marshes: Effects on Plant Communities and Self-Maintenance

Salt marsh plant communities are regulated by feedback processes involving hydrologic regimes, disturbance, and marsh physical characteristics, and as expected differ among habitat types. Using three barrier beach salt marshes along the Gulf of Maine, we examined the effects of ditching and ditch-plugging on plant characteristics by means of comparisons to natural creek and pool habitats. Results indicated that ditch and creek habitats were similar in terms of species richness and diversity of emergent vascular plants, but cover and biomass were significantly higher in habitat adjacent to creeks. Plant composition in ditch habitat was distinguished by the higher percentage of forb species (associated with poor drainage), while the proportion of tall-form Spartina alterniflora was much higher in creek habitat (associated with sloping banks of creeks). These results are indicative of differences in hydrologic and disturbance regimes that can influence competitive and facilitative interactions, habitat structure, and heterogeneity. Results for pool comparisons indicated that plant characteristics were significantly different between ditch-plug and natural pools. Species richness, diversity, and biomass were significantly lower in ditch-plug habitat compared with all other habitats, and plant cover averaged only 30 % in habitat adjacent to ditch-plugs, which was significantly lower than all other habitats. These differences have ecological implications in terms of habitat structure and function of ditch-plug habitat. In addition, increased stress leading to plant dieback due to ditch-plugging has resulted in subsidence that can decrease the stability of ditch-plug habitat and expedite the loss of salt marsh habitat, especially with rising sea levels.     

Review of factors affecting the distribution and abundance of waterfowl in shallow-water habitats of Chesapeake Bay

Long-term trends of waterfowl populations in Chesapeake Bay demonstrate the importance of shallow-water habitats for waterfowl species. Although recent increases in field feeding by geese and swans lessened the importance of shallow-water areas for these species, most duck species depend almost exclusively on shallow-water habitats. Many factors influenced the distribution and abundance of waterfowl in shallow-water habitats. Habitat degradation resulted in the decline in numbers of most duck species and a change in distribution of some species. Increased numbers of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in recent decades probably resulted from release programs conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and private individuals. Studies of food habits since 1885 showed a decline in submerged-aquatic vegetation in the diet of some species, such as the canvasback (Aythya valisineria), and an increase in the proportions of invertebrates in the diet. Diversity of food organisms for many waterfowl species has declined. Surveys of vegetation and invertebrates in the Chesapeake Bay generally reflect a degradation of shallow-water habitat. Human population increases in the Chesapeake Bay watershed directly and indirectly affected waterfowl distribution and abundance. The increase of exotic plant and invertebrate species in the bay, in most cases, benefited waterfowl populations. Increased contaminants have reduced the quality and quantity of habitat, although serious attempts to reverse this trend are underway. The use of shallow-water habitats by humans for fishing, hunting, boating, and other recreational and commercial uses reduced the use of shallow-water habitats by waterfowl. Humans can lessen the adverse influences on the valuable shallow-water habitats by restricting human population growth near these habitats and improving the water quality of the bay tributaries. Other affirmative actions that will improve these areas for waterfowl include greater restrictions on boat traffic in shallow-water habitats and establishing more sanctuaries in shallow-water areas that have complete protection from human disturbance. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY074 00013     

The importance of autotroph distribution to mussel growth in a well-mixed,temperate estuary

In this study, we explored the extent to which secondary production in a well-mixed estuary reflects local differences in biotic and physical characteristics of habitats, or larger-scale, estuary-wide characteristics governed by a freshwater-marine gradient. We addressed the following questions: To what extent do organic components of seston within habitats in an estuary reflect distributions of local autotrophs and to what extent do estuarine consumers such as sessile filter-feeders, respond to small-scale, local differences in habitat characteristics in a wellmixed estuary? We contrasted habitat quality and consumer growth at four sites within Padilla Bay estuary, Washington, representing the major autotrophic sources of organic carbon in Pacific Northwest estuaries (i.e., phytoplankton, eelgrass (Zostera marina), epibenthic and macro-algal species, and marsh macrophytes.) The natural abundances of stable carbon isotopes {ie898-1} were used to resolve origins of organic carbon in diets of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), a representative suspension feeder. To assess consumer responses to habitat, quality, we combined measures of sestonic food quantity and quality and physical parameters with in situ determination of mussel growth. We used measures of food quality {ie898-2} and consumer response (growth of transplanted mussels) to integrate the effects of high variability in estuarine physical and biological characteristics on primary and secondary production. Using ANOVA, we detected significant differences in the concentrations of sestonic food, seston composition as indicated by {ie898-3}, and mussel {ie898-4} values and growth rates among the four representative habitats. That significant differences in {ie898-5} values of mussel tissue corresponded to the significant differences in {ie898-6} values of local autotrophs and seston among habitats suggests that mussels in Padilla Bay rely primarily on local sources of carbon for food. Mussel growth throughout, the estuary was significantly correlated with both sestonic {ie898-7} and salinity. We conclude that differences in local seston composition and mussel growth rates reflect in part the heterogeneous, distribution of benthic primary producer habitats in Padilla Bay, despite its well-mixed nature. In addition, local differences in salinity levels, as opposed to the bay-wide freshwater-marine, gradient, explained a significant proportion of the variance in mussel growth within the bay. Our results counter the prediction that seston quality and consumer production are comparable throughout well-mixed estuaries, and suggest that the paradigm of physically and chemically determined gradients in estuarine secondary production needs to be broadened to include local biotic factors as well.     

The response of fishes to submerged aquatic vegetation complexity in two ecoregions of the mid-Atlantic bight: Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay

Estuarine seagrass ecosystems provide important habitat for fish and invertebrates and changes in these systems may alter their ability to support fish. The response of fish assemblages to alteration of eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems in two ecoregions of the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay) was evaluated by sampling historical eelgrass sites that currently span a broad range of stress and habitat quality. In two widely separated ecoregions with very different fish faunas, degradation and loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat has lead to declines in fish standing stock and species richness. The abundance, biomass, and species richness of the fish assemblage were significantly higher at sites that have high levels of eelgrass habitat complexity (biomass >100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shotts m^?2) compared to sites that have reduced eelgrass (biomass <100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shoots m^?2) or that have completely lost eelgrass. Abundance, biomass, and species richness at reduced eelgrass complexity sites also were more variable than at high eelgrass complexity habitats. Low SAV complexity sites had higher proportions of pelagic species that are not dependent on benthic habitat structure for feeding or refuge. Most species had greater abundance and were found more frequently at sites that have eelgrass. The replacement of SAV habitats by benthic macroalgae, which occurred in Buzzards Bay but not Chesapeake Bay, did not provide an equivalent habitat to seagrass. Nutrient enrichment-related degradation of eelgrass habitat has diminished the overall capacity of estuaries to support fish populations.     

What Makes Nearshore Habitats Nurseries for Nekton? An Emerging View of the Nursery Role Hypothesis

Estuaries and other coastal habitats are considered essential for the survival of early life stages of commercial, recreational, and other ecologically important species. While early designations simply referred to habitats with higher densities of juveniles as nurseries, the definition was improved by arguing that contribution per unit area to the production of individuals that recruit to adult populations is greater, on average, in nursery habitats. However, this and related approaches typically consider critical habitats as individual, homogeneous entities that are static in nature and do not specifically incorporate important dynamics that determine nursery function. The latter include environmental variability, estuarine hydrodynamics, trophic coupling, ontogenetic habitat shifts, and spatially explicit usage of habitat patches and corridors within larger seascapes. Subsequent studies have identified important factors that regulate nursery value, and researchers working independently across the globe have not only supported the advances made in defining the processes underlying nursery function but, as set forth in this narrative, have advanced it while suggesting that much work still needs to be done to improve our understanding of the links between juvenile nekton survival and the estuarine-coastal seascape. We discuss the current nursery role hypothesis and the data supporting (or refuting) it along with the implications for management of estuarine habitats for the conservation or restoration of nursery function.     

Shallow landslides as drivers for slope ecosystem evolution and biophysical diversity

Shallow landslides may be seen as local disturbances that foster the evolution of slope landscapes as part of their self-regulating capacity. Gaining insight into how slope ecosystems function and evolve could make eco-engineering interventions on slopes more successful. The objective of the present study is to detect traits of shallow landslide-triggered ecosystem evolution, self-regulation and biophysical diversity in a small-scale landslide-prone slope in Northeast Scotland. A protocol was defined to explore the emergence of landslide-driven slope habitats. This protocol studied plant diversity, species richness and plant biomass differences and their interactions with certain soil and topographic attributes at three slope strata during two consecutive growing seasons following an assemblage of shallow landslide events. Plant species and soil properties with potential as indicators of the different landslide-driven slope habitats and landscape evolution were also considered. Shallow landslides contributed to biophysical diversity and created distinct slope habitats within the landscape. Habitat differences in terms of species richness and composition were a direct consequence of the slope self-regulation. Certain plant species were found to be valid indicators of landslide-driven biophysical diversity. Soil total nitrogen and resistance to penetration were related to slope habitat and landscape evolution. As expected, plant establishment relied upon light and nitrogen trade-offs, which in turn were influenced by landscape topography. The insights derived from this study will be useful in slope restoration, particularly in harmonising effective actions with the functioning of landslide-prone ecosystems. Further research directions to clarify the observed variability and interactions are highlighted.     

Seasonal and Spatial Variations in Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities of Oyster and Adjacent Habitats in a Mississippi Estuary

In Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Grand Bay NERR), Mississippi, we used quantitative drop sampling in three common shallow estuarine habitats—low profile oyster reef (oyster), vegetated marsh edge (VME), and nonvegetated bottom (NVB)—to address the dearth in research comparing nekton utilization of oyster relative to adjacent habitats. The three habitats were sampled at two distinct marsh complexes within Grand Bay NERR. We collected a total of 633 individual fishes representing 41 taxa in 22 families. The most diverse fish family was Gobiidae (seven species) followed by Blennidae and Poeciliidae (three species each). We collected a total of 2,734 invertebrates representing 24 taxa in 11 families. The most diverse invertebrate family was Xanthidae (six species) followed by Palaemonidae (five species). We used ordination techniques to examine variation in species relative abundance among habitats, seasons, and sampling areas, and to identify environmental gradients correlated with species relative abundances. Our resulted indicated that oyster provided a similarly complex and important function as the adjacent VME. We documented three basic trends related to the importance of oyster and VME habitats: 1) Oyster and VME provide habitat for significantly more species relative to NVB, 2) Oyster and VME provide habitat for rare species, and 3) Several species collected across multiple habitats occurred at higher abundances in oyster or VME habitat. We also found that salinity, temperature, and depth were associated with seasonal and spatial shifts in nekton communities. Lastly, we found that the relative location of the two marsh complexes we studied within the context of the whole estuary may also explain some of the temporal and spatial differences in communities. We conclude that oyster habitat supported a temporally diverse and spatially distinct nekton community and deserves further attention in research and estuarine conservation efforts.     

Diurnal and Tidal Variability in the Photobiology of the Seagrass Halophila johnsonii in a Riverine Versus Marine Habitat

The threatened seagrass Halophila johnsonii grows intertidally to 3 m deep in river-influenced and marine-influenced habitats. In this study, environmental parameters and photosynthetic characteristics of H. johnsonii were measured hourly for populations from adjacent riverine and marine habitats under opposite tidal regimes (high tide at midday, low tide at midday). The two populations exhibited habitat-specific diurnal responses, which indicate long-term acclimatization to their different environments. During periods with similar bottom irradiances, effective photochemical efficiencies and chlorophyll concentrations were comparatively greater in the riverine population, indicative of low-light acclimation. In addition, ultraviolet pigment absorbance (340–345 nm) was generally greater in the riverine plants and it generally increased following ebb tides and decreasing salinity, suggesting a stress response. Multivariate analyses indicated that photosynthetic characteristics were most dissimilar when environmental conditions were most dissimilar, i.e., riverine plants when low tide occurred at midday compared to marine plants when high tide occurred at midday. Salinity, photosynthetically active radiation, and optical water quality (K _0PAR, S _CDOM, and a ₄₁₂) were most correlated with variability in photosynthetic characteristics. As there is no significant genetic variation among populations of H. johnsonii, the photosynthetic characteristics of the riverine and marine populations we examined reflect acclimation to their respective habitats through a highly phenoplastic physiology.     

Regional Correspondence in Habitat Occupancy by Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) in Estuaries of the Southeastern United States

Reef fishes, such as gray snapper, support important recreational and commercial fisheries and use a variety of habitats throughout ontogeny. Gray snapper juveniles may be found in estuarine nursery areas, such as seagrass beds, or mangrove shorelines, while adults are most often found in deep channels and farther offshore, associated with hard-bottom habitats. Juvenile and subadult gray snapper were collected from 1996 through 2009 during long-term fishery-independent monitoring of several estuarine systems along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. Indices of abundance and habitat suitability were constructed for gray snapper to determine size-specific relationships between abundance, habitat, and environmental conditions. Juvenile and subadult gray snapper were collected year-round only in the southernmost estuaries but were most common from July through December in all estuaries sampled. In addition to timing of estuarine occupancy, abundance varied with latitude; gray snapper were more frequently collected in warmer, southern estuaries. In general, gray snapper were most abundant in euhaline areas with a high percentage of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and, in most cases, where overhanging shoreline vegetation was also present. Annual abundance varied over the sampling period, with some juvenile peaks in abundance translating to subadult peaks in subsequent years. Although strong correspondence between juvenile and subadult populations was not observed in all systems, long-term, broad-scale habitat selection patterns as described in this study are critical to more effectively assess populations of estuarine-dependent species.     

Changes in Habitat Availability for Multiple Life Stages of Diamondback Terrapins (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malaclemys terrapin</Emphasis>) in Chesapeake Bay in Response to Sea Level Rise

Global sea level rise (SLR) will significantly alter coastal landscapes through inundation and erosion of low-lying areas. Animals that display area fidelity and rely on fringing coastal habitats during multiple life stages, such as diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin Schoepff 1793), are likely to be particularly vulnerable to SLR-induced changes. We used a combination of empirical nest survey data and results from a regional SLR model to explore the long-term availability of known nesting locations and the modeled availability of fringing coastal habitats under multiple SLR scenarios for diamondback terrapin in the MD portion of Chesapeake Bay and the MD coastal bays. All SLR scenarios projected the rapid inundation of historically used nesting locations of diamondback terrapins with 25%–55% loss within the next 10 years and over 80% loss by the end of the century. Model trajectories of habitat losses or gains depended on habitat type and location. A key foraging habitat, brackish marsh, was projected to decline 6%–94%, with projections varying spatially and among scenarios. Despite predicted losses of extant beach habitats, future gains in beach habitat due to erosion and overwash were projected to reach 40%–600%. These results demonstrate the potential vulnerability of diamondback terrapins to SLR in Chesapeake Bay and underscore the possibility of compounding negative effects of SLR on animals whose habitat requirements differ among life stages. More broadly, this study highlights the vulnerability of species dependent on fringing coastal habitats and emphasizes the need for a long-term perspective for coastal development in the face of SLR.     

Trophic relationships of three sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) in an estuarine bayou

We examined ontogenetic, interspecific, and seasonal trophic patterns among sympatric sunfish species, redspotted sunfish,Lepomis miniatus; redear sunfish,Lepomis microlophus; and bluegill,Lepomis macrochirus, in an estuarine bayou. In particular we studied these feeding patterns in relation to relative abundances of prey from different benthic feeding habitats. All three sunfishes showed ontogenetic divergence in their trophic niches, reflecting different ecomorphological specializations. Small fishes depended on zooplankton, whereas larger fishes of all three species shifted their diets to benthic macrofauna. A potential for trophic resource partitioning was reflected by dietary differences among the three sunfish species. One impalied mechanism for resource partitioning was feeding habitat, as redear sunfish frequently used sediment-associated prey, while bluegill showed greater use of water-column-associated prey, and redspotted sunfish often used SAV-associated prey. However, all three sunfishes apparently used each feeding habitat to some degree; and, trophic differences were more clearly based on prey type than on feeding habitat. Redear sunfish, which can crush hard-shelled prey, exhibited the most distinctive diet. An apparent seasonal shift in feeding habitat occurred in autumn/winter, as indicated by increased overlap between diets and SAV. This shift was facilitated by changes in the relative abundances of several common prey types between benthic habitats. The relative abuandance and use of freshwater and estuarine-derived prey also varied seasonally, suggesting a possible trophic benefit of consistent prey availability in the estuarine bayou.     

Latitude matters: an examination of behavioural plasticity in dietary traits amongst extant and Pleistocene Rangifer tarandus

The geographical distribution of species affects their dietary traits relative to resources available in different latitudes. Dietary traits of Rangifer tarandus, a species with a wide geographical distribution, were investigated using tooth mesowear and microwear methods in eight extant populations from Canada. The data show a latitudinal shift corresponding to a vegetational gradient from the taiga to the tundra, i.e. an increase of lichen consumption from the low to the high latitudes. This pattern is also evidenced in the Pleistocene fossil record of Europe where R. tarandus populations from low latitude localities show a lower consumption of lichen than at higher latitudes.     

Nematode Responses to the Invasion of Exotic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina</Emphasis> in Mangrove Wetlands in Southern China

Investigations into nematode density and species assemblages have been conducted in different types of mangroves worldwide, but these studies have typically been limited to one type of plant or tree species. The invasive salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora has successively invaded native mangroves along the southern coasts of China during the preceding two decades. However, few meiofauna studies on the impacts of S. alterniflora have been conducted, and the consequences of this invasion on ecosystem composition and function remain unclear. The hypothesis of this study was that the spatial and seasonal distribution of nematode assemblages vary significantly among three native mangrove habitats (Kandelia obovata, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Avicennia marina) and between these habitats and a fourth habitat that was colonized by S. alterniflora, in Zhangjiang Estuary, China. Our results demonstrated that different species dominated in different habitats seasonally. Highly significant differences in density, number of species, diversity index, and maturity index were present among the four habitats. ANOSIM results revealed that there were significant differences in nematode assemblages among the four habitats and seasons, with the S. alterniflora habitat exhibiting the lowest mean values of number of species, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, richness index, and maturity index in the four seasons. This suggests that the presence of S. alterniflora disrupted nematode assemblages.     

Patterns of seasonal availability and habitat use by fishes and decapod crustaceans in a southern New Jersey estuary

We examined the community structure of fish and selected decapod crustaceans and tested for within estuary differences among habitats at depths of 0.6 m to 7.9 m, in Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor in southern New Jersey. Several habitat types were identified a priori (e.g., eelgrass, sea lettuce, and marsh creeks) and sampled by trawl (4.9 m headrope, 19-mm mesh wings, 6.3-mm mesh liner), monthly, from June 1988 through October 1989. Repetitive (n=4) 2-min trawl tows were taken at each habitat type from 13 locations. The fishes and decapod crustaceans collected were typical of other Mid-Atlantic Bight estuaries but varied greatly inseasonal abundance and species. In the years sampled, bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) was the dominant species (50.5% of the total number), followed by spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) (10.7%), Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) (9.7%), fourspine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus) (5.9%), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) (4.6%), and northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus) (4.2%). The biota were examined by multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) for habitat associations and “best abiotic predictor” of community structure. Percent silt combined with salinity was the most important abiotic determinant of the faunal distributions among habitats. Temperature was a major factor influencing seasonal occurrence of the biota but had less effect on habitat comparisons. The analysis confirmed the distinct nature of the assemblages associated with the habitats, that is, eelgrass, upper estuary subtidal creeks, channels, and open bay areas. Several species were associated with specific habitats: for example,A. quadracus andS. fuscus with eelgrass, clupeids with subtidal creek stations,L. xanthurus with marsh channels, and black sea bass (Centropristis striata) and spotted hake (Urophycis regia) with sponge-peat habitat. Species richness appeared to be positively related to habitat structural heterogeneity. Thus, the best predictors for these estuarine fish and decapod crustacean assemblages were seasonal temperature, percent silt and salinity combined, and the physical heterogeneity of the habitat.     

Comparative patterns of occupancy by decapod crustaceans in seagrass,oyster, and marsh-edge habitats in a Northeast Gulf of Mexico estuary

Decapod crustaceans occupying seagrass, salt marsh edge, and oyster habitats within the St. Martins Aquatic Preserve along the central Gulf coast of Florida were quantitatively sampled using a 1-m² throw trap during July–August 1999 and March–April 2000. Relative abundance and biomass were used as the primary measures to compare patterns of occupancy among the three habitat types. Representative assemblages of abundant and common species from each habitat were compared using Schoener's Percent Similarity Index (PSI). In all, 17,985 decapods were sampled, representing 14 families and 28 species. In the summer sampling period, mean decapod density did not differ between oyster and seagrass habitats, which both held greater densities of decapods than marsh-edge. In the spring sampling period oyster reef habitat supported greater mean decapod density than both seagrass and marsh-edge, which had similar densities of decapods. Habitat-specific comparisons of decapod density between the two sampling periods indicated no clear seasonal effect. In summer 1999, when seagrasses were well established, decapod biomass among the three habitats was not significantly different. During spring 2000, decapod biomass in oyster (41.40 gm⁻²) was greater than in marshedge (4.20 gm⁻²), but did not differ from that of seagrass (9.73 g m⁻²). There was no significant difference in decapod biomas between seagrass and marsh-edge habitats during the spring 2000 sampling period. The assemblage analysis using Schoener's PSI indicated that decapod assemblages associated with oyster were distinct from seagrass and marshedge habitats (which were similar). The results of this study suggest that in comparison to seagrass and marsh-edge habitats, oyster reef habitats and the distinct assemblage of decapod crustaceans that they support represent an ecologically important component of this estuarine system.     

Interactions among some dominant estuarine nekton species

Interactions between pairs of numerically dominant species collected at inlet and creek shorezone and channel habitats within a high salinity estuary in northeastern South Carolina were examined using two-way contingency tables and binomial tests. Of the significant species interactions, over 71% were positive and these primarily occurred within shorezone habitats. The strongest positive interactions were between young-of-the-year spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) juveniles in both shorezone habitats, and between striped killifish (Fundulus majalis), white mullet (Mugil curema), and striped anchovies (Anchoa hepsetus) in the inlet shorezone habitat. One of the most positive species associations in channel habitats was between the bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) and the Atlantic brief squid (Lolliguncula brevis). These positive relationships between species may be explained by one species enhancing the habitat for another, both species responding to similar environmental conditions, cooperative social interactions such as mixed schooling, or the attraction of predators to prey. Negative interactions were found between schools of Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) and striped killifish in the inlet shorezone and between schools of Atlantic silversides and bay anchovies in the creek shorezone. Schools of Atlantic silversides may either displace or compete with other common shorezone species. Positive and negative interactions suggest that relationships between some species pairs did not occur randomly within certain habitats and may have contributed to the organization of the estuarine nekton community. Differences in the strengths and direction of interactions of certain species pairs among habitats and seasons were probably related to the differences in the physical characteristics of those habitats and/or changes in the relative abundance of dominant species and life stages over time.     

The Homo habitat niche: using the avian fossil record to depict ecological characteristics of Palaeolithic Eurasian hominins

Although hardly applied to human palaeoecology, bird fossils offer a unique opportunity for quantitative studies of the hominin habitat. Here we reconstruct the Homo habitat niche across a large area of the Palaearctic, based on a database of avian fauna for Pleistocene sites. Our results reveal a striking association between Homo and habitat mosaics. A mix of open savannah-type woodland, wetlands and rocky habitats emerges as the predominant combination occupied by Homo across a wide geographical area, from the earliest populations of the Lower Palaeolithic to the latest hunter-gatherer communities of the Upper Palaeolithic. This observation is in keeping with the view that such landscapes have had long standing selective value for hominins.