Polychaete Vertical Zonation along a Littoral Cliff in the Western Méditerranean |
| |
| Authors: | M ABBIATI CN BIANCHI A CASTELLI |
| |
| Institution: | Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e del Territorio dell'Universita, via Volta 6, 1–56100 Pisa, Italia.;ENEA-CREA S.Teresa, CP 316, 1–19100 La Spezia, Italia.;Dipartimento di Biologia Animale dell'Universita, via dell'Universita 4, 1–41100 Modena, Italia. |
| |
| Abstract: | Abstract. Along the vertical cliff of Romito (Leghorn, Italy) 97 polychaete species were found from 0 to 6 m depth. Three depth related communities could be identified by trends in structural parameters (abundance, number of species, and diversity), by changes in species composition, and by the distribution of ecological and trophic groups. Such a zonation is consistent with the principal models proposed for the Méditerranean and seems mainly related to algal conditioning of the substrate. |
| |
| Keywords: | Polychaeta ecology benthos rocky bottom fauna community zonation multivariate analysis Western Méditerranean |
|
|
