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Population-level effects of clam harvesting on the seagrass Zostera noltii

2005Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorCabaço, Susana
dc.contributor.authorAlexandre, Ana
dc.contributor.authorSantos, Rui
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-07T14:58:38Z
dc.date.available2018-12-07T14:58:38Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description.abstractSeagrass declines have been reported worldwide, mostly as a consequence of anthropogenic disturbance. In Ria Formosa lagoon, southern Portugal, the intertidal meadows of Zostera noltii are highly disturbed by clam harvesters. The most common technique used to collect the clams consists of digging and tilling the sediment with a modified knife with a large blade. Here we present both descriptive and experimental evidence of the negative effects of clam harvest on the Z. noltii populations of Ria Formosa. A comparison between disturbed and undisturbed meadows suggests that clam harvesting activities change the species population structure by significantly reducing shoot density and total biomass, particularly during August, when the harvest effort is higher. Experimental harvest revealed a short-term impact on shoot density, which rapidly recovered to control levels during the following month. An experimental manipulation of rhizome fragmentation revealed that plant survival is reduced only when fragmented rhizomes are left with 1 intact internode. Shoot production and rhizome elongation and production of fragmented rhizomes having 2 to 5 internodes were not significantly affected, even though growth and production were lower when only 2 internodes were left. Experimental shoot damage at different positions along the rhizome had a significant effect on plant survival, rhizome elongation, and production only when the apical shoot was removed. Our results show that clam harvest can adversely affect Z. noltii meadows of Ria Formosa while revealing a low modular integration that allows the species to rapidly recover from physical damage.
dc.identifier.doi10.3354/meps298123
dc.identifier.issn0171-8630
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/12130
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherInter-Research
dc.subjectCymodocea-Nodosa
dc.subjectThalassia-Testudinum
dc.subjectIntertidal Seagrass
dc.subjectSeasonal Dynamics
dc.subjectCoastal Lagoon
dc.subjectEelgrass Beds
dc.subjectDisturbance
dc.subjectMarina
dc.subjectHornem
dc.subjectGrowth
dc.titlePopulation-level effects of clam harvesting on the seagrass Zostera noltii
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.endPage129
oaire.citation.startPage123
oaire.citation.titleMarine Ecology Progress Series
oaire.citation.volume298
person.familyNameCabaço
person.familyNameAlexandre
person.familyNameSantos
person.givenNameSusana
person.givenNameAna
person.givenNameRui
person.identifier42560
person.identifier.ciencia-idA711-4AF6-8F36
person.identifier.ciencia-id9B18-444D-2244
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-9369-0634
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7164-1487
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7861-4366
person.identifier.ridJ-4547-2013
person.identifier.ridB-4168-2008
person.identifier.scopus-author-id8898017200
person.identifier.scopus-author-id35836826900
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7201375018
rcaap.rightsopenAccess
rcaap.typearticle
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationa405c78a-8555-41ef-8f0c-32d84cecb268
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationc907d7fb-323d-4227-84b7-f46c150d05f4
relation.isAuthorOfPublication84487ca8-404a-4584-81f0-3662c340d712
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoverya405c78a-8555-41ef-8f0c-32d84cecb268

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