Spatial variability and human disturbance of sponge assemblages associated with mangrove roots in the southern Caribbean
Edlin Guerra-Castro A B E , Paula Young B , Adriana Pérez-Vázquez B , Sophie Carteron C and Adriana Alvizu D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, POB 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela.
B Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Nueva Esparta, Boca de Río, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela.
C Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, Université de la Mediterranée, 13007 Marseille, France.
D Departamento de Biología de Organismos, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas 1080-A, Venezuela.
E Corresponding author. Email: eguerra@ivic.gob.ve
Marine and Freshwater Research 62(5) 491-501 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF10267
Submitted: 28 October 2010 Accepted: 11 March 2011 Published: 25 May 2011
Abstract
Assemblages growing on Caribbean red-mangrove roots are very diverse and characteristically dominated by sponges. The scales of spatial variation of this fauna in the Caribbean region have not been hierarchically quantified, although such information is necessary to understand the relative importance of ecological processes and possible responses to anthropogenic disturbances. We used a hierarchical nested design to identify patterns of spatial variability at different scales, namely among roots, sites, localities and regions within the southern Caribbean. Simultaneously, the sampling considered the relative distance from sources of human disturbance to test the null hypothesis of no difference in sponge diversity among localities as a result of anthropogenic stress. Significant spatial variability in species composition was detected at all spatial scales, especially at the among-root scale. However, there were no differences associated with distance from human disturbance. These results indicate high regional and local β diversity, and also suggest that results from small-scale experiments cannot be scaled up to the entire community. Further, spatial analysis of sponge assemblages is not enough to detect deleterious effects of human disturbances on mangrove areas.
Additional keywords: beta diversity, management, spatial scales, taxonomic distinctness, variance components.
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