Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) was used to identify functional features of infaunal polychaete assemblages associated with contamination in two Italian coastal areas: the harbour of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) and the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea). The analysis was performed on 103 taxa, collected at four stations in each area. The two areas differed in species composition. The low diversity and the presence of stress-tolerant species in more polluted sites were not reflected in functional diversity, due to species contributing little to community functions or being functionally redundant. Sand and clay fractions were significant drivers of trait category expressions, however other environmental parameters (depth, total organic carbon and nitrogen, and Hg in sediments) influenced traits composition. Motile was the prevalent trait in environments with coarse sediments, and tube-builder were related to fine-grained ones. Motile, endobenthic and burrower were essential traits for living in contaminated sediments. Epibenthic and sessile polychaetes dominated at stations subjected to high organic loads. BTA offers an integrative approach to detect functional adaptations to contaminated sediments and multiple anthropogenic stressors.
Functional biodiversity of marine soft-sediment polychaetes from two Mediterranean coastal areas in relation to environmental stress.
F. Nasi,M. Nordström,E. Bonsdorff,R. Auriemma,T. Cibic,P. Del Negro
Published 2018 in Marine Environmental Research
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2018
- Venue
Marine Environmental Research
- Publication date
2018-06-01
- Fields of study
Medicine, Environmental Science
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- biological traits analysis
A trait-based framework used here to summarize functional attributes of polychaete assemblages.
Aliases: BTA
- burrower trait
A trait describing taxa that move and live by digging into the sediment.
Aliases: burrower
- contaminated sediments
Marine sediments exposed to pollution and other anthropogenic stressors at the sampled coastal sites.
Aliases: polluted sediments
- endobenthic trait
A habitat trait describing taxa living within the sediment below the surface.
Aliases: endobenthic
- epibenthic trait
A habitat trait describing taxa that live on the sediment surface.
Aliases: epibenthic
- functional diversity
The variety of functional roles represented by the traits of the polychaete assemblages.
Aliases: FD
- functional redundancy
The degree to which multiple taxa share similar traits and thus overlap in ecological roles.
- infaunal polychaete assemblages
Communities of polychaete worms living within marine soft sediments at the sampled stations.
Aliases: polychaete assemblages
- motile trait
A locomotor trait describing taxa that can move actively through or across the sediment.
Aliases: motile
- organic load
The amount of organic matter enrichment at a station, reflected in the sediment environment.
Aliases: high organic loads, organic enrichment
- sediment grain size fractions
The relative proportions of sand and clay in the sediment substrate.
Aliases: sand fraction, clay fraction, grain-size fractions
- sessile trait
A trait describing taxa that remain attached or fixed in place rather than moving freely.
Aliases: sessile
- species composition
The set and relative occurrence of taxa present in the sampled assemblages.
Aliases: taxonomic composition
- trait category expression
The representation of trait categories in the assemblage trait profiles used in the analysis.
Aliases: trait expression
- trait composition
The overall mix of functional traits present in the polychaete community.
REFERENCES
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