Macrozoobenthic community structure in the Ría de Foz, an intertidal estuary (Galicia, Northwest Spain)

Abstract:

The community structure of the macrobenthic (>1 mm) fauna of an intertidal soft-bottom estuary, the Ría de Foz (Galicia, Northwest Spain) was investigated on 99 occasions during June, September and December 1984 and March 1985. The infaunal data were subjected to classification and ordination techniques. The analyses indicated that sediment characteristics (grain size, percentage silt-clay and organic-matter content) and tidal height are the most important factors governing the distribution and abundance of the intertidal communities. Three faunal assemblages were identified and examined in terms of species dominance, constancy and fidelity. In the clean sands of the outer estuary two main assemblages were distinguished; one, corresponding to the "boreal Lusitanian Tellina community", inhabited the middle and lower tidal levels; the other, typical of a biocoenosis of sands and slightly muddy mediolittoral sands, inhabited the upper tidal level. The third benthic assemblage occupied the muddy sands and mud of the inner estuary and displayed some features in common with the Cardium edule-Scrobicularia community described by Thorson. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.

Año de publicación:

1990

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus