DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE PATTERNS IN CARIBBEAN ROCKY INTERTIDAL ZONES

摘要

Investigations of temperate rocky intertidal zones have identified patterns of distribution and abundance of organisms and mechanisms responsible for the observed patterns. Models for the organization of rocky shore communities (Menge and Sutherland, 1976; 1987) predict that in areas of reduced environmental stress, such as low wave action, the relative influence of predation and competition on organism distribution and abundance increases. With increasing wave action, predation becomes progressively less important relative to physical factors, and competition among sessile taxa becomes increasingly important, particularly in areas of high recruitment. Finally, at high wave action sites, physical factors impact organisms directly or indirectly, thus decreasing the importance of biological factors. Tropical intertidal zones have been described as more physically benign than their temperate counterparts with respect to wave exposure and winter stresses (Menge and Lubchenco, 1981; Brosnan, 1992). Examination of intertidal zones on the Pacific coast of Panama found predation to predominate. Intense consumer pressure from mollusks, crabs, and fishes combined with low recruitment resulted in low biomass of sessile taxa, dominance of crustose algae, and indistinct vertical zonation (Menge and Lubchenco, 1981; Menge et al, 1983; 1985; 1986a,b; Lubchenco et al., 1984; Menge, 1991).