Biodiv Sci ›› 2011, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (6): 702-709.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.08124

Special Issue: 中国的海洋生物多样性

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Temporal and spatial variation of macrofaunal communities in Shenzhen Bay intertidal zone between 1995 and 2010

Lizhe Cai*(), Xinwei Chen, Chen Wu, Xin Peng, Jing Cao, Sujing Fu   

  1. College of Environmental and Ecological Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
  • Received:2011-07-25 Accepted:2011-11-12 Online:2011-11-20 Published:2011-12-19
  • Contact: Lizhe Cai

Abstract:

Using macrofaunal data collected at five transects in Shenzhen Bay intertidal zone between 1995 and 2010, we analyzed density, species diversity index (H'), richness index (d) and multivariate marine biotic index (M-AMBI). We found spatial differences in macrofaunal species number, species diversity, richness index and M-AMBI. Namely, the closer to Shenzhen River a sampling transect was located, the lower the macrofaunal species number, species diversity, richness index and multivariate marine biotic index. The most obvious spatial difference in terms of macrofaunal community structure was that densities of the larger-bodied species Dendronereis pinnaticirris and Neanthes glandicincta were low, while the densities of smaller and short-lived species including Capitella capitata and oligochaete animal were high at transect close to Shenzhen River. Abundance biomass comparison (ABC method) validated the spatial difference. Decreasing distance to the Shenzhen River was also related to increased levels of organic matter. We surmise that the spatial differences we observed were related to industrial, aquacultural and municipal wastes entering the Shenzhen River associated with increasing regional population and development during the study period. Yearly and seasonal variations of macrofaunal species number, density, species diversity index, richness index and multivariate marine biotic index were inconsistent, and we found no obvious trends.

Key words: macrofaunal community, spatial and temporal variation, biotic index, intertidal zone, Shenzhen Bay