Biodiv Sci ›› 2013, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (1): 3-10.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2013.08151

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Functional groups of marine macrobenthos in relation to environmental factors around the Ximen Island National Marine Special Reserve, Zhejiang

Yibo Liao1,2, Lu Shou2,3, Jiangning Zeng2,*(), Aigen Gao2, Yanbin Tang2, Xiaojun Yan1, Quanzhen Chen2   

  1. 1 School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211
    2 Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry, State Oceanic Administration, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012
    3 College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097
  • Received:2012-07-29 Accepted:2012-10-21 Online:2013-01-20 Published:2013-02-04
  • Contact: Zeng Jiangning

Abstract:

We evaluated the seasonal change in functional groups of marine macrobenthos in relation to environmental factors in the Ximen Island National Marine Special Reserve, Zhejiang Province, in April and November of 2010, August 2011 and February 2012. We identified a total of 78 taxa (mostly to species level) and categorized these taxa by feeding strategy. Overall, we categorized these taxa into following five functional groups: planktophagous(Pl), phytophagous(Ph), carnivorous(C), omnivorous(O), and detritivorous(D). The mean density of each functional group was ranked as Pl>C>Ph>D>O, and the mean biomass as Pl>D>C>O>Ph. Based on the results of variance analysis (one-way ANOVA), we found no significant seasonal differences of density and biomass among functional groups. We used canonical correspondence analysis to examine relationships between environmental factors and macrobenthic functional groups. Our results imply that temperature, dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and median particle diameter were the main environmental factors correlated with macrobenthic functional groups. Results of the cumulative percentage variance in functional groups-environment relationships indicated that the changes of functional groups can be explained best by the environmental factors.

Key words: macrobenthos, functional group, biodiversity, environmental factors, national marine special reserve