Abstract:
The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of the spatial variability of coralligenous reefs through the evaluation of patterns ranging from local to biogeographic scale around the island of Sardinia. The coralligenous reef assemblages of six areas were studied through a hierarchical sampling design: three sites per area were selected, in each site three plots were sampled and in each plot ten photographic samples were collected. The structure of coralligenous reefs across closed biogeographic regions is described, highlighting that nearly pristine assemblages, although characterized by similar high diversity, can be either dominated by animals, such as gorgonians and bryozoans, or macroalgae. The observed variations seem largely related to biogeographic patterns rather than spatial distance, supporting the need to identify specific reference conditions to assess the ecological quality of this habitat depending on the biogeographic area to be monitored.
摘要:
本研究旨在通过评估撒丁岛周围从局部到生物地理尺度的模式来帮助了解珊瑚礁的空间变异性。通过分层抽样设计研究了六个地区的珊瑚礁组合:每个地区选择三个地点,在每个地点采集了三个地块,在每个地块采集了十个摄影样本。描述了封闭生物地理区域的珊瑚礁结构,强调几乎原始的组合,尽管具有相似的高度多样性,要么被动物支配,比如戈戈尼人和苔藓虫,或者大型藻类。观察到的变化似乎很大程度上与生物地理模式有关,而不是空间距离,支持需要确定具体的参考条件,以根据要监测的生物地理区域评估该栖息地的生态质量。