Cross-taxon congruence in benthic communities: Searching for surrogates in marine sediments

Author(s)

Corte, Guilherme Nascimento ; Checon, Helio H. ; Fonseca, Gustavo ; Vieira, Danilo Candido ; Gallucci, Fabiane ; Di Domenico, Maikon ; Amaral, A. Cecilia Z.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS; v. 78, p. 173-182, JUL 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 14

Abstract

Cross-taxon congruence has been suggested as an efficient tool in conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring. It corresponds to the degree to which patterns in assemblage structure in a set of sites are similar among different taxonomic groups. If different groups ordinate the sampling sites similarly, they are concordant and this information is frequently used as an indicative that one group could be used as a surrogate for the other. Using spatiotemporal benthic data from a biodiverse coastal ecosystem (the Araca Bay in southeast Brazil), we first assessed if macro- and meiofaunal assemblages inhabiting marine soft-sediments show concordant patterns. Then, we used multi- and univariate analysis to examine the relationship of both groups with the environment. Macro- and meiofaunal assemblages exhibited strong congruent patterns in all periods analyzed. Moreover, both groups responded to similar environmental features and their ordination patterns matched those generated by the environmental data. These results show that the patterns of concordance are probably mediated by similar responses to environmental gradients. Overall, our results suggest the potential for use of the surrogacy approach in conservation planning and monitoring purposes of marine benthic biodiversity, and that macro- and meiofauna can be used as a surrogate for each other. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/10130-3 - Macrobenthic communities of soft-bottom sediments at Araçá bay, Northern coast of São Paulo
• Grantee: Guilherme Nascimento Corte
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/10810-8 - Benthic ecology of Araçá Bay: analysis of fauna associated with sediment and relationship environment/biodiversity
• Grantee: Guilherme Nascimento Corte
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 11/50317-5 - Biodiversity and functioning of a subtropical coastal ecosystem: a contribution to integrated management
• Grantee: Antonia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants