Influence of predation on infaunal abundance in Upper Chesapeake Bay, USA

摘要: The importance of predators in controlling the densities infaunal (>0.5 mm) organisms was investigated mesohaline region Upper Chesapeake Bay (USA) using field experiments. role density and community characteristics varied with habitat type, season (i.e., predator abundance) developmental or successional stage community. Few species were adversely affected by exclusion. Species that increased greatly abundance absence (e.g. Eteone heteropoda, Streblospio benedicti, Nereis succinea, juvenile Macoma balthica Mya arenaria) lived near sediment-water interface had major population pulses from fall through spring. whose abundances moderately not exclusion deeper burrowing Heteromastus filiformis adult arenaria), relatively small Paraprionospio pinnata, Scolecolepides viridis Peloscolex gabriellae) principal could be other members infauna. Competition did appear to an important factor these