Influences of Vegetation and Abiotic Environmental Factors on Salt Marsh Invertebrates

摘要: Sediment-dwelling fauna are a ubiquitous component of salt marshes yet we have limited understanding their roles in marsh functioning and the environmental conditions that control distributions abundances. This paper examines influence vegetation (presence, type, density, biomass) other variables (marsh age, sediment porewater properties, elevation, flow, oxygen, biogenic structures) on macrofauna meiofauna. We review studies from variety geographical locations include new information systems with adjacent natural restored sites southern California. The factors faunal assemblages varies system, factor intensity or concentration, taxon studied, interacting present. hypothesize hierarchy which abiotic properties such as elevation salinity act over large space time scales, most likely to presence absence species. Sediment (organic matter particle size) type intermediate scales affecting macrofaunal abundance composition. Plant biomass, culms structures generated by patchy small often affect distribution patterns. Resolution these processes should improve our controls invertebrate communities will ultimately aid conservation restoration habitat.