Faunal communities in seagrass beds: A review of the influence of plant structure and prey characteristics on predator-prey relationships

摘要: When compared with nearby unvergetated areas, seagrass meadows contain a dense and strikingly rich assemblage of vertebrates invertebrates. Most recent literature has focused on evaluating the role predation in structuring faunal communities; however, habitat complexity, abundance food sediment stability may also be important. This paper summarizes studies relating predator-prey relationships to different features system. review suggests that many species, both epifauna infauna, is positively correlated two distinct aspects plant morphology: 1) root-rhizome mat, 2) canopy. A scheme was developed defines conditions under which any particular species will abundant or rare assemblage. based prey predator characteristics (e.g., epifaunal vs. infaunal, tube-dweller nontube dweller, burrowers nonburrowers, large small as adult) seagrasses leaf morphology, shoot density, biomass, structural complexity meadow, density standing crop).