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Seasonal variations of community production, respiration and biomass of different primary producers in an intertidal Zostera noltii bed (Western English Channel, France)

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Abstract

Gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R) in an intertidal Zostera noltii (Hornemann, 1832) community were estimated each month from in situ CO2 flux measurements during the emersion period in the Bay of Morlaix (France). Simultaneously, the Chlorophyll a biomass of Z. noltii leaves, associated epiphytes and sediment within the benthic chambers were also monitored. The significant positive exponential relationship established between R and the maximum daily temperature emphasized that temperature was a good predictor of seasonal variation in the community R in Z. noltii bed. In contrast, the amplitude of the fitted curve on GPP was low and represented <25% of the annual mean value (90.9 ± 15.2 mgC m−2 h−1). The Chlorophyll a biomass of sediment was high (133.70 ± 22.96 mg m−2) but it was likely constituted by detritus which did not contribute much to the community GPP. The Chlorophyll a biomass of associated epiphytes was higher in winter and varied over the year inversely with Z. noltii. Therefore, the asynchronous dynamic of primary producers could support a constant rate of production at community scale over the year.

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Acknowledgements

This study forms part of the PhD thesis of V. Ouisse and was financially supported by the ‘Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche’. The authors would like to thank all of the Benthic Ecology Team, especially R. Michel for his participation in field samplings, C. Six for epiphyte determination and L. Noël and A. Cahill for help with English translation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR7144, Roscoff, France

    Vincent Ouisse, Aline Migné & Dominique Davoult

  2. CNRS, UMR 7144, Equipe Réseaux Trophiques et Production Benthique, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, BP 74, 29682, Roscoff Cedex, France

    Vincent Ouisse, Aline Migné & Dominique Davoult

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  1. Vincent Ouisse
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  2. Aline Migné
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Correspondence to Vincent Ouisse.

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Guest editors: M. Holmer & N. Marbà / Dynamics and functions of seagrass ecosystems

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Ouisse, V., Migné, A. & Davoult, D. Seasonal variations of community production, respiration and biomass of different primary producers in an intertidal Zostera noltii bed (Western English Channel, France). Hydrobiologia 649, 3–11 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0254-3

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