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Patterns of polychaete communities in relation to environmental perturbations in a subtropical wetland of Hong Kong

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2010

Ping-Ping Shen ,
Hong Zhou  and
Ji-Dong Gu
Ping-Ping Shen
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Marine-Bioresources Sustainable Utilization, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR
Hong Zhou
Affiliation:
College of Marine Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdado, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
Ji-Dong Gu*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Shek O. Cape d'Aguilar, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J.-D. Gu, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR email: jdgu@hkucc.hku.hk
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Abstract

Benthic polychaetes in the largest intertidal mudflat of Hong Kong were analysed for potentially stressed environmental conditions from pollution. Over a two-year period, a total of 14 species were recorded with the species diversity (H′(log2)) ranged from 0.54 to 2.4. The community was dominated by two large polychaetes (Neanthes glandicincta and Potamilla acuminata) and a number of small pollution tolerant species (Tharyx, Capitella capitata and Prionospio cirrifera). It was also characterized by both temporal and spatial variations in terms of abundance and species composition with the lowest species number observed at onshore Station B in August and the highest at offshore Station D in February. Two distinct polychaete communities were formed along the intertidal towards subtidal mudflat, particularly the assemblage at onshore Station B showing a significant difference from those at the other three stations (P < 0.05, N = 32). Results of the abundance–biomass comparison (ABC) indicated a typical impacted community at the whole study area, especially at Station B which was close to the Shenzhen River mouth and mangrove forest. The total organic carbon had a significant positive effect on the abundance of Capitella capitata (P = 0.037, N = 8) while sedimentary compositions were statistically related to the abundance of Potamilla acuminata, Tharyx and total abundance of polychaetes (P < 0.05, N = 8). In conclusion, both the polluted Shenzhen River and nearby mangrove may be responsible for the decline in species richness and diversity as well as changes in community structure. Polychaetes can be used as the appropriate indicators in habitat ecological condition assessment instead of the whole benthic community.

Keywords

polychaeteindicatorenvironmental stressintertidal mudflatsubtropical
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Issue 5 , August 2010 , pp. 923 - 932
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

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