Open AccessStatistical analysis of polychaete population density: dynamics of dominant species and scaling properties in relative abundance fluctuations
Author(s) -
Benjamín QuirozMartínez,
François G Schmitt,
JeanClaude Dauvin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
hal (le centre pour la communication scientifique directe)
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.5194/mpg-19-45-2012
Subject(s) - polychaete , abundance (ecology) , relative species abundance , scaling , population , population density , density dependence , ecology , environmental science , biology , statistics , mathematics , demography , geometry , sociology
International audienceWe consider here the dynamics of two polychaete populations based on a 20 yr temporal benthic survey of two muddy ne sand communities in the Bay of Morlaix, Western English Channel. These populations display high temporal variability, which is analyzed here using scaling approaches. We nd that population densities have heavy tailed probability density functions. We analyze the dynamics of relative species abundance in two different communities of polychaetes by estimating in a novel way a "mean square drift" coefcient which characterizes their uctuations in relative abundance over time. We show the usefulness of using new tools to approach and model such highly variable population dynamics in marine ecosystems