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Primary Production and Growth Dynamics in Posidonia oceanica
Author(s) -
Buia Maria Cristina,
Zupo Valerio,
Mazzella Lucia
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0485.1992.tb00336.x
Subject(s) - posidonia oceanica , seagrass , epiphyte , potamogetonaceae , biomass (ecology) , shoot , algae , growth rate , botany , irradiance , biology , bloom , environmental science , horticulture , ecology , mathematics , ecosystem , geometry , physics , quantum mechanics
. Studies on leaf growth and production were performed in two stands, at depths of 5 m and 22m, in the Posidonia oceanica (L.) D elile bed off Lacco Ameno, Ischia (Gulf of Naples). Experiments were carried out in situ from May 1988 to August 1989 at monthly intervals. Leaf growth and production profiles differed in the two stands investigated. Growth rates were higher at 5 m, with a peak in autumn (5.8 mg · shoot ‐1 · d ‐1 ) and another in March (3.8 mg · shoot ‐1 · d ‐1 ). At 22 m the maximum rate occurred in May (3.9 mg · shoot ‐1 · d ‐1 ). These differential growth rates resulted in a delayed maximum leaf surface and biomass at the deep stand, where lower irradiance values and different temperature patterns were also found. The biomass of epiphytic algae showed trends similar to those of leaves; however, there were remarkable differences in the values between the two stations and for the two investigated years. The production data of the present study are compared with those of other reports, and it is shown that growth processes are greatly influenced by physical factors.