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- Title
Population persistence of the perennial kelp Eisenia arborea varies across local spatial scales.
- Authors
Gossard, Daniel J.; Steller, Diana L.
- Abstract
Perennial stipitate kelps are globally distributed and individual species can inhabit broad latitudinal ranges, expressing notably longevous persistence. Despite the foundational role kelps provide to their communities, little is known about the variability in persistence of the stipitate kelps at local spatial scales. We studied the population persistence of Eisenia arborea, a heat- and wave force-tolerant perennial stipitate kelp with a distributional range extending from British Columbia to south of the range limit of all other northeast Pacific kelps, in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Persistence characteristics for E. arborea among sites were compared and used to test the hypothesis that stand persistence varied at local spatial scales around Isla Natividad, a Pacific island off the Baja California peninsula with documented spatiotemporal environmental heterogeneity. Collected individuals around the island were "aged" using the previously validated age estimation technique of counting annual cortical dark rings. After detecting no significant differences among sites in the covariation between estimated ages for collected individuals and stipe length, we utilized in-situ population-level stipe length measurements to more rapidly predict age structures within six stands around the island. Predicted age structures, and associated stand densities, revealed persistence characteristics and density varied at local scales and a strong positive relationship existed between stand density and stand mean and maximum ages. We speculate that stands responded differently to deterministic influences (e.g., the 2014-2016 marine heatwave and / or competition with Macrocystis) resulting in heterogenous local persistence of this foundation species.
- Subjects
BAJA California (Mexico : State); BAJA California Sur (Mexico); BRITISH Columbia; KELPS; MACROCYSTIS; OLDER people; PERENNIALS; HEAT waves (Meteorology); LENGTH measurement
- Publication
Algae, 2022, Vol 37, Issue 1, p63
- ISSN
1226-2617
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.4490/algae.2022.37.2.19