Detritivore communities of marine macro phytodetritus accumulations : diversity, dynamics, trophic structure and roles in the degradation of particulate phytodetritus. |
 |
A major part of marine plant biomass is not consumed by herbivore animals and is fuelled to detritus compartment. Marine macrophyte detritus are frequently exported outside their production zone and constitute sometimes underwater or beach cast large accumulations. These accumulations have complex characteristic: they are ephemeral biota (i.e. few days to few years), moving, heterogeneous and where intense degradation processes occur. These characteristics lead to important physico-chemical variability of detritus accumulation. The nutritive quality of macro phytodetritus is considered as low because this material is very impoverish in nutrient and is mainly constituted if structural carbohydrates, unpalatable for most marine animals. Although these very hard condition, these accumulations of phytodétritus are inhabited by an abundant and diversified fauna, globally considered as detritivore. Phytodetritic litter are considered as unimportant from an ecological b-point of view and, generally, do not beneficiate of any legal protection. This is astonishing considering the degradation process and the trophic transferts occurring in these biota. This general thematic propose to study the detritivore communities in macrophytes phytodétritus of temperate and tropical marine biota according to 4 inter-dependant axes: a. their faunistic diversity; b. their dynamics; c. their effect on phytodétritus degradation; d. the structuration and dynamics of associated trophic web. Presently, the thematic is developed at the oceanographic station STARESO (University of Liège)(Corsica) on Posidonia oceanica phytodétritus accumulation.
|
|
External Collaborations linked to this thematic: 1. Liège University (ULg): *Chemical Oceanography Unit (Dr. A. Borges, Dr. F. Darchambeau, Willy Champenois), *Ultrastructural Morphology Unit (Dr. P. Compère, Mélissa Trevisan), *Laboratory of Animal Systematic and Diversity (Prof P. Dauby, Loïc Michel), 2. University of Namur (FUNDP Namur) *Freshwater Ecology (URBO) (Prof. J-P Descy, Dr. F. Darchambeau), 3. University of Ghent (UGent): *Marine Biology Lab (Dr. M. De Troch), |
Financing: FRCF 2.4511.09 : Implications des accumulations de litière de posidonies et des communautés microbiennes et détritivores associées dans le cycle du carbone d'un milieu marin côtier oligotrophe. |
 |
Contact person
|