|
Identifier |
000351754 |
Title |
Χρήση της πληροφορίας που αφορά χαρακτηριστικά των κύκλω ζωής των μακροβενθικών ασπόνδυλων (Πολύχαιτοι), με σκοπό της εκτίμηση της ποιότητας των ενδιαιτημάτων των θαλάσσιων μεταβατικών οικοσυστημάτων της Μεσογείου |
Alternative Title |
Usage of life cycle traits in macrobenthic Polychaetes in order to assess the quality of transitional Mediterranean waters' habitats |
Author
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Μαρκαντωνάτου, Βασιλική
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Thesis advisor
|
Καρακάσης, Ιωάννης
Αρβανιτίδης, Χρήστος
|
Abstract |
In recent years, the potential of species in playing important roles in ecosystems and the rapidy emerging interest in biodiversity conservation have prompted ecologists to ask new questions on the relationships between 'diversity' and 'ecosystem function'.
Phylogenetic Diversity is based on the relationships between organisms and is expressed according to Clarke & Warwick (2001) by the Taxonomic Distinctness
indices Δ+ and Λ+. The relationships between organisms and processes through
which they are adapted to environmental changes are expressed by a new term
called “Functional Diversity”. Measuring Functional Diversity is very important in
order to understand and predict future variation of biodiversity, concerning also
issues about human impact on transitional waters.
Functional Diversity refers to the general function of an organism within a
given environment, and is described by the functional traits this organism possesses.
Functional traits are those that define species in terms of their ecological roles ‐ how
they interact with the environment and with other species.
In the present study we tested the performance of a recently described
multivariable methods and new indices describing Functional Distinctness Xeq+ and
Ψeq+, based on the methodology proposed by Petchey & Gaston (2002). This
approach uses multivariate statistical analysis, commonly known as Biological Traits
Analysis (BTA), which combines information concerning life cycles of macrobenthic
polychaetes in Mediterranean and Hellenic transitional waters.
Most experimental evidence for biodiversity effects on ecosystem
functioning comes from terrestrial and fresh water ecosystems, where this method
has become part of the typical analysis, in contrast to the marine environment
where this approach is still under questions.
The results produced by the Functional Distinctness performed on the
datasets from the Mediterranean and Greek coastal lagoons where compared with
those from the same set of data as produced by the Taxonomic Distinctness (TD)
approach. The comparison shows patterns deriving from the functional level are
complementary to those from the taxonomic/ phylogenetic level.
The results steaming from the functional level performed better the status
of the coastal lagoons examined as compared to the taxonomic/ phylogenetic level.
This is probably linked to the scale of observation we have each time.
Quantifying Functional Diversity (i.e. the range and variability of functional
traits a biota possesses), and the development of an appropriate methodology for
this purpose, is extremely difficult demanding good knowledge of the ecosystem and
the biology of the organisms living in the ecosystem.
|
Language |
Greek |
Subject |
Biodiversity |
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Biological Traits Analysis |
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Ecosystem functioning |
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Functional diversity |
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Functional traits |
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Taxonomic distinctness |
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Ανάλυση Βιολογικών Χαρακτηριστικών |
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Βιοποικιλότητα |
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Λειτουργικά χαρακτηριστικά |
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Λειτουργική ποικιλότητα |
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Λειτουργικότητα οικοσυστήματος |
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Ταξινομική διακριτότητα |
Issue date |
2010-03-10 |
Collection
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School/Department--School of Sciences and Engineering--Department of Biology--Post-graduate theses
|
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Type of Work--Post-graduate theses
|
Views |
295 |