The importance of burrowing and leaf litter feeding crabs for the ecosystem functioning of mangrove forests
Date Issued
2014-06-03
Author(s)
Supervisors
Saint-Paul, Ulrich
Referees
Saint-Paul, Ulrich
Abstract
Studies have emphasized the importance of burrowing and leaf litter feeding crabs for functioning of mangrove ecosystems. Crabs can influence sediment characteristics, energy and nutrient cycling and, consequently, other ecosystem components such as tree growth. Yet, the impact of crab activity on ecosystem processes, and subsequently on ecosystem functioning, is unclear. This thesis aims to better understand the role of large burrowing and leaf litter feeding crabs, using Ucides cordatus (Ucididae) as study organism, in sediment processes and, based on these processes, in the ecosystem functioning of a Brazilian mangrove forest. Results are evaluated in the thesis synthesis to understand the importance of U. cordatus, but also of burrowing and leaf litter feeding crabs in general, for mangrove ecosystems.
Subjects
ecosystem function
;
ecosystem functioning
;
Ucides cordatus
;
bioturbation
;
sediment processes
;
desalting
;
carbon dioxid release
;
reduction potential
;
removal experiment
Institution
Type
Dissertation
Secondary publication
No
Language
English
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
00103844-1.pdf
Size
9.04 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):04731e77da3636b9ef2de717b995ac6f