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Pattern Analysis - Grid Surveys<br />

A total of 31, 31 and 33 taxa were collected from the lm, 8m and 40m surveys<br />

respectively. A full species list, together with abundances per plot for each survey, are<br />

given in Appendices 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 for the lm, 8m and 40m surveys respectively.<br />

Species are listed in the Appendices in the order according to Howson and Picton<br />

(1997). From these 3 surveys, 9, 10 and 11 taxa respectively were considered<br />

sufficiently abundant for pattern analysis, i.e., a mean abundance of at least 2<br />

individuals per core. Since these surveys were carried out during the summer, the<br />

abundances of the majority of the species were greater than found from the transect<br />

survey. Tables 2.2-2.4 show the dispersion indices; v:m, Id and Ip, for each of these<br />

taxa from each grid survey with the distributions they imply. There was a very good<br />

agreement between the 3 indices used. Therefore, one can be confident that the<br />

distributions inferred from these indices are correct.<br />

The results from the lm survey suggest that at this scale, 7 of the 9 species showed an<br />

aggregated distribution. These were P. elegans, A. marina, L. conchilega, E. cf flava,<br />

M. balthica, B. sarsi and G. duebeni. The distributions of N. hombergii and C. edule<br />

were not significantly different from random. Of the 10 species sufficiently abundant<br />

for analysis from the 8m survey, 8 were aggregated, i.e., P. elegans, S. martinensis, L.<br />

conchilega, C. capitata, E. cf flava, M. balthica, G. duebeni, and C. edule. N.<br />

hombergii and A. marina were found to be randomly distributed. All 11 species<br />

analysed from the 40m survey were found to have significantly aggregated<br />

distributions.<br />

Pygospio elegans had by far the greatest v:m ratio in each of the grid surveys, i.e.,<br />

31.69, 68.46 and 64.58 for the lm, 8m and 40m surveys respectively. This suggests<br />

that this species showed a high spatial variability even at relatively small scales (1m<br />

survey), forming patches within which their densities were far greater than those in<br />

surrounding non-patch areas.<br />

31

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