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Biological activities as patchiness driving forces in wetlands of northern Belize
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SYSNO ASEP 0335034 Document Type J - Journal Article R&D Document Type Journal Article Subsidiary J Článek ve WOS Title Biological activities as patchiness driving forces in wetlands of northern Belize Title Biologická aktivita jako hnací síla ostrůvkovitosti vegetace v mokřadech severního Belize Author(s) Macek, Petr (BU-J)
Rejmánková, E. (US)
Fuchs, R. (CZ)Number of authors 3 Source Title Oikos. - : Wiley - ISSN 0030-1299
Roč. 118, č. 11 (2009), s. 1687-1694Number of pages 8 s. Language eng - English Country DK - Denmark Keywords Aramus guarauna ; oligotrophic tropical wetlands ; nutrient cycling Subject RIV EF - Botanics CEZ AV0Z60050516 - BU-J (2005-2011) UT WOS 000271004300010 DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17650.x Annotation Belizean oligotrophic wetlands display noticeable vegetation heterogeneity, patchiness. Patches had denser and taller vegetation, higher amount of empty snail shells and elevated soil P. Plants in patches had higher tissue N & P content and were enriched in 15N; patch soils were depleted in 13C. We observed Aramus guarauna, a wading bird feeding exclusively on snails. An adult bird captured 18 snails daily, of these 80% were handled in patches; birds often repeatedly used the same patch. Experimental patch creation (chicken manure) had the effect noticeable even 40 months after. We present a simple mechanistic explanation for nutrient redistribution in wetlands and their eventual accumulation in patches. Both nutrient and isotopic differences result from animal input into patches. Foraging activity of A. guarauna is most likely responsible for patch formation. A positive feedback (repeated use of a suitable patch) is apparently the mechanism sustaining patches in these marshes. Workplace Institute of Botany Contact Martina Bartošová, martina.bartosova@ibot.cas.cz, ibot@ibot.cas.cz, Tel.: 271 015 242 ; Marie Jakšová, marie.jaksova@ibot.cas.cz, Tel.: 384 721 156-8 Year of Publishing 2010
Number of the records: 1