Intraspecific Abundance–Occupancy–Patchiness Relations in the Intertidal Benthic Macrofauna of a Cool-Temperate North Sea Mudflat
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jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pThe macroecological variable of patchiness (Lloyd’s jats:italicI</jats:italic>jats:subp</jats:sub> index of patchiness, jats:italicP</jats:italic>) has recently been shown to be related inter- and intraspecifically to those of abundance (numbers mjats:sup−2</jats:sup>, jats:italicA</jats:italic>), and occupancy (% occurrence in samples, jats:italicO</jats:italic>) in lower latitude seagrass macrofaunas. For the first time in higher latitudes, intraspecific relationships between three spatial variables were investigated in the intertidal mudflat macrobenthos of the Scolt Head barrier island, southern North Sea (53° N, 01° E). Sampling was conducted between early July and late September 2009–2013 using 710-µm mesh for sample processing. Strong positive interspecific jats:italicA</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> and negative interspecific jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> and jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicA</jats:italic> relationships were present. Two of the most numerous and widespread assemblage components, however, occurred with effectively constant occupancy (jats:italicPeringia ulvae</jats:italic>, 100%, and jats:italicTubificoides benedii</jats:italic>, 93%) across the whole 20-ha locality and therefore could not show intraspecific relationships of occupancy with other macroecological metrics. These two apart, only one other dominant species failed to show a significant positive intraspecific jats:italicA</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> relationship; no species showed significant jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicA</jats:italic> relations of any form; and only two showed the negative jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> ones that have been described elsewhere. The intraspecific jats:italicA</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> patterns appear to contrast with those of an earlier study at another North Sea locality (the Dutch Wadden Sea), although differences are more apparent than real, but the Scolt Head fauna showed fewer intraspecific jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic> and jats:italicP</jats:italic>-jats:italicA</jats:italic> relations than those characterising similar circumstances in the two lower-latitude localities previously investigated. Neither developmental mode nor variation in local abundance appears to influence these patterns. jats:italicA</jats:italic>-jats:italicO</jats:italic>-jats:italicP</jats:italic> relations therefore seem widespread but may be subject to latitudinal modification.</jats:p>
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1559-2731