Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Meadow fragmentation and reproductive output of the SE Asian seagrass Enhalus acoroides
Vermaat, J.E.; Rollon, R.N.; Lacap, C.D.A.; Billot, C.; Alberto, F.; Nacorda, H.M.E.; Wiegman, F.; Terrados, J. (2004). Meadow fragmentation and reproductive output of the SE Asian seagrass Enhalus acoroides. J. Sea Res. 52(4): 321-328. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2004.04.002
In: Journal of Sea Research. Elsevier/Netherlands Institute for Sea Research: Amsterdam; Den Burg. ISSN 1385-1101; e-ISSN 1873-1414, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Anatomical structures > Body organs > Plant organs > Plant reproductive structures
    Dispersion
    Flora > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic plants
    Flora > Weeds > Marine organisms > Seaweeds > Sea grass
    Pollen
    Enhalus acoroides (Linnaeus f.) Royle, 1839 [WoRMS]
    ISEW, Philippines, Luzon, Bolinao
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    pollen dispersal; hydrochorous pollination efficiency; landscapeheterogeneity; nonlinear thresholds; tropical seagrass meadows

Authors  Top 
  • Vermaat, J.E., more
  • Rollon, R.N.
  • Lacap, C.D.A.
  • Billot, C.
  • Alberto, F., more
  • Nacorda, H.M.E.
  • Wiegman, F.
  • Terrados, J., more

Abstract
    Flower and fruit production of the abundant, tall, long-lived, dioecious, surface-pollinating seagrass species Enhalus acoroides (L.) Royle were estimated at seven sites in the reef flats off Bolinao (NW Luzon, The Philippines) featuring different fragmentation of the seagrass meadows. Fragmentation of the seagrass meadow was quantified as cover of E. acoroides and all seagrass species present in 20×20 m plots. E. acoroides and overall seagrass cover were correlated positively. The proportion of female flowers of E. acoroides that developed a fruit increased sharply as overall seagrass cover was around 50%. Apparent sex ratio bore no relationship with overall seagrass cover. This threshold-type of relationship suggests that fragmentation of seagrass meadows can have a major effect on the reproductive output of this species. A possible mechanism underlying these results would be a non-linear increase of the efficiency of trapping the surface-dispersed pollen with increasing seagrass canopy density. This provides the first evidence based on real data that fragmentation can affect the population dynamics of seagrass species.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors