Trends of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Magnoliophyta) in the Canary Islandspopulation changes in the last two decades

  1. Federico Fabbri 1
  2. Fernando Espino 1
  3. Rogelio Herrera 2
  4. Leopoldo Moro 2
  5. Ricardo Haroun 1
  6. Rodrigo Riera 3
  7. Nieves González-Henriquez 1
  8. Oscar Bergasa 4
  9. Oscar Monterroso 3
  10. Manuel Ruiz de la Rosa 5
  11. Fernando Tuya 1
  1. 1 Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
    info

    Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

    Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01teme464

  2. 2 Viceconsejería de Medio Ambiente, Gobierno de Canarias
  3. 3 Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlántico
  4. 4 Elittoral, Parque Científico Tecnológico de Tafira
  5. 5 ECOS
Revista:
Scientia Marina

ISSN: 0214-8358

Ano de publicación: 2015

Volume: 79

Número: 1

Páxinas: 7-13

Tipo: Artigo

DOI: 10.3989/SCIMAR.04165.19B DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso aberto editor

Outras publicacións en: Scientia Marina

Resumo

Seagrass meadows perform essential ecosystem functions and services. Though the meadows are globally deteriorating, numerous regressions remain unreported as a result of data fragmentation. Cymodocea nodosa is the most important seagrass in shallow coastal waters of the Canary Islands. No study has so far investigated temporal population trends at the entire archipelago scale. Using data collected in the past 23 years by local companies, public authorities and research groups, the population trends of Cymodocea nodosa were analysed over the past two decades at the scales of islands, island sectors and meadows. During this period, a prevalence of negative trends was revealed for three seagrass demographic descriptors (seagrass shoot density, coverage and leaf length) at the three scales, evidencing an overall deterioration in seagrass meadow integrity. These results suggest the need to develop correct management strategies to guarantee the conservation of this seagrass and the meadows it creates.

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