Marine Botany

Pelvetia

Demography of Pelvetia compressa

[now Silvetia compressa (J. Agardh) Serrão, Cho, Boo et Brawley]

A demography study by Gunnill at La Jolla showed that populations of P. compressa were usually small and relatively stable. He found survivorship of recruits was similar regardless of the season or year of recruitment. Mortality rates decreased with age and mean life expectancy continued to increase for the first year. Many juveniles were lost; 50% survived only 80 days while only 9% survived to the first reproduction at 1.5 years of age. The individuals in aggregations of large plants lived longer than those singly dispersed. Several established individuals had low mortality rates; these were the ones on which the population relied for reproduction.

Credit Rhoda Lin

© 1996 R. H.  Lin

Last updated: Jan. 05, 2005