Diversity of Planktonic Foraminifera in Deep-Sea Sediments

The diversity of a planktonic foraminiferal assemblage on the ocean floor depends on the state of preservation of that assemblage. As dissolution progresses, species diversity (number of species in the assemblage) decreases, but compound diversity (based on relative species abundance) first increase...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Berger, Wolfgang H., Parker, Frances L.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1970
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.168.3937.1345
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.168.3937.1345
Description
Summary:The diversity of a planktonic foraminiferal assemblage on the ocean floor depends on the state of preservation of that assemblage. As dissolution progresses, species diversity (number of species in the assemblage) decreases, but compound diversity (based on relative species abundance) first increases and then decreases; species dominance first decreases and then increases. The reason for these changes is that the species most susceptible to solution deliver more sediment to the ocean floor than do species with solution-resistant shells, possibly because the more soluble tests are produced in surface waters, where growth and production are greatest.