Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1995. Biology Bibliography: leaves [150]-185 Patchy distributions of organisms are a long recognized attribute of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Quantitative descriptions of spatial variance provide clues to processes that generate patchiness...
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ftmemorialunivdc:oai:collections.mun.ca:theses3/137015 2023-05-15T15:27:31+02:00 Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters Horne, John K., 1962- Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Biology Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador 1995 x, 185 leaves : ill., map Image/jpeg; Application/pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses3/id/137015 Eng eng Electronic Theses and Dissertations (21.93 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Horne_JohnK.pdf 76245828 http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses3/id/137015 The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries Spatial behavior in animals Capelin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Atlantic cod--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Predation (Biology) Text Electronic thesis or dissertation 1995 ftmemorialunivdc 2015-08-06T19:20:21Z Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1995. Biology Bibliography: leaves [150]-185 Patchy distributions of organisms are a long recognized attribute of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Quantitative descriptions of spatial variance provide clues to processes that generate patchiness. In aquatic environments, greater effort has focussed on quantifying spatial variance in distributions of plankton than on quantifying spatial variance in distributions of mobile organisms. To evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical processes that generate variance, a theoretical framework was developed that combines demographic, growth, and kinematic rates in dimensionless ratios. Ratio values are then plotted as a function of temporal and spatial scale. Application of this technique identified kinematics as the dominant process influencing capelin (Mallotus villosus) distribution along the coast during the spawning season. -- Hydroacoustic distribution data of capelin and Atlantic cod (Godus morhua) were analyzed to examine how shoaling, schooling, and the aggregative response of predators contribute to the spatial variance of mobile, aquatic organisms. A characteristic scale of patchiness was not observed at the temporal scale of a single transect (ca. 1 hour) or at the scale of a survey (ca. 2 weeks). On average, spatial variance decreased slightly over intermediate scales (10 km - 0.5 km) and then dropped rapidly at smaller scales. Data manipulations and computer simulations demonstrated that shoaling potentially increases spatial variance at intermediate scales, and that schooling potentially reduces spatial variance at scales smaller than aggregation sizes. There was no evidence of an aggregative response by cod to concentrations of capelin throughout the analyzed scale range (20 m -10 km). This unexpected lack of spatial association between predator and prey was explained using estimates of foraging energetics to show that cod were not constrained by physiology to track prey during the capelin spawning season. -- Theoretical and empirical results of this study have increased knowledge of scale-dependent spatial variance in mobile, aquatic organisms and provided insight to the biological processes that potentially generate these patterns. Scale-dependent plots of spatial variance combined with rate diagrams can be used to evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical processes that influence organism dispersion as a function of spatial and temporal scale. Thesis atlantic cod Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) Newfoundland Canada |
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collection |
Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) |
op_collection_id |
ftmemorialunivdc |
language |
English |
topic |
Spatial behavior in animals Capelin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Atlantic cod--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Predation (Biology) |
spellingShingle |
Spatial behavior in animals Capelin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Atlantic cod--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Predation (Biology) Horne, John K., 1962- Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
topic_facet |
Spatial behavior in animals Capelin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Atlantic cod--Newfoundland and Labrador--Geographical distribution Predation (Biology) |
description |
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1995. Biology Bibliography: leaves [150]-185 Patchy distributions of organisms are a long recognized attribute of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Quantitative descriptions of spatial variance provide clues to processes that generate patchiness. In aquatic environments, greater effort has focussed on quantifying spatial variance in distributions of plankton than on quantifying spatial variance in distributions of mobile organisms. To evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical processes that generate variance, a theoretical framework was developed that combines demographic, growth, and kinematic rates in dimensionless ratios. Ratio values are then plotted as a function of temporal and spatial scale. Application of this technique identified kinematics as the dominant process influencing capelin (Mallotus villosus) distribution along the coast during the spawning season. -- Hydroacoustic distribution data of capelin and Atlantic cod (Godus morhua) were analyzed to examine how shoaling, schooling, and the aggregative response of predators contribute to the spatial variance of mobile, aquatic organisms. A characteristic scale of patchiness was not observed at the temporal scale of a single transect (ca. 1 hour) or at the scale of a survey (ca. 2 weeks). On average, spatial variance decreased slightly over intermediate scales (10 km - 0.5 km) and then dropped rapidly at smaller scales. Data manipulations and computer simulations demonstrated that shoaling potentially increases spatial variance at intermediate scales, and that schooling potentially reduces spatial variance at scales smaller than aggregation sizes. There was no evidence of an aggregative response by cod to concentrations of capelin throughout the analyzed scale range (20 m -10 km). This unexpected lack of spatial association between predator and prey was explained using estimates of foraging energetics to show that cod were not constrained by physiology to track prey during the capelin spawning season. -- Theoretical and empirical results of this study have increased knowledge of scale-dependent spatial variance in mobile, aquatic organisms and provided insight to the biological processes that potentially generate these patterns. Scale-dependent plots of spatial variance combined with rate diagrams can be used to evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical processes that influence organism dispersion as a function of spatial and temporal scale. |
author2 |
Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Biology |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Horne, John K., 1962- |
author_facet |
Horne, John K., 1962- |
author_sort |
Horne, John K., 1962- |
title |
Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
title_short |
Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
title_full |
Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
title_fullStr |
Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal Newfoundland waters |
title_sort |
spatial variance of mobile aquatic organisms - capelin and cod in coastal newfoundland waters |
publishDate |
1995 |
url |
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses3/id/137015 |
op_coverage |
Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador |
geographic |
Newfoundland Canada |
geographic_facet |
Newfoundland Canada |
genre |
atlantic cod Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
atlantic cod Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
op_source |
Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries |
op_relation |
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (21.93 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Horne_JohnK.pdf 76245828 http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses3/id/137015 |
op_rights |
The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. |
_version_ |
1766357945230032896 |