This study presents two years of characterization of a warm temperate rhodolith bed in order to analyse how certain environmental changes influence the community ecology. The biomass of rhodoliths and associated species were analysed during this period and in situ experiments were conducted to evaluate the primary production, calcification and respiration of the dominant species of rhodoliths and epiphytes. The highest total biomass of rhodoliths occurred during austral winter. Lithothamnion crispatum was the most abundant rhodolith species in austral summer. Epiphytic macroalgae occurred only in January 2015, with Padina gymnospora being the most abundant. Considering associated fauna, the biomass of Mollusca increased from February 2015 to February 2016. Population densities of key reef fish species inside and around the rhodolith beds showed significant variations in time. The densities of grouper (carnivores/piscivores) increased in time, especially from 2015 to 2016. On the other hand, grunts (macroinvertebrate feeders) had a modest decrease over time (from 2014 to 2016). Other parameters such as primary production and calcification of L. crispatum were higher under enhanced irradiance, yet decreased in the presence of P. gymnospora. Community structure and physiological responses can be explained by the interaction of abiotic and biotic factors, which are driven by environmental changes over time. Biomass changes can indicate that herbivores play a role in limiting the growth of epiphytes, and this is beneficial to the rhodoliths because it decreases competition for environmental resources with fleshy algae.

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当描述性生态学遇到生理学：在南大西洋的红石床中的一项研究

本研究介绍了两年来对暖温带红石床的表征，以分析某些环境变化如何影响群落生态。在此期间分析了红石和相关物种的生物量，并原位进行了实验以评估红石和附生植物优势物种的初级生产、钙化和呼吸作用。红石的总生物量最高出现在南方冬季。石竹是南方夏季最丰富的石榴石物种。附生大型藻类仅在 2015 年 1 月出现，裸孢子虫是最丰富的。考虑到相关的动物群，软体动物的生物量从 2015 年 2 月到 2016 年 2 月有所增加。红石层内部和周围的主要礁鱼物种的种群密度显示出显着的时间变化。石斑鱼（食肉动物/食鱼动物）的密度随时间增加，尤其是从 2015 年到 2016 年。另一方面，咕噜声（大型无脊椎动物饲养者）随着时间的推移（从 2014 年到 2016 年）略有下降。其他参数，如初级生产和钙化卷曲乳杆菌在增强的辐照度下更高，但在存在辐照度的情况下降低裸孢子虫. 群落结构和生理反应可以通过随时间的环境变化驱动的非生物和生物因素的相互作用来解释。生物量的变化可以表明食草动物在限制附生植物的生长方面发挥了作用，这对红石是有益的，因为它减少了与肉质藻类对环境资源的竞争。