Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interrelationships among ecological factors of brachyuran crabs, trees and soil in mangrove community assemblage in Northeast Brazil

  • Published:
Community Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mangroves are dynamic ecosystems due to influence of abiotic and biotic factors, but the latter are far less studied. Interactions between key invertebrate groups, trees, and soil properties, among others, determine the community structure throughout mangrove stand developing. Covariation among these factors, however, obscures their mutual relationships in shaping mangrove community assemblage patterns. In the estuary of Pacoti River (Ceará State, northeast Brazil), we compared the diversity and distribution of brachyurans and trees among several mid-littoral areas, and their relation with sediment features, to understand their relationships in community assemblage of new mangrove stands in developing. To discriminate the relation among these variables, ordination of data (PCA) and multivariate multiple correlation (PLS) were used. Data show that intertidal establishment of Brachyura was determined primarily by sediment properties, but further spatial distribution and diversity of this key faunal group, and the tree species that establishes, can influence each other. The prop roots habitat of Rhizophora mangle supports a higher brachyuran richness, since it allows the existence of multispecific crab burrow systems underground. Our results show that Rhizophora and brachyurans are key engineer organisms involved in shaping the physical and, hence, the ecological structure of newly established mangrove stands at Neotropics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

A:

Avicennia germinans area

R:

Rhizophora mangle area

L:

Laguncularia racemosa area

RL:

Rhizophora + Laguncularia area

AL:

Avicennia + Laguncularia area

RLA:

Rhizophora + Laguncularia + Avicennia area

C:

Control area

Pen:

Sediment penetrability

S:

sediment salinity

OM:

organic matter

Cl+Sl:

clay + silt

TDiv:

Tree diversity

Dom:

Tree dominance

SeeDens:

Seedling density

TDens:

Tree density

TM/J:

rate of mature trees

CrbRich:

Crab richness

Gon:

abundance of Goniopsis cruentata

UBurr:

abundance of Ocypodoidea crabs

SnDiv:

Snail diversity

PCA:

Principal Component Analyses

Var:

Proportion of variance

CumVar:

Cumulative variance

PLS:

Partial Least Squares

VIP:

Variable Importance Projection

PLSw:

Weight of variable

PLSv:

Proportion of variance

References

  • Abdi, H. 2007. Partial Least Square Regression PLS-Regression. In: N. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistic. Sage, Thousand Oaks. pp. 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abele, L.G. 1976. Comparative species composition and relative abundance of decapod crustaceans in marine habitats of Panama. Mar. Biol. 38:263–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alleman, L.K., and M.W. Hester. 2011. Refinement of the fundamental niche of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) seedlings in Louisiana: Applications for restoration. Wetlands Ecol. Manage. 19:47–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alongi, D.M. 2009. Paradigm shifts in mangrove biology. In: G.M.E Perillo, E. Wolanski, D.R. Cahoon and M.M. Brinson (eds.), Coastal Wetlands, an Integrated Ecosystem Approach. Elsevier, London, pp. 615–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alongi, D.M. 2014. Carbon cycling and storage in mangrove forests. Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci. 6:195–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aschenbroich, A., E. Michaud, T. Stieglitz, F. Fromard, A. Gardel, M. Tavares and G. Thouzeau. 2016. Brachyuran crab community structure and associated sediment reworking activities in pioneer and young mangroves of French Guiana, South America. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 182:60–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, E.C., P J. Hogarth and D.J. Macintosh. 2003a. A comparison of brachyuran crab community structure at four mangrove locations under different management systems along the Melaka Straits-Andaman Sea coast of Malaysia and Thailand.. Estuaries 26:1461–1471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, E.C., D.J. Macintosh and P.J. Hogarth. 2003b. A baseline study of the diversity and community ecology of crab and molluscan macrofauna in the Sematan mangrove forest, Sarawak, Malaysia.. J. Trop. Ecol. 19:127–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, R.J.A. and L.B. Eastman. 2015. Burrow dwelling in Crustacea. In: M. Thiel and L. Watling (eds.), The Natural History of the Crustacea, Vol 2: Lifestyles and Feeding Biology. Oxford University Press, New York. pp. 78–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barreto, H.B.F., W.O. Santos and C.M. da Cruz. 2012. Analysis of the distribution of mean annual rainfall in the state of Ceará. Revista Verde de Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Sustentável 7:122–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bezerra, L.E.A., C.B. Dias, G.X. Santana and H. Matthews-Cascon. 2006. Spatial distribution of fiddler crabs (genus Uca) in a tropical mangrove of northeast Brazil. Sci. Mar. 70:759–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bosire, J.O., J.G. Kairo, J. Kazungu, N. Koedam and F. Dahdouh-Guebas. 2005. Predation on propagules regulates regeneration in a high-density reforested mangrove plantation. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 299:149–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Branco, J.O. 1991. Aspectos ecológicos dos Brachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda) no mangezal de Itacorubi, SC–Brasil. Rev. Bras. Zool. 7:165–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brower, J. and J.H. Zar. 1984. Field and Laboratory Methods for General Ecology. 2nd ed. WCB Publishers, Iowa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burggren, W. and B. McMahon. 1988. Biology of the Land Crabs. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Butman, C.A. 1987. Larval settlement of soft-sediment invertebrates: the spatial scale of pattern explained by active habitat selection and the emerging role of hydrodynamical processes. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev. 25:113–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderon, D.G. and B.R. Echeverri. 1997. Obtaining Rhizophora mangle seedlings by stimulation of adventitious roots using an air-layering technique. In: B. Kjerfve (ed.), Mangrove Ecosystem Studies in Latin America and Africa. UNESCO, Paris. pp. 98–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannicci, S., B. Burrows, S. Fratini, T.J. Smith III, J. Offenberg and F. Dahdouh-Guebas. 2008. Faunal impact on vegetation structure and ecosystem function in mangrove forests: a review. Aquat. Bot. 89:186–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cannicci, S., M. Fusi, F. Cipó, F. Dahdouh-Guebas and S. Fratini. 2018. Interference competition as a key determinant for spatial distribution of mangrove crabs. BMC Ecology 18:1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmona-Suárez, C. 2011. Present status of Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1828 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) populations in Venezuela. Interciencia 36:908–913.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, M.G. and T.J. Tolhurst. 2004. The relationship between invertebrate assemblages and bio-dependent properties of sediment in urbanized temperate mangrove forests. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 304:51–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, G., Y. Yong and C. Lu. 2007. Changes of macro-benthic faunal community with stand age of rehabilitated Kandelia candel mangrove in Jiulongjiang Estuary, China. Ecol. Eng. 31:215–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cintrón, G. and Y. Schaeffer-Novelli. 1983. Introducción a la ecología del Manglar. UNESCO, Montevideo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D.B., D.A. Clarke and J.M. Read. 1998. Edaphic mesoscale and the distribution of tree species in a neotropical rain forest. J. Ecol. 86:101–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, P.J. and W.G. Allaway. 1993. The regeneration niche of the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina): effects of salinity, light and sediment factors on establishment, growth and survival in the field. Oecologia 93:548–556.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, W.S. 1993. Visualizing Data. Hobart Press, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colares, G.B. and V.M.M. Melo. 2013. Relating microbial community structure and environmental variables in mangrove sediments inside Rhizophora mangle L. habitats. Appl. Soil Ecol. 64:171–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colpo, K.D., M.M. Chacur, F.J. Guimarães and M.L. Negreiros-Fransozo. 2011. Subtropical Brazilian mangroves as a refuge of crab (Decapoda: Brachyura) diversity. Biodivers. Conserv. 20:3239–3250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuddington, K., J.E. Byers, W.G. Wilson and A. Hastings. 2007. Ecosystem engineers, from Plants to Protists. Elsevier, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahdouh-Guebas, F., M. Verneirt, J.F. Tack and N. Koedam. 1997. Food preferences of Neosarmatium meinerti de Man (Decapoda: Sesarminae) and its possible effect on the regeneration of mangroves. Hydrobiologia 347:83–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, J.M. 1975. Assembly of species communities. In: M. Cody and J.M. Diamond (eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Communities. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. pp. 342–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donato, D.C., J.B. Kauffman, D. Murdiyarso, S. Kurnianto, M. Stidham and M. Kanninen. 2011. Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. Nat. Geosci. 4:293–297.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng, J., J. Guo, Q. Huang, J. Jiang, G. Huang, Z. Yang and G. Lin. 2014. Changes in the community structure and diet of benthic macrofauna in invasive Spartina alterniflora wetlands following restoration with native mangroves. Wetlands 34:673–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A.C. 1998. Composição de Crustacea (Decapoda) dos manguezais do Município de Macau/RN. MSc Dissertation, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil.

  • Ferreira, A.C. and C. Sankarankutty. 2002. Estuarine Carcinofuna (Decapoda) of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Nauplius 2:121–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A.C. and L.D. Lacerda. 2016. Degradation and conservation of Brazilian mangroves, status and perspectives. Ocean. Coast. Manag. 125:38–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A.C., G. Ganade, F.A.M. Freire and J.L. Attayde. 2013. Propagule predation in a Neotropical mangrove: the role of the grapsid crab. Goniopsis cruentata. Hydrobiologia 707:135–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A.C., G. Ganade and J.L Attayde. 2015. Restoration versus natural regeneration in a neotropical mangrove: Effects on plant biomass and crab communities. Ocean Coast. Manage. 110:38–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A.C., L.E.A. Bezerra and H. Mathews-Cascon. 2019. Aboveground stock in a restored Neotropical mangrove: Influence of management and brachyuran crab assemblage. Wetlands Ecol. Manage. 27:223–242.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fiuza, A.B.J.Q., L.G.O. Le Hugeur and B.J. Queiroz. 2010. Análise ambiental do baixo curso do rio Pacoti –Ceará. Arq. Ciên. Mar. 43:18–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frusher, S., R.L. Giddins and T.J. Smith III. 1994. Distribution and abundance of grapsid crabs (Grapsidae) in a mangrove estuary: Effects of sediment characteristics, salinity tolerances, and osmoregulatory ability. Estuaries 17:647–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fukami, T. and D.A. Wardle. 2005. Long-term ecological dynamics: reciprocal insights from natural and anthropogenic gradients. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 272:2105–2115.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gill A.M. and P.B. Tomlinson. 1977. Studies on the growth of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) 4. The adult root system. Biotropica 9:145–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goes, P., J.O. Branco, M.A.A. Pinheiro, E. Barbieri, D. Costa and L.L. Fernandes. 2010. Bioecology of the Uçá-crab, Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) in Vitória Bay, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Braz. J. Ocean. 58:153–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gotelli, N.J. and A.M. Ellison. 2004. A primer of Ecological Statistics. Sinauer Ass. Inc., Massachussetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, A. 1995. Diversification of Gulf/Caribbean mangrove communities through Cenozoic time. Biotropica 27:20–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Ø., D.A.T. Harper and P.D. Ryan. 2001. Past: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontol. Electronica 4:1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Höskuldsson, A. 1988. PLS Regression Methods. J. Chemometr. 2:211–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe, I.T. 2002. Principal Component Analysis. 2nd ed. Springer, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C.G., J.H. Lawton and M. Schachak. 1994. Organisms as ecosystem engineers. Oikos 69:373–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katrak, G., S. Dittmann and L. Seuront. 2008. Spatial variation in burrow morphology of the mud shore crab Helograpsus haswellianus (Brachyura, Grapsidae) in South Australian saltmarshes. Mar Freshw. Res. 59:902–911.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman, J.B., A.F. Bernardino, T.O. Ferreira, N.W. Bolton, L.E.O. Gomes and G.N. Nobrega. 2018. Shrimp ponds lead to massive loss of soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in northeastern Brazilian mangroves. Ecol. Evol. 8:5530–5540.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Koch, V. and M. Wolff. 2002. Energy budget and ecological role of mangrove epibenthos in the Caeté estuary, North Brazil. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 228:119–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koch, V., M. Wolff and K. Diele. 2005. Comparative population dynamics of four fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae, genus Uca) from a North Brazilian mangrove ecosystem. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 291:177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krauss, K.W., C.E. Lovelock, K.L. McKee, L. López-Hoffman, S.M.L. Ewe and W.P. Sousa. 2008. Environmental drivers in mangrove establishment and early development: A review. Aquat. Bot. 89:105–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kristensen, E. and D.M. Alongi. 2006. Control by fiddler crabs (Uca vocans) and plant roots (Avicennia marina) on carbon, iron, and sulfur biogeochemistry in mangrove sediment. Limnol. Oceanogr. 51:1557–1571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kristensen, E. and J.E. Kostka. 2005. Macrofaunal burrows and irrigation in marine sediment: Microbiological and biogeochemical interactions. In: E. Kristensen, R.R. Haese and J.E. Kostka (eds.), Interactions Between Macro- and Microorganisms in Marine Sediments. American Geophysical Union, Washington. pp. 125–157.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kristensen, E. 2008. Mangrove crabs as ecosystem engineers; with emphasis on sediment processes. J. Sea Res. 59:30–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.D. (ed.) 2002. Mangrove Ecosystems: Function and Management. Springer Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.D. and R.V. Marins. 2002. River damming and changes in mangrove distribution. Glomis / ISME Electronic Journal 2:1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.D., V. Ittekkot and S.R. Patchineelam. 1995. Biogeochemistry of mangrove soil organic matter: a comparison between Rhizophora and Avicennia soils in southeastern Brazil. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 40:713–720.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.D., M.O.T. Menezes and M.M. Molisani. 2007. Changes in mangrove extension at the Pacoti River estuary, CE, NE Brazil due to regional environmental changes between 1958 and 2004. Biota Neotrop. 7:67–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S.Y. 1998. Ecological role of grapsid crabs in mangrove ecosystems: A review. Mar. Fresh. Res. 49:335–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S.Y. 1999. Tropical mangrove ecology: physical and biotic factors influencing ecosystem structure and function. Aust. J. Ecol. 24:355–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, J.Y.S. 2015a. Habitat heterogeneity affects ecological functions of macrobenthic communities in a mangrove: Implication for the impact of restoration and afforestation.. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 4:423–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, J.Y.S. 2015b. Habitat heterogeneity determining the macrobenthic infaunal community in a mangrove swamp in South China: Implication for plantation and plant invasion.. J. Coast. Res. 31:624–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lima-Gomes, R.C., V.J. Cobo and A. Fransozo. 2011. Feeding behaviour and ecosystem role of the red mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803) (Decapoda, Grapsoidea) in a subtropical estuary on the Brazilian coast. Crustaceana 84:735–747.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macintosh, D.J. 1988. The ecology and physiology of decapods of mangrove swamps. Symp. Zool. Soc. London 59:315–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macintosh, D.J., E.C. Ashton and S. Havanon. 2002. Mangrove rehabilitation and intertidal biodiversity: A study in the Ranong Mangrove Ecosystem, Thailand. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 55:331–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, S.J. and L.L. Wolf. 1970. Dominance and the niche in ecological systems. Science 167:131–139.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minchinton, T.E. 2001. Canopy and substratum heterogeneity influence recruitment of the mangrove. Avicennia marina. J. Ecol. 89:888–902.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moh, H.H., V.C. Chong and A. Sasekumar. 2015. Distribution and burrow morphology of three sympatric species of Thalassina mud lobsters in relation to environmental parameters on a Malayan mangrove shore. J. Sea Res. 95:75–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrisey, D.J., T.H. DeWitt, D.S. Roper and R.B. Williamson. 1999. Variation in the depth and morphology of burrows of the mud crab Helice crassa among different types of intertidal sediment in New Zealand. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 182:231–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrisey, D.J., G.A. Skilleter, J.I. Ellis, B.R. Burns, C.E. Kempa and K. Burt. 2003. Differences in benthic fauna and sediment among mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) stands of different ages in New Zealand. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 56:581–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nash, M.S., D.J. Chaloud and R.D. Lopez. 2005. Applications of Canonical Correlation and Partial Least Squares Analyses in Landscape Ecology. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, P.K.L., D. Guinot and P.J.F. Davie. 2008. Systema Brachyurorum: part I. An annotated list of Extant Brachyuran crabs of the world. Raffles Bull. Zool. 17:1–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascoalini, S.S., D.M.S. Lopes, A.R. Falqueto and M.M.P. Tognella. 2014. Abordagem ecofisiológica dos manguezais: uma revisão. Biotemas 27:1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickett, S.T.A. 1989. Space-for-time substitution as an alternative to long-term studies. In: G.E. Likens (Ed.), Long-term Studies in Ecology: Approaches and Alternatives. Springer-Verlag, New York. pp. 110–135.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Potts, M.D., S.J. Davies, W.H. Bossert, S. Tan and M.N. Nur Supardi. 2004. Habitat heterogeneity and niche structure of trees in two tropical rain forests. Oecologia 139:446–453.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Proffitt, C.E. and D.J. Devlin. 2005. Grazing by the intertidal gastropod Melampus coffeus greatly increases mangrove leaf litter degradation rates. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 296:209–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quintero-Torres, E., N. Chacón and B. López-Sánchez. 2018. The ecosystem engineering role of the Neotropical crab Cardisoma guanhumi on mangrove soil properties. Wetlands Ecol. Manage. 26:993–1000.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rebelo-Mochel, F. 1997. Mangroves on São Luiz Island, Maranhão, Brazil. In: B. Kjerfve (ed.), Mangrove Ecosystem Studies in Latin America and Africa. UNESCO, Paris. pp. 145–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team. 2012. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0. http://www.R-project.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricklefs, R.E. and R.E. Latham. 1993. Global patterns of diversity in mangrove floras. In: R.E. Ricklefs and D. Schluter (eds.), Species Diversity in Ecological Communities: Historical and Geographical Perspectives. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 215–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A.I. and P.A. Daniel. 1989. Decomposition and the annual flux of detritus from fallen timber in tropical mangrove forests. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34:640–646.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, G. and L. Trinchera. 2012. Plspm: Partial Least Squares Data Analysis Methods. R package version 0.2-2. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=plspm

  • Schaeffer-Novelli, Y. and G. Cintrón. 1986. Guia para estudo de áreas de manguezal; estrutura, função e flora. Caribbean Ecological Research, São Paulo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, A.J. and K. Diele. 2009. First field record of mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Ucididae) recruits co-inhabiting burrows of conspecific crabs. Zoologia 26:792–794.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulte, E.E. and B.G. Hopkins. 1996. Estimation of sediment organic matter by weight loss-on ignition. In: F.R. Magdoff, M.A. Tabatabai and E.A. Hanlon (Eds.), Sediment Organic Matter: Analysis and Interpretation. Sediment Science Society of America, Madison. pp. 21–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shih, H.T., P.K.L. Ng, P.J.F. Davie, C.D. Schubart, M. Türkay, R. Naderloo, D. Jones and M.Y. Liu. 2016. Systematics of the family Ocypodidae Rafinesque, 1815 (Crustacea: Brachyura), based on phylogenetic relationships, with a reorganization of subfamily rankings and a review of the taxonomic status of Uca Leach, 1814, sensu lato and its subgenera. Raffles Bull. Zool. 64:139–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skov, M.W. and R.G. Hartnoll. 2002. Paradoxical selective feeding on a low-nutrient diet: why do mangrove crabs eat leaves? Oecologia 131:1–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith III, T.J. 1987a. Effects of seed predators and light level on the distribution of. Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. in tropical, tidal forests. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 25:43–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith III, T.J. 1987b. Seed predation in relation to tree dominance and distribution in mangrove forests.. Ecology 68:266–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith III, T.J., K.G. Boto, S.D. Frusher and R.L. Giddins. 1991. Keystone species and mangrove forest dynamics: the influence of burrowing by crabs on soil nutrient status and forest productivity. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 33:419–432.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith III, T.J., H.T. Chan, C.C. McIvor and M.B. Robblee. 1989. Comparisons of seed predation in tropical tidal forests from three continents. Ecology 70:146–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M.L.G. 1999. Estrutura vegetal e grau de perturbação dos manguezais da Lagoa da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Rev. Bras. Biol. 59:503–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobek, S., Tranvik, L. J., Cole, J. J. 2005. Temperature independence of carbon dioxide supersaturation in global lakes. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 19:1–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Souza, M.M.A. and E.V.S.B Sampaio. 2011. Predation on propagules and seedlings in mature and regenerating mangroves in the coast of Ceará, Brazil. Hydrobiologia 661:179–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tavares, D.S., R.C. Maia and C.A. Rocha-Barreira. 2011. Contribuição de Melampus coffeus (Gastropoda, Ellobiidae) na degradação da serapilheira do médio estuário do rio Pacoti, Ceará, Brasil. Iheringia 101:56–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terborgh, J., R.B. Foster and P.V. Nuñez. 1996. Tropical tree communities: a test of the nonequilibrium hypothesis. Ecology 77:561–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tews, J., U. Brose, V. Grimm, K. Tielbörger, M.C. Wichmann, M. Schwager and F. Jeltsch. 2004. Animal species diversity driven by habitat heterogeneity/diversity: the importance of keystone structures. J. Biogeogr. 31:79–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thom, B.G. 1967. Mangrove ecology and deltaic geomorphology: Tabasco, Mexico. J. Ecol. 55:301–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thongtham, N. and E. Kristensen. 2003. Physical chemical characteristics of mangrove crab Neoepisesarma versicolor burrows in the Bangrong mangrove forest, Phuket, Thailand; with emphasis on behavioral response to changing environmental conditions. Vie Milieu 53:141–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vale, V.F., S.A.S.N. Moraes, V.L.G. Brito, C.E.R.D. Alencar and F.A.M. Freire. 2017. Shell use by sympatric hermit crab species in a seasonally open coastal lagoon in Northeastern Brazil. Mar. Ecol. e12451:1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valiela, I., J.L. Bowen, J.K. York. 2001. Mangrove forests: one of the World’s threatened major tropical environments. BioScience 51:807–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Nedervelde, F., S. Cannicci, N. Koedam, J. Bosire and F. Dahdouh-Guebas. 2015. What regulates crab predation on mangrove propagules? Acta Oecol. 63:63–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vannini, M., A. Oluoch, R.K. Ruwa. 1997. Tree climbing decapods of Kenyan mangroves. In: B. Kjerfve (ed.), Mangrove Ecosystem studies in Latin America and Africa. UNESCO, Paris. pp. 325–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ventura, R., U.A.Y. Silva, G. Perbiche-Neves, A. Ostrensky, W.A.P. Boeger and M.R. Pie. 2008. Duration of the pre-settlement period of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) under laboratory conditions. Braz. Arch. Biol. Technol. 5:957–962.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vermeiren, P. and M. Sheaves. 2014. Predictable habitat associations of five intertidal crab species across estuaries. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 149:133–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M., X. Gao and W. Wang. 2014. Differences in burrow morphology of crabs between Spartina alterniflora marsh and mangrove habitats. Ecol. Eng. 69:213–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warner, G.F. 1969. The occurrence and distribution of crabs in a Jamaican mangrove swamp. J. Anim. Ecol. 38:379–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, J.H. and A.J. Underwood. 1986. Effects of burrowing crabs on the topography of mangrove swamps in New South Wales. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 102:223–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wold, S. 1995. PLS for multivariate linear modeling. In: H. Van de Waterbeemd (ed.), Chemometric Methods in Molecular Design, Methods and Principles in Medicinal Chemistry. Verlag-Chemie, Germany. pp. 195–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worthington, T. and M. Spalding. 2018. Mangrove Restoration Potential: A global map highlighting a critical opportunity. IUCN. pp. 1–19. https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/content/documents/mangrove-tnc-report-final.31.10.lowspreads.pdf

  • Woodroffe, C.D. 1983. Development of mangrove forests from a geological perspective. In: H.J. Teas (ed.), Biology and Ecology of Mangroves. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague. pp. 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zamprogno, G.C., M.M.P. Tognella, V.S. Quaresma, M.B. Costa, S.S. Pascoalini and G.F. Couto. 2016. The structural heterogeneity of an urbanised mangrove forest area in southeastern Brazil: Influence of environmental factors and anthropogenic stressors. Braz. J. Oceanogr. 64:157–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zenone, A., F. Badalamenti, V.M. Giacalone, L. Musco, C. Pipitone, T.V. Fernández, G. D’Anna. 2016. Substrate preference and settlement behaviour of the megalopa of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi (Decapoda, Percnidae) in the Mediterranean Sea. Helgol. Mar. Res. 70:1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Sciences Institute (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), 3207 Abolição Ave, 60165-081, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    A. C. Ferreira & L. E. A. Bezerra

  2. Study Group in Ecology and Physiology of Aquatic Animals (GEFAA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, w/n Mor Gouveia Ave, 59078-970, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

    C. E. R. D. Alencar

Authors
  1. A. C. Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. E. R. D. Alencar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. E. A. Bezerra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. C. Ferreira.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ferreira, A.C., Alencar, C.E.R.D. & Bezerra, L.E.A. Interrelationships among ecological factors of brachyuran crabs, trees and soil in mangrove community assemblage in Northeast Brazil. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 20, 277–290 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1556/168.2019.20.3.8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/168.2019.20.3.8

Keywords

Nomenclature

Search

Navigation