Disturbance, sediment stability, and trophic structure of soft-bottom communities

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Abstract
Natural disturbances (especially biologically-mediated disturbances, which are usually localized and recur reasonably frequently) help maintain spatio-temporal heterogeneity of communities. Biogenic modification of the sediment can affect sediment stability with respect to fluid forces and geotechnical properties. This is an important factor in community organization, particularly in the trophic structure of the macrofauna. Natural disturbances, and the ensuing biogenic alterations to sediment stability, may be important in maintaining trophically-mixed communities wehere deposit feeders do not have an overriding influence on sedimentary properties. An initial post-disturbance response by micro- and meiobenthos might lead to an increase in sediment stability as a result of mucous-binding of sediment, and this stage may be of critical significance to potential suspension-feeding colonists if they are competing with deposit feeders for space. There may be marked differences in the structure and function of meiofaunal communities co-occurring with deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding macrofaunas. Implications for macrofaunal trophic structure of seasonal changes in sediment stability are also examined. Several areas for future research are recommended.