Monitoring the recolonization of the Mt Pinatubo 1991 ash layer by benthic foraminifera

Silvia Hess; Wolfgang Kuhnt; Simon Hill; Michael A. Kaminski; Ann Holbourn; Marietta De Leon

doi:10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00025-1

Monitoring the recolonization of the Mt Pinatubo 1991 ash layer by benthic foraminifera

Silvia Hess^*
, Wolfgang Kuhnt
, Simon Hill
, Michael A. Kaminski
, Ann Holbourn
, Marietta De Leon

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

80 Scopus citations

Abstract

Benthic foraminifera from the South China Sea were studied to assess mass mortality and to monitor the composition and recovery of the benthic communities following the 1991 Mt Pinatubo ashfall. Surface distribution data from monitoring stations in the eastern South China Sea that were occupied during four cruises between spring 1994 and summer 1998 display the following trends in recolonization patterns: (1) Suspension feeding epifaunal benthic foraminifera (i.e. Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Saccorhiza ramosa) and large xenophyophores (i.e. Syringammina (?) fragilissima) were absent in spring 1994 and only rare individuals were observed in June 1996, but in larger numbers in December 1996 and in summer 1998. Then, they were important recolonizers of the ash layer. (2) Diversity and population densities have changed significantly since 1994. Following an abundance maximum in winter 1996, the numbers of living individuals in summer 1998 decreased again and the deep sea benthic foraminiferal community started to return to a normal ecological structuring. However, infaunal foraminifera were still strongly dominated by several species of the genus Reophax. We interpret the changing abundance and diversity pattern during the recolonization process in two ways: (1) the markedly increasing activity of burrowing macrofauna observed since 1998 opened new ecological niches for infaunal benthic foraminifera but also intensified predator pressure; (2) competitive interactions within the recolonizing fauna began to play a major role. Opportunistic pioneer species, characterized by rapid reproduction rates and the capability to colonize disturbed environments, were outcompeted by non-opportunistic species.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	119-142
Number of pages	24
Journal	Marine Micropaleontology
Volume	43
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00025-1
State	Published - 2001
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the crews of the RV Ocean Researcher I and RV Sonne for their assistance and help when collecting the sample material during various cruises. We are grateful to Min-Pen Chen (National Taiwan University, Taipei) and Martin Wiesner (Hamburg University), the chief scientists of RV Ocean Researcher I cruise 455 and RV Sonne cruise 114 and 132, for enabling a well-organized sampling program and for various discussions on the extent of the ash layer. We gratefully acknowledge Martin Wiesner and Matthias Haeckel for unpublished information. Silvia Hess is sincerely grateful to John Whittaker for his kindness and assistance when viewing the foraminiferal collections housed at the Natural History Museum in London. Norman MacLeod is thanked for making available the use of the PalaeoVision Imaging System at the Natural History Museum in London to document unique specimens of our material. We thank Andreas Wetzel, Martin Wiesner and two anonymous reviewers for their extensive and thorough reviews. This research was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (project 03G0114B and 03G0132B) and the ‘Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft’ (DFG-projekt KU649/5-1). We also thank the British Council–DAAD Academic Research Collaboration Programme (grants no. 797) for their support of the collaboration between the Christian-Albrechts-University, University College London and Natural History Museum groups. Simon Hill and Ann Holbourn received EU TMR grants for participation on RV Sonne cruise 132. Silvia Hess received financial support of the EUs TMR Programme to fund her stay at the Natural History Museum in London.

Keywords

Benthic foraminifera
Recolonization
Recovery
South China Sea
Succession

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Paleontology

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10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00025-1

Cite this

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title = "Monitoring the recolonization of the Mt Pinatubo 1991 ash layer by benthic foraminifera",

abstract = "Benthic foraminifera from the South China Sea were studied to assess mass mortality and to monitor the composition and recovery of the benthic communities following the 1991 Mt Pinatubo ashfall. Surface distribution data from monitoring stations in the eastern South China Sea that were occupied during four cruises between spring 1994 and summer 1998 display the following trends in recolonization patterns: (1) Suspension feeding epifaunal benthic foraminifera (i.e. Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Saccorhiza ramosa) and large xenophyophores (i.e. Syringammina (?) fragilissima) were absent in spring 1994 and only rare individuals were observed in June 1996, but in larger numbers in December 1996 and in summer 1998. Then, they were important recolonizers of the ash layer. (2) Diversity and population densities have changed significantly since 1994. Following an abundance maximum in winter 1996, the numbers of living individuals in summer 1998 decreased again and the deep sea benthic foraminiferal community started to return to a normal ecological structuring. However, infaunal foraminifera were still strongly dominated by several species of the genus Reophax. We interpret the changing abundance and diversity pattern during the recolonization process in two ways: (1) the markedly increasing activity of burrowing macrofauna observed since 1998 opened new ecological niches for infaunal benthic foraminifera but also intensified predator pressure; (2) competitive interactions within the recolonizing fauna began to play a major role. Opportunistic pioneer species, characterized by rapid reproduction rates and the capability to colonize disturbed environments, were outcompeted by non-opportunistic species.",

keywords = "Benthic foraminifera, Recolonization, Recovery, South China Sea, Succession",

author = "Silvia Hess and Wolfgang Kuhnt and Simon Hill and Kaminski, \{Michael A.\} and Ann Holbourn and \{De Leon\}, Marietta",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the crews of the RV Ocean Researcher I and RV Sonne for their assistance and help when collecting the sample material during various cruises. We are grateful to Min-Pen Chen (National Taiwan University, Taipei) and Martin Wiesner (Hamburg University), the chief scientists of RV Ocean Researcher I cruise 455 and RV Sonne cruise 114 and 132, for enabling a well-organized sampling program and for various discussions on the extent of the ash layer. We gratefully acknowledge Martin Wiesner and Matthias Haeckel for unpublished information. Silvia Hess is sincerely grateful to John Whittaker for his kindness and assistance when viewing the foraminiferal collections housed at the Natural History Museum in London. Norman MacLeod is thanked for making available the use of the PalaeoVision Imaging System at the Natural History Museum in London to document unique specimens of our material. We thank Andreas Wetzel, Martin Wiesner and two anonymous reviewers for their extensive and thorough reviews. This research was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (project 03G0114B and 03G0132B) and the {\textquoteleft}Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft{\textquoteright} (DFG-projekt KU649/5-1). We also thank the British Council–DAAD Academic Research Collaboration Programme (grants no. 797) for their support of the collaboration between the Christian-Albrechts-University, University College London and Natural History Museum groups. Simon Hill and Ann Holbourn received EU TMR grants for participation on RV Sonne cruise 132. Silvia Hess received financial support of the EUs TMR Programme to fund her stay at the Natural History Museum in London.",

year = "2001",

doi = "10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00025-1",

language = "English",

volume = "43",

pages = "119--142",

journal = "Marine Micropaleontology",

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AU - Kuhnt, Wolfgang

AU - Hill, Simon

AU - Kaminski, Michael A.

AU - Holbourn, Ann

AU - De Leon, Marietta

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the crews of the RV Ocean Researcher I and RV Sonne for their assistance and help when collecting the sample material during various cruises. We are grateful to Min-Pen Chen (National Taiwan University, Taipei) and Martin Wiesner (Hamburg University), the chief scientists of RV Ocean Researcher I cruise 455 and RV Sonne cruise 114 and 132, for enabling a well-organized sampling program and for various discussions on the extent of the ash layer. We gratefully acknowledge Martin Wiesner and Matthias Haeckel for unpublished information. Silvia Hess is sincerely grateful to John Whittaker for his kindness and assistance when viewing the foraminiferal collections housed at the Natural History Museum in London. Norman MacLeod is thanked for making available the use of the PalaeoVision Imaging System at the Natural History Museum in London to document unique specimens of our material. We thank Andreas Wetzel, Martin Wiesner and two anonymous reviewers for their extensive and thorough reviews. This research was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (project 03G0114B and 03G0132B) and the ‘Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft’ (DFG-projekt KU649/5-1). We also thank the British Council–DAAD Academic Research Collaboration Programme (grants no. 797) for their support of the collaboration between the Christian-Albrechts-University, University College London and Natural History Museum groups. Simon Hill and Ann Holbourn received EU TMR grants for participation on RV Sonne cruise 132. Silvia Hess received financial support of the EUs TMR Programme to fund her stay at the Natural History Museum in London.

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N2 - Benthic foraminifera from the South China Sea were studied to assess mass mortality and to monitor the composition and recovery of the benthic communities following the 1991 Mt Pinatubo ashfall. Surface distribution data from monitoring stations in the eastern South China Sea that were occupied during four cruises between spring 1994 and summer 1998 display the following trends in recolonization patterns: (1) Suspension feeding epifaunal benthic foraminifera (i.e. Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Saccorhiza ramosa) and large xenophyophores (i.e. Syringammina (?) fragilissima) were absent in spring 1994 and only rare individuals were observed in June 1996, but in larger numbers in December 1996 and in summer 1998. Then, they were important recolonizers of the ash layer. (2) Diversity and population densities have changed significantly since 1994. Following an abundance maximum in winter 1996, the numbers of living individuals in summer 1998 decreased again and the deep sea benthic foraminiferal community started to return to a normal ecological structuring. However, infaunal foraminifera were still strongly dominated by several species of the genus Reophax. We interpret the changing abundance and diversity pattern during the recolonization process in two ways: (1) the markedly increasing activity of burrowing macrofauna observed since 1998 opened new ecological niches for infaunal benthic foraminifera but also intensified predator pressure; (2) competitive interactions within the recolonizing fauna began to play a major role. Opportunistic pioneer species, characterized by rapid reproduction rates and the capability to colonize disturbed environments, were outcompeted by non-opportunistic species.

AB - Benthic foraminifera from the South China Sea were studied to assess mass mortality and to monitor the composition and recovery of the benthic communities following the 1991 Mt Pinatubo ashfall. Surface distribution data from monitoring stations in the eastern South China Sea that were occupied during four cruises between spring 1994 and summer 1998 display the following trends in recolonization patterns: (1) Suspension feeding epifaunal benthic foraminifera (i.e. Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Saccorhiza ramosa) and large xenophyophores (i.e. Syringammina (?) fragilissima) were absent in spring 1994 and only rare individuals were observed in June 1996, but in larger numbers in December 1996 and in summer 1998. Then, they were important recolonizers of the ash layer. (2) Diversity and population densities have changed significantly since 1994. Following an abundance maximum in winter 1996, the numbers of living individuals in summer 1998 decreased again and the deep sea benthic foraminiferal community started to return to a normal ecological structuring. However, infaunal foraminifera were still strongly dominated by several species of the genus Reophax. We interpret the changing abundance and diversity pattern during the recolonization process in two ways: (1) the markedly increasing activity of burrowing macrofauna observed since 1998 opened new ecological niches for infaunal benthic foraminifera but also intensified predator pressure; (2) competitive interactions within the recolonizing fauna began to play a major role. Opportunistic pioneer species, characterized by rapid reproduction rates and the capability to colonize disturbed environments, were outcompeted by non-opportunistic species.

KW - Benthic foraminifera

KW - Recolonization

KW - Recovery

KW - South China Sea

KW - Succession

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0034816310

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DO - 10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00025-1

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SN - 0377-8398

VL - 43

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EP - 142

JO - Marine Micropaleontology

JF - Marine Micropaleontology

IS - 1-2

ER -

Monitoring the recolonization of the Mt Pinatubo 1991 ash layer by benthic foraminifera

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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