Mechanical vulnerability explains size-dependent mortality of reef corals.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Madin JS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4145665 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Mechanical vulnerability explains size-dependent mortality of reef corals.
Madin Joshua S JS Baird Andrew H AH Dornelas Maria M Connolly Sean R SR
Ecology letters 20140603 8
Understanding life history and demographic variation among species within communities is a central ecological goal. Mortality schedules are especially important in ecosystems where disturbance plays a major role in structuring communities, such as coral reefs. Here, we test whether a trait-based, mechanistic model of mechanical vulnerability in corals can explain mortality schedules. Specifically, we ask whether species that become increasingly vulnerable to hydrodynamic dislodgment as they grow ...[more]
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