title: Constraints on body size distributions: an experimental approach using a small-scale system.
abstract: Holling's (1992) proposition that discontinuities in biotic and abiotic processes generate structure in ecological systems is examined experimentally by imposing size-specific perturbations on marine sediment assemblages. Two kinds of perturbations were applied: organic enrichment and predation, each at two levels. Perturbations significantly affected the densities and relative abundance of the main invertebrate taxa and these effects were consistent with the known effects of enrichment and predation. However, there was little evidence of significant treatment effects on the overall benthic biomass or abundance size spectrum, supporting the contention that the spectrum is conservative and is probably constrained by habitat architecture.
authors.affiliation: Culterty Field Station, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, AB41 0AA, Scotland, UK e-mail: d.raffaelli@aberdeen.ac.uk Fax: +44-1358-789214, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raffaelli
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Flinders, Adelaide, South Australia, , , , , , AU.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Culterty Field Station, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, AB41 0AA, Scotland, UK e-mail: d.raffaelli@aberdeen.ac.uk Fax: +44-1358-789214, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Emes
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand, , , , , , NZ.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manly
keywords: Biomass spectrum; Enrichment; Habitat architecture; Key words Intertidal; Predation