Academic literature on the topic 'Seashore biology'

Seashore paspalum is a major warm-season turfgrass requiring frequent mowing. The use of dwarf cultivars with slow growth is a promising method to decrease mowing frequency. The present study was conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of T51 dwarfing in the phenylpropane pathway and to screen the key genes related to dwarfing. For this purpose, we obtained transcriptomic information based on RNA-Seq and proteomic information based on iTRAQ for the dwarf mutant T51 of seashore paspalum. The combined results of transcriptomic and proteomic analysis were used to identify the differential expression pattern of genes at the translational and transcriptional levels. A total of 8311 DEGs were detected at the transcription level, of which 2540 were upregulated and 5771 were downregulated. Based on the transcripts, 2910 proteins were identified using iTRAQ, of which 392 (155 upregulated and 237 downregulated) were DEPs. The phenylpropane pathway was found to be significantly enriched at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Combined with the decrease in lignin content and the increase in flavonoid content in T51, we found that the dwarf phenotype of T51 is closely related to the abnormal synthesis of lignin and flavonoids in the phenylpropane pathway. CCR and HCT may be the key genes for T51 dwarf. This study provides the basis for further study on the dwarfing mechanism of seashore paspalum. The screening of key genes lays a foundation for further studies on the molecular mechanism of seashore paspalum dwarfing.

Objectives. To assess a human cadaver model for training emergency medicine residents in the ultrasound diagnosis of pneumothorax.Methods. Single-blinded observational study using a human cadaveric model at an academic medical center. Three lightly embalmed cadavers were used to create three “normal lungs” and three lungs modeling a “pneumothorax.” The residents were blinded to the side and number of pneumothoraces, as well as to each other’s findings. Each resident performed an ultrasound examination on all six lung models during ventilation of cadavers. They were evaluated on their ability to identify the presence or absence of the sliding-lung sign and seashore sign.Results. A total of 84 ultrasound examinations (42-“normal lung,” 42-“pneumothorax”) were performed. A sliding-lung sign was accurately identified in 39 scans, and the seashore sign was accurately identified in 34 scans. The sensitivity and specificity for the sliding-lung sign were 93% (95% CI, 85–100%) and 90% (95% CI, 81–99%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for the seashore sign were 80% (95% CI, 68–92%) and 83% (95% CI, 72–94%), respectively.Conclusions. Lightly embalmed human cadavers may provide an excellent model for mimicking the sonographic appearance of pneumothorax.

While generally described as a bipartite mutualistic association between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria, lichens also host diverse and heretofore little explored communities of nonphototrophic endolichenic bacteria. The composition and possible roles of these bacterial communities in the lichen symbiotic association constitute an emerging field of research. Saxicolous (rock-dwelling) seashore lichens present an unusual environment, characterized by rapid fluctuations in temperature, salinity, exposure to solar radiation, etc. The present study focuses on the bacterial biota associated with 4 species of crustose, halophilic, saxicolous seashore lichens found in northern Iceland. A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis based characterization of the composition of the lichen-associated microbiotas indicated that they are markedly lichen-species-specific and clearly distinguishable from the environmental microbiota represented by control sampling. A collection of bacterial strains was investigated and partially identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. The strains were found to belong to 7 classes: Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Actinobacteria, Flavobacteria, Cytophagia, Sphingobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Several isolates display only a modest level of similarity to their nearest relatives found in GenBank, suggesting that they comprise previously undescribed taxa. Selected strains were tested for inorganic phosphate solubilization and biodegradation of several biopolymers, such as barley β-glucan, xylan, chitosan, and lignin. The results support a nutrient-scavenging role of the associate microbiota in the seashore lichen symbiotic association.

AbstractThe seashore aleocharine genus Salinamexus Moore and Legner is revised. Three species are recognized, one of which is described as new (Salinamexus koreanussp. nov.). The genus Salinamexus and the species S. browni Moore and Legner and S. reticulatus (Moore and Legner) are redescribed. A key and illustrations of diagnostic features are provided.

A new genus and species of the subfamily Cossoninae, Omanocossonus sabulosus gen. et sp. nov. is described from Oman. All specimens including larvae were found on sand dunes on the seashore in roots of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton. The crucial features, including male and female terminalia, are illustrated, and the taxonomic position of the new genus within Cossoninae is briefly discussed. The generic status of Lindbergius Roudier, 1957 is resurrected. The mature larva of the new species is described, larval morphology is discussed and the current state of knowledge about immature stages of Cossoninae is summarized.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assess genetic relationships and variation among ecotypes of the turfgrass seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz). Vegetative tissues or seeds of 46 seashore paspalum ecotypes were obtained from various locations in the United States, Argentina, and South Africa. Leaf DNA extracts were screened for RAPD markers using 34 10-mer random primers. A total of 195 reproducible RAPD fragments were observed, with an average of six fragments per primer. One hundred and sixty-nine fragments (87% of the total observed) were polymorphic, among which 27 fragments (16%) were present in three or less ecotypes, indicating the occurrence of a high level of genetic variation among the examined accessions of this species. Cluster analysis (UPGMA) and principal coordinates analysis were performed on the RAPD data set. The results illustrate genetic relationships among the 46 ecotypes, and between ecotypes and their geographical origins. Ecotypes from southern Africa could be differentiated from the U.S. and most of the Argentinean ecotypes. With a few exceptions, ecotypes collected from Argentina, Hawaii, Florida, and Texas were separated into distinct clusters.Key words: RAPDs, polymerase chain reaction, genetic diversity, phenetic analysis.

Halictus sexcinctus is a large halictine bee species widely distributed across central Europe and into the Middle East. Although its behaviour had not previously been studied in detail, it is known to exhibit solitary behaviour in central Europe. An aggregation nesting beside the seashore at Pyla-Daimonia, Demos Molai, in the southeastern Peloponnesos, Greece, was studied during the summers of 1997 and 1998. In southern Greece, H. sexcinctus exhibits weakly eusocial colonies, based on a partially bivoltine colony cycle, so across its range it is socially polymorphic. Weak eusociality in this Mediterranean population is characterized by haplometrotic nest-founding, a relatively high degree of queen–worker size dimorphism, high rates of worker mating and ovarian development, relatively short queen life-spans, and relatively low second-brood productivity. Overall, the sex ratio of the first brood is highly female-biased, while that of the second brood is variable, the proportions of males and females varying significantly in the 2 years. An unusual characteristic of nest foundresses in this population is that some are un-inseminated and produce all-male first broods rather than workers.

Abstract Many plant species inhabiting the seashore meadows of the Bothnian Bay, especially early successional ones, have become threatened. Isostatic land uplift creates virgin land for early successional species to colonise. However, at the same time it gradually elevates the habitat and eventually makes the habitat unsuitable for them. Disturbances of the waterfront may slow down succession and create new empty sites. In order to persist on the shores, pioneer species have to be able to colonise new sites by seeds, vegetative propagules or growth. In this thesis I studied the status of an endangered early successional grass species, A. fulva var. pendulina, at the Liminka Bay. According to a matrix population model based on eight years of observations (1992–1999), the population seemed not to be in immediate danger of extinction. However, simulations based on four-year field observations (2000–2003) indicated that if the current trend continues, the species will decrease considerably in area in the next 30 years. In the field studies no seedlings or viable seeds of A. fulva were found. In spite of this, high genotypic diversity was found in the A. fulva population, suggesting that sexual reproduction has taken place at some time during the history of the population. Analysis of the population structure revealed a low level of genotypic differentiation between subpopulations and significant sub-structuring within subpopulations. The overall pattern of genetic variation suggests that the population has characters of both stepping-stone and metapopulation models. The results of the study on the ability of a seashore plant Potentilla anserina ssp. egedii to change its allocation of resources to sexual and vegetative reproduction according to competitive stress implied that the species can modify the allocation of resources to different life-history traits. For a plant living in disturbance-prone environment, it may be beneficial to be able to rapidly track the competition-free space formed by disturbances by changing its reproductive pattern. Management studies on three endangered seashore plant species showed that deterioration of suitable habitats of A. fulva and Primula nutans var. jokelae could be slowed down by management, and the vegetative and/or sexual reproduction of these species was enhanced. However, in the case of Puccinellia phryganodes, no positive response to management was observed.

The intertidal red algal genus Porphyra is found on rocky shores worldwide. In the Northern Hemisphere the genus is well studied but there is a paucity of data on southern hemisphere Porphyra and even less on New Zealand Porphyra. The species� taxonomy has been undergoing revision since the late 1990�s, when it was discovered that the main species P. columbina and P. lilliputana reported for New Zealand were a combination of several endemic species. These species are found from the low to the high intertidal watermark; hence they are exposed to fluctuating stresses such as desiccation, temperature, high light and UV radiation. Algae have evolved a number of mechanisms to adapt to naturally changing increasing abiotic conditions, such as accumulation of screening pigments and changes in antioxidant metabolism during light stress. For terrestrial plants, polyamines (small aliphatic amines) have been shown to be involved in protecting cells from damage under conditions of stress including UV-B radiation; such mechanisms have yet to be identified in algae. The overall aim of this study was to determine the importance of cellular processes in shaping the community structure of Porphyra on a wave-exposed shore on the east coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Porphyra distribution and community structure was assessed by regular monthly monitoring of presence and absence of Porphyra along four transect lines at the site. Enviromnental information was recorded to determine the effects of temperature, light, UV radiation, humidity and wind on Porphyra�s spatial and temporal distribution. Regular tissue samples were taken for species identification by the application of primers, which were specifically designed during this study. P. cinnamomea and Porphyra spec. "ROS 54" were identified as dominant species present almost throughout the year with a pronounced maximum in presence during late winter and spring, and some weeks of absence during April or May. The two dominant species were recorded from the low to the high intertidal shore, but the mid intertidal was identified as the preferred habitat. Other species that were found were rare and only present for a few months in a very restricted area. It was hypothesised that free radical generation and antioxidant metabolism are associated with desiccation tolerance in Porphyra. An attempt was made to investigate the impact of desiccation stress on Porphyra. The extraction process of antioxidants was problematic and no reproducible results could be obtained. It was attempted to investigate the spatial distribution of spores and conchocelis of different Porphyra species in the field, and determine if those found at Brighton Beach are species-specific in their morphology. This indicated that the two main Porphyra species at Brighton Beach not only prefer to occupy the same habitat but that they also have a morphologically similar conchocelis phase. Mechanisms on a cellular level such as polyamine metabolism affected by environmental (abiotic) stresses are related to the alga�s ability to adapt to stress and therefore can have an effect on Porphyra�s distribution along the shore and its presence throughout the year. The depletion of the ozone layer has become an important issue as the effects of increased UV radiation on the environment, especially the intertidal habitat, are revealed. Marine macrophytes possess the main three. polyamines: putrescine, spermidine and spermine of varying levels. For the few species studied, Rhodophyta generally contain higher levels of polyamines than Chlorophyta, while polyamine levels for the one heterokontophyte analysed were between Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Levels of the three most common polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) were determined in P. cinnamomea under controlled UV exposure. Tissue discs were exposed to visible light (PAR), PAR and UV-A or PAR, UV-A and UV-B radiation. Discs exposed to PAR and PAR and UV-A showed little change in polyamine levels over a six day trial period, while discs exposed to PAR, UV-A and UV-B showed a significant increase in free, bound soluble and bound insoluble polyamines over the same period of time. Correspondingly levels of ADC and ODC, two enzymes involved in polyamine synthesis, were measured. ODC levels changed little while ADC levels increased significantly during UV-B treatment, indicating that under UV-B stress polyamines are mainly synthesized via the ADC pathway. The experimental set-up and process of this study has not been applied in macroalgal polyamine research and results obtained are the first indication that increased levels of polyamines are involved in protection and/or protection mechanisms in macrophytic algae to prevent UV-B damage.

An ecosytem-based spatial conservation plan for the South African sandy beaches. Sandy beaches are valuable ecosystems. They support a collection of species that is unique, comprising many endemic species, and provide a number of key ecosystem goods and services, including scenic vistas for human recreation, nesting sites for turtles and birds, and important areas for biogeochemical recycling, water filtration and purification. However, sandy beaches have not been well understood or appreciated as ecosystems, and consequently have a legacy of poor coastal management. In many instances this has lead to a "tyranny of small decisions", where multiple, seemingly insignificant management decisions and actions have resulted in complete transformation and degradation of the shoreline in several places. In addition to inappropriate management strategies, beaches are also poorly represented in conservation areas. Further, where they are recognised as being "conserved" in marine protected areas, this often is a false sense of protection because the far more sensitive dune portion of the littoral active zone is invariably not included in the reserve. In short, there is a need for a new way to approach sandy beach conservation and management that includes the system (dunes, intertidal beaches and surf zones) as a whole. On one hand, the approach should make provision for use of the abundant natural resources and opportunities associated with sandy shores in ways that are sustainable and contribute to biodiversity stewardship - through ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning. But, on the other hand, it must simultaneously contribute to securing a sufficient amount of the key ecological attributes of beaches (habitats, biodiversity and processes) in a network of reserves, to ensure that the ecosystem, natural resources, and services all persist in perpetuity - through systematic conservation planning. The aim of this Thesis is to integrate these into a single approach, which I call ecosystem-based spatial conservation planning for sandy beaches, using the South African sandy shores as a case study. To achieve this broad aim, the Thesis is divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with establishing baseline information by quantifying spatial patterns in sandy beach habitats (Chapter 1), biodiversity, key assemblages and processes, and outstanding physical features (Chapter 2). First, mapping sandy beach habitats is a challenge given the vast, linear extent of shorelines and significant resources required to complete the project. Therefore, a novel approach was derived using statistical techniques (conditional inference trees) to identify physical features of beaches that can be observed on Google Earth (or similar) imagery, and that can provide good predictions of beach morphodynamic (habitat) types. Based on the results of this analysis, sandy beaches (and all other coastal habitat types) were mapped digitally in ArcGIS. Second, spatial patterns in sandy beach biodiversity (vertebrates, macrofauna, microflora and foredune plants) were mapped by compiling existing data on the distributions of key species that have been well studied or mapped previously (vertebrates and foredune plants), and by niche modelling (macrofauna and microflora). For the latter, data from all previous sandy-beach sampling events in South Africa were compiled from published and unpublished sources, and supplemented with additional sampling of 23 beaches along the national shoreline, targeting macrofauna and phytoplankton. Altogether, the macrofauna database comprised data from 135 sites and 186 sampling events, and the microflora (phytoplankton and microphytobenthos) database comprised data from 73 sites and 510 samples. The probabilistic distribution of each "resident" species (present at 10 or more sites) was modelled in MaxEnt version 3.3.3k, probability thresholds were determined statistically (to convert the data into predicted presence-absence), and displayed as a digital map. A composite biodiversity map was compiled, and key trends in species richness and endemism along the national shoreline were quantified. To supplement biodiversity proper, additional valued-features of sandy beaches were mapped, including: important assemblages; unique habitat features; and sites associated with key ecological processes. Part 2 considers threats to sandy beaches in the context of deriving an appropriate management strategy that seeks to provide for use of the coast, but in a way that has least overall impact to the ecosystem. A method for assessing cumulative threats to sandy beaches is adapted from an existing framework (Chapter 4). This entailed compiling a list of threats to beaches, and scoring these (out of 10) in terms of the severity of their respective impacts to beaches, and how long it would take the ecosystem to recover should the threat be removed. The scoring was based on the collective expert opinion of the scientific community working on sandy beaches, at a workshop during the VIth International Sandy Beach Symposium 2012. To standardize the scores and ensure broad applicability, a base case scenario of a pristine beach was established, and maximum theoretical scores were provided for this context. The method for integrating these scores into a spatial, cumulative threat assessment was then determined. In Chapter 5, the maximum theoretical scores (from Chapter 4) were down-scaled to suit the current threat regime to the South African sandy beaches, and the cumulative threat assessment methodology was applied. From this analysis, the most threatened beaches in South Africa, and the most important threats were highlighted. A decision-support tool for managers was derived from the site-specific cumulative threat-impact scores, based first on the degree of permanent habitat transformation, and second on the cumulative impact of other stressors where the impacts these stressors have could potentially be mitigated or ameliorated. Part 3 concerns conservation of beaches explicitly. It addresses how much of which valued features of beaches is required to ensure their long-term persistence, and the design of a network of beaches in South Africa that are of ecological importance and should be set aside as reserves. Conservation targets are set in Chapter 6, using species-area curves to determine a baseline percentage-area required to protect sandy beach habitats, which is modified using heuristic principles based on habitat rarity and threat status (from a recent national assessment). A fixed target was applied to all species, also modified by heuristic principles, and another fixed target was applied to key assemblages and processes.

Orientador: Fosca Pedini Pereira Leite
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia
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Resumo: Na região do Canal de São Sebastião, onde opera o maior terminal petrolífero do Brasil, há extensos bancos de algas pardas do gênero Sargassum e anfípodes associados, mas também existem hidrocarbonetos alifáticos e aromáticos de petróleo na água e no sedimento. Sabese que os anfípodes são eficientes bioindicadores de qualidade ambiental, assim como as algas são importantes bioacumuladores. Avaliou-se a presença de hidrocarbonetos em Sargassum e buscou-se relacionar suas concentrações com distâncias crescentes a partir do terminal, tanto ao norte quanto ao sul da Ilha de São Sebastião. Essas concentrações e distâncias também foram utilizadas para verificar a estruturação das comunidades de anfípodes do fital de Sargassum. Essa avaliação foi feita para anfípodes, abordando-se a composição de grupos tróficos e de espécies. Não foi constatada relação entre as distâncias e concentrações de hidrocarbonetos presentes nas algas e na estruturação das comunidades de anfípodes em nenhuma das abordagens. No entanto, notou-se correspondência entre elas, o que indica que a identificação em famílias para o estabelecimento de grupos tróficos pode ser eficiente numa avaliação ambiental mais rápida. Também se obteve importante informação em relação à fauna de anfípodes do litoral do Estado de São Paulo, uma vez que ainda não havia estudos na Ilha de São Sebastião e a fauna de ilhas do estado ainda é pouco conhecida
Abstract: In the São Sebastião Channel region, where operates the greatest Brazilian petroliferous terminal, there are extensive banks of the brown seaweed Sargassum with many associated amphipods, but also polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons, which are present both in sedment and water. The amphipods are known to be efficient bioindicators of environmental quality, as well as the seaweed are important bioacumulators. The presence of hydrocarbons in Sargassum and its relationship with increasing distances from the terminal, both north and south of the São Sebastião Island, was evaluated. These concentrations and distances were also used to verify the structure of amphipod communities associated to Sargassum . This evaluation was made for amphipods identified in trofic groups and in species. There was no significant relationship between distances from the terminal and concentrations of hydrocarbons in the seaweed or the estructure of the amphipod communities. However, correspondence between the aproachs (trofic groups and species) was noticed, which indicates that the identification in families for the establishment of trofic groups can be efficient in a faster ambient evaluation. Also, important information related to amphipods of the São Paulo State coast was achieved, as far as the fauna of São Sebastião Island was first studied and the islands fauna of the State are still little known
Mestrado
Ecologia
Mestre em Ecologia

Hard substrates in the marine environment are an important ecosystem of great scientific and economic value. Hard substrates provide suitable habitat for a diverse assemblage of benthic organisms. This thesis investigated the ecology of benthic hard substrate communities along a section of wave-exposed coastline, including the Sardinia Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA), in the warm-temperate Agulhas bioregion of South Africa. The effect of physical variables on benthic communities, including both the intertidal and shallow subtidal, was quantitatively assessed across (Chapter 3) and along (Chapter 4) the shore to provide a model of zonation for this bioregion and a baseline of community patters and biodiversity, as this information was lacking especially for the Sardinia Bay MPA. The zones described in Chapter 3 were in agreement with previous trends described for this bioregion with the addition of different biotopes in the upper Balanoid and deeper subtidal zones as well as the addition of an intermediate/transition zone in the subtidal between the algal dominated shallow subtidal and deeper subtidal, which has an increased abundance of sessile invertebrates. Disturbance is an important process in structuring benthic communities, and its role in structuring shallow benthic communities was investigated using a disturbance simulation experiment across a wave-exposure gradient (Chapter 5). Communities were found to change along the exposure gradient and monitoring the undisturbed communities showed that large waves caused disturbances across all the exposures. The recovery process was similar across all exposures mainly through lateral vegetative growth and regrowth from basal parts with communities in disturbed quadrats recovering to resemble the surrounding undisturbed community. Recruitment did not have a significant effect in the recovery process and community composition was therefore a result of the effects of the physical environment along the exposure gradient. Lastly this thesis investigated the indirect effects of protection in the small Sardinia Bay MPA (Chapter 6). Despite the small size of the MPA this study found differences in diversity and abundance between communities inside and outside the MPA. These differences in benthic biota infer indirect effects of protection that are probably due to the increase in abundance of exploited fish inside the MPA. Lower abundances of red algae, macroinvertebrates and diversity inside the MPA in the shallow depth category was attributed to the higher abundance of the generalist fish species that concentrate in the shallows. Significantly lower abundances of Chordata in the shallow and medium depth categories inside the MPA was attributed to predation by the benthic carnivorous species as ascidians are included in the diet of these species. This chapter also compared the effectiveness of destructive (scraped quadrats) and non-destructive (visually assessed quadrats) sampling methods. Scraped quadrats were found to be more effective in detecting changes across the MPA compared to visually assessed quadrats. Destructive methods sample the entire assemblage, to a higher taxonomic level, and measure abundance using biomass. It was concluded that biomass is a better metric when comparing communities across protection or other treatments as it provides better biological information of the community.

Ji Changhai.
"February 2001."
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-183).
Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Thesis (M.A.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006.
Thesis advisor: Jeremiah N. Jarrett. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Ecology and Environmental Science." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-39). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This chapter discusses general patterns of brooding in decapod crustaceans from aquatic to terrestrial environments, addressing behavioral adaptations as well as costs and benefits. Brooding embryos is a common feature among decapods. However, brooding exhibits a wide range of modes that are highly dependent on the environment. Brooding is less common in marine systems, whereas there is a general pattern of extended brooding with terrestrialization. Exceptions are crabs that have invaded land directly via the seashore, i.e. land crabs that have indirect development like their marine ancestors. During terrestrialization, adaption to environmental stressors like desiccation, UV radiation, temperature variability, mechanical support, and osmolality seemed to generally favor decreasing larval development and increasing duration of brood care. Thus, crustaceans developed more complex brooding mechanisms as adaptive responses to the colonization of land (e.g., osmoregulation of the maternal fluids, marsupial fluid, sealed and specialized marsupium, provision of nutritious material, grooming and cleaning, ventilation of the embryo masses). However, clear brooding behaviors are also observed among several marine species (e.g. grooming and cleaning, oxygen provision). The major efforts to characterize general brooding patterns among decapod crustaceans and describe brooding behaviors were not accompanied by comprehensive studies to understand the costs and the benefits of brooding. Several studies have addressed the positive influence of the mother on embryo development, but the efforts to quantify the impact on embryo survival are still limited. This chapter identifies problems that need further consideration to reach a deeper understanding of the evolution of brooding in decapod crustaceans.

Population dynamics of plant species of coastal sand dunes is influenced directly, both above and below the soil surface, by a wide variety of organisms. Plants serve as sources of carbon and pathogens including viruses, insects, bacteria, fungi, birds, and mammals of various kinds. Some enhance plant performance while others have deleterious effects. Positive interactions include pollination of flowers by useful insects in return for nectar and pollen, nutrient acquisition from soil by mycorrhizal fungi in exchange for carbon and acquiring nitrogen (N) from N-fixing bacteria. In the history of co-evolution between plants and organisms over one hundred million years plants have developed many mechanisms to defend themselves from pathogens. Morphology may be altered by producing epicuticular waxes, developing trichomes over leaves, producing tough leaves with deposition of celluloses, lignin, suberin and callose, developing thorns on stems and branches or producing secondary plant metabolites that retard development, intoxicate or kill herbivorous insects. Herbivory may induce a plant to produce chemicals that signal to advertise the presence of insects feeding on them and attract parasites to reduce their numbers. Phenological escape is also employed, such as delay of leaf expansion during periods of insect abundance. Some indirect mechanisms of plant defence involve the use of insects such as ants for protection from other phytophagous insects. However, the predators have also evolved the ability to break down the defence mechanisms of the plant. For example, they may use phytochemicals for their own defence or as olfactory clues for feeding. In this chapter a brief account of organisms of the coastal dune communities, including species of the intertidal zone, scavengers of the sea coast, reptiles, birds, insects, mammals and their possible interactions with terrestrial vegetation is presented. For biological organisms of the seashore the intertidal zone is the most important for food and shelter. The sand-dwelling species of the seashore must be able to contend with four limiting factors: (i) rush of water from the approaching or receding high tide and pounding breakers, (ii) low salinity of the top surface of sand (iii) desiccation of surface by high winds and sunshine and (iv) extreme changes in temperature of topsoil.

Nereididae (littoral ones often referred to as ‘ragworms’) are probably the most familiar of annelids, both from textbooks in zoology and marine biology and from their occurrence on seashores around the world. They are widely employed in teaching, in laboratory experiments, and as bait for fishing.

Plant communities of the dune complex are a result of interaction between tolerance of plant species and sandy substrate, high wind velocities, salt spray, sand accretion and environmental heterogeneity. Propagules of many plant species are dispersed by water currents and deposited on the driftline. Most of these species find ideal conditions for germination but seedling establishment, growth and reproduction is denied to all but a few species with ecological amplitude sufficient to withstand the physical stresses associated with sand accretion, erosion and sandblasting in the highly disturbed environment. The distinct differences between habitats from the water´s edge to the inland grass-forest ecotone leads eventually to the establishment of ecologically distinct communities consisting of both plants and animals. The distinction is caused by sharp differences in the physical environment that may create sharp zones with abrupt or gradual blending of the two community types. In some locations these zones are relatively stable for long periods before any visible change occurs in the community depending on the recession of the shoreline, availability of new bare areas and the advance of communities towards the sea coast. The occurrence of plant communities in zones has been documented along sea coasts worldwide. This chapter examines the plant communities of the sand dune complex along seashores of the world. The following information has been assembled from Doing (1985), Dry coastal ecosystems Vol. 2 A, B, C, edited by Eddy van der Maarel (1993), Doody (1991) and Thannheiser (1984). It presents data on plant communities and ecology of each zone from various parts of the world. The species complement in the ´foredune complex´ in tropical, temperate and other regions around the world may be different, but their response to the prevailing environmental stresses of foredunes is convergent. In different world regions the boundaries between vegetation zones of the sand dune complex may not be defined sharply because of climatic variability, geographic location, physiography of the dune system and other factors peculiar to each location. Usually three to six different plant assemblages have been identified on the dune complex along sea coasts and lakeshores. A brief description of vegetation and ecological traits of species in each zone are presented below.