caa a22 4500 445820012 CHVBK 20180317145241.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20111201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00338-011-0789-4 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00338-011-0789-4 Using hierarchical sampling to understand scales of spatial variation in early coral recruitment [Elektronische Daten] [J. O'Leary, D. Potts] Ecological patterns are created by processes acting over multiple spatial and temporal scales. By combining spatially explicit sampling with variance components models, the relative importance of spatial scale to overall variability can be determined. We used a spatially structured experimental design in the Mombasa Marine National Park in Kenya to quantify variation in coral recruitment across four spatial scales (~1-1,000m) and to generate hypotheses about processes affecting recruitment and potential sources of post-settlement mortality during early life history. For the dominant recruiting corals (Pocillopora spp.), variation in recruitment on surfaces protected from fish grazing was greatest at the largest spatial scale examined (1,000m). We hypothesize that recruitment on protected surfaces varies mainly with larval delivery due to different lagoonal circulation and water flow between sites. Conversely, variation on surfaces exposed to fishes was greatest at the smallest spatial scale (1m). We hypothesize that recruitment on exposed surfaces mainly reflects local differences in the scale and intensity of fish grazing, which may obscure larval delivery patterns. Spatial variation in recruitment can affect many ecological processes and factors, including growth, survival to maturity, the distribution of habitat, and variation in species interaction strengths. This study demonstrates how spatially explicit sampling, followed by variance components modeling to partition variance across scales, can help to identify potential drivers of patterns at each relevant scale. Springer-Verlag, 2011 Variance components modeling nationallicence Post-settlement mortality nationallicence Larval dispersal nationallicence Early life history nationallicence Pocillopora nationallicence Indian Ocean nationallicence O'Leary J. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, 95060, Santa Cruz, CA, USA aut Potts D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, 95060, Santa Cruz, CA, USA aut Coral Reefs Springer-Verlag 30/4(2011-12-01), 1013-1023 0722-4028 30:4<1013 2011 30 338 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0789-4 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0789-4 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- O'Leary J. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, 95060, Santa Cruz, CA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Potts D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, 95060, Santa Cruz, CA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Coral Reefs Springer-Verlag 30/4(2011-12-01), 1013-1023 0722-4028 30:4<1013 2011 30 338 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer