Organic enrichment and benthic fauna–Some ecological consideration.

Abstract

In the present study, synoptic data on the structure of macroinfauna and total organic content of sediment collected from different sources were analyzed to look for patterns of association consistent with conceptual model predictions and to identify total organic carbon (TOC) critical points corresponding to major shifts in the benthic fauna. The density and biomass peaked at moderate TOC (<20 mg/g) and reduced at TOC >30 mg/g. It is clear that sediment organic matter, depending on its quality and quantity, could act as a food source or as a stress source for the benthic community. Present study further demonstrated the general trend of modeled hypothesis with some variation in tropical condition.