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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Disturbance-mediated facilitation by an intertidal ecosystem engineer.

Jeffrey T Wright¹, Paul E Gribben^2,3

¹Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia.

|June 20, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Disturbing ecosystem engineers like Galeolaria caespitosa worms on intertidal boulders enhances their facilitative effects in harsher conditions. This increases species richness by modifying the abiotic environment, such as reducing temperature.

Keywords:

Galeolaria caespitosa abiotic stress boulder-field disturbance ecosystem engineering facilitation intertidal serpulid tube worm

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Area of Science:

Marine ecology
Community ecology
Ecosystem engineering

Background:

Ecosystem engineers provide habitat, reducing stress for associated species.
Disturbance can relocate engineers to more stressful environments, potentially increasing facilitation.
Intertidal boulders host distinct communities influenced by abiotic factors and species interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how disturbance to intertidal boulders and relocation of the ecosystem engineer Galeolaria caespitosa affects facilitation.
To test the prediction that facilitation is stronger in harsher environments (top of boulders, high intertidal zone).
To understand the role of abiotic environment modification in community-wide facilitation.

Main Methods:

Experimentally positioning intertidal boulders with and without Galeolaria caespitosa.
Placing boulders in either a face-up (disturbed, high stress) or face-down (natural, low stress) orientation.
Monitoring boulder communities over 12 months in low and high intertidal zones.

Main Results:

Galeolaria caespitosa significantly increased species richness on the stressful top surface of boulders.
Species richness and abundance of small invertebrates within the serpulid matrix were higher on the top surface.
The serpulid matrix reduced surface temperature by up to 10°C, demonstrating abiotic modification.

Conclusions:

Disturbance and relocation of ecosystem engineers can amplify their facilitative role in stressful environments.
Ecosystem engineers facilitate species persistence in challenging conditions through abiotic modification.
Galeolaria caespitosa plays a crucial role in structuring intertidal communities by mitigating abiotic stress.