Recovery of the brown alga Fucus gardneri following a range of removal intensities

The consequences of disturbance are known to be non-linear functions of disturbance intensity. In this study, we investigate the effects of a range of disturbance intensities by experimentally manipulating the cover of Fucus gardneri, a dominant intertidal alga. The effects of disturbance on subsequent Fucus recovery were similar for canopy reductions of 080%. However, complete removal of all Fucus individuals delayed Fucus recovery, as measured by canopy cover, by at least several months. Despite changes in the dominant alga, the abundance of invertebrates and other algae did not respond to cover manipulation. Our results suggest that the recovery from small-scale disturbances is enhanced if at least a few individuals survive the event. Only by examining a variety of levels of natural or anthropogenic disturbance will ecologists be able to understand observed recovery patterns and design management strategies.