The ecology of giant kelp forests in California - USGS National ...

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DISCLAIMER The mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recmmendati on for use by the Federal Goverment. Library of Congress No. 84-60117. This report should be cited as: Foster, M.S. , and D.R. Schiel. 1985. The ecology of giant kelp forests in California: a community profile. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 85(7.2). 152 pp.
Submarine forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis), with plants over 50 m tall growing from the botton to the surface of the sea, probably intrigued humans long before the first pub1 ished insights into their ecology by Darwin in 1860. Even with only a limited view from the surface and observations from col lections , Darwin was clearly fascinated by giant kelp and the diverse orga~isrns associated with it, and made the first analogy between this comnuni ty and terrestrial forests. Except for a few subsequent reports on the extent of the Macrocystis resource in California, it was almost a hundred years after Darwin's observations in South Anleri ca that the study of California kelp forests began . Andrews ' (1945) pioneering research on the fauna of giant kelp hol dfasts included some underwater observations, but this and other early studies were hampered by the lack of simple diving equipment. With the advent of SCUBA in the early 19508s, direct observations of kelp forests became relatively simp1 e and, because of aounting concern over the effects of sewage discharges, loss of kef p habitat, and possible impacts of kelp harvesting, a number of kelp research programs were started. Thus, giant kel p communities have been examined in detail for only slightly more than 30 Years. The objectives of this profile are to review and summarize what is known about kelp forests, with emphasis on Mact-0~ stis PREFACE + yrifera communities in California an to zuggest future research needs and approaches necessary to improve our understanding of the ecology of these complex communities. Cowardin et a]. (1979) classified these habitats as in the Californian Province, marine system, subtidal subsystem, bed class, iii + algal bed subclass, and Macroc stis dominance tv~e. A1 thouqh we recosnize t e need for ;uch a clasiification- system, much of the recent work on kelp comnuni ties emphasizes their considerable natural variation. Thus, within a particular forest there may be areas of rock bottom class and unconsolidated class with mos t associated subclasses (bedrock, rubble. cobble-aravel , sand) and with various doniinahce types (Lanlinari a, Pterygophora, various red algae, various invertebrates): the classification of a particular area may change with time. The modifiers used by Cowardin et al. (1979) are less variable in kelp forests; the water regime is almost always subtidal, and the water chemistry is euhaline. We have restricted our detailed review to M. pyrifera forests in California (including the Pacific coast of Gaja California, Mexico) because this section of coast1 ine includes the entire geographic range of the plant in the northern hemisphere (see Chapter I), because the environment within this range is Inore similar than between it and other geographic areas, and because most research has been done here. In addition, the majority of the profile is devoted to Macrocystis itself because we know more about it than other species in the comnruni ty , because it defines the subject of the profile, and because our own wcrk has focused on it and associated plants. To accomplish the above objectives, we have attempted to review most of the available 1 i terature on California kelp forests, and to compare and contrast this information with relevant studies on kelp forests and beds in other areas. Most of the early work on Macrocstis Califorria is reviewed i n i 7 l a i y We acknowledge the pioneering work of Wheeler J. North, and have relied heavily
Page 2 and 3: This is one of the first reports to
Page 6 and 7: on North's publications for informa
Page 8 and 9: Paye 3.6 Biomass. Productivity. and
Page 10 and 11: .................... 5.5 Effects of
Page 12 and 13: FIGURES Number 1 The morphology and
Page 14 and 15: TABLES Page 1 Factors influencing k
Page 16 and 17: CONVERSION TABLE Metric to U.S. Cus
Page 19 and 20: CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION I know few t
Page 21 and 22: A. Holdfast morphology of Macrocyst
Page 23 and 24: Figure 2. The geographic distributi
Page 25 and 26: Lorria. A succession of proy rams d
Page 27 and 28: CHAPTER 2 THE ABiOTiC ENVIRONMENT E
Page 29 and 30: floating masses as Sargdssunl does
Page 31 and 32: (deeper) margin of the Point Lorna
Page 33 and 34: 2.5. NuTRI ENTS Table 3. Known nutr
Page 35 and 36: and Lindley 1980) indicated that se
Page 37 and 38: shell debris during periods of surq
Page 39 and 40: than % 5 m, and deeper than about Z
Page 41 and 42: 3.2.2 Other Kelp Forests Pacific is
Page 43 and 44: spe~ieb i i ~ a i Lar~ vc~ut ;IT cn
Page 45 and 46: --P auunaance OT red bed ur L ~ I ~
Page 47 and 48: Coral 1 i na chi lensis, Li thothri
Page 49 and 50: considerable spatial var~ation with
Page 51 and 52: organ1 sms tnemsei ves , parxi cui
Page 53 and 54: enhancement of colonization by mi c
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(1973), we could find no published
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Table 5. ~acrocystis pyrifera net p
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GENERALIZED FOOD WEB FOR A MACROCYS
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GENERALIZED CONTROL WkB FOR MACROCY
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that migrate between the benthos an
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features of the environment. [see L
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It remains unclear whether sites wh
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obs.) now suggest that growth rings
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m depth (Velimirov et a1. 1977, Die
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I o NEEDLE ROCK o POINT SANTA CRUZ
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there is such overlap, we have put
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Bryozoans are commonly among the fi
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forests, and many feed on detritus
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Table 6. Common invertebrate grazer
Page 83 and 84:
7 I~I- Table 7. Concentration and b
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uncinata build tubes in kelp laiiri
Page 87 and 88:
4.4.4.2 Moll uscs (Moll usca). Seve
Page 89 and 90:
..,........................ Blue Ro
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Predators feeding on 1 arge, mobile
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anch density, which then decreases
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Table I@. Birds of kelp forests and
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described Brandt ' s cormorants in
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winter storms. The forests may also
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occupation of breeding areas in Baj
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disease in one kelp stanO'r, southe
Page 107 and 108:
Plate 2A. The 1 ined chiton Tonicel
Page 109 and 110:
The Gauntiet of Macrocystis Micr~sc
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(1) the "northern lethal boundary"
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have different physiological tolera
Page 115 and 116:
6 , 50 SPOROPHYTESI om w 7 I$C -7 5
Page 117 and 118:
elating to the effects of one lamin
Page 119 and 120:
There is some information on densit
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5.6.1 Invertebrate Grazers (Other T
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differences a1 ong coast1 i nes occ
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As with previously discussed aspect
Page 127 and 128:
CHAPTER 6 HUMAN USE, MANAGEMENT, AN
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egrowth from unharvested subsurface
Page 131 and 132:
Table 12. Gal i fornia, ~0miller~id
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,,,tl areas as natural baselines fo
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o r i d . 6~i1cr pltfGi~~eCi t.TFt.
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L.. - - 4 wnLci , art" CIL s I , it
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oil spill occurred. If sea otter po
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condition of particular forests wil
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to be, extremely labor and time int
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Anonymous. 1958. The marine fish ca
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sol idungula in the Canadian high a
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Day, R.W. , and R.W. Osman. 1981. P
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and reversal of community structure
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Foster, M.S., C. Agegian. R. Cowen,
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Hasegawa, Y., and Y. Sanbonsuga. 19
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Kain, J.M. 1982. The reproductive p
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the Atlantic coast of Canada. I. Yc
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Neushul, M., and F.T. Haxo. 1963. S
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ecology and behavior. York. Plenum
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Handbook of phycol ogical methods:
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Tegner, M. J. , and L. A. Levin. 19
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Thistle, eds. Ecological communitie
Page 171 and 172:
North, W. J. California Institute o
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