Shifts in macroalgal communities in relation to some abiotic factors: a functional group approach

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to test whether the functional group approach is effective in describing changes in community structure, resulting from exposure to different substratum inclination and levels of organic pollution. The results of this study suggest that the functional group approach could detect changes in community structure as response to some abiotic factors. However, since species response is not always a functional group response, this method is difficult to generalize and a better definition of the functional group model is required.