Community succession and seasonal onset of colonization in sublittoral hard and soft bottoms off northern Chile [Elektronische Ressource] / by Aldo S. Pacheco V.
Community succession and seasonal onset of colonization in sublittoral hard and soft bottoms off northern ChileDoctoral thesis byAldo S. Pacheco V. Submitted to Faculty 2 (Biology & Chemistry), Bremen University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor rerum naturalium (Doctor of Natural Sciences) April 2009, Bremen I would like to dedicate this thesis to the memory of the following good souls: Dr. Victor Alamo Vasquez for introducing me to the fascinating world of marine scienceDr. Manuel Valencia Valencia for your unconditional guidance, your life lessons won’t be forgotten in my soulMario Villegas Ortiz for blessing my life with your friendship and for showing me how to enjoy life at the seaAdvisory Committee: 1. Reviewer: Prof. Dr. Wolf Arntz (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Bremerhaven, Germany) 2. Reviewer: Dr. Marcelo Oliva (Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile) 3. Examiner: Prof. Dr. Claudio Richter (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Bremerhaven, Germany) 4. Examiner: Dr. Jürgen Laudien (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Bremerhaven, Germany) Contents Page Abstract vZusammenfassung vii Resumen viiiList of figures x1 Introduction 11.1 Succession of benthic communities 1 1.2 Succession in hard-bottom epibenthic communities 2 1.