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Science 20 April 1984:
Vol. 224. no. 4646, pp. 283 - 285
DOI: 10.1126/science.224.4646.283
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Articles

Catastrophic Storms, El Niño, and Patch Stability in a Southern California Kelp Community

PAUL K. DAYTON 1 and MIA J. TEGNER 1

1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093

Strong winter storms in southern California destroyed most of the canopy ofthe giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera but not the patches of understory kelps in the Point Loma kelp forest near San Diego. Subsequent massive recruitment of Macrocystis juveniles and adults that survived the storms had low survival in the summer during the California El Niño of 1983. The combined disturbance may have long-lasting structural consequences for this community because, once established, the understory patches can resist invasion by Macrocystis.

Submitted on January 16, 1984
Accepted on February 10, 1984


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