中型底棲動物的物種組成會隨著周遭環境而改變，因此被認為是合適的生態指標。大型植物的複雜構造提供許多微棲地，也提高了底層動物族群的數量與多樣性，其中海草因為會改變其存在的底質環境而被視為一種生態系工程師，它能使一些適應良好的中型底棲動物在底質裡大量發生。中型底棲動物族群在海草床與周遭未生長植物的（非海草床）底質棲地間已知有所不同，然而大部份的研究都是基於相距較遠採樣距離的樣本，本研究欲檢驗在數公尺的小尺度下，兩類棲地間的中型底棲動物、尤其是海洋性線蟲的族群組成是否有差異存在。在臺灣綠島的泰來草海草床中共發現二十一大類中型底棲動物，其中包含六十三個屬的線蟲。根據對應分析的結果，雖然高階類群無法區別，但線蟲屬的組成在海草床與非海草床間有明顯差異。另以隨機統計法計算要合理估算區域多樣性指標所需的樣本數量，結果發現在一個海草床內，針對中型底棲動物高階分類群只需要一個底質樣本便足以代表當地多樣性，而要估算線蟲的多樣性則至少需要三個底質樣本或三百隻線蟲。海草種類的效應則在屏東海口一處數種海草生長的海草床進行檢驗。自泰來草、單脈二藥草、卵葉鹽草與周圍非海草床底質取得定量樣本，其中海草床裡甲殼類及線蟲的豐度與多樣性都較非海草床高，而無論中型底棲動物的高階分類群或線蟲種類在海草床與非海草床間都有差異。某幾種線蟲僅生長在特定海草種類下的底質中，但並沒有發現任何一種線蟲僅存在於非海草床底質棲地。在線蟲的食性分群上，非選擇性沈積物攝食者在整個海口採樣區較為優勢，但在海草床的樣本中，選擇性沈積物攝食者與表層攝食者的數量相對較多。由本研究可知即使在小尺度與類似的底質特徵下，不同的海草種類也會擁有不同的線蟲族群組成。

Meiofauna is considered an ecological indicator for their composition as it might shift consistently with the ambient environment. The structural complexity of macrophytes provides various microhabitats, which increases the local infaunal abundance and diversity. Seagrass is regarded as an ecosystem engineer and alters the benthic environment, which enables several adapted meiofauna to thrive in the sediments. The differences in meiofaunal communities between seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated areas have been reported, whereas most studies are based on a comparatively long distance of sampling distribution. This study was designed to test if the community structures of meiofauna and marine nematodes differ between seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediments on a small scale, i.e. within several meters. A total of 21 meiofaunal taxa and 63 nematode genera were identified from a tropical seagrass bed of Thalassia hemprichii in Ludao, Taiwan. Although the compositions of higher meiofauna taxa are undistinguished, according to correspondence analysis, the assemblages of nematode genera differ substantially between seagrass beds and unvegetated sediments. The number of replicates for reasonable estimation of the local diversity index was calculated using the randomization technique. Regarding local seagrass beds, only a single core with 2-cm internal diameter is sufficient for reliably estimating meiofaunal diversity, but at least three cores or a sample size of 300 individuals are needed for nematode community. The effects of seagrass species in a mixed-species seagrass bed at Haikou, Taiwan were examined. Analyzing quantitative samples obtained from patches of T. hemprichii, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis, and adjacent unvegetated sediments inspected the community structures of meiofauna and marine nematodes. The abundance and diversity of crustaceans and nematodes were substantially higher in habitats in which seagrass grew than in those comprising unvegetated sediments. Both the compositions of higher meiofaunal taxa and nematode species were distinct between seagrass habitats and unvegetated areas. Several nematode species existed exclusively in patches of individual seagrass species, whereas no nematode particularly occurred in unvegetated areas. Regarding the trophic types of nematodes, non-selective deposit feeders were prevalent in the present study, whereas selective deposit feeders and epistrate feeders were relatively dominant in seagrass habitats. Sediments underneath various patches of seagrass species harbor dissimilar nematode communities, even with similar sediment parameters and at a small-scale distance.

論文審定書...............................................................................................i
誌謝.........................................................................................................ii
摘要........................................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................v
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................vii
LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................ix
LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................xi
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................1
2. MEIOFAUNAL COMMUNITIES IN A TROPICAL SEAGRASS BED AND ADJACENT UNVEGETATED SEDIMENTS WITH NOTE ON SUFFICIENT SAMPLE SIZE FOR DETERMINING LOCAL DIVERSITY INDICES..................................................................................................9
2.1 AIMS..................................................................................................9
2.2 MATERIAL AND METHODS...........................................................10
2.2.1 Study site and sampling methods ................................................10
2.2.2 Laboratory procedures..................................................................11
2.2.3 Statistical analyses.......................................................................12
2.3 RESULTS .......................................................................................13
2.3.1 Environmental and biological variables.........................................13
2.3.2 Consistency of core replicates......................................................14
2.3.3 Randomization test.......................................................................16
2.3.4 Taxonomic distinctness tests .......................................................17
2.4 DISCUSSION ..................................................................................17
3. DOES THE ABUNDANCE, DIVERSITY, AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SEDIMENT MEIOFAUNA DIFFER AMONG SEAGRASS SPECIES?.........................................................................23
3.1 AIMS................................................................................................23
3.2 MATERIAL AND METHODS ......................................................... 24
3.2.1 Study site and sampling design....................................................24
3.2.2 Laboratory processing..................................................................25
3.2.3 Statistical analyses.......................................................................26
3.3 RESULTS ...................................................................................... 27
3.3.1 Sediment environment..................................................................27
3.3.2 Meiofaunal communities ..............................................................29
3.3.3 Nematode assemblages...............................................................29
3.4 DISCUSSION ..................................................................................31
3.4.1 Meiofauna between seagrass beds and unvegetated sediments.31
3.4.2 Meiofauna in seagrass patches of various species......................33
3.4.3 Trophic types of nematodes ........................................................35
4. MEIOFAUNA IN THE SEAGRASS BEDS OF TAIWAN .................. 38
4.1 DECLARATION ............................................................................. 38
4.2 MINOR PHYLUM ........................................................................... 39
4.2.1 Nemertea .....................................................................................39
4.2.2 Kinorhyncha..................................................................................39
4.2.3 Priapulida......................................................................................40
4.2.4 Gastrotricha .................................................................................40
4.2.5 Tardigrada.....................................................................................41
4.2.6 Hemichordata................................................................................41
4.3 MARINE NEMATODES ................................................................. 42
5. GENERAL DISCUSSION ................................................................ 60
5.1 COPEPODS INHABIT SEAGRASS BEDS .................................... 60
5.2 STILBONEMATIDS IN SEAGRASS HABITATS ............................ 60
5.3 BIOGEOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF MARINE NEMATODES .......... 62
5.4 SUCTORIAN CILIATES ON NEMATODE ..................................... 62
5.5 TROPHIC TYPES OF NEMATODE IN SEAGRASS HABITATS.....63
6. CONCLUSIONS............................................................................... 65
7. REFERENCES ................................................................................ 67
8. APPENDIX .....................................................................................122

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