Barker Inlet Mangrove Ecosystem

Introduction

This report deals with the study of an ecosystem group and a major functional role within it. The components of the role and other factors such as relationships within the ecosystem are discussed along with quantitative data and examples. The ecosystem group chosen is a local, coastal ecosystem called the Barker Inlet – St Kilda Aquatic Reserve and the Torrens Island Conservation Park. Together we have termed them the Barker Inlet Mangrove Ecosystem which is situated approximately 20 kilometres north west of Adelaide (see figure 1) and covers an area of approximately 20.5 kilometres squared or 2055 hectres.

Figure 1. Coastal ecosystem around
Nutrient recycling is a major function of the herbivores as well as being a food source for higher order consumers. Many herbivores such as the borrowing crabs trap and increase sediment around the mangrove trees helping new seedlings to develop.

The amount of energy released to the herbivores is about 10%, although a lot of this energy is lost as heat.
The invertebrate marine animals are dominated by the crustaceans (70+ species) of which 65% are crabs. Molluscs are also common (approximately 100 species) with about 75% being gastropods and the rest mainly bivalves. Others include at least 24 species of segmented worms, corals, tunicates and sponges. There are estimated over 70 species of fish with only 4 species of mudskipper. Compared with forest and woodland areas there are few species of insects, which mainly use the mangrove as a breeding ground. Of herbivorous birds only a few of each species occur within the mangrove coastal area, such as the singing
| | | |Neophema |elegans |Elegant Parrot |
| | | |Streptopelia |chinensis |Burmese Spotted Dove|
| |Pisces | |Engraulis |australis |Southern Anchovy |
| | |Gobidae |Gobius |olarum |Mudskipper |
| | | | | | |
|Arthropoda |Malacostraca |Decapoda |Helice |helograspus |Mud Crab |
| | | |Leander |intermedius |Shrimp |
| | | |Leander |littereus | |
| | | |Penaeus |- |-