Abstract
Many landscapes are characterized by a mosaic of patches in various stages of succession. Whether successional paths dampen, track, or magnify extrinsic variation in initial conditions influences how much historical and site-specific detail is required to explain variation in patch composition. I investigated the patterns and importance of historical effects in a successional marine rocky intertidal community on the central coast of Oregon, USA. Patches in the mid-intertidal mussel bed (M. californianus) were manually cleared in a way that mimicked natural disturbances. In four separate blocks (large patches ∼9 m2), three sets of plots were initiated with their starting dates staggered by one year. Within each set of plots, I manipulated the presence/absence of two groups of early successional sessile species under each of three predator densities. This design allowed me to address the following general questions: (1) What are the separate and interactive effects of successional age, yearly variation, and...
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