Figure 2.

Linking post-settlement dispersal to community diversity. (a) When flow exceeds sediment entrainment thresholds, post-settlers are passively transported with little behavioural control. The propensity for dispersal is species-specific, with implications for the diversity of the dispersing community. (b) Species-specific dispersal potential increases with flow speed and the frequency/duration of behavioural/flow-driven dispersal events. (c) In a metacommunity context, competent post-settlers may dominate connectivity between spatially distinct communities influencing diversity. Limited dispersal results in low connectivity and a small pool of shared species (outline of shapes) but as connectivity increases, behaviourally mediated dispersal will contribute to species sorting and opportunistic population increases following disturbance. At high rates of dispersal, mass effects will dominate and disturbance recovery will be rapid. Transitions between low and high connectivity states will be driven by variability in near-bed flows. (Online version in colour.)