|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 195, Issue 1 381-410, Copyright © 1994 by Company of Biologists
JOURNAL ARTICLES |
A Johnson and M Koehl
We have focused on the giant kelp Nereocystis luetkeana to examine the mechanical scaling of benthic marine organisms loaded in tension by hydrodynamic forces. If we consider simply the allometry of the kelp's morphological characters, we conclude that their stipes are underscaled relative to the blade area they support (i.e. that the kelp do not maintain stress or elastic similarity as they grow). However, a closer look at the characteristics of these kelp in the field reveals (1) that they have different blade shapes (and hence drag coefficients) and stipe material properties in different hydrodynamic environments, and (2) that they show a decrease in drag coefficient as they become larger. One consequence of these adjustments of blade and stipe morphology is that the maximum stresses in N. luetkeana stipes, when the kelp are pulled by peak tidal currents in their respective habitats, are similar for kelp of different sizes and for kelp from different sites. Hence, sessile organisms such as these kelp can, via their growth responses in different mechanical environments, show a phenomenon analogous to dynamic strain similarity. In addition, N. luetkeana also maintain a constant environmental stress factor, the ratio of the stress required to break a component of an organism (in this case the stipe) at some stage in its life to the maximum stress normally encountered in the habitat by that component during that stage (in this case, stress due to the drag on a kelp exposed to the peak tidal currents typical of the site at which it lives), both between habitats and as they grow.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. J. Mach Mechanical and biological consequences of repetitive loading: crack initiation and fatigue failure in the red macroalga Mazzaella J. Exp. Biol., April 1, 2009; 212(7): 961 - 976. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Gaylord, M. W. Denny, and M. A. R. Koehl Flow Forces on Seaweeds: Field Evidence for Roles of Wave Impingement and Organism Inertia Biol. Bull., December 1, 2008; 215(3): 295 - 308. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. L. Stewart The role of spatial and ontogenetic morphological variation in the expansion of the geographic range of the tropical brown alga, Turbinaria ornata Integr. Comp. Biol., December 1, 2008; 48(6): 713 - 719. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. R. Koehl, W. K. Silk, H. Liang, and L. Mahadevan How kelp produce blade shapes suited to different flow regimes: A new wrinkle Integr. Comp. Biol., December 1, 2008; 48(6): 834 - 851. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Mach, D. V. Nelson, and M. W. Denny Techniques for predicting the lifetimes of wave-swept macroalgae: a primer on fracture mechanics and crack growth J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2007; 210(13): 2213 - 2230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Mach, B. B. Hale, M. W. Denny, and D. V. Nelson Death by small forces: a fracture and fatigue analysis of wave-swept macroalgae J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2007; 210(13): 2231 - 2243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. L. Harder, C. L. Hurd, and T. Speck Comparison of mechanical properties of four large, wave-exposed seaweeds Am. J. Botany, October 1, 2006; 93(10): 1426 - 1432. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. T. Martone Size, strength and allometry of joints in the articulated coralline Calliarthron J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2006; 209(9): 1678 - 1689. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Butler and A. S. Johnson Are melanized feather barbs stronger? J. Exp. Biol., January 15, 2004; 207(2): 285 - 293. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Denny and B. Gaylord The mechanics of wave-swept algae J. Exp. Biol., May 15, 2002; 205(10): 1355 - 1362. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. S. Johnson Drag, Drafting, and Mechanical Interactions in Canopies of the Red Alga Chondrus crispus Biol. Bull., October 1, 2001; 201(2): 126 - 135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B Gaylord, B. Hale, and M. Denny Consequences of transient fluid forces for compliant benthic organisms J. Exp. Biol., January 4, 2001; 204(7): 1347 - 1360. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A.R. Ennos, H-Ch. Spatz, and T. Speck The functional morphology of the petioles of the banana, Musa textilis J. Exp. Bot., December 1, 2000; 51(353): 2085 - 2093. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Koehl Ecological biomechanics of benthic organisms: life history, mechanical design and temporal patterns of mechanical stress J. Exp. Biol., January 12, 1999; 202(23): 3469 - 3476. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
