An approach to determining the ecological effects of seaweed harvesting: a summary

The ecological effects of seaweed harvesting are similar to those of natural disturbances; both remove all or portions of populations, providing space or other resources that initiate succession. Natural disturbances vary in severity, extent, and frequency, and the interplay between these factors and the life history and phenological attributes of affected species regulates much of subsequent succession and community structure (reviewed in Sousa, 1984; Pickett & White, 1985). This approach to understanding natural communities has become increasingly important in community ecology but, to our knowledge, has not been applied to managing seaweed resources.