| The rocky intertidal is a dynamic system that is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. While there is a large body of work pertaining to each disturbance type, little has been done to examine the simultaneous effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The objective of this study was to examine how natural disturbances occurring in tandem with anthropogenic disturbances influences early recovery along a rocky intertidal platform. A series of manipulative trampling experiments were conducted at two sites in the Natural Bridges Marine Reserve, California. After a catastrophic disturbance event, bare rock exposure decreased more over seven months in control treatments than in trampling treatments. Despite high levels of background disturbance in the rocky intertidal zone, even a small amount of intermittent human trampling significantly impeded resilience and succession in the intertidal community. |
