Bioturbationとは 意味・読み方・使い方

In oceanography, limnology, pedology, geology (especially geomorphology and sedimentology), and archaeology, bioturbation is the displacement and mixing of sediment particles (i.e. sediment reworking) and solutes (i.e. bio-irrigation) by fauna (animals) or flora (plants). The mediators of bioturbation are typically annelid worms (e.g. polychaetes, oligochaetes), bivalves (e.g. mussels, clams), gastropods, holothurians, or any other infaunal or epifaunal organisms. Faunal activities, such as burrowing, ingestion and defecation of sediment grains, construction and maintenance of galleries, and infilling of abandoned dwellings, displace sediment grains and mix the sediment matrix. In aqueous environments, the sediment-water interface increases in area as a result of bioturbation, affecting chemical fluxes and thus exchange between the sediment and water column. Some organisms may further enhance chemical exchange by flushing their burrows with the overlying waters, a process termed bioirrigation. Benthic flora can affect sediments in a manner analogous to burrow construction and flushing by establishing root structures. Bioturbation is a diagenetic process and acts to alter the physical structure, as well as the chemical nature of the sediment.