establishment of fucoid zonation on algal-dominated rocky shores: hypotheses derived from a simulation model

1. A model was developed for the growth of intertidal algae with photosynthesis simulated both in air and in a tidal water column. Morphological data on dry mass per unit area and length–area relationships were used to separate the growth of different fucoid species. The relative growth rate of fronds at any height on the shore depended on a trade‐off between net photosynthetic performance and tolerance to desiccation. 2. The simulated zonation patterns and growth rates were consistent with those observed previously for Fucus spp. and Pelvetia canaliculata. 3. The simulated growth of Ascophyllum nodosum was always slower than for the other species. This species did not form its characteristic distribution zones in simulations without including further processes in the model. However, Ascophyllum collected from the field could be separated into upper and lower shore morphologies which formed separate zones when they were simulated in competition with each other. 4. Several hypotheses were proposed concerning the relative locations and sharpness of interspecies boundaries on the shore. Zonation patterns were relatively insensitive to changes in most model parameters except the desiccation rate.