Publication
Title
Sediment macroinvertebrate community functioning in impacted and newly-created tidal freshwater habitats
Author
Abstract
Although experiencing strong anthropogenic pressures in many estuaries, the ecology of tidal freshwater areas remains largely undocumented. As part of a restoration project in the freshwater zone of the Schelde estuary (Belgium), a new tidal habitat restoration technique (Controlled Reduced Tide system, CRT) was hypothesised to successfully compensate for the impairment of contemporary habitats. The suitability of this newly-created habitat (CRT) and the estuary was investigated over a period of three years for its macroinvertebrate community development. In both the estuary and the CRT, habitats along a flooding gradient were monitored. Differences between the CRT and reference sites in community functioning were explored according to environmental characteristics and organism biological attributes using the RLQ ordination analysis together with the fourth-corner method. Frequently flooded reference sites exhibited environmental characteristics resulting from a hydrological shear stress. In the CRT, after a rapid removal of the terrestrial fauna at low and mid elevations, the low-energy hydrology led to taxonomic and functional enrichment. The RLQ analysis produced significant environmental filtering of biological attributes mainly related to the terrestrialaquatic transition and to the environmental stressors. This provides an example of life history modification via estuarine ecosystem management.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Estuarine, coastal and shelf science. - London
Publication
London : 2013
ISSN
0272-7714
DOI
10.1016/J.ECSS.2013.01.013
Volume/pages
120 (2013) , p. 21-32
ISI
000317444700003
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 13.03.2013
Last edited 04.03.2024
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