Major Biological Processes in European Tidal Estuaries

ISBN-13: 9780792336990 / Angielski / Twarda / 1995 / 276 str.

C. H. R. Heip; P. M. J. Herman; C. Heip

Opis

This work presents results of the project Major Biological Processes in European Tidal Estuaries, funded by the Commission of the European Communities under its Marine Science and Technology Programme. This was one of the first projects in which a large number of European macrotidal estuaries, from the Elbe to the Tagus, were studied simultaneously and compared in a coherent way by application of a standardized methodology. It revealed that these estuaries have many species in common and that their ecology can be understood on the basis of a common concept. A major result of the comparison is that, while salinity gradients explain species succession very well within each estuary, similar succession series are found at different salinity levels in different estuaries. Organic loading and the availability of food may explain these differences. Overall, organic loading appears more important in explaining the functioning of tidal estuarine systems than nutrient loading.

Spis treści

Introduction. Major biological processes in European tidal estuaries; C. Heip, P. Herman. Primary production. Nutrients, light and primary production by phytoplankton and microphytobenthos in the eutrophic, turbid Westerschelde estuary (the Netherlands); J. Kromkamp, et al. Dynamics of microphytobenthic chlorophyll-a in the Scheldt estuary (SW Netherlands); D.J. de Jong, V.N. de Jonge. Bacterial processes. Comparison of heterotrophic bacterial production in early spring in the turbid estuaries of the Scheldt and the Elbe; N.K. Goosen, et al. Nitrous oxide emissions from estuarine intertidal sediments; J.J. Middelburg, et al. Carbon and nitrogen cycling in intertidel sediments near Doel, Scheldt estuary; J.J. Middelburg, et al. Zooplankton. Copepod feeding in the Westerschelde and the Gironde; M. Tackx, et al. Long-term changes in eurytemora affinis population (copopoda, calanoids) in the Gironde estuary (1978-1992); J. Castel, et al. Contribution of the zooplankton copepod communities to the carbon fluxes in the brackish part of the Westerschelde estuary (the Netherlands); V. Escaravage, K. Soetaert. Feeding rates and productivity of the copepod Acartia bifilosa in a highly turbid estuary; the Gironde (SW France); X. Irigoien, J. Caste. Production rates of Eurytemora affinis in the Elbe Estuary, comparison of field and enclosure production estimates; A. Peitsch. Comparative spring distribution of zooplankton in three macrotidal European estuaries; B. Sautour, J. Castel. Hyperbenthos. Comparative study of the hyperbenthos of three European estuaries; J. Mees, et al. Meiobenthos. Effects of experimental food supply on estuarine meiobenthos; M.C. Austen, R.M. Warwick. Meiobenthic distributionand nematode community structure of five European estuaries; K. Soetaert, et al. Macrobenthos. The response of two estuarine benthic communities to the quantity and quality of food; M.A. Kendall, et al. Modelling. Estimating estuarine residence times in the Westerschelde (the Netherlands) using a simple box model; K. Soetaert, P.M.J. Herman. Nitrogen dynamics in the Westerschelde estuary (SW Netherlands) estimated by means of a global ecosystem model (MOSES); K. Soetaert, P.M.J. Herman. Carbon flows in the Westerschelde estuary (the Netherlands) evaluated by means of a global ecosystem model (MOSES); K. Soetaert, P.M.J. Herman.