Modelling spatial and temporal patterns in bioturbator effects on sediment resuspension: A biophysical metabolic approach.

Tidal flats are biogeomorphic landscapes, shaped by physical forces and interaction with benthic biota. We used a metabolic approach to assess the overarching effect of bioturbators on tidal landscapes. The benthic bivalve common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) was used as model organism.

Ecosystem engineering creates a new path to resilience in plants with contrasting growth strategies.

Plant species can be characterized by different growth strategies related to their inherent growth and recovery rates, which shape their responses to stress and disturbance. Ecosystem engineering, however, offers an alternative way to cope with stress: modifying the environment may reduce stress levels. Using an experimental study on two seagrass species with contrasting traits, the slow-growing Zostera marina vs.

Latitudinal Patterns in European Seagrass Carbon Reserves: Influence of Seasonal Fluctuations versus Short-Term Stress and Disturbance Events.

Seagrass meadows form highly productive and valuable ecosystems in the marine environment. Throughout the year, seagrass meadows are exposed to abiotic and biotic variations linked to (i) seasonal fluctuations, (ii) short-term stress events such as, e.g.

Analysis of macrobenthic assemblages and ecological health of Yellow River Delta, China, using AMBI & M-AMBI assessment method.

Yellow River delta (YRD) is a typical example of a valuable coastal ecosystem that is under increasing anthropogenic threat in China. To understand the current health status of this region, three surveys in 2011 for the abiotic conditions and macrobenthic assemblages were performed. The concentration of trace metals were relatively low in the sediment at all sampling stations representing a good sediment quality.

Individual and population indicators of Zostera japonica respond quickly to experimental addition of sediment-nutrient and organic matter.

A manipulative field experiment was designed to investigate the effects of sediment-nutrients and sediment-organic matters on seagrasses, Zostera japonica, using individual and population indicators. The results showed that seagrasses quickly responded to sediment-nutrient and organic matter loading. That is, sediment-nutrients positively impacted on seagrasses by increasing N content of leaves and roots, leaf length and belowground biomass.

Pollen limitation may be a common Allee effect in marine hydrophilous plants: implications for decline and recovery in seagrasses.

Pollen limitation may be an important factor in accelerated decline of sparse or fragmented populations. Little is known whether hydrophilous plants (pollen transport by water) suffer from an Allee effect due to pollen limitation or not. Hydrophilous pollination is a typical trait of marine angiosperms or seagrasses.

Combined nutrient and macroalgae loads lead to response in seagrass indicator properties.

Excess nutrients are potential factors that drive phase shifts from seagrasses to macroalgae. We carried out a manipulative field experiment to study the effects of macroalgae Ulva pertusa loading and nutrient addition to the water column on the nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) contents (i.e.

Cover versus recovery: contrasting responses of two indicators in seagrass beds.

Despite being a highly valuable key-stone ecosystem, seagrass meadows are threatened and declining worldwide, creating urgent need for indicators of their health status. We compared two indicators for seagrass health: standing leaf area index versus relative recovery from local disturbance. Disturbance was created by removing aboveground biomass and recording the rate of regrowth for Zostera marina meadows exposed to contrasting wave regimes and nutrient stress levels.