Bioengineering promotes habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity on mussel reefs

Ontwikkeling van enkele droogvallende mosselbanken in de Nederlandse Waddenzee : Periode 1995 tot en met 2020

“…Mosselbanken vormen 'hotspots' in de omgeving; de biodiversiteit binnen de mosselbank is hoger dan in het aangrenzende zandige wad (Günther, 1996;Markert et al, 2010;Buschbaum et al, 2009;Kochmann et al, 2008;Van der Ouderaa et al, 2021). Zowel het aantal soorten als de diversiteit is afhankelijk van de leeftijd en complexiteit van de mosselbank (Tsuchiya & Nishihira, 1985;Tsuchiya & Nishihira, 1986).…”

The ecological function of intertidal shellfish reefs for benthic algae

“…Considering networks of ecological interactions as system properties and testing the joint function of groups of organisms and species, has moved community ecology toward emergent properties of species assemblages; where the collected function is larger than the sum of all individual functions (Olff et al 2009). A focus on emergent properties of species assemblages are evident in the ecological literature on biological self-organization, ecodynamics and facilitation theory (Bruno et al 2003, Ulanowicz 2004, Koppel at al.…”

“…the other hand, is a positive non-trophic interaction between individuals, populations or species. It includes mutualistic processes such as pollination but also relationships where only one species has an obvious net benefit (Olff et al 2009). As a concept, facilitation was not a new idea, but it is in the past decades that positive interactions have gained momentum as an important part of ecological theory (e.g.…”

“…As a concept, facilitation was not a new idea, but it is in the past decades that positive interactions have gained momentum as an important part of ecological theory (e.g. Bruno et al 2003, Maestre et al 2009, Olff et al 2009, Bulleri et al 2011. Today, facilitation is recognized in management as an important consideration to prioritize and even to succeed with active restoration (Silliman et al 2015, Bulleri et al 2018.…”

“…Resource availability and grazing play important roles in regulating benthic microalgae (Underwood and Kromkamp 1999;Weerman et al 2011aWeerman et al , 2011b. However, on tidal flats, large-scale heteroge-neity in the abundance and productivity of benthic Organisms that modify their habitats can facilitate complex food-webs by providing structural complexity and improving environmental conditions for many organisms (Olff et al 2009;Kéfi et al 2015;van der Zee et al 2016). On tidal flats, aboveground aggregations of bivalves such as mussels or oysters can build extensive habitatforming reefs (e.g.…”