Year-to-year variability in the biomass of macrobenthic animals on tidal flats of the Wadden Sea: How predictable is this food source for birds?

Beukema, J.J.; Essink, K.; Michaelis, H.; Zwarts, Leo

doi:10.1016/0077-7579(93)90051-s

Cited by 100 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Questions concerning whether or not bird numbers are limited by food resources in the Wadden Sea must be investigated on the species level, since different species have a different sensitivity to fluctuating food resources (Beukema et al, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, large differences b e t w e e n areas in the densities of birds a n d the utilization of benthic communities (Zwarts, 1988;Wolff, 1991;Hockey et al, 1992) indicate that structural differences in these areas affect avian predation pressure. Several mechanisms mitigating avian predation pressure have b e e n proposed: (a) the degree of seasonal synchronisation b e t w e e n production and predation by birds: birds wintering in northern temperate areas use these places at times w h e n a n n u a l production is lowest, whereas birds wintering south of the equator meet the a n n u a l production peak (Evans, 1979;Hockey et al, 1992); (b) high i n t e r a n n u a l fluctuations of the benthic macrofauna biomass in northern areas lead to low average consumption (Nehls, 1989;Wolff, 1991); (c) the harvestable fraction of benthic communities, as determined by the quality and the availability of benthic invertebrates to birds, differs seasonally and regionally with low availability and quality in temperate regions in winter (Beukema et al, 1993;Zwarts & Wanink, 1993); (d) the size of tidal areas, with higher densities of birds in smaller areas (Prater, 1981;Hockey et al, 1992). The first three of the four mechanisms m e n t i o n e d are caused by the climatic conditions as determined by the geographical positions of the intertidal areas.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Consumption of benthic fauna by carnivorous birds in the Wadden Sea

Scheiffarth

Nehls²

1997

Helgoländer Meeresunters.

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Consumption by carnivorous birds was estimated for the Sylt-R~mo tidal inlet in the northern part of the Wadden Sea, as well as the subarea K6nigshafen, a small, tidal bay. The bird community of the Sylt-Reme Wadden Sea was dominated by Dunlin (35 % of all birds counted), Eider (9 %), Oystercatcher (8 %), Knot (8 %), and Shelduck (7 %). The community in the Kbnigshafen was dominated by Eider (20 %), Knot (17 %), Bar-tailed Godwit (17 %), Dunlin (13 %), and Oystercatcher (8 %). Annual consumption was estimated at 3.4 g AFDW 9 m -2 9 year 1 for the entire SyltRomo Wadden Sea and 19.2 g AFDW 9 m -2 9 year -I for the K6nigshafen. Restricting the calculations to the intertidal area resulted in a consumption of 8.7 g AFDW 9 m -2 9 year -I for the Sylt-Remo Wadden Sea and 17.6 g AFDW 9 m -2 9 year -: for the K6nigshafen. In the two areas, consumption was dominated by the Eider with 37 % and 60 % of the total consumption, respectively. In comparison to the western parts of the Wadden Sea the seasonal pattern of consumption as well as species composition differed, most probably as an effect of different climatic conditions, whereas annual consumption on intertidal flats seems to be in the same order of magnitude. On average, 15-25 % of the mean annual macrozoobenthic biomass seems to be taken by carnivorous birds in the Wadden Sea, which is in the same order of magnitude as in other northern temperate estuarine areas. I N T R O D U C T I O N T h e W a d d e n Sea, a l a r g e i n t e r t i d a l a r e a (8000 k m 2) s t r e t c h i n g a l o n g t h e s o u t he a s t e r n s h o r e of t h e N o r t h Sea, is of p a r t i c u l a r i m p o r t a n c e for m i g r a t o r y birds, w h i c h usethis a r e a as a s t o p -o v e r site on t h e i r a n n u a l m i g r a t i o n s b e t w e e n s o u t h e r n w i n t e r i n g a n d n o r t h e r n b r e e d i n g areas. A b o u t 10-12 million b i r d s s p e n d at l e a s t a p a r t of t h e i r a n n u a l life cycle in this a r e a (Meltofte et al., 1994). Birds are the m o s t p r o m i n e n t m e m b e r s of i n t e r t i d a l e c o s y s t e m s , o f t e n r o a m i n g a r o u n d in s p e c t a c u l a r flocks of m a n y t h o u s a n d s . A l t h o u g h t h e e f f i c i e n c y of e n e r g y t r a n s f e r to b i r d s in i n t e r t i d a l s y s t e m s is h i g h in c o m p arison to t e r r e s t r i a l e c o s y s t e m s (Baird & M i l n e , 1981;Baird et al., 1985; K r e b s , 1985), t h e i r role in i n t e r t i d a l e c o s y s t e m s , if m e a s u r e d as t h e i r c o n t r i b u t i o n to e n e r g y or c a r b o n flow, is g e n e r a l l y c o n s i d e r e d to b e of m i n o r i m p o r t a n c e , s i n c e t h e i r c o n s u m p t i o n o n l y affects a small f r a c t i o n of p r i m a r y p r o d u c t i o n a n d d e t r i t u s i m p o r t (Kuipers et al., 1981; ~ Address for correspondence 9 Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Hamburg

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption of benthic fauna by carnivorous birds in the Wadden Sea

Scheiffarth

Nehls²

1997

Helgoländer Meeresunters.

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“…This indicates that open Wadden Sea mudXats may be particularly inhospitable during winter due to low temperatures and storm events (Beukema et al 1993;Wilson and Parker 1996). On the other hand, the S. anglica marsh at the same time may provide protection and prevent sediment resuspension in both dense and sparse plant areas within marsh and therefore act as a refuge for H. ulvae and other epifaunal species.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The expansion of S. anglica may even be accelerated in the future due to global warming (Gray and Mogg 2001;Loebl et al 2006). Danish Wadden Sea is a bird-protection area, and macroinfauna serve as important food for a variety of wading birds (Beukema et al 1993;Zwarts and Wanink 1993; Munch-Petersen and . Consequently, the declined macroinfaunal abundance observed in association with S. anglica invasions may have a cascading eVect on higher trophic levels and ultimately impair the overall biodiversity.…”

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confidence: 99%

Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Tang

Kristensen

2010

Helgol Mar Res

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We conducted a survey to provide knowledge on mechanisms controlling spatial and temporal variability of macrobenthos in an intertidal Wadden Sea area partly covered by invasive Spartina anglica. Benthic macrofauna was collected seasonally at seven stations along a transect covering non-vegetated mudXat and vegetated marsh areas. Shannon diversity index was consistently higher for macrobenthos in the open mudXat compared to the marsh area. Infaunal species, like Arenicola marina, TubiWcoides benedeni and Macoma balthica, were more abundant in the mudXat than the marsh, while the opposite was evident for epifaunal species, like Hydrobia ulvae and Littorina littorea. The infaunal crustacean, Corophium volutator, on the other hand, appeared particularly attracted to the mudXatmarsh boundary. The biomass of below-ground plant materials and macrodetritus was positively correlated with the total macrofaunal abundance, while the biomass of dead below-ground plant materials alone showed a signiWcant negative correlation with infaunal abundance. Total macrofaunal abundance was highest during summer in the mudXat, while no seasonal pattern was evident in the marsh.The negative inXuence of S. anglica invasions on infaunal abundance may have serious implications for higher trophic levels, such as waterbirds, that forage in Wadden Sea areas and thus for the overall biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

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“…From a supply-side ecology perspective, the importance of larval abundance for the recruitment of benthic marine invertebrate populations is a key determining factor in the structuring of benthic communities (Miron et al 1995). While the influence of juvenile recruitment on adult bivalve stocks has been studied by Beukema et al (1993), mollusc larval and post-larval in situ growth and mortality rates have not received much attention in the Sacca di Goro, probably because such variables are quite difficult to assess in the field because of methodological problems and intensive sampling campaigns. This study tries to integrate observations on larval and post-larval mortality and growth to estimate the future abundance of first-year clams from their planktonic larval abundance and length.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating clam recruitment potential in a nursery area in the Sacca di Goro lagoon (Italy)

Cristina

Rossi

Turolla

et al. 2009

Italian Journal of Zoology

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The assessment of clam recruitment potential is a necessary step to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the exploitation activities in a regulated fishery. We discuss the application of a method for estimating the clam recruitment potential in a natural nursery area (the so-called Bassona) of a northern Adriatic lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Italy). Larvae in the plankton were collected at weekly intervals, while post-larvae that settled were analysed monthly. Planktonic larval and benthic post-larval cohorts were determined, and growth and mortality rates were calculated. The theoretical formulation derived allows the estimate of the future abundance of juvenile clams during their first year of benthic life.

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Year-to-year variability in the biomass of macrobenthic animals on tidal flats of the Wadden Sea: How predictable is this food source for birds?

Cited by 100 publications

References 33 publications

Consumption of benthic fauna by carnivorous birds in the Wadden Sea

Consumption of benthic fauna by carnivorous birds in the Wadden Sea

Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Estimating clam recruitment potential in a nursery area in the Sacca di Goro lagoon (Italy)

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