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Radboud University, 20 maart 2017, Promotores : Herman, P.M.J., Bouma, T.J Co-promotor : Ysebaert, T., Contains fulltext : 169191.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Radboud University, 30 maart 2017, Promotor : Herman, P.M.J. Co-promotores : Bouma, T.J, Katwijk, M.M. van, Contains fulltext : 169308.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Contains fulltext : 176825.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)

Migrating flow-transverse mesoscale intertidal bedforms (megaripples or dunes) may pose disturbance but may also provide heterogeneity in microhabitats to the inhabiting fauna. We investigated how the macrofauna community responds to these migrating intertidal bedforms, based on surveys in the Westerschelde estuary. Considering the entire estuary, low- and high-energy intertidal areas differed in macrofauna, and high-energy flat areas had a macrofauna community intermediate to those in low-energy flat areas and high-energy areas with megaripples. In megaripple areas on a polyhaline and a mesohaline tidal flat, the macrofauna community depended on hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, grain size, elevation and steepness of the megaripples. The relative importance of the environmental variables for structuring the macrofauna community differed for each site. Within the megaripples, conditions on crests, at flanks and in troughs were distinctly different: crests had more chl a and coarser sediment than troughs, while flanks had intermediate levels; troughs were higher in carbon and mud content than flanks and crests. The microhabitats supported a different macrofauna community but with a very large overlap in species. Troughs typically had higher species richness, while crests had higher densities of, in particular, (mobile) surface deposit feeders. Part of the macrofauna could benefit from the habitat heterogeneity within the megaripples, but the effect was relatively small. The distribution of macrofauna in the intertidal zone was particularly regulated by overall current velocities and bedform morphodynamics.

Long-term field observations of nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] concentrations were used to construct nutrient budgets for the western Dutch Wadden Sea between 1976 and 2012. Nutrients come into the western Dutch Wadden Sea via river runoff, through exchange with the coastal zone of the North Sea, neighbouring tidal basins and through atmospheric deposition (for N). The highest concentrations in phosphorus and nitrogen were observed in the mid-1980s. Improved phosphorus removal at waste water treatment plants, management of fertilization in agriculture and removal of phosphates from detergents led to reduced riverine nutrient inputs and, consequently, reduced nutrient concentrations in the Wadden Sea. The budgets suggest that the period of the initial net import of phosphorus and nitrogen switched to a net export in 1981 for nitrogen and in 1992 for phosphorus. Such different behaviour in nutrient budgets during the rise and fall of external nutrient concentrations may be the result of different sediment-water exchange dynamics for P and N. It is hypothesized that during the period of increasing eutrophication (1976–1981) P, and to a lesser degree N, were stored in sediments as organic and inorganic nutrients. In the following period (1981–1992) external nutrient concentrations (especially in the North Sea) decreased, but P concentrations in the Wadden Sea remained high due to prolonged sediment release, whilst denitrification removed substantial amounts of N.From 1992 onwards, P and N budgets were closed by net loss, most probably because P stores were then depleted and denitrification continued. Under the present conditions (lower rates of sediment import and depleted P stores), nutrient concentrations in this area are expected to be more strongly influenced by wind-driven exchange with the North Sea and precipitation-driven discharge from Lake IJssel. This implies that the consequences of climate change will be more important, than during the 1970s and 1980s.

Variations in abundance and diversity of estuarine benthic macrofauna are typically described along the salinity gradient. The influence of gradients in water depth, hydrodynamic energy and sediment properties are less well known. We studied how these variables influence the distribution of subtidal macrofauna in the polyhaline zone of a temperate estuary (Westerschelde, SW Netherlands). Macrofauna density, biomass and species richness, combined in a so-called ecological richness, decreased with current velocities and median grain-size and increased with organic carbon of the sediment, in total explaining 39% of the variation. The macrofauna community composition was less well explained by the three environmental variables (approx. 12e15% in total, with current velocity explaining approx. 8%). Salinity, water depth and distance to the intertidal zone had a very limited effect on both ecological richness and the macrofauna community. The proportion of (surface) deposit feeders (including opportunistic species), decreased relative to that of omnivores and carnivores with increasing current velocity and sediment grain-size. In parallel, the proportion of burrowing sessile benthic species decreased relative to that of mobile benthic species that are able to swim. Correspondingly, spatial variations in hydrodynamics yielded distinct hotspots and coldspots in ecological richness. The findings highlight the importance of local hydrodynamic conditions for estuarine restoration and conservation. The study provides a tool based on a hydrodynamic model to assess and predict ecological richness in estuaries.

Self-organized spatial patterns occur in many terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems. Theoretical models and observational studies suggest self-organization, the formation of patterns due to ecological interactions, is critical for enhanced ecosystem resilience. However, experimental tests of this cross-ecosystem theory are lacking. In this study, we experimentally test the hypothesis that self-organized pattern formation improves the persistence of mussel beds (Mytilus edulis) on intertidal flats. In natural beds, mussels generate self-organized patterns at two different spatial scales: regularly spaced clusters of mussels at centimeter scale driven by behavioral aggregation and large-scale, regularly spaced bands at meter scale driven by ecological feedback mechanisms. To test for the relative importance of these two spatial scales of self-organization on mussel bed persistence, we conducted field manipulations in which we factorially constructed small-scale and/or large-scale patterns. Our results revealed that both forms of self-organization enhanced the persistence of the constructed mussel beds in comparison to nonorganized beds. Small-scale, behaviorally driven cluster patterns were found to be crucial for persistence, and thus resistance to wave disturbance, whereas large-scale, self-organized patterns facilitated reformation of small-scale patterns if mussels were dislodged. This study provides experimental evidence that self-organization can be paramount to enhancing ecosystem persistence. We conclude that ecosystems with self-organized spatial patterns are likely to benefit greatly from conservation and restoration actions that use the emergent effects of self-organization to increase ecosystem resistance to disturbance.

A declining rate of recovery following disturbance has been proposed as an important early warning for impending tipping points in complex systems. Despite extensive theoretical and laboratory studies, this ‘critical slowing down’ remains largely untested in the complex settings of real-world ecosystems. Here, we provide both observational and experimental support of critical slowing down along natural stress gradients in tidal marsh ecosystems. Time series of aerial images of European marsh development reveal a consistent lengthening of recovery time as inundation stress increases. We corroborate this finding with transplantation experiments in European and North American tidal marshes. In particular, our results emphasize the power of direct observational or experimental measures of recovery over indirect statistical signatures, such as spatial variance or autocorrelation. Our results indicate that the phenomenon of critical slowing down can provide a powerful tool to probe the resilience of natural ecosystems.

Biological traits offer valuable approaches to understand species distributions and underlying mechanisms. Their use has received a growing interest in marine community ecology, for both fundamental and applied purposes. The need of ecological indicators as part of marine directives and conservation programmes has promoted the use of multiple traits for indicator development, but in a questionable context regarding the state of fundamental developments. Biological Trait Analysis (BTA) is a complex research field, characterised by flexible concepts and applications. In order to enhance the development of relevant marine ecological indicators, this review provides baselines for better theoretical and applied BTA. A compilation of the existing literature reveals that specific topics have dominated the use of multiple traits in marine ecology unlike in freshwater and terrestrial ecology where tests of theories and uses of evolutionary concepts consistently preceded BTA applications. Availability of data sets and analytical techniques seemed to have driven the growing use of marine BTA rather than fundamental questions regarding life history theories in marine ecosystem components and the functional nature of traits. It is therefore suggested that greater focus on life history ecology and on the links between marine species traits and ecosystem functioning are still needed to support trait-based indicator development. Life history strategy understanding is put forward as a theoretically-sound basis and fundamental pre-requisite for trait-based marine indicator development.

Salt marshes are valuable ecosystems that provide important ecosystem services. Given the global scale of marsh loss due to climate change and coastal squeeze, there is a pressing need to identify the critical extrinsic (wind exposure and foreshore morphology) and intrinsic factors (soil and vegetation properties) affecting the erosion of salt marsh edges. In this study, we quantified rates of cliff lateral retreat (i.e., the eroding edge of a salt marsh plateau) using a time series of aerial photographs taken over four salt marsh sites in the Westerschelde estuary, the Netherlands. In addition, we experimentally quantified the erodibility of sediment cores collected from the marsh edge of these four marshes using wave tanks. Our results revealed the following: (i) at the large scale, wind exposure and the presence of pioneer vegetation in front of the cliff were the key factors governing cliff retreat rates; (ii) at the intermediate scale, foreshore morphology was partially related to cliff retreat; (iii) at the local scale, the erodibility of the sediment itself at the marsh edge played a large role in determining the cliff retreat rate; and (iv) at the mesocosm scale, cliff erodibility was determined by soil properties and belowground root biomass. Thus, both extrinsic and intrinsic factors determined the fate of the salt marsh but at different scales. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the scale dependence of the factors driving the evolution of salt marsh landscapes.

In this paper the typical hydrodynamics on mangrove-mud coasts are studied. Worldwide, these coasts experience serious erosion problems, and while the importance of mangrove ecosystems is becoming widely recognised, mangrove restoration projects frequently fail due to poor understanding of the system, especially the hydrodynamics. Therefore, a landscape model of the eroding coastline of the Demak district in Indonesia is developed to analyse the typical hydrodynamics associated to mangrove-mud coasts. Owing to the fine sediment, these coastlines are characterised by gentle slopes, in the order of 1:1000 or less. Both the theoretical and numerical wave transformation have to be re-evaluated on such slopes, which is done by combining models with field measurements. Also the current patterns and density effects are studied in detail to generate a full understanding of the hydrodynamics on mangrove-mud coasts., Environmental Fluid Mechanics

During recent decades, mangrove forests have experienced severe degradation due to unsustainable land use. Restoration of mangrove ecosystems requires the recovery of their habitat, considering ecology, hydrology, hydrodynamics, and sediment transport. In a first pilot in 2013, brushwood dams were built on the eroding coast of Demak, Indonesia, in order to emulate the function of mangrove roots and provide the physical conditions for natural colonization. However, at present there is little research on how soft structures affect the local hydrodynamics. The present study aims to improve the understanding of wave attenuation by permeable brushwood dams in Demak, combining field observations and hydrodynamic modelling using Delft3D. The findings of the study will be used to develop a landscape bio-morphodynamic model, which will be applied for planning future mangrove restoration efforts., Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Mussel bottom culture is an extensive type of aquaculture; it depends on natural resources for feed, seed and space. It consists of the translocation of seed from natural beds to designed culture areas, where mussel farmers try to improve production efficiency. Production efficiency is measured by the relative biomass production (RBP) expressed as units of biomass harvested from one unit of biomass seeded, it increases with mussel growth and decreases with mussel mortality. Mussel bottom culture makes use of nature and also depends on nature. Cultured mussels are subject to similar environmental factors that influence growth and mortality on natural mussel beds, with additional effects of anthropogenic factors. In this thesis we focus on dynamics of mussel beds and the impact and effectivity of culture activities on mussel production yield. The major objectives are stated as: (1) to better understand the population dynamics of subtidal mussel populations, (2) to analyze what factors determine production efficiency in mussel bottom culture and how this can be improved. On natural mussel beds mussels organise in patterns that enhance food delivery and resilience of the bed. On culture plots mussels are seeded in concentric seeding patterns. Seeding techniques concentrate mussels locally within the culture plot area, resulting in high local mussel densities; this increases competition and limits the spatial re-organisation of mussels in the bed. Consequently, seeding on culture plots is followed by a large size and density dependent seeding loss that ranges from about 40% for seed from fishery to 69% for smaller SMC seed. This loss was the major factor in determining the maximum RBP. Losses in the grow-out stage were substantially lower, a subsequent density dependent loss was found for smaller mussels (<30 mm), and a non-density dependent loss for larger mussels (>30 mm). Shore crab predation is an important factor contributing to the higher losses at seeding. The eff

Our study aims to enhance process understanding of the long-term (decadal and longer) cyclic marsh dynamics by identifying the mechanisms that translate large-scale physical forcing in the system into vegetation change, in particular (i) the initiation of lateral erosion on an expanding marsh, and (ii) the control of seedling establishment in front of an eroding marsh-cliff. Short-term sediment dynamics (i.e., seasonal and shorter changes in sediment elevation) at the mudflat causes variation in mudflat elevation over time (δzTF). The resulting difference in elevation between the tidal flat and adjacent marsh (ΔZ) initiates lateral marsh erosion. Marsh erosion rate was found to depend on sediment type and to increase with increasing ΔZ and hydrodynamic exposure. Laboratory and field experiments revealed that seedling establishment was negatively impacted by an increasing δzTF. As the amplitude of δzTF increases towards the channel, expanding marshes become more prone to lateral erosion the further they extend on a tidal flat, and the chance for seedlings to establish increases with the distance that marsh has eroded back towards the land. This process-based understanding, showing the role of sediment dynamics as explanatory factor for marsh cyclicity, is important for protecting and restoring valuable marsh ecosystems. Overall, our experiments emphasize the need for understanding the connections between neighbouring ecosystems such as mudflat and salt marsh., Coastal Engineering

Contains fulltext : 163419.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)

Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 8 maart 2016, Promotor : Herman, P.M.J. Co-promotor : Bouma, T.J., Contains fulltext : 155841.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 12 februari 2016, Promotor : Herman, P.M.J. Co-promotores : Ysebaert, T., Bouma, T., Contains fulltext : 155836.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Contains fulltext : 163424.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access), Temperate seagrass meadows form valuable ecosystems in coastal environments and present a distinct seasonal growth. They are threatened by an increasing amount of stressors, potentially affecting their capacity to recover from disturbances. We hypothesized that their resilience to disturbances is affected by seasonal dynamics. Hence, we investigated the effect of the timing of the disturbance on seagrass Leaf Area Index (as a proxy for presence, or 'visible' status), recovery from disturbance (as a proxy for meadow resilience), and rhizome carbohydrates (as a proxy for longer term resilience) by a series of four disturbance-recovery field experiments spread over the growing season at two sites in Shandong Province, China. During the course of the growing season, we found the highest recovery at the start of the growing season, lowest recovery when Leaf Area Index peaked around mid-growing season, and intermediate recovery when Leaf Area Index decreased at the end of the growing season. Rhizome carbohydrates were not affected by disturbances during any of the four experimental periods and could not explain the low recovery during mid-growing season. The two sites differed in exposure and in the occurrence of incidents like a green tide and storms, which affected recovery. However, general patterns were similar; timing strongly influenced the indicator of meadow resilience and its correlation with presence during the two main seagrass growth phases. Our results emphasize the importance of carefully considering timing in the evaluation of seagrass resilience in temperate systems. Furthermore, our study implies that, to effectively protect seagrass beds, conservation management should aim at avoiding disturbances particularly during the peak of the growing season, when resilience is lowest. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure-building, autogenic ecosystem engineers are recognized worldwide as potential tools for coastal protection, which depends on long-term sustainability and persistence of their structures. For reef-building oysters, reefs are maintained through accumulation of shell material, which depends on recruitment and growth and which provides substrate for new generations. Knowledge of the fundamental niche of oysters in relation to biotic and abiotic conditions helps define the area where ecosystem engineers grow and survive well and where their structures are likely to persist and be effective for coastal protection. Response curves of different life-history stages (larvae, juveniles and adults) of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas were investigated along a tidal emersion gradient in a manipulative field study. Density of juvenile oysters was maximal around 36% tidal emersion. Shell growth of juveniles and adults, condition index (CI) of adults and mortality of adults were negatively related to tidal emersion, whereas mortality of juveniles was positively related to tidal emersion. Tidal emersion had a strong effect on oyster survival and growth, with the most favourable being around 20 to 40% tidal emersion, as indicated by recruit density and the CI of adults. These findings suggest that the area of 20 to 40% tidal emersion is optimal for reef development, which is in line with other investigations of C. gigas and the eastern oyster C. virginica across different systems, supporting a broader geographical application of these findings.

Many ecosystems develop strikingly regular spatial patterns because of small-scale interactions between organisms, a process generally referred to as spatial self-organization. Self-organized spatial patterns are important determinants of the functioning of ecosystems, promoting the growth and survival of the involved organisms, and affecting the capacity of the organisms to cope with changing environmental conditions. The predominant explanation for self-organized pattern formation is spatial heterogeneity in establishment, growth and mortality, resulting from the self-organization processes. A number of recent studies, however, have revealed that movement of organisms can be an important driving process creating extensive spatial patterning in many ecosystems. Here, we review studies that detail movement-based pattern formation in contrasting ecological settings. Our review highlights that a common principle, where movement of organisms is density-dependent, explains observed spatial regular patterns in all of these studies. This principle, well known to physics as the Cahn–Hilliard principle of phase separation, has so-far remained unrecognized as a general mechanism for self-organized complexity in ecology. Using the examples presented in this paper, we explain how this movement principle can be discerned in ecological settings, and clarify how to test this mechanism experimentally. Our study highlights that animal movement, both in isolation and in unison with other processes, is an important mechanism for regular pattern formation in ecosystems.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Abstract: Only a handful of non-human animals are known to grow their own food by cultivating high-yield fungal or algal crops as staple food. Here we report an alternative strategy utilized by an omnivorous marine worm Hediste diversicolor to supplement its diet: gardening by sprouting seeds. In addition to having many other known feeding modes, we showed using video recordings and manipulative mesocosm experiments that this species can also behave like gardeners by deliberately burying cordgrass seeds in their burrows, which has been previously shown to reduce the loss of seeds to water. These seeds, however, are protected by the seed husk, and we used feeding experiments to show that they were not edible for H. diversicolor until they had sprouted or the seed husk had been artificially removed. Additionally, sprouts were shown to be highly nutritious, permitting higher growth rates in H. diversicolor than the low-quality basal food, detritus. We propose both a proximate cause (seed husk as a physical barrier) and ultimate cause (nutritional demand) for this peculiar feeding behavior. Our findings suggest that sprouting may be a common strategy used by seed-collecting animals to exploit nutrients from well-protected seeds.

Changes in the seascape often result in altered hydrodynamics that lead to coinciding changes in sediment dynamics. Little is known on how altered sediment dynamics affect long-term seagrass persistence. We studied the thresholds of sediment dynamics in relation to seagrass presence by comparing sediment characteristics and seagrass presence data of seven separate seagrass meadows. All meadows had a long-term (>20 years) presence. Within these meadows, we distinguish so-called “hotspots” (areas within a meadow where seagrass was found during all mapping campaigns) and “coldspots” (with infrequent seagrass presence). We monitored static sediment characteristics (median grain size, bulk density, silt content) and sediment dynamics (that is, bed level change and maximum sediment disturbance depth), bioturbation (that is, lugworm densities and induced fecal pit and mound relief), and seagrass cover. We statistically analyzed which sediment characteristic best explains seagrass cover. Densely vegetated hotspots were shown to have lower sediment dynamics than sparsely vegetated hotspots and coldspots, whereas static sediment characteristics were similar (grain size, bulk density). The vegetation cover was either low (2–15%) or high (>30%) and sediment dynamics showed a threshold for vegetation cover. From this correlative finding, we postulate a self-sustaining feedback of relatively dense seagrass via sediment stabilization and accordingly a runaway feedback once the seagrass cover becomes too sparse. The sensitivity for sediment dynamics shown in our study implies that future existence of seagrass meadows may be at risk as ongoing climate change might directly (increased environmental extremes) or indirectly (changing seascapes) negatively affect seagrass beds.

Baggett et al. (2015) identified a set of three universal environmental variables to be monitored for evaluating all oyster habitat restoration projects: salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Perhaps evidencing a bias toward subtidal reefs, this set of parameters omits another first-order environmental factor, tidal emersion. Intertidal oyster reefs can be the dominant reef habitat in estuaries, with clear zonation in oyster performance across the intertidal exposure gradient. Therefore, we propose to include tidal emersion as a fourth universal environmental parameter when designing and evaluating oyster restoration projects to better encompass the whole environmental spectrum along which reefs occur.

The importance of ecosystem engineering and biogeomorphic processes in shaping many aquatic and semi-aquatic landscapes is increasingly acknowledged. Ecosystem engineering and biogeomorphic landscape formation involves two critical processes: (1) species establishment, and (2) scale-dependent feedbacks, meaning that organisms improve their living conditions on a local scale but at the same time worsen them at larger scales. However, the influence of organism traits in combination with physical factors (e.g. hydrodynamics, sediments) on early establishment and successive development due to scale-dependent feedbacks is still unclear. As a model system, this was tested for salt marsh pioneer plants by conducting flume experiments: i) on the influence of species-specific traits (such as stiffness) of two contrasting dominant pioneer species (Spartina alterniflora and Scirpus mariqueter) to withstand current-induced stress during establishment; and ii) to study the impact of species-specific traits (stiffness) and physical forcing (water level, current stress) on the large-scale negative feedback at established tussocks (induced scour at tussock edges) of the two model species.The results indicate that, not only do species-specific plant traits, such as stiffness, exert a major control on species establishment thresholds, but also potentially physiologically triggered plant properties, such as adapted root morphology due to sediment properties. Moreover, the results show a clear relation between species-specific plant traits, abiotics (i.e. sediment, currents) and the magnitude of the large-scale negative scale-dependent feedback. These findings suggest that the ecosystem engineering ability, resulting from physical plant properties can be disadvantageous for plant survival through promoted dislodgement (stem stiffness increases the amount of drag experienced at the root system), underlying the importance of scale-dependent feedbacks on landsc

This paper reports on experimental restoration of mussel beds in the Wadden Sea and the processes that might limit successful restoration of this foundation species (i.e. substrate, predation, hydrodynamics). The importance of substrate, predation, hydrodynamic conditions and location on mussel restoration success was studied using artificially created mussel beds. Experimental beds established on a stable substrate (coir net) were compared with control beds established on sand, at three locations in the Wadden Sea. Their persistence was followed over time. The results revealed a near disappearance of all experimental beds in just over 7 months. Providing a stable substrate did not improve mussel survival. Predation could not explain the disappearance of the beds, as the maximal predation rate by birds was found to be insufficient to have a significant effect on mussel cover. Differences in wave conditions alone could also not explain the variation in decline of mussel cover between the locations. However, the gradual disappearance of mussels from the seaward side of the bed strongly suggested that hydrodynamic conditions (i.e. combined effects of waves and current) played an important role in the poor persistence of the artificial beds. Our results highlight the fact that restoration of mussel beds in dynamic areas cannot simply be implemented by mussel transplantation, particularly if additional measures to prevent wave losses are not taken, even when artificial substrate is provided to facilitate mussel adhesion.

We show in laboratory and field investigations that in the short-term seagrasses obtain most of their required nitrogen from the degradation of seagrass leaves, rather than degradation of leaves exported from adjacent mangroves. Mangrove forests at our Thailand site retain the majority of their nutrients, and therefore potentially buffer seagrasses from nutrients.

Marine species characterized as structure building, autogenic ecosystem engineers are recognized worldwide as potential tools for coastal adaptation efforts in the face of sea level rise. Successful employment of ecosystem engineers in coastal protection largely depends on long-term persistence of their structure, which is in turn dependent on the population dynamics of the individual species. Oysters, such as the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), are recognized as ecosystem engineers with potential for use in coastal protection. Persistence of oyster reefs is strongly determined by recruitment and shell production (growth), processes facilitated by gregarious settlement on extant shell substrate. Although the Pacific oyster has been introduced world-wide, and has formed dense reefs in the receiving coastal waters, the population biology of live oysters and the quantitative mechanisms maintaining these reefs has rarely been studied, hence the aim of the present work. This study had two objectives: (1) to describe the demographics of extant C. gigas reefs, and (2) to estimate vertical reef accretion rates and carbonate production in these oyster reefs. Three long-living oyster reefs (>30 years old), which have not been exploited since their first occurrence, were examined in the Oosterschelde estuary in the Netherlands. A positive reef accretion rate (7.0–16.9 mm year-1 shell material) was observed, consistent with self-maintenance and persistent structure. We provide a framework to predict reef accretion and population persistence under varying recruitment, growth and mortality scenarios.

On intertidal mudflats, reef-building shellfish, like the Pacific oyster and the blue mussel, provide a myriad of ecosystem services. Monitoring intertidal shellfish with high spatiotemporal resolution is important for fisheries, coastal management and ecosystem studies. Here, we explore the potential of X- (TerraSAR-X) and C-band (Radarsat-2) dual-polarized SAR data to map shellfish densities, species and coverage. We investigated two backscatter models (the integral equation model (IEM) and Oh’s model) for inversion possibilities. Surface roughness (vertical roughness RMSz and correlation length L) was measured of bare sediments and shellfish beds, which was then linked to shellfish density, presence and species. Oysters, mussels and bare sediments differed in RMSz, but because the backscatter saturates at relatively low RMSz values, it was not possible to retrieve shellfish density or species composition from X- and C-band SAR. Using a classification based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression of the field and SAR image data, we constructed maps of shellfish presence (Kappa statistics for calibration 0.56–0.74 for dual-polarized SAR), which were compared with independent field surveys of the contours of the beds (Kappa statistics of agreement 0.29–0.53 when using dual-polarized SAR). We conclude that spaceborne SAR allows one to monitor the contours of shellfish-beds (thus, distinguishing shellfish substrates from bare sediment and dispersed single shellfish), but not densities and species. Although spaceborne SAR cannot replace ground surveys entirely, it could very well offer a significant improvement in efficiency.

Mangroves are valuable coastal habitats that are globally under pressure due to climate change and coastal development. Small-scale physical disturbance by tidal inundation and wave-induced sediment dynamics has been described as the main bottlenecks to mangrove seedling establishment on exposed tidal flats. However, such biophysical bottlenecks remain poorly studied.Mangrove progradation at our study site at the Firth of Thames (New Zealand) has been described as rapid but disturbance limited. For this site, we apply a mechanistic model according to the ‘Window of Opportunity’ (WoO) concept, which analyses real time series of external forcing for disturbance free periods. The model was parameterized with manipulative experiments on seedling stability and monitoring data. The modelled inundation free periods for initial anchoring were validated by a caging experiment with loose and tethered propagules.Although the time series of external forcing derived from monitoring data are simplified, our model confirms the absence of mangrove progradation due to failed recruitment events on the tidal flat since 1997. The model also shows, that a temporary reduction in external forcing would lead to a sudden progradation of the mangrove forest.WoO dynamics, where vegetation establishment requires temporarily benign conditions, may be of general importance to other ecosystems with stochastic external forcing. Understanding the biophysical interactions between vegetation and geomorphic processes is key to better manage and protect disturbance-driven ecosystems in times of changing wind pattern and accelerated sea-level rise.

In het afgelopen decennium is er een verschuiving gaande naar een meer ecosysteem gebaseerde kustverdediging met integratie van natuurlijke verdedigingsstructuren zoals duinen, mangroves, schorren, zeegras bedden, schelpdier- en koraalriffen. Deze soorten staan bekend als biobouwers. Het toepassen van natuurlijke verdedigingsstructuren vereist kennis over: waar deze habitats erosie verminderen en bescherming bieden; evenals ecologische gegevens, zoals soortafhankelijke habitatseisen, levenscyclus, populatiedynamiek en lange-termijn persistentie. Dit laatste kan gebruikt worden om plaatsen te identificeren waar habitats succesvol geïmplementeerd kunnen worden. Intergetijdengebieden en oesterriffen zijn bestudeerd in de Oosterschelde, welke dient als modelsysteem. In dit systeem eroderen getijdengebieden in een rap tempo als gevolg van significante wijzigingen aan het Oosterschelde bekken door de Deltawerken

Seed burial (i.e. vertical seed dispersal) has become increasingly valued for its relevance for seed fate and plant recruitment. While ecosystem engineers have been generally considered as the most important drivers of seed burial, the role of physical forces, such as wind or water flow, has been largely overlooked. Using tidal habitats as a model system, and a combination of flume and mesocosm experiments, we investigated the effects of 1) currents, 2) benthic animals with different engineering activities and 3) their interplay on seed burial of a common salt marsh pioneer plant, Spartina anglica. Our results reveal that in such systems, water flow can be of equal or higher importance than ecosystem engineers for seed burial. For passive seed-burying engineers (PSE), coupling their actions with currents produced synergistic seed burial effects, whereas the interactive effects were only additive for active seed-burying engineers (ASE). This paper extends current understanding of seed burial and seed bank formation by revealing the need to incorporate physical forces into seed burial mechanisms. We provide the first empirical evidence that physical forces influence seed burial by synergistically interacting with ecosystem engineers, thus highlighting the role of biophysical interactions as important drivers for vertical seed movement.