Variations in the intertidal and subtidal macrofauna and sediments along a salinity gradient in the upper forth estuary
Tóm tắt
The intertidal and subtidal soft-sediment macrofauna of the upper Forth estuary, eastern Scotland, UK has been examined. The intertidal fauna was sampled in 1977, and again in 1988/89, at up to twelve stations along the salinity gradient. The subtidal fauna was sampled in 1982 and in 1988/89 at up to 15 stations. The stations span the region of the freshwater-seawater interface, and area of the turbidity maximum. Large spatial and temporal variations in macrofaunal abundance and species composition were observed. Sites at the head of the estuary with low salinity were dominated by oligochaetes, but more saline areas were characterised by a depauparate estuarine fauna. The area has historically received large quantities of organic waste both from sewage and industrial discharges which supported very high abundances of oligochaetes of up to 500,000 m−2 in the upper reaches of the estuary. Reductions in the organic inflow to the area since the early-1980's have begun to cause reductions in oligochaete populations and also allowed the further penetration intertidally of non-oligochaete species into the upper and middle reaches of the estuary. No comparable upstream penetration by the non-oligochaete subtidal fauna has been observed, possibly on account of the greater sediment instability in the estuary's main channel.
Tài liệu tham khảo
ATKINS, S.M., A.M. JONES and P.R. GARWOOD, 1987. The ecology and reproduction cycle of a population ofMarenzelleria viridis (Annelida: Polychaeta: Spionidae) in the Tay Estuary. Proc. Royal Soc. Edinburgh 92B: 311–322.
BAGHERI, E.A. and D.S. McLUSKY, 1982. Population dynamics of oligochaetes and small polychaetes in the polluted Forth estuary ecosystem. Neth. J. Sea Res., 16: 55–66.
BUCHANAN, J.B., 1971. Measurements of the physical and chemical environment. In N. Holme and A.D. Mclntyre, Eds., Methods for the Study of Marine Benthos. Blackwell Sci. Pub., Oxford, p. 30–58.
ELLIOTT, M. and P.F. KINGSTON, 1987. The sublitoral benthic fauna of the estuary and firth of Forth. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, 93B: 449–466.
ELLIOTT, M. and C.J.L. TAYLOR, 1989. The production ecology of the subtidal benthos of the Forth estuary. Scotland. Scient. Mar. 53: 531–541.
ELLIOTT, M. and M. O'REILLY, 1991. The variability and prediction of marine benthic community parameters. In: M. Elliott & J-P Ducrotoy, Eds., Estuaries and Coasts: Spatial and Temporal Intercomparisons. Olsen & Olsen, Fredensborg, 231–238.
ESSINK, K. and H.L. KLEEF, 1988.Marenzelleria viridis (Virrill, 1873) (Polychaeta: Spionidae): a new record from the Ems Estuary (The Netherlands/Federal Republic of Germany). Zoölogische Bijdragen (Leiden) 38: 1–13.
ESSINK, K. and H.L. KLEEF, 1993. Distribution and life cycle of the North American spionid polychaeteMarenzelleria viridis (Verrill, 1873) in the Ems Estuary. Neth. J. Aquat. Ecol. 27: 237–246.
GRIFFITHS, A.H., 1987. Water quality of the estuary and Firth of Forth, Scotland. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh. 93B: 303–314.
LEATHERLAND, T.M., 1987. The estuary and Firth of Forth, Scotland: uses and aims. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, 93B: 285–298.
Mclusky, D.S., Ed., 1987a. The Natural Environment of the estuary and Firth of Forth. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh. 93B: 235–571.
MCLUSKY, D.S., 1987b. Intertidal habitats and benthic macrofauna of the Forth estuary, Scotland. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh. 93B: 389–400.
MCLUSKY, D.S., 1989. The estuarine ecosystem. Blackie, Glasgow.
MCLUSKY, D.S., M. TEARE and P. PHIZACKLEA, 1980. Effects of domestic and industrial pollution on the distribution and abundance of aquatic oligochaetes in the Forth estuary. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen, 33: 384–392.
REMANE, A. and C. SCHLIEPER, 1958. Die Biologie des Brackwassers. E Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung Stuttgart.
VAN IMPE, J., 1985. Estuarine pollution as a probable cause of increase of estuarine birds. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 16: 271–276.
WEBB, A.J. and A.P. METCALFE. 1987. Physical aspects, water movements and modelling studies of the Forth estuary. Scotland. Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, 93B: 259–272.