Waterbird communities along the estuarine salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary, NW-Europe

Waterbird communities along the estuarine salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary, NW-Europe

The zonation of non-breeding waterbirds along the Schelde estuary (The Netherlands-Belgium), one of the longest estuaries in NW-Europe with still a complete salinity gradient, including a large freshwater tidal area, was described. Numbers of birds were counted monthly over the period October 1991 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biodiversity and conservation Vol. 9; no. 9; p. 1275
Main Authors: Ysebaert, Tom, Meininger, Peter L, Meire, Patrick, Devos, Koen, Berrevoets, Cor M, Strucker, Rob Cw, Kuijken, Eckhart
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01-09-2000
Subjects:
Anas
Anas crecca
Anas penelope
Anas platyrhynchos
Anser
Anser anser
Aquatic birds
Bacteria
Belgium
Brackish
Calidris alpina
Community
Estuaries
Freshwater
Haematopus
Haematopus ostralegus
Herbivores
Marine
Multivariate analysis
Netherlands
Salinity
Zonation
ANE, Belgium, Schelde Estuary
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Summary:The zonation of non-breeding waterbirds along the Schelde estuary (The Netherlands-Belgium), one of the longest estuaries in NW-Europe with still a complete salinity gradient, including a large freshwater tidal area, was described. Numbers of birds were counted monthly over the period October 1991 to June 1997. Highest numbers of waterbirds were observed in late autumn and winter, with annual peak numbers ranging between 150,000 and 235,000 individuals for the whole estuary. Based on a multivariate analysis different waterbird communities were observed along the salinity gradient. The polyhaline areas of the estuary were numerically dominated by the waders Oystercatcher and Dunlin. Due to the presence of a large brackish marsh in the mesohaline zone, the waterbird community in this area was dominated by the herbivores Wigeon and Greylag Goose. In the oligohaline and freshwater tidal areas, the waterbird community was dominated by duck species, with Teal and Mallard being the most important. The international importance of the Schelde estuary for waterbirds was evidenced by the fact that for 21 waterbird species the 1% level criterion, according to the Ramsar convention, was exceeded. The relation of the observed diversity and community patterns with the functional and habitat diversity of the Schelde estuary as well as the effect of recent conservation measures to preserve this habitat were discussed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0960-3115
1572-9710
DOI:10.1023/a:1008976306651