Static and dynamic environmental factors determining the community structure of estuarine macrobenthos in SW Britain: why is the Severn estuary different?

摘要: (1) A survey of intertidal macrobenthic invertebrates at forty sites in six estuaries SW Britain was undertaken to identify the key environmental variables which determine composition these communities and provide a prediction conditions Severn estuary should barrage for generation tidal power be built. (2) Multi-dimensional Scaling Ordination faunistic data showed that were separated along two principal axes, one determined by static (e.g. sediment grain size organic content) other dynamic (i.e. current velocities as indexed range wave climate wind fetch distance). (3) The is significantly different from five estuaries, large are not each other. (4) responsible uniqueness rather than static, predictable precisely post-barrage Severn. (5) Implications qualitative changes fauna discussed.