Consumption of eelgrass, Zostera marina, by birds and invertebrates during the growing season in Lake Grevelingen (SW Netherlands)
Nienhuis, P.H.; Van Ierland, E.T. (1978). Consumption of eelgrass, Zostera marina, by birds and invertebrates during the growing season in Lake Grevelingen (SW Netherlands). Neth. J. Sea Res. 12(2): 180-194
In: Netherlands Journal of Sea Research. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ): Groningen; Den Burg. ISSN 0077-7579; e-ISSN 1873-1406, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Nienhuis, P.H., more
- Van Ierland, E.T.
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| Abstract |
During the growing season May through August 1976 living eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in brackish Lake Grevelingen (108 km²) provided quantifiable amounts of food to 6 species of animals, viz. 5 bird species (Cygnus olor, Branta bernicla, Fulica atra, Aythya ferina and Anas platyrhynchos) and 1 invertebrate species, the isopod Idotea chelipes. Consumption of eelgrass amounted to 0.839 g C .m-2 for the entire Lake Grevelingen, 23% for the birds and 77% for Idotea respectively. In a realistic estimate this means that only 3.7% of the living eelgrass production, estimated at 23 g C.m-2.y-1 for the entire Lake Grevelingen, was consumed by macroconsumers during the growing season. A maximum estimate of eelgrass consumption leads to 1.486 g C.m-2, i.e. 6.5% of the eelgrass production during the period May through August. |
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