Biota and abiotic environment in the Westerschelde estuary

An estuary such as the Westerschelde is a highly dynamic environment, both on an ecological time scale where climatic and hydrodynamic forces, mainly the tides, shape a very variable environment and on a geological, evolutionary time scale, since estuaries are young and very unstable habitats.Low species diversity and high adaptability of the resident animal and plant populations are characteristic of estuarine habitats where large fluctuations in submersion, salinity, temperature etc. occur. The existing biota are therefore resilient to environmental stress and effects of the important influx of anorganic and organic pollutants from the river Schelde and its tributaries on the biota in the estuary are not easy to detect.Although water movement and sedimentation patterns in the Westerschelde are relatively well known, there exists little information on important ecological processes such as primary production and heterotrophic metabolism in the estuary.Contribution no. 405 of the Delta Institute, Yerseke.