190
6 Rccolonllation of Tidal Flats Alter DIsturbance
after both the natural ice winter disturbance and the experimental disturbances
depended on the availability of settling stages. This demonstrates that for the
Wadden Sea ecosystem, source populations are essential for a recolonization after
ice winters or other disturbances (Heiber 1985). The comparable species numbers
and abundances in the spring of 1994 and 1996 are mainly a result of better recruitment of many benthic organisms after cold winters (Chaps. 5.3; 7), as the
winter 1993/94 had been cold as well (Chap. 3.2). Beukema (1990) points out that
ice winter effects on the species composition are no longer apparent after 1-2
years in the tidal tlats of the Wadden Sea. Those species which were frequent in
the benthos after the ice winter had also been among the first colonizers in the
experiments (except for the autumn experiment). The most prominent species in
the recolonization after experimental disturbances and the ice winter was the spionid polychaete P. elegans.
Acknowledgements
This chapter is based on the studies in ELA W AT by Anita Tecklenborg, Reinhard
Wilhelm, Carlo van Bernem, Dietrich Blome, Roswitha Keuker-Rudiger, Georg
Ramm, J6rn Reichert, Gunther Sach, Ruth Zuhlke, lngo Langner, Barbel Oelschlager and Thomas H6pner. Unpublished data were kindly provided by Anita
Tecklenborg, Dietrich Blome, Roswitha Keuker-Rudiger and lngo Langner. I
thank the reviewer for helpful comments on the manuscript. The project was
funded by the German Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung
und Technologie (BMBF) under grant number 03F0112 A and B. The responsibility for the contents of the publication rests with the authors.
References
Ambrose WG (1984) Influence of residents on the development of a marine soft-bottom community. J Mar Res 42: 633-654
Armonies W (1994) Drifting meio- and macrobenthic invertebrates on tidal flats in Konigshafen: a review. Helgolander Meeresunters 4R: 299-320
Baillie Welsh (1980) The effect of tidal resuspension on the distribution of intertidal epibenthic
algae in an estuary. Estuar Coast Mar Sci 10: 165-180
Bell SS. Devlin OJ (1983) Short-term macrofaunal recolonization of sediment and epibenthic
habitats in Tampa Bay, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 33 (I): 102-108
Bell SS. Sherman KM (1980) A field investigation of meiofallnal dispersal: tidal resllspension
and implications. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 3: 245-249
Beukema JJ (1979) Biomass and species richness of the macrohenthic animals living on a tidal
flat area in the Dutch Wadden Sea: effects of a severe winter. Neth J Sea Res 13: 203-223
Beukema JJ (19R9) Long-term changes in macrozoohenthic abundance on the tidal flats of the
western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Helgolander Meeresunters 43: 405-415
Beukema JJ (1990) Expectcd effects of changes in winter temperatures on benthic animals
living in soft sediments in coastal North Sea areas. In: Beukema JJ, Wolff WJ. Brouns
JJWM (Eds) Expected Effects of Climate Change on Marine Coastal Ecosystems. Killwer
Academic Pllbl. Dordrecht. pp 83-92
6 Rccolonllation of Tidal Flats Alter DIsturbance
after both the natural ice winter disturbance and the experimental disturbances
depended on the availability of settling stages. This demonstrates that for the
Wadden Sea ecosystem, source populations are essential for a recolonization after
ice winters or other disturbances (Heiber 1985). The comparable species numbers
and abundances in the spring of 1994 and 1996 are mainly a result of better recruitment of many benthic organisms after cold winters (Chaps. 5.3; 7), as the
winter 1993/94 had been cold as well (Chap. 3.2). Beukema (1990) points out that
ice winter effects on the species composition are no longer apparent after 1-2
years in the tidal tlats of the Wadden Sea. Those species which were frequent in
the benthos after the ice winter had also been among the first colonizers in the
experiments (except for the autumn experiment). The most prominent species in
the recolonization after experimental disturbances and the ice winter was the spionid polychaete P. elegans.
Acknowledgements
This chapter is based on the studies in ELA W AT by Anita Tecklenborg, Reinhard
Wilhelm, Carlo van Bernem, Dietrich Blome, Roswitha Keuker-Rudiger, Georg
Ramm, J6rn Reichert, Gunther Sach, Ruth Zuhlke, lngo Langner, Barbel Oelschlager and Thomas H6pner. Unpublished data were kindly provided by Anita
Tecklenborg, Dietrich Blome, Roswitha Keuker-Rudiger and lngo Langner. I
thank the reviewer for helpful comments on the manuscript. The project was
funded by the German Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung
und Technologie (BMBF) under grant number 03F0112 A and B. The responsibility for the contents of the publication rests with the authors.
References
Ambrose WG (1984) Influence of residents on the development of a marine soft-bottom community. J Mar Res 42: 633-654
Armonies W (1994) Drifting meio- and macrobenthic invertebrates on tidal flats in Konigshafen: a review. Helgolander Meeresunters 4R: 299-320
Baillie Welsh (1980) The effect of tidal resuspension on the distribution of intertidal epibenthic
algae in an estuary. Estuar Coast Mar Sci 10: 165-180
Bell SS. Devlin OJ (1983) Short-term macrofaunal recolonization of sediment and epibenthic
habitats in Tampa Bay, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 33 (I): 102-108
Bell SS. Sherman KM (1980) A field investigation of meiofallnal dispersal: tidal resllspension
and implications. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 3: 245-249
Beukema JJ (1979) Biomass and species richness of the macrohenthic animals living on a tidal
flat area in the Dutch Wadden Sea: effects of a severe winter. Neth J Sea Res 13: 203-223
Beukema JJ (19R9) Long-term changes in macrozoohenthic abundance on the tidal flats of the
western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Helgolander Meeresunters 43: 405-415
Beukema JJ (1990) Expectcd effects of changes in winter temperatures on benthic animals
living in soft sediments in coastal North Sea areas. In: Beukema JJ, Wolff WJ. Brouns
JJWM (Eds) Expected Effects of Climate Change on Marine Coastal Ecosystems. Killwer
Academic Pllbl. Dordrecht. pp 83-92