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Habitat area evolution in the Western Scheldt over the last centuries [Evolutie van het habitat gebied in de Westerschelde in de afgelopen eeuwen]
Contact: Maris, Tom

Description
Habitat area evolution in the Western Scheldt over the last centuries. NAP = the Dutch standard altitude reference level, the relation with the Belgian TAW standard is: NAP (m) + 2.33 m = TAW (m) (source: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management of the Netherlands). more

The recent evolution of habitat area in the Western Scheldt is characterized by a decrease of low dynamic area (e.g. mud flats and shallow water characterized by low physical stress) and an increase of high dynamic area (e.g. deep water and sand flats characterized by high physical stress). Total volume of the channels increased (partly due to dredging) but also the total volume of the tidal flats increased partly by an increase in area, partly by sedimentation. Tidal marshes in the Scheldt estuary rise with rising mean high water level (MHWL), whereby a faster sea level rise will result in a more pronounced elevation difference between levees and adjacent basins (Temmerman et al., 2004a). The marshes are predicted to be able to keep up with the rising MHWL, unless MHWL rise would increase and the suspended matter concentrations would decrease (Temmerman et al., 2004b). This confirms a noted tendency that young marshes accrete to erosion-sensitive high marshes. In the Scheldt young marshes become scarcer.

Scope
Themes:
Coastal studies (e.g. shores, estuaries)
Keywords:
Brackish water, ANE, netherlands, zeeland, westerschelde, Area, Centuries, Evolution, Habitat, ANE, Netherlands, Westerschelde, ANE, Scheldt Estuary

Geographical coverage
ANE, Netherlands, Westerschelde [Marine Regions]
ANE, Scheldt Estuary [Marine Regions]

Parameter
Habitat surface area

Contributors
Universiteit Antwerpen; Faculteit Wetenschappen; Departement Biologie; Onderzoeksgroep Ecosysteembeheer (ECOBE), moredata creator
Vlaamse overheid; Beleidsdomein Leefmilieu, Natuur en Energie; Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek; Afdeling Biodiversiteit en Natuurlijk Milieu; Onderzoeksgroep Ecosysteemdiversiteit, moredata creator
Vlaamse overheid; Beleidsdomein Omgeving; Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek (INBO), more

Publication
Describing this dataset
Meire, P. et al. (2005). The Scheldt estuary: a description of a changing ecosystem. Hydrobiologia 540(1-3): 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-0896-8, more
Used in this dataset
Temmerman, S. et al. (2004). Simulating the long-term development of levee-basin topography on tidal marshes. Geomorphology (Amst.) 63(1-2): 39-55. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.03.004, more
Temmerman, S. et al. (2004). Modelling estuarine variations in tidal marsh sedimentation: response to changing sea level and suspended sediment concentrations. Mar. Geol. 212(1-4): 1-19. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2004.10.021, more

Data type: Static graphs
Metadatarecord created: 2010-01-15
Information last updated: 2010-07-19
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