Abstract
Sediment-stabilizing and -destabilizing organisms, i.e. microphytobenthos (biofilms) and macrozoobenthos (bioturbators), affect the erodibility of muddy sediments, potentially altering large-scale estuarine morphology. Using a novel eco-morphodynamic model of an idealized estuary, we investigate eco-engineering effects of microphytobenthos and two macrozoobenthic bioturbators. Local mud erodibility is based on species pattern predicted through hydrodynamics, soil mud content, competition and grazing. Mud resuspension and export is enhanced under bioturbation and prevented under biostabilization through respective exposure and protection of the supra- and intertidal. Bioturbation decreases mud thickness and bed elevations, which increases net mud fluxes. Microphytobenthos reduces erosion, leading to a local mud increase of intertidal sediments. In multi-species scenarios, an effective mud-prone bioturbator strongly alters morphology, exceeding that of a more abundant sand-prone moderate species, showing that morphological change depends on species traits as opposed to abundance. Altering their habitat, the effective mud-prone bioturbator facilitates expansion of the sand-prone moderate bioturbator. Grazing and species competition favor species distributions of dominant bioturbators. Consequently, eco-engineering affects habitat conditions while species interactions determine species dominance. Our results show that eco-engineering species determine the mud content of the estuary, which suggests large effects on the morphology of estuaries with aggravating habitat degradation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1128-1144 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank the reviewers for careful reading and contribution to the quality of this work. This research was funded by the ERC Consolidator project 647570 and Utrecht University. The Nederlands-Vlaams-Model was created and calibrated by Deltares. Delft3D is an open source code available at https://oss.deltares.nl. We want to thank Dr. Maarten Zeylmans for his help with the data and Dennis Dekker for preliminary testing of the model. Special thanks go to Dr. Tom Ysebaert for providing the field data to validate the model predictions. MZMB designed the study, developed the model, carried out the simulations and analyses and drafted the manuscript; CS participated in the set up of the model and in the data analysis, and critically revised the manuscript; GC coordinated the model scenarios and helped draft the manuscript; AB participated in the design of the models and revised the manuscript; MBA supported the model simulations and critically revised the manuscript; MGK conceived and coordinated the study, participated in the analyses and revised the manuscript. All authors gave final approval for publication and agree to be held accountable for the work performed therein. There is no conflict of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Funding
We thank the reviewers for careful reading and contribution to the quality of this work. This research was funded by the ERC Consolidator project 647570 and Utrecht University. The Nederlands-Vlaams-Model was created and calibrated by Deltares. Delft3D is an open source code available at https://oss.deltares.nl. We want to thank Dr. Maarten Zeylmans for his help with the data and Dennis Dekker for preliminary testing of the model. Special thanks go to Dr. Tom Ysebaert for providing the field data to validate the model predictions. MZMB designed the study, developed the model, carried out the simulations and analyses and drafted the manuscript; CS participated in the set up of the model and in the data analysis, and critically revised the manuscript; GC coordinated the model scenarios and helped draft the manuscript; AB participated in the design of the models and revised the manuscript; MBA supported the model simulations and critically revised the manuscript; MGK conceived and coordinated the study, participated in the analyses and revised the manuscript. All authors gave final approval for publication and agree to be held accountable for the work performed therein. There is no conflict of interest.
Keywords
- biostabilization
- bioturbation
- eco-emorphodynamic model
- eco-engineeering
- estuary
- mud