The Ecology of New England Tidal Flats: A Community Profile

摘要

The purpose of this report is to provide a general perspective of tidal flats of New England, the organisms commonly associated with them, and the importance of tidal flats to the coastal zone viewed as a whole. Chapter 1 begins with a general view of the physical, chemical, and geological characteristics of tidal flat environments followed by a discussion of organic production and decomposition processes vital to these systems (Chapter 2). The next three chapters deal with the benthic invertebrates (Chapter 3), fishes (Chapter 4), and birds (Chapter 5) common to the New England tidal flats. The last chapter (Chapter 6) considers the response of tidal flats to environmental perturbation as well as their value to the New England coastal zone.