Mud flat habitats are areas of mud and sandy mud exposed between the extreme high tide and extreme low tide marks. They form from the deposition of mud in sheltered tidal water, particularly in estuaries where there is a large sediment supply. Primary production is limited to diatoms and other algae, and cord grass. Most energy enters the system from plankton, or as organic detritus from the land or adjacent tidal marshes. There can be large populations of molluscs, amphipods and polychaete worms. The animal and plant species are affected by the substrate and tidal conditions. The best mud flats are in Minas Basin, Cobequid Bay and Cumberland Basin. Here, large populations of a few species of benthic infauna support large flocks of migrating shore birds, an important ecological feature of Nova Scotia. This Document Includes:
Physical Aspects Ecosystem Successional Sequence Plants Animals Special Features Distribution in Nova Scotia
Associated Topics:
T6.2 Oceanic Environments T6.3 Coastal Aquatic Environments T6.4 Estuaries T7.2 Coastal Environments T7.3 Coastal Landforms T10.5 Seed-bearing Plants T10.9 Algae T11.6 Shorebirds and other Birds of Coastal Wetlands T11.12 Marine Mammals T11.14 Marine Fishes T11.17 Marine Invertebrates T12.7 The Coast and Resources Associated Habitats:
H1.2 Benthic H2.1 Rocky Shore H2.2 Boulder/Cobble Shore H2.3 Sandy Shore H2.5 Tidal Marsh Copyright © The Province of Nova Scotia, Canada |
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