Environmental changes in man-made coastal dune pools since 1850 as indicated by sedimentary and epiphytic diatom assemblages (Belgium)
1. Diatom assemblages of man-made coastal dune wetlands between Blankenberge and Heist (Belgium), dating from 1852 to 1929 and sampled from herbarium specimens of macrophytes, were compared with more recent samples collected in the remaining calcareous dune marshes and pools in this area. 2. Overall, nutrient conditions inferred from the reference assemblages were fairly eutrophic for phosphorus. Only a minority of the historical assemblages pointed to presumably nitrogen-limited conditions. 3. Significant alterations in general assemblage composition were observed, including a marked decline... Mehr ...