Syntheserapport: Ecosysteemfunctioneren en voedselweb van de Zeeschelde: Kennisintegratie onderzoek en monitoring

The Zeeschelde ecosystem is valuable but under pressure. Monitoring (OMES, MONEOS) and research are crucial for its preservation. This report synthesizes existing knowledge, focusing on ecosystem functioning: food webs and their energy sources (primary production and detritus).

The ecosystem shift from oxygen-poor to oxygen-rich conditions has drastically altered the food web. The report describes this shift and its impact on energy sources. Food web hypotheses, especially for the freshwater and oligohaline parts, link basic energy sources to visible species.

The detritus-based food web is important for fish such as flounder and wintering ducks, but little is known about the variation in usable detritus. A new conceptual framework links CBOD (organic particle oxygen consumption) to detritus availability, which influences the carrying capacity of detritivores. The report also identifies knowledge gaps and future research, such as the impact of geomorphology.