A Simulation Model of Production, Seasonal Changes in Biomass and Distribution of Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Lake Grevelingen

Abstract

Based on data from Lake Grevelingen, The Netherlands, a simulation model has been described which refers to growth rates per unit eelgrass biomass, obtained with the leaf-marking technique, and to above-ground biomass and shoot-density changes per unit area. Space limitation depending on density of the above-ground biomass and growth limitation due to shortage in belowground biomass have been introduced. Seasonal changes in eelgrass production, both above and below ground, have been simulated as functions of the external forcing variables light, water temperature, wind-generated water movements and internal control variables due to ageing of the plant material. The vertical distribution of eelgrass can be partly explained from modelling results on space, light and below-ground biomass limitations. Together with additional datanot used in the modelon seed production and growth of eelgrass shoots from seeds, vertical and horizontal distributions can be explained satisfactorily.