| Popis: |
Selection of candidate sites for designation as Marine Protected Areas in coastal waters still involves many arbitrary choices. Analysis of candidate sites, according to a combination of geophysical and ecological criteria, can lead to the recognition of representative coastal areas, and can potentially reduce the arbitrary nature of these decisions. In coastal areas, estuaries have long been classified according to their geophysical properties. Bays and coves are at least as diverse in character, yet existing classifications are dependent largely upon description of the benthic communities themselves and take little advantage of existing hydrographic and digital information. The classification of coastal inlets proposed here differs significantly from others previously published. It is based on a fully quantified description and analysis of the basic geomorphological and hydrographic features of the coastal environment, and is designed to represent specific community types including α-diversity and β-diversity patterns. The classification, which should be globally applicable, was first applied to Nova Scotia's Atlantic shoreline where inlets fall into 11 recognizable types that are related to selected biological community types. Of these inlet types, only one is sufficiently protected, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's conservation target of at least 10%. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
Plný text