For a better understanding of functioning and stability of ecosystems, it is important to know to what extent constituent species show similarity in their long-term fluctuation patterns, i.e. whether their numbers and biomass frequently show simultaneous peaks and lows. Synchronic peaks and lows of important species would enhance variability in the functioning of the entire system and might affect its stability. When fluctuation patterns of individual species are largely independent, their peaks and lows would tend to extinguish each other’s effect on overall parameters (such as total zoobenthic biomass), thus promoting system stability. A long-term (46 years) monitoring study of the macrozoobenthos in a large (50 km2) tidal-flat area revealed that the 4 most important bivalve species (3 suspension feeders: Cerastoderma edule, Mytilus edulis, Mya arenaria and 1 deposit/suspension feeder: Limecola (Macoma) balthica) frequently showed peak numbers of their recruits in the same years. The annual growth rates of the three suspension feeding species showed some synchrony as well. Annual survival rates, on the other hand, did not show any synchronization, wiping out the initial synchrony of numbers within less than 2 years. As a result, annual biomass values did not show any positive between-species correlations. Annual amounts of bivalves that are accessible as bird food rarely declined to levels below 5 g AFDW m−2 and showed limited (5 to 10 fold difference between maximal and minimal values) variation. Oystercatchers left the area quicker in late winter and showed increased death rates at very low levels of food supply. Total bivalve bird food did not show any significant long-term trend. However, biomass of Mya arenaria showed an increasing trend and that of Limecola balthica a declining trend.

中文翻译：

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瓦登海西部以贝类为食的鸟类的食物供应是否受到双壳类种群参数逐年波动的种间同步影响？

为了更好地了解生态系统的功能和稳定性，重要的是要知道组成物种在其长期波动模式中表现出相似程度的程度，即它们的数量和生物量是否经常同时出现高峰和低谷。重要物种的同步峰和低峰会增加整个系统功能的可变性，并可能影响其稳定性。当单个物种的波动模式在很大程度上是独立的时，它们的高峰和低谷将倾向于消除彼此对总体参数（例如总底栖生物量）的影响，从而促进系统稳定性。在大面积（50平方公里）的潮滩地区对巨足动物进行了长期（46年）监测研究，结果发现这4种最重要的双壳类动物（3种悬浮喂食器：蜡era皮，紫草，Mya arenaria和1个存款/悬浮饲养者：Limecola（Macoma）balthica）在同一年经常出现新兵高峰。三种悬浮饲料的年增长率也显示出一定的同步性。另一方面，年生存率没有显示出任何同步性，在不到2年的时间里消除了数字的最初同步性。结果，年度生物量值没有显示任何正的物种间相关性。可作为鸟食获得的双壳类动物的年数量很少会下降到低于5 g AFDW m-2的水平，并且显示出有限的变化（最大值和最小值之间的差异为5到10倍）。牡蛎捕捞者在冬季晚些时候更快地离开了该地区，并且在极低的食物供应水平下死亡率上升了。双壳类鸟类的总食物没有显示任何明显的长期趋势。