Fig 1.
Location of the sampling sites in the Yangtze River estuary, China.
T1, T2, T3 and T4 represent 4 transects with different elevation. The abbreviations of “C” and “E” represent the creek center and creek edge. Creek edge was defined as flat approximately 3 m extending into open water from the creek bank (the marsh-creek interface) [33].
Fig 2.
Density of bivalves (Glauconome chinensis, Sinonovacula constricta) at four transects (T1, T2, T3, T4) in summer and winter.
Fig 3.
The dual isotope plot of δ13C and δ15N signatures (mean ± SE) of food sources and bivalves.
SC and GC represent two bivalve species Sinonovacula constricta and Glauconome chinensis, respectively. SM, PA and SA represent three plant species of Scirpus mariqueter, Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora respectively. POM: particular organic matter. SOM: sediment organic matter. SOM-C and SOM-M represent SOM from the creek and the marshes respectively. Samples taken in summer or winter are indicated with filled or open symbols.
Fig 4.
Relative percentages of fatty acid markers (diatom, bacteria, dinoflagellates, vascular plants and zooplankton) from Sinonovacula constricta and Glauconome chinensis in summer.
Different superscript letters (a, b) refer to significant differences between two bivalve species (Tukey HSD test, P < 0.05).
Fig 5.
The MDS (Non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling) ordination of fatty acid profiles of bivalve and particular organic matter in summer and winter.
SC: Sinonovacula constricta. POM: particular organic matter. Samples in summer or winter are indicated with filled or open symbols.
Fig 6.
Relative percentages of fatty acid markers (diatoms, bacteria, dinoflagellates, vascular plants and zooplankton) from bivalve (Sinonovacula constricta) and POM in summer and winter.
Different superscript letters (a, b) refer to significant differences between summer and winter.
Fig 7.
δ13C and δ15N of Sinonovacula constricta and SOM, POM from creek center sites of 4 transects in summer and winter.
Fig 8.
Fatty acid makers of bivalve Sinonovacular constricta and POM from creek center sites of 4 transects in summer and winter.