Long-term Environmental Changes and the Interpretations from a Marine Benthic Ecologist's Perspective (I) - Physical Environment

Before investigating the long-term variations in macrobenthic communities sampled in the Chokchon macrotidal flat in Inchon, Korea, from 1989 to 1996, we need to understand how environmental factors in the area vary. As potential governing agents of tidal flat communities, abiotic factors such as mean sea level, seawater, air temperature, and precipitation were considered. Data for these factors were collected at equal intervals from 1976 or 1980 to 1996, and were analyzed using a decomposition method. In this analysis, all the above variables showed strong seasonal nature, and yielded a significant trend and cyclical variation. Positive trends were seen in the seawater and air temperatures, and based upon this relationship, it was found that the biological sampling period of our program has been carried out during warmer periods in succession. This paper puts forth some hypotheses concerning the response of tidal flat macrobenthos communities to the changing environment including mild winters in succession.