Fig. 1

Schematic representation of the benthos sampling at our field site. Top left position of the study site in the southwestern part of The Netherlands. Top right Ritthem salt marsh at the mouth of the Westerschelde estuary. Bottom figure study site with position of the different sampling points in each of the four habitats. For detailed information about the sampling design: see text. The aerial picture underneath the sampling points is from a different year, so that samples taken in the vegetation (indicated in red) may appear to fall outside of the vegetation (color in online)