Biota Location and study Explained Elevation/SWLI Distance Flood duration No. of variables Foraminfera UK [57] 58 49 9 - - 6   E England [18] 52 12 - - 6   NE UK [27] 76 32 - - 5   British Columbia [15] 23 - - - 6   North Carolina [33] 43 9 - - - Diatoms N Japan [91] 20 3 - - 5   Denmark  [101] 38 9 - - 3   SE England [78] 25 7 - 7 6   British Columbia  (WAUMP) [76] 46 4 - - 6   British Columbia  (WAWAT'L) [76] 51 7 - - 6   British Columbia  (combined) [76] 39 3 - - 6   UK [91] 22 5 - - 5 Pollen Indonesia [68] 26 4 2   8 Testate amoebae UK [54] 49 - - 8 6   E England [54] 62 - - 11 5   SW England [54] 79 - - 7 5   S Wales [54] 72 - - 14 5 Present OBSS1 45 22 11 - 2 Study OBSS2  36 7 17 - 2   OBSS3  57 18 16 - 2   Oglet Bay 52 4 6 - 5   Decoy Marsh  73 - - - 2   Combined 50 2 - - 7

Table 9: Examples of different percentage contributions of elevation/SWLI (standard water level index), distance and/or flooding, to the total inertia in species distributions (foraminifera, diatoms, pollen) using pCCA or pRDA from several previous studies including the present study which includes significant variables only.