Local competitive effects of introduced Spartina alterniflora on Scirpus mariqueter at Dongtan of Chongming Island, the Yangtze River estuary and their potential ecological consequences

Dongtan of Chongming Island, Shanghai, China is a wetland of international importance, in which dominant vegetation is Scirpus mariqueter community that supports a great diversity of bird species. Spartina alterniflora, native to the eastern and gulf coasts of the USA, was intentionally introduced to the tidelands of Dongtan in May 2001. Field work were conducted at Dongtan from March 2002 to May 2003 to determine how introduced S. alterniflora affects S. mariqueter population dynamics. The results obtained here show that S. alterniflorahad strong competitive effects on S. mariqueter, and that the introduction of S. alterniflora to S. mariqueter community resulted in a significant decreases of S. mariqueter's abundance, coverage, seed and fresh corm output after two growing seasons. A concomitant consequence might be the decline in bird diversity. It is suggested that further introduction of S. alterniflora should be avoided to conserve the wetlands and their associated birds. A plan for controlling further spread of existing S. alterniflora populations in the Yangtze River estuary is urgently needed.     

Fifteen Years of Vegetation and Soil Development after Brackish-Water Marsh Creation

Aboveground biomass, macro‐organic matter (MOM), and wetland soil characteristics were measured periodically between 1983 and 1998 in a created brackish‐water marsh and a nearby natural marsh along the Pamlico River estuary, North Carolina to evaluate the development of wetland vegetation and soil dependent functions after marsh creation. Development of aboveground biomass and MOM was dependent on elevation and frequency of tidal inundation. Aboveground biomass of Spartina alterniflora, which occupied low elevations along tidal creeks and was inundated frequently, developed to levels similar to the natural marsh (750 to 1,300 g/m²) within three years after creation. Spartina cynosuroides, which dominated interior areas of the marsh and was flooded less frequently, required 9 years to consistently achieve aboveground biomass equivalent to the natural marsh (600 to 1,560 g/m²). Aboveground biomass of Spartina patens, which was planted at the highest elevations along the terrestrial margin and seldom flooded, never consistently developed aboveground biomass comparable with the natural marsh during the 15 years after marsh creation. MOM (0 to 10 cm) generally developed at the same rate as aboveground biomass. Between 1988 and 1998, soil bulk density decreased and porosity and organic C and N pools increased in the created marsh. Like vegetation, wetland soil development proceeded faster in response to increased inundation, especially in the streamside zone dominated by S. alterniflora. We estimated that in the streamside and interior zones, an additional 30 years (nitrogen) to 90 years (organic C, porosity) are needed for the upper 30 cm of created marsh soil to become equivalent to the natural marsh. Wetland soil characteristics of the S. patens community along upland fringe will take longer to develop, more than 200 years. Development of the benthic invertebrate‐based food web, which depends on organic matter enrichment of the upper 5 to 10 cm of soil, is expected to take less time. Wetland soil characteristics and functions of created irregularly flooded brackish marshes require longer to develop compared with regularly flooded salt marshes because reduced tidal inundation slows wetland vegetation and soil development. The hydrologic regime (regularly vs. irregularly flooded) of the “target” wetland should be considered when setting realistic expectations for success criteria of created and restored wetlands.     

Bioremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Sediments in Aerated Bioslurry Reactors

Treatment of dredged sediments contaminated by polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a significant problem in the New York/New Jersey (NY/NJ) Harbor. 0.5 m³-scale slurry-phase bioreactors were used to determine whether bioaugmentation with a PAH-degradative bacterial consortium, or with the salt marsh grass S. alterniflora, could enhance the biodegradation of PAHs added to dredged estuarine sediments from the NY/NJ Harbor. The results were compared to biodegradation effected by the indigenous sediment microbial community. Sediments were diluted 1:1 in tap water and spiked to a final concentration of 20 mg/kg dry weight sediment of phenanthrene, anthracene, acenaphthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. The sediment slurry was then continuously sparged with air over 3 months. In all bioreactors a rapid reduction of greater than 95% of the initial phenanthrene, acenaphthene, and fluorene occurred within 14 days. Pyrene and fluoranthene reductions of 70 to 90% were achieved by day 77 of treatment. Anthracene was more recalcitrant and reductions ranged from 30 to 85%. Separate experiments showed that the sediment microbial communities mineralized ¹⁴C-pyrene and ¹⁴C-phenanthrene. PAH degradation, and the number of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria, were not enhanced by microbial or plant bioaugmentation. These data demonstrate that bioaugmentation is not required to effect efficient remediation of PAH-contaminated dredged sediments in slurry-phase bioreactors.     

Resource utilization conditions as biochar of an invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands of China

Converting feedstocks of invasive plants into biochar is a new and cost‐effective measure for their control, and benefits for the sustainable development of native ecosystems. Spartina alterniflora, an invasive plant widely distributed in coastal wetlands of China, was used to produce biochar. We aimed to analyze how S. alterniflora biochar properties changed with desalination of feedstocks, pyrolysis temperature, and residence time. Results showed that desalting feedstocks increased biochar pH, stability, porosity, and surface area, but diminished biochar yield and polarity. Pyrolysis temperature positively affected biochar pH, surface area, and pore volume, while it had negative effects on biochar yield, oxygen and hydrogen contents, hydrogen/carbon and oxygen/carbon ratios, pore size, and function groups. However, residence time of pyrolysis had slight effects on biochar properties. The results are valuable for optimizing pyrolysis temperature and pretreatment measure of feedstocks, to tune S. alterniflora biochar properties for specific environmental usage.     

胶州湾典型河口湿地土壤活性有机碳和酶活性对互花米草入侵的响应

以胶州湾洋河口湿地为研究对象,按照互花米草入侵年份(0、1、5、8年)分层采集土壤样品(0—10、10—20、20—40 cm和40—60 cm),研究土壤活性有机碳(LOC)和酶(脲酶、过氧化氢酶、碱性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶)活性的变化,分析土壤活性有机碳和酶活性及两者相关性对互花米草入侵的响应。结果表明:与光滩相比,互花米草入侵增加了表层土壤LOC含量,且随着入侵时间的延长显著增加(P0.05)。同时也改变了土壤LOC垂直分布规律,除光滩和入侵1年样地表现出沿剖面逐渐上升之外,其他样地表现为沿剖面先上升后下降趋势;互花米草入侵提高了河口湿地土壤酶活性,但并未改变酶活性随深度增加而逐渐降低的分布规律。随着入侵时间的延长4种酶活性变化趋势有所差异,过氧化氢酶和蔗糖酶活性变化趋势一致,表现为随入侵时间延长先急剧增加后逐渐减少,而碱性磷酸酶和脲酶活性随着入侵时间的延长逐渐增加。Pearson相关性分析结果显示,土壤LOC和酶活性呈显著负相关且互花米草入侵时间越长两者间相关性越低,8年后无显著相关性。     

互花米草入侵影响下闽江河口湿地土壤有效硅的时空变化特征

2016年1—12月,选择闽江河口鳝鱼滩的短叶茳芏湿地、互花米草湿地以及二者的交错带湿地为研究对象,采用定位研究方法探讨了互花米草入侵影响下湿地土壤有效硅含量的时空变化特征。结果表明:互花米草入侵影响下3块湿地土壤有效硅含量随时间推移整体呈波动上升趋势;互花米草入侵显著提高了鳝鱼滩湿地30—60 cm土层土壤有效硅含量(P0.01),与短叶茳芏湿地相比,交错带湿地和互花米草湿地30—60 cm土层土壤有效硅含量分别增加了8.56%和19.97%,逐步线性回归分析表明土温和电导是影响其变化的重要因素(P0.01)。研究互花米草入侵影响下湿地土壤有效硅含量的变化特征,对于揭示湿地生态系统生源要素硅生物地球化学循环过程以及互花米草入侵及其扩张机制具有重要意义。     

Will fluctuations in salt marsh–mangrove dominance alter vulnerability of a subtropical wetland to sea‐level rise?

To avoid submergence during sea‐level rise, coastal wetlands build soil surfaces vertically through accumulation of inorganic sediment and organic matter. At climatic boundaries where mangroves are expanding and replacing salt marsh, wetland capacity to respond to sea‐level rise may change. To compare how well mangroves and salt marshes accommodate sea‐level rise, we conducted a manipulative field experiment in a subtropical plant community in the subsiding Mississippi River Delta. Experimental plots were established in spatially equivalent positions along creek banks in monospecific stands of Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) or Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) and in mixed stands containing both species. To examine the effect of disturbance on elevation dynamics, vegetation in half of the plots was subjected to freezing (mangrove) or wrack burial (salt marsh), which caused shoot mortality. Vertical soil development was monitored for 6 years with the surface elevation table‐marker horizon system. Comparison of land movement with relative sea‐level rise showed that this plant community was experiencing an elevation deficit (i.e., sea level was rising faster than the wetland was building vertically) and was relying on elevation capital (i.e., relative position in the tidal frame) to survive. Although Avicennia plots had more elevation capital, suggesting longer survival, than Spartina or mixed plots, vegetation type had no effect on rates of accretion, vertical movement in root and sub‐root zones, or net elevation change. Thus, these salt marsh and mangrove assemblages were accreting sediment and building vertically at equivalent rates. Small‐scale disturbance of the plant canopy also had no effect on elevation trajectories—contrary to work in peat‐forming wetlands showing elevation responses to changes in plant productivity. The findings indicate that in this deltaic setting with strong physical influences controlling elevation (sediment accretion, subsidence), mangrove replacement of salt marsh, with or without disturbance, will not necessarily alter vulnerability to sea‐level rise.