室内模拟波浪对2种典型滨海湿地挺水植物生物力学特征的影响

选取本地物种芦苇和入侵物种互花米草为研究对象,利用波浪装置对生长期的植物进行波浪处理后对其形态特征,根、茎、叶的拉力、弯曲特性进行研究,以探讨湿地植物对波浪作用的生物力学响应。结果表明,芦苇、互花米草经波浪处理后的茎直径均显著高于对照组（P=0.008,P=0.03）;互花米草总体呈现拉力或者弯曲载荷高于芦苇的现象（如茎秆）,但应力（根系）或静曲强度（茎秆）却要低于芦苇,即对应了互花米草比芦苇茎秆更粗壮的现象,但芦苇自身的强度会更强,其木质素和纤维素的结构成分显示出显著高于互花米草的现象（P<0.001,P<0.001）。总体来看,通过短时间的波浪模拟,植株在形态特征上发生了显著的变化,而植物自身的生物力学特性与形态、结构成分都息息相关。研究结果对于评价芦苇和互花米草在应对海浪影响的潜力、从植物生物力学角度探究滨海湿地的保护和修复都提供了一定的参考。     

江苏滨海湿地芦苇和互花米草光合特性对模拟增温的响应

滨海湿地生态系统具有较高的初级生产力,是地球生态系统主要的碳库之一。然而,气候变暖和外来物种入侵通过改变植物光合特征性能使这一碳库的稳定性存在诸多的不确定性。利用在江苏盐城芦苇湿地和互花米草湿地建设的两个增温观测站,采用便携式光合荧光测量系统研究了本土植物芦苇（Phragmites australis）和入侵物种互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）光合特性对模拟增温的响应特征和机制。光合作用日调查变化曲线显示,增温使芦苇的净光合速率（P_n）、气孔导度（G_s）、蒸腾速率（T_r）和水分利用效率（WUE）都发生了显著的下降,但互花米草的各同名参数却表现出相反的变化特征,表明增温使互花米草的生理机能增强,促进了光合作用;根据P_n和胞间CO₂浓度（C_i）的变化趋势推断互花米草和芦苇光合速率变化均为非气孔限制因素驱动。利用直角双曲线修正模型拟合的光响应曲线结果显示,芦苇增温组的光响应曲线位于对照组下方,互花米草增温组的光响应曲线位于对照组上方;增温降低了所研究植物的光补偿点（LCP）,表明增温可提高两种植物利用弱光的能力;增温增加了互花米草光补偿点（LCP）和光饱和点（LSP）间值域范围,从而揭示了增温可有效提高互花米草利用光合有效辐射的能力;增温降低了芦苇的暗呼吸速率（R_d）,芦苇受到增温的胁迫,在减缓新陈代谢的同时也减弱了光合作用,而互花米草表现出相反特征。由此推测增温条件下入侵植物互花米草同化大气CO₂的能力（即碳汇能力）优于本土植物芦苇,这也是互花米草成为入侵物种的主要原因之一。     

Effect of oxygen availability and salinity on EARLY LIFE HISTORY STAGES OF SALT MARSH PLANTS. I. Different germination strategies of Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis (Poaceae)

Gradients in oxygen availability and salinity are among the most important environmental parameters influencing zonation in salt marsh communities. The combined effects of oxygen and salinity on the germination of two salt marsh grasses, Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis, were studied in growth chamber experiments. Germination of both species was initiated by emergence of the shoot and completed by root emergence. Percentage S. alterniflora germination was reduced at high salinity (40 g NaCl/L) and in decreased oxygen (5 and 2.5%). In 0% oxygen shoots emerged, but roots did not. P. australis germination was reduced at a lower salinity (25 g NaCl/L) than S. alterniflora, and inhibited at 40 g NaCl/L and in anoxia. However, a combination of hypoxia (10 and 5% O2) and moderate salinity (5 and 10 g NaCl/L) increased P. australis germination. When bare areas in the salt marsh are colonized, the different germination responses of these two species to combinations of oxygen and salt concentrations are important in establishing their initial zonation. In high salinity wetlands S. alterniflora populates the lower marsh and P. australis occupies the high marsh at the upland boundary.     

闽江河口湿地植物枯落物立枯和倒伏分解主要元素动态

采用分解袋法,对闽江河口湿地2种挺水植物——芦苇(Phragmites australis)和互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)花和叶枯落物的立枯和倒伏分解过程及C、N、P元素动态进行研究。结果表明:(1)立枯分解是2种湿地盐沼植物重要的分解阶段,干物质损失率在13.26%—31.89%之间。多项式模型能较好描述2种植物花和叶的枯落物分解残留率动态。(2)立枯分解阶段,芦苇花和叶的C含量主要为波动下降,互花米草较为稳定;倒伏阶段后期,2种植物都以升高为主。立枯分解阶段2种植物枯落物N含量略有下降,而倒伏阶段逐渐上升。分解过程中枯落物P含量的波动较大。(3)2种植物花和叶C、N的NAI值在分解过程中<100%。芦苇的花和叶中P的NAI值在立枯和倒伏分解阶段都经历了明显下降和升高的过程,而互花米草在立枯阶段变化不大,倒伏阶段下降较为明显。(4)与芦苇相比,互花米草的花和叶枯落物C库较高,N库较低,P库差异不大。     

Habitat modification inhibits conspecific seedling recruitment in populations of an invasive ecosystem engineer

Invasive species that strongly modify their physical habitat are a particular management concern. Theoretical models predict that habitat modification could speed spread rates or allow invasion of sites that would otherwise resist invasion. There are few empirical tests of this hypothesis, however. We tested whether habitat modification by invading Spartina alterniflora populations facilitates conspecific seedling recruitment and spatial spread in Willapa Bay, WA, USA. Established S. alterniflora individuals strongly modified their local physical environment. Hydrologic flow, porewater salinity, and light availability were decreased while sediment NH₄ ⁺ increased with increasing S. alterniflora stem density. The S. alterniflora seed bank was greater and spring seedlings were denser within meadows of S. alterniflora than on unvegetated tideflats. However, almost all seedling recruitment after 1 year occurred on tideflats or on meadow edge plots where the above ground S. alterniflora biomass had been removed. Instead of facilitating invasive spread, ecosystem engineering in this system appears to create conditions that inhibit local seedling recruitment. These results suggest that the influence of ecosystem engineering on invasive spread is highly contingent on the relative spatial scales of habitat modification, environmental heterogeneity, and propagule availability. Control activities could change these spatial relationships, however, inadvertently promoting invasive recruitment.     

Crustacean metamorphosis: an omics perspective

We quantified the independent impacts of flooding salinity, flooding depth, and flooding frequency on the native species, Phragmites australis and Scirpus mariqueter, and on the invasive species Spartina alterniflora in the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Total biomass of all three species decreased significantly with increasing salinity, but S. alterniflora was less severely affected than P. australis and S. mariqueter. Elevated flooding depth significantly decreased their live aboveground biomass of P. australis and S. mariqueter, while S. alterniflora still had high live aboveground biomass and total biomass even at the highest flooding depth. These findings indicated that S. alterniflora was more tolerant to experimental conditions than the two native species, and an unavoidable suggestion is the expansion of this non-native species in relation to the native counterparts in future scenarios of increased sea-level and saltwater intrusion. Even so, environmental stresses might lead to significant decreases in total biomass and live aboveground biomass of all three species, which would potentially weaken their ability to trap sediments and accumulate organic matter. However, the relatively high belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio indicated phenotypic plasticity in response to stressful environmental conditions, which suggest that marsh species can adapt to sea-level rise and maintain marsh elevation.     

ANATOMICAL AND METABOLIC RESPONSES TO WATERLOGGING AND SALINITY IN SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA AND S. PATENS (POACEAE)

The effects of waterlogging and salinity (25 or 325 mol m ³ NaCl) stressors on the anatomy and metabolism of the marsh grasses 5. alterniflora Loisel. and S. patens Aiton (Muhl.) were investigated in a V factorial greenhouse experiment over 30 d. Waterlogging and salinity in combination resulted in anatomical and metabolic responses in both species. Waterlogging reduced soil redox potential and decreased root-specific gravity significantly in both species. The inadequacy of aerenchyma development under hypoxia to support aerobic root respiration in S. patens was indicated by significant increases in root alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity of 1,752% and 420%, respectively, in the low and high salinity treatments. ADH activity was not increased significantly by flooding of S. alterniflora. Proline concentrations in roots and leaves were low at low salinities and increased significantly at high salinities in both species, but only under drained conditions. Decrease in leaf elongation by high salinity occurred in drained, but not flooded treatments in both species. Under flooded conditions, leaf elongation was significantly greater in S. alterniflora than S. patens. Greatest leaf elongation occurred in flooded low salinity S. alterniflora plants that had the least proline. Although both species are adapted to waterlogging and salinity, S. alterniflora appears to be more tolerant of reducing soil conditions and less responsive to higher salinity than S. patens.     

盐度和淹水对长江口潮滩盐沼植物碳储量的影响

盐生植物是盐沼有机碳储存的"临时库",也是土壤有机碳累积的主要来源,其碳储量大小对盐沼生态系统"碳汇"功能的发挥十分重要。以长江口潮滩本地种芦苇(Phragmites australis)和海三棱藨草(Scirpus mariqueter),及入侵种互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)为研究对象,采用单因素盆栽实验,模拟分析淹水盐度(0、5、10、15、25和35)、淹水深度(0、10、20、40、60cm和80cm)和淹水频率(每天、每3天、每7天、每10天和每15天)变化对各盐生植物地上、地下和总体碳储量大小的影响。研究结果表明,随着淹水盐度增加,芦苇、互花米草和海三棱藨草地上部分与总体碳储量均显著降低。土壤盐度可分别解释其地上部分碳储量变异的47.2%、66.5%和72.7%,与总体碳储量变异的34.7%、45.0%和62.0%。随着淹水深度增加,芦苇地上部分、总体碳储量和海三棱藨草地上部分碳储量均显著降低,其变异的68.6%、28.5%和71.1%可由淹水深度变化(10—80cm)解释。互花米草在80cm淹水深度下仍有较高的地上部分碳储量和总体碳储量。3种盐生植物碳储量对淹水频率变化的响应差异均不显著,所有处理地下部分碳储量差异也未达到显著水平。总体而言,互花米草对水盐胁迫的耐受性要强于本地种芦苇和海三棱藨草。尽管互花米草和芦苇具有相对较高的碳储量,但水盐胁迫对其碳储量的显著抑制作用不容忽视。海三棱藨草碳储量本就不高,输入土壤的有机碳量较为有限,海平面上升及盐水入侵等逆境胁迫会使其对盐沼"碳汇"贡献更加微弱。     

Interactions between the grass shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Palaemonetes pugio</Emphasis> and the salt marsh grasses <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites australis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina alterniflora</Emphasis>

The grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio, a species common to Spartina alterniflora-dominated marshes, may be sensitive to the invasion of the common reed Phragmites australis in northeastern US salt marshes. We examined two questions: (1) Do grass shrimp have a preference for the native plant over the non-native plant? (2) Are grass shrimp more effective foragers on P. australis? We tested the first hypothesis by comparing the amount of time shrimp spend in physical contact with the plant types over a 1-h period. Shrimp were observed under different arrangements of vegetation to control for differences in conspicuous structural features. Additionally, the amount of time shrimp spent foraging on S. alterniflora and P. australis shoots was compared to determine if shrimp graze more often on S. alterniflora. Shrimp spent significantly more time in contact with S. alterniflora only when plant types were grouped at opposite ends of aquaria, but did not exhibit a foraging preference for this plant type. To address our second question, we investigated the effects of shrimp foraging on stem epifauna, an assemblage of semi-aquatic invertebrates associated with macrophyte shoots. Previous research showed that P. australis supports a lower density of stem-dwelling epifauna relative to S. alterniflora. We hypothesized that the primary grazer of this community, P. pugio, can forage on P. australis stems more effectively due to structural differences between the two plants, causing the lower abundance of epifauna through top-down effects. We exposed individual shoots inhabited by epifauna to shrimp and compared faunal densities on exposed shoots to densities on control shoots after 18 h. The reduction of epifauna by predation was proportional on the two plant types. Therefore, top-down effects can be ruled out as an explanation for the patchy distribution of epifauna observed in P. australis–S. alterniflora marshes.     

Responses of neotropical mangrove seedlings grown in monoculture and mixed culture under treatments of hydroperiod and salinity

We investigated the combined effects of salinity and hydroperiod on seedlings of Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa grown under experimental conditions of monoculture and mixed culture by using a simulated tidal system. The objective was to test hypotheses relative to species interactions to either tidal or permanent flooding at salinities of 10 or 40 g/l. Four-month-old seedlings were experimentally manipulated under these environmental conditions in two types of species interactions: (1) seedlings of the same species were grown separately in containers from September 2000 to August 2001 to evaluate intraspecific response and (2) seedlings of each species were mixed in containers to evaluate interspecific, competitive responses from August 2002 to April 2003. Overall, L. racemosa was strongly sensitive to treatment combinations while R. mangle showed little effect. Most plant responses of L. racemosa were affected by both salinity and hydroperiod, with hydroperiod inducing more effects than salinity. Compared to R. mangle, L. racemosa in all treatment combinations had higher relative growth rate, leaf area ratio, specific leaf area, stem elongation, total length of branches, net primary production, and stem height. Rhizophora mangle had higher biomass allocation to roots. Species growth differentiation was more pronounced at low salinity, with few species differences at high salinity under permanent flooding. These results suggest that under low to mild stress by hydroperiod and salinity, L. racemosa exhibits responses that favor its competitive dominance over R. mangle. This advantage, however, is strongly reduced as stress from salinity and hydroperiod increase.     

Blocking Phragmites australis reinvasion of restored marshes using plants selected from wild populations and tissue culture

This study tested a vegetation strategy for controlling Phragmites australis invasion into brackish marshes as an alternative to the current technique of repeated herbicide sprays followed by burning. This strategy involves blocking P. australis by planting desired plants selected from wild populations and/or tissue culture regenerants at key points on the major routes of P. australis invasion. The planting of native species was conducted at three sites in a herbicide-treated P. australis marsh near Salem, NJ. Wild population selections of three upland marsh shrubs, Myrica cerifera, Baccharis halimifolia, and Iva frutescens, as well as two grass species, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens, and two rushes, Juncus gerardi and Juncus roemerianus, were planted according to their normal zonation positions. Tissue culture regenerated plants of the two grasses and two rushes, and the sedge species Scirpus robustus, were also planted. Plant growth at each site was monitored each year after planting for up to 3 years. Most plants of B. halimifolia, I. frutescens, J. roemerianus, and S. patens demonstrated a consistent vigorous growth at all three sites, whether or not the plants were collected from wild populations or were tissue culture regenerants. These multi-layered walls of plants demonstrated effectiveness in controlling the P. australis by restricting or inhibiting its spread. Upon screening 48 regenerated plants of S. patens at one of the three sites, we found that some regenerants showed enhanced characteristics for blocking P. australis, such as greater expansion and a high stem density. The availability of the tissue culture-regenerated plants of the native marsh species makes it possible to select lines from local genotypes that have desirable characteristics for wetland restoration projects, such as blocking P. australis reinvasion.     

Effect of fluctuating rhizosphere redox potential on carbon assimilation ofSpartina alterniflora

Summary Spartina alterniflora Lois. plants from a Louisiana salt marsh were subjected to fluctuating levels of soil redox potential under controlled environmental conditions. The experiment was designed to examine the changes in carbon assimilation rates in response to the change in rhizosphere sediment redox condition representing a broad range of reduction normally associated with oxygen deficient environments. Variation in sediment redox potential is frequently encountered by this species in its natural environment in Louisiana's Gulf Coast marshes as a result of tidal patterns. Results indicated some adverse effects of extreme anoxic conditions on carbon assimilation ofS. alterniflora, a possible reflection of this species limited ability for maintaining root oxygenation under rapid, intense reduction in soil redox potential. It was also demonstrated that gas exchange limitations may be temporary and apparently may follow by some recovery. Carbon assimilation rates declined 15 to 21% when soil redox level decreased rapidly to below-200 mV which was followed by substantial recovery. A system for accurate control and measurement of rhizosphere redox potential and simultaneous measurement of plant photosynthetic activity is described.     

不同水分条件下混种密度对芦苇和反枝苋种间竞争的影响

与本地植物的种间竞争是影响外来植物能否成功入侵的关键因素之一,该研究通过受控模拟试验研究了本地植物芦苇(Phragmites australis)和外来入侵植物反枝苋(Amaranthus retroflexus)在淹水和干旱两种水分条件下混种密度(6∶2、4∶4和2∶6)对其种间竞争的影响。结果表明:(1)芦苇和反枝苋的相对产量与相对产量总和均小于1,即两种植物存在种间竞争。(2)种间竞争使芦苇和反枝苋的生长均受到了不同程度的抑制,表现在两者的株高和生物量均随着竞争者密度的增加而降低。(3)植株地上部分和地下部分的氮浓度表现出与株高和生物量相同的趋势,且在不同水分条件下存在差异。(4)芦苇和反枝苋分别在淹水和干旱环境下具有较强竞争力,但在各自较高混种密度下亦具有较强竞争力。可见,芦苇和反枝苋的种间竞争受到了水分和混种密度的影响。因此,在有反枝苋分布的湿地中,植物生长初期可通过增加土壤水分和/或增加芦苇等本地植物的种群密度以降低反枝苋的种群密度来限制其竞争能力,防止反枝苋在湿地中生长建群和扩散入侵。     

The impact of red mud on growth of wetland vegetation and substrate fertility

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of red mud, the residue of the Bayer process for extracting alumina from bauxite, on wetland to investigate whether red mud can be used for wetland restoration. Two wetland species,Spartina alterniflora Loisel. andSagittaria lancifolia L., were used to test their response to the following substrate treatments: 100% marsh sediment, 100% red mud, a mixture of 50% marsh sediment and 50% red mud, a mixture of 50% red mud and 50% compost, and neutralized red mud. Each substrate treatment received two fertilization levels, fertilized (N–P–K) and unfertilized. Red mud could support the growth of the salt marsh species,Spartina alterniflora, but not the fresh marsh species.Sagittaria lancifolia. The high Na content and salinity of red mud, even when mixed with marsh sediment or compost, appeared to be the primary cause for the high mortality ofSagittaria in these substrates. Fertilization did not reduce the stress response ofSagittaria to red mud, but significantly increased the growth ofSpartina. Red mud is low in available N and P and required fertilizer or organic matter (e.g., compost) addition to increase fertility. In experiments with both fresh and salt marsh sediments, the concentrations of soluble heavy metals, with the exception of Mn, were not significantly greater for red mud than for marsh sediment. Thus, the release of heavy metals from red mud over the short-term may not pose an environmental concern. However, the mobilization of heavy metals over the long-term and the influence of plants in accumulating metals requires further investigation.     

综合物理防控技术对盐城大丰港互花米草的控制效果

互花米草是我国沿海滩涂典型外来入侵物种之一,该物种在江苏盐城大丰港形成了大面积入侵种群。在大丰港设置了刈割+遮荫和单纯刈割样方共9个,对比分析了不同防控技术以及不同遮荫持续时间对互花米草地上部分和地下根茎的影响,评估遮荫去除后互花米草生长状况、土壤氮磷含量、底栖动物生物量和密度的变化,以探索适合的控制技术和有效控制时间。结果表明：两种控制技术都极显著降低了互花米草地上部分株高、基径、密度和地上鲜重（P<0.01）,对已刈割的互花米草遮荫3个月、6个月、9个月和12个月后依次去除遮荫网,互花米草地上部分均全部消失,直至第二个生长季均未重新长出幼苗;两种控制技术显著降低了互花米草地下根茎存活率（P<0.05）,但控制技术之间和遮荫时间长短对根茎存活率的影响无显著差异;去除遮荫网后,底栖动物生物量显著增加（P<0.05）,但土壤氮磷含量无显著变化。研究发现在江苏盐城大丰港实施刈割+遮荫3个月后去除遮荫网,是治理互花米草、恢复本土动植物最高效的防控方法。     

生境异质性及源株密度对互花米草入侵力的影响

外来物种互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)被引种到我国海岸带后,已带来一系列生态危害,严重影响了入侵地生态系统结构和功能,深入了解其入侵机制是实施有效控制的基础和理论依据。长江口的滩涂湿地是我国典型的异质潮滩,拥有多种生境。为了探究异质潮滩环境中互花米草初始源株对其入侵力的影响,研究通过野外移栽实验,模拟不同源株密度,探讨潮滩湿地生境异质性及源株密度对互花米草定居、生长和扩散的影响。结果表明:1)生境异质性及源株密度均对互花米草存活率、株高及种群增长率有极显著影响(P0.01)。2)至生长季末,植被区内互花米草存活率、株高均显著高于前沿光滩(P0.05)。此外,淤泥质潮滩植被区内互花米草株高、种群增长率也显著高于粉砂质潮滩植被区(P0.05)。3)互花米草入侵植被区不受源株密度的限制,但随源株密度增加,互花米草种群增长率显著降低(P0.05),而株高无显著差异(P0.05);在光滩区,只有高源株密度才可入侵成功。4)异质生境的冲淤动态、淹水时间和淹水深度是影响互花米草存活和生长的主要环境因子。丰富了河口湿地互花米草入侵力的机理研究,也为我国开展互花米草防控及海岸带保护、修复和管理提供了科学依据,具有重要的理论和实践意义。     

Shade and salinity responses of two dominant coastal wetland grasses: implications for light competition at the transition zone

BackgroundCoastal wetlands are threatened by the increased salinity that may result from sea level rise. Salinity stress alters species zonation patterns through changes in competitive outcome between species differing in salinity tolerance. This study therefore aimed to understand how salinity and light affect two dominant and competing coastal wetland grasses that differ in salt tolerance, height and photosynthetic metabolism.MethodsThe C₄ species Spartina anglica and the C₃ species Phragmites australis were grown at five salinity levels (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 ppt) and two light fluxes (100 % and 50 % of natural daylight) in an outdoor experimental setup for 102 d with full access to nutrients.Key ResultsSalinity reduced the biomass, height and shoot density of P. australis from 81.7 g dry weight (DW), 0.73 m and 37 shoots per pot at a salinity of 0 ppt to 16.8 gDW, 0.3 m and 14 shoots per pot at a salinity of 28 ppt. Biomass, height and shoot density of S. anglica did not respond or were only slightly reduced at the highest salinity of 28 ppt. High salinity also resulted in a higher tissue concentration of N and P in P. australis. Both species had low ability to acclimate to the lower light flux. Shade acclimation in S. anglica occurred via modest changes in specific leaf area, pigment content and biomass allocation.ConclusionsHigh salinity reduced traits important for light competition and increased the nutrient concentration in P. australis leaf and root biomass, while this was overall unaffected in S. anglica. This is likely to reduce the competitive ability of P. australis over S. anglica for light because at high salinities the former cannot effectively shade the lower-growing S. anglica. Neither species effectively acclimates to shade, which could explain why S. anglica does not occur in the understorey of P. australis at low salinities.     

Oligochaeta in Spartina stems: the microdistribution of Enchytraeidae and Tubificidae in a salt marsh,Sapelo Island,USA

The distribution and abundance of Enchytraeidae and Tubificidae in and around Spartina alterniflora plants in a tidal salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA were studied using two different sampling techniques: wet funnel extraction and stem dissection. At least 80% of all worms inhabited leaf sheaths at the bases of S. alterniflora plants, and densities were low in sediment, root and surface debris samples. Oligochaete densities were dependent on the position within the marsh, the height on stems and the stage of sheath decay. Six predominant species were identified and included Marionina appendiculata, Marionina spartinae, Marionina waltersi, Marionina paludis, and Monopylephorus parvus. Individual species were distributed differently on stems and enchytraeids were more common than tubificids on standing-dead and further up S. alterniflora stems. Estimates of oligochaete densities in salt marsh habitats are increased dramatically when the numbers of worms on stems are considered. Possible advantages of the stem microhabitat are discussed in relation to the biology and ecology of oligochaetes.     

Exotic Spartina alterniflora provides compatible habitats for native estuarine crab Sesarma dehaani in the Yangtze River estuary

Although the impact of plant invasions on benthic communities, especially burrowing crabs, has received increasing attention, the results from past studies are mixed. The exotic plant Spartina alterniflora has become the most abundant species in the salt marshes of the Yangtze River estuary since it was first found just over a decade ago, but its effects on crabs in the salt marshes is largely unknown. To examine whether the invasions of this exotic plant affected native crabs, we compared the biomass and abundance of the dominant burrowing crab Sesarma dehaani in an exotic Spartina marsh, native Phragmites australis marsh and mudflats of the Yangtze River estuary, China. To explain the differences of S. dehaani populations between different habitats, feeding preference of S. dehaani for Spartina and Phragmites was investigated. Results showed crab abundance and biomass in the Spartina marsh were significantly greater than those in the Phragmites marsh and mudflats. Soil water content and plant community characteristics in the Spartina marsh also significantly differed in the Phragmites marsh and mudflats. Moreover, the feeding preference experiment showed that crabs consumed Spartina more than twice as much as Phragmites. In summary, this study showed that Spartina provided compatible habitats for native crab S. dehaani through offering suitable food source and moderate environmental conditions.     

Response of root and sediment phosphatase activity to increased nutrients and salinity

Wetlands of northern Belize, distributed along a salinity gradient, are strongly phosphorus limited and dominated largely by three species of emergent macrophytes: Eleocharis cellulosa, Cladium jamaicense, and Typha domingensis. We assessed changes in root and sediment phosphatase activities of each species to simultaneous changes of nutrients (N, P) and salinity in a mesocosm experiment. Phosphorus and nitrogen treatment effects on both root and sediment phosphatase were highly significant for all the species, while salinity significantly affected root phosphatase activity in Cladium only. All species showed a significant negative correlation between root phosphatase activity and increasing tissue P content until a threshold of 0.2% P, 0.15% P and 0.12% P in Eleocharis, Cladium and Typha, respectively. There was also a significant negative correlation between soil available P and root and sediment phosphatases in all species. Activity of root phosphatases of Eleocharis and Typha were positively correlated with root tissue N. Both root and sediment phosphatases of all three species were positively correlated with soil available N. The strongest (positive) correlation was found between phoshatase activites and N/P ratios. The results confirmed that these systems are P-limited and that extracellular phosphatases respond to P enrichment by decreasing their activities. Expression of root phosphatase activity by dry root weight, sediment volume, or whole plant biomass gave very different relative results across nutrient treatments and species, suggesting that root phosphatase activities need to be interpreted in a wider context that considers root density.