Phenology of the dioecious shrub Baccharis halimifolia along a salinity gradient: Consequences for the invasion of Atlantic subhalophilous communities

Atlantic subhalophilous communities are habitats of high conservation value that are seriously threatened by plant invasions. The dioecious alien shrub Baccharis halimifolia L. (Asteraceae) is among the most aggressive invaders in estuarine communities in Europe, especially in sea rush communities of Juncus maritimus. We investigated the growth and flowering phenology of B. halimifolia through fine-scale environmental gradients, and we assessed the intersexual differentiated responses. We monitored 120 individuals of B. halimifolia growing in rush communities differing in salinity and waterlogging through one growing season in Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Ground water salinity and water table level were also recorded. Overall, B. halimifolia shoot growth occurred from May to December and flowering in late August, but males flowered earlier than females. However, we found high intrapopulation and intersexual variation in the phenology of B. halimifolia, related to fine-scale variations in edaphic conditions. Growth rate and leaf production were lower in high-salinity rush communities. Females and males showed different phenological responses to environmental conditions. Females appeared to be more sensitive to salinity than males, but males experienced higher levels of attack by natural enemies. The implications for the invasiveness and management of sea rush communities are discussed.     

潮汐作用对黄河三角洲盐沼湿地甲烷排放的影响

盐沼湿地作为陆海交互作用的过渡带是CH₄重要的自然来源。潮汐活动通过影响CH₄的产生、氧化和传输驱动了湿地CH₄间歇性、周期性的排放。利用涡度相关和微气象监测技术,对黄河三角洲一个盐地碱蓬生态系统CH₄通量、环境因子和水文要素（潮汐）进行了长期连续监测分析了该生态系统生长季CH₄排放的季节动态及潮汐作用对CH₄排放的影响。结果表明：生长季该生态系统是CH₄的排放源,排放日均值为0.063 mg m^-2 h^-1,（范围为-0.36-0.57 mg m^-2 h^-1）。潮汐淹水阶段和落潮后湿润阶段表现为CH₄的显著源。此外我们发现,短期潮汐活动引起土壤干湿状况的变化促进了CH₄脉冲式的排放,因此未来气候变化下温度升高和降雨季节分配引起的土壤干湿变化将会对该区域CH₄排放甚至碳循环产生积极影响。     

Water salinity and inundation control soil carbon decomposition during salt marsh restoration: An incubation experiment

Coastal wetlands are a significant carbon (C) sink since they store carbon in anoxic soils. This ecosystem service is impacted by hydrologic alteration and management of these coastal habitats. Efforts to restore tidal flow to former salt marshes have increased in recent decades and are generally associated with alteration of water inundation levels and salinity. This study examined the effect of water level and salinity changes on soil organic matter decomposition during a 60‐day incubation period. Intact soil cores from impounded fresh water marsh and salt marsh were incubated after addition of either sea water or fresh water under flooded and drained water levels. Elevating fresh water marsh salinity to 6 to 9 ppt enhanced CO₂ emission by 50%?80% and most typically decreased CH₄ emissions, whereas, decreasing the salinity from 26 ppt to 19 ppt in salt marsh soils had no effect on CO₂ or CH₄ fluxes. The effect from altering water levels was more pronounced with drained soil cores emitting ~10‐fold more CO₂ than the flooded treatment in both marsh sediments. Draining soil cores also increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Stable carbon isotope analysis of CO₂ generated during the incubations of fresh water marsh cores in drained soils demonstrates that relict peat OC that accumulated when the marsh was saline was preferentially oxidized when sea water was introduced. This study suggests that restoration of tidal flow that raises the water level from drained conditions would decrease aerobic decomposition and enhance C sequestration. It is also possible that the restoration would increase soil C decomposition of deeper deposits by anaerobic oxidation, however this impact would be minimal compared to lower emissions expected due to the return of flooding conditions.     

鄂尔多斯台地盐沼滩涂湿地土壤细菌群落结构及特征

依据植被分类法将鄂尔多斯高原盐沼滩涂湿地划分为肉质耐盐草甸(B)、苔草草甸(C)、禾草草甸(D)和杂类草草甸(E)等4个植被亚型,并以盐沼裸地(A)为对照样地,共计5种盐沼滩涂湿地景观类型。运用高通量测序技术分别研究其土壤细菌群落结构特征、分布情况,以及土壤盐分与土壤细菌之间的关系。结果表明:(1) 5种盐沼滩涂湿地的土壤细菌样品共12213条OTUs,属于45个门,122个纲,365个目,663个科,1375个属,2882个种。(2)变形菌门(26.19%)是盐沼滩涂湿地平均相对丰度最高的门,其次为放线菌门(17.15%),绿弯菌门(12.62%),芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes,11.23%),拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,9.38%),酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria,8.83%)厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,2.96%);芽单胞菌纲中的未定细菌(norank＿c＿Gemmatimonadetes)是丰度最高的属,平均丰度为5.75%。(3)鄂尔多斯盐沼滩涂湿地自西南向东北,空间位置相近的土壤细菌群落结构具有更大的相似性,随着土壤盐分变化,变形菌门相对...     

Feeding habits of young predatory fishes in marsh creeks situated along the salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary, Belgium and The Netherlands

Fish and macrobenthos were sampled in four different marshes along the salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary, Belgium/Netherlands, to investigate the importance of marsh creeks as foraging grounds for the dominant, larger fish species. The total density and biomass of all the main macrobenthic taxa (Corophium volutator, Nereis diversicolor, Oligochaeta, Macoma baltica and Heteromastus fliliformis) were measured. The feeding habits of the larger predatory fishes (Platichthys flesus, Dicentrarchus labrax) were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative stomach analyses included the calculation of different indices, showing the niche breadth (as diet diversity) and the niche overlap (as similarity between the predators diet) for this habitat. These analyses showed that the two most important benthic prey species for P. flesus were C. volutator and N. diversicolor. D. labrax preyed upon a wider range of species, including C. volutator, N. diversicolor, Crangon crangon, Carcinus maenas and Orchestia spp. The stomach diversity of D. labrax and P. flesus showed differences between the marshes although there was no consistent pattern in diet composition, reflecting the opportunistic nature of feeding by these large predators. The fullness indices of both flounder and sea bass did not differ significantly along the salinity gradient and the estimated minimum consumption by these predators did not indicate a top-down control of the macrobenthic community. The salt marsh creeks seem to provide excess food for the visiting fish species. The benthic prey was present in very high abundances, which may suggest that the typical nursery species such as C. crangon and C. maenas, and early juveniles of P. flesus, D. labrax and Pomatoschistus microps were not preyed upon significantly. This supports the hypothesis that salt marsh creeks provide good refuge areas for nursery species against predation by larger fish.     

Groundwater dynamics along forest-marsh transects in a southeastern salt marsh,USA: Description,interpretation and challenges for numerical modeling

Long-term and spatially dense time series of total head measured alongthree forest-marsh piezometer transects across a finger marsh basin,together with bimonthly groundwater salinity measurements, reveal dynamicfeatures that present challenges to the interpretation and modeling of thisshallow water table aquifer. These include:1. Rapid response of forest water table to rain events.2. Daytime lowering (drawdown) of the water table in the forest and highmarsh due to evapotranspiration and its recovery due to rain, seepage ortidal inundation.3. Upward gradients in head along the western margin of the marsh butdownward gradients in the eastern, more seaward, high marsh and forest.4. Rapid head responses to the tide in parts of the high marsh andforest that are not actually inundated.5. Asymmetrical distribution of salinity with higher values in theeastern marsh and forest than in the west.6. Sharp salinity gradients across the tidal creek that bisects the basin. We discuss modeling issues related to these features because acomprehensive understanding of them may have a bearing on patterns ofbotanical zonation and primary production, the transport of nutrients andcontaminants, and the response of this system to sea level rise.     

Clonal structure of Elytrigia atherica along different successional stages of a salt marsh

Elytrigia atherica is a tall clonal grass species typical of higher salt marshes, but is gradually invading to the lower marshes. At young successional stages of a salt marsh, E. atherica is found sparsely dispersed in small groups of ramets. These patches increase in size and ramet density over time, eventually forming extensive swards as succession proceeds. This study investigates the change in the clonal diversity of E. atherica stands during colonization as a result of its reproductive strategy. Clonal diversities of differently sized patches of E. atherica were investigated on two lower salt-marsh sites of different age, 25 years and 35 years, respectively. Microsatellite fingerprint patterns were used to determine genet identities and to estimate relatedness and genetic differentiation between the sites, between patches within sites and within patches. The majority of the patches on both sites contained more than one genet. On the older site, the clonal diversity was higher than on the younger site. However, the clonal diversity tended to decrease with increasing patch size. Low genetic differentiation was found between the two sites, indicating habitat differentiation, whereas differentiation between patches within sites was high. It is reasoned that different environmental conditions could have resulted in different clonal structures: On an older marsh, the increase of successful seedling recruitment, due to more suitable environmental conditions, leads to an increase in clonal diversity. Over time, with increasing ramet density, intraspecific competition is likely to increase, resulting in a decrease of clonal diversity.     

Effect of daily salinity fluctuation on the intraspecific interactions of a euhalophyte (Suaeda salsa) along a salinity gradient

每日盐度波动对真盐生植物盐地碱蓬种内相互作用沿盐度梯度的影响 土壤盐度的异质性是河口潮间带的一个突出的环境特征,影响植物的生长和盐沼中生物相互作用的转变。本研究旨在探究盐度梯度和盐度波动对一种真盐生植物的种内相互作用的交互影响。     

Biological consequences of ice rafting in a New England salt marsh community

Ice rafting of salt marsh peat is a recurrent phenomenon in north temperate regions. This process was simulated in a northern New England salt marsh to test several hypotheses concerning the effects of peat transport from high to low intertidal heights on the growth and mortality of key sessile organisms: the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa (Dillwyn), the fucoid alga Fucus vesiculosus L. var. spiralis (Farlow) and the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora (Loisel.). Growth rates increased when Geukensia and Fucus were transported to the lower intertidal; however, Spartina died when similarly transported. Predation pressure (primarily from Carcinus maenus L.) on Geukensia was greater when it was rafted to the lower intertidal zone than in the upper intertidal habitat and was size specific; mussels >3.5cm reached a size-escape from crab predation.A winter survey of dislodged mussels revealed that 72% of the mussels collected were dead and 86% had been overgrown by large Fucus plants, >2.5 × the natural frequency of Fucus overgrowth (32%). In marsh habitats where hard substratum is rare, 91% of the Fucus were growing on Geukensia. A dislodgement experiment showed that a significantly greater percentage of Geukensia was dislodged after ice-out when Fucus was attached to the shell than those mussels without Fucus overgrowth. In the spring, a population survey conducted in the salt marsh examined densities, biomass and population structure of Geukensia, as well as densities, percent cover and biomass of Fucus. Values obtained in the foremarsh were compared to those from the peat islands recently rafted to the tidal flats. Both biomass and densities of Geukensia were similar in the two areas; however, the size-frequency distributions of the mussels were different. Since fewer large mussels, Fucus and Fucus-overgrown mussels were found on the newly transported peat islands, this pattern appears to reflect dislodgement of larger Geukensia by attached algae during ice transport. Two ice-related sources of mortality were identified for Geukensia: (1) Fucus overgrowth acted as a vector for mussel dislodgement and was an indirect source of mortality; and (2) ice crushing was a direct source of mortality for non-overgrown mussels.     

Differential effects of four abiotic factors on the germination of salt marsh annuals

Interspecific differences in responsiveness to temperature, photoperiod, soil salinity, and soil moisture confirm the hypothesis that abiotic factors differentially affect the germination of salt marsh plants. In growth chamber experiments, four of eight annual species responded to small differences in temperature or photoperiod. Increasing soil salinity decreased the final proportion of seeds germinating and slowed germination for each of the seven species tested. Higher soil moisture increased the proportion germinating of five species and germination speed of all seven species. Salinity and moisture interacted to affect the proportion germinating of five species and germination speed of all seven species. Although the abiotic factor with the largest effect on germination varied among species, more species responded to, and the magnitudes of the responses were larger for, soil salinity than for the other abiotic factors. These germination tests partially explained interspecific differences in the timing of germination in the field. Patterns of Hutchinsia procumbens, Lythrum hyssopifolium, Parapholis incurva, and possibly Lasthenia glabrata ssp. coulteri germination in response to a nonseasonal rainfall could be explained by their response to salinity, temperature, or photoperiod. Fine-scale differences in the timing of establishment within the typical germination window and spatial distributions along salinity and moisture gradients were not explained.     

互花米草入侵对滩涂湿地甲烷排放的影响

在浙江省台州市附近滩涂湿地设置3个不同互花米草入侵密度梯度,即仅有本土植物样地、互花米草与本土植物混生样地和互花米草单优群落样地,研究互花米草入侵对滩涂湿地CH₄排放的影响.结果表明: 3个样地CH₄排放通量为0.68～5.88 mg·m^-2·h^-1,CH₄排放通量随着互花米草入侵梯度的增加而显著升高,互花米草单优群落样地CH₄排放通量分别为本土植物样地和混生样地的8.7和2.3倍.互花米草入侵显著提高了产甲烷菌数量、产甲烷潜力、甲烷氧化菌数量、甲烷氧化潜力、植物生物量、土壤有机碳含量和土壤pH,降低了土壤全氮含量.CH₄排放通量与土壤全氮呈显著负相关,与产甲烷菌数量、产甲烷潜力、甲烷氧化菌数量、甲烷氧化潜力、植物生物量和土壤pH呈显著正相关.互花米草的入侵提高了滩涂湿地植物群落生物量和土壤pH,促进了产甲烷菌数量和产甲烷潜力,从而提高了滩涂湿地的CH₄排放.     

Root dynamics in a salt marsh over three consecutive years

The minirhizotron technique has been used to study root development in a salt marsh in the western part of the Nationalpark Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer during a three-year period. The objective of our study was to evaluate root depth distribution and seasonal changes in growth activities of natural plant root systems. Root number was counted at monthly intervals in the top soil layer (0–0.2 m) for every 2 cm soil depth. The number of roots was regarded as an easily detectable parameter reflecting root growth and decay.In general, highest rooting intensity was found in the soil's subsurface layer (0–0.08 m). The number of roots significantly decreased in deeper horizons of the soil. There was also a significant increase and decrease in the number of roots in the course of a year. The highest rooting intensity was found in late winter to early spring, which substantially decreased towards mid summer when the plants were in their reproductive phase. The data indicate that there is a clear seasonal pattern of root growth of salt marsh species.     

The importance of facilitation in the zonation of shrubs along a coastal salinity gradient

Question: What are the interactive roles of abiotic stress and plant interactions in mediating the zonation of the shrub Tamarix chinensis along a salinity gradient? Location: Yellow River estuary (37°46′N, 119°09′E), northeast China. Methods: We surveyed the zonation of T. chinensis along a salinity gradient and quantified its salt tolerance using a pot experiment. In two field experiments, we transplanted T. chinensis seedlings into salt marsh, transitional zone and upland habitats, manipulated neighbours and quantified survivorship and biomass to examine neighbour effects. We also quantified vegetation effects on abiotic conditions in each zone. Results: Tamarix chinensis dominated the transitional zone, but was absent in upland and salt marsh habitats. In the pot experiment, T. chinensis grew well in freshwater treatments, but was inhibited by increasing salinity. Field experiments revealed that competition from neighbours limited T. chinensis growth in the uplands, while T. chinensis transplants were limited, with or without neighbours, in the salt marsh by high soil salinity. In the transitional zone, however, T. chinensis transplants performed better with than without neighbours. Vegetation removal significantly elevated soil salinity in the transitional zone, but not in other zones. Conclusions: Competition, facilitation and abiotic stress are all important in mediating the zonation of T. chinensis. Within its physiological stress tolerance range, or fundamental niche, it is limited by plant competition in low salinity habitats, and facilitated by neighbours in high salt stress habitats, but cannot survive in salt marshes having salinities above its salt stress tolerance limit. Our results have implications for understanding the relationships between facilitation and stress gradients.     

Diversity and composition of macroinvertebrate communities in a rare inland salt marsh

Inland salt marshes are rare habitats in the Great Lakes region of North America, formed on salt deposits from the Silurian period. These patchy habitats are abiotically stressful for the freshwater invertebrates that live there, and provide an opportunity to study the relationship between stress and diversity. We used morphological and COI metabarcoding data to assess changes in diversity and composition across both space (a transect from the salt seep to an adjacent freshwater area) and time (three sampling seasons). Richness was significantly lower at the seep site with both datatypes, while metabarcoding data additionally showed reduced richness at the freshwater transect end, consistent with a pattern where intermediate levels of stress show higher diversity. We found complementary, rather than redundant, patterns of community composition using the two datatypes: not all taxa were equally sequenced with the metabarcoding protocol. We identified taxa that are abundant at the salt seep of the marsh, including biting midges (Culicoides) and ostracods (Heterocypris). We conclude that (as found in other studies) molecular and morphological work should be used in tandem to identify the biodiversity in this rare habitat. Additionally, salinity may be a driver of community membership in this system, though further ecological research is needed to rule out alternate hypotheses.     

Microbial carbon monoxide consumption in salt marsh sediments

We have examined sediments from a fringing salt marsh in Maine to further understand marine CO metabolism, about which relatively little is known. Intact cores from the marsh emitted CO during dark oxic incubations, but emission rates were significantly higher during anoxic incubations, which provided evidence for simultaneous production and aerobic consumption in surface sediments. CO emission rates were also elevated when cores were exposed to light, which indicated that photochemical reactions play a role in CO production. A kinetic analysis of marsh surface sediments yielded an apparent K(m) of about 82 ppm, which exceeded values reported for well-aerated soils that consume atmospheric CO (65nM). Surface (0-0.2 cm depth interval) sediment slurries incubated under oxic conditions rapidly consumed CO, and methyl fluoride did not inhibit uptake, which indicated that neither ammonia nor methane oxidizers contributed to the observed activity. In contrast, aerobic CO uptake was inhibited by additions of readily available organic substrates (pyruvate, glucose and glycine), but not by cellulose. CO was also consumed by surface and sub-surface sediment slurries incubated under anaerobic conditions, but rates were less than during aerobic incubations. Molybdate and nitrate or nitrite, but not 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid, partially inhibited anaerobic uptake. These results suggest that sulfidogens and acetogens, but not dissimilatory nitrate reducers or methanogens, actively consume CO. Sediment-free plant roots also oxidized CO aerobically; rates for Spartina patens and Limonium carolinianum roots were significantly higher than rates for Spartina alterniflora roots. Thus plants may also impact CO cycling in estuarine environments.     

Waterbird communities along the estuarine salinity gradient of the Schelde estuary, NW-Europe

The zonation of non-breeding waterbirds along the Schelde estuary (The Netherlands–Belgium), one of the longest estuaries in NW-Europe with still a complete salinity gradient, including a large freshwater tidal area, was described. Numbers of birds were counted monthly over the period October 1991 to June 1997. Highest numbers of waterbirds were observed in late autumn and winter, with annual peak numbers ranging between 150,000 and 235,000 individuals for the whole estuary. Based on a multivariate analysis different waterbird communities were observed along the salinity gradient. The polyhaline areas of the estuary were numerically dominated by the waders Oystercatcher and Dunlin. Due to the presence of a large brackish marsh in the mesohaline zone, the waterbird community in this area was dominated by the herbivores Wigeon and Greylag Goose. In the oligohaline and freshwater tidal areas, the waterbird community was dominated by duck species, with Teal and Mallard being the most important. The international importance of the Schelde estuary for waterbirds was evidenced by the fact that for 21 waterbird species the 1% level criterion, according to the Ramsar convention, was exceeded. The relation of the observed diversity and community patterns with the functional and habitat diversity of the Schelde estuary as well as the effect of recent conservation measures to preserve this habitat were discussed.     

The sedimentary flux of nutrients at a Delaware salt marsh site: A geochemical perspective

A basic geochemical approach has been used to study the diagenetic cycling and sediment-water exchange rates of essential nutrients at a site in a Delaware salt marsh. The pore water nutrients Si (OH)₄, NH₄ ⁺, PO₄ ^–3, and NO₃ ^– were analyzed and compared seasonally, and potential diffusive fluxes were calculated from the corresponding pore water concentration gradients. Concurrent direct flux measurements were also made using closed chambers deployed on the salt marsh surface under ambient and controlled conditions. The differences in these two approaches allows for estimation of nutrient production and consumption in the root zone and at the salt marsh surface. Silicate and phosphate appear to be primarily geochemically controlled, while the nitrogen species undergo dynamic seasonal redox fluctuations resulting from microbial mediation (e.g., nitrification and denitrification). Specifically:     

Unexpectedly high clonal diversity of two salt marsh perennials across a severe environmental gradient

In salt marsh habitats, noted for their extreme environments, a widely held assumption is that a few large clones dominate plant populations. Using a large number of polymorphic genetic markers, we were able to test this assumption for two salt marsh plants known to span extreme salinity gradients. For both species, clonal diversity was surprisingly high across populations: Simpson's diversity indices were 0.96 and 0.99. Although clonal diversity was high, there was no pattern of association between specific clones or alleles with salt microhabitat. Our findings suggest that sexual reproduction and recruitment from seeds may have been generally underappreciated as an important ecological force in the salt marsh. Furthermore, clonal diversity has implications for conservation and restoration of these critical coastal habitats, particularly with regard to buffering environmental change or disease. Recent studies also suggest that high levels of intraspecific diversity can affect a variety of community and ecosystem processes.     

Habitat selection of nesting and fledgling salt marsh songbirds in northeast Florida

Understanding habitat selection by breeding birds and their newly fledged young can be an essential aspect of the conservation of vulnerable species. During 2015–2017, we examined nest site selection of Worthington's marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris griseus) and MacGillivray's seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima macgillivraii), and fledgling habitat use by Worthington's marsh wren, 2 imperiled species in northeast Florida, USA. We compared vegetation at unused points to vegetation at nests of both subspecies and at locations used by radio-tagged marsh wren fledglings. Vegetation was taller and stem counts were greater at nest sites compared to unused points. Worthington's marsh wrens also used nest sites with a greater proportion of tall-form smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) than was observed at unused points. Worthington's marsh wren fledglings also used locations with taller, denser vegetation, but vegetation use changed with fledgling age and tidal stage; older fledglings more frequently used areas with short-form smooth cordgrass and bare ground (and more so during low tides). In contrast, so few nests and nestlings were in black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) that we could not consider it in our analysis despite its prevalence within our study sites. Our results indicate that tall, dense cordgrass is an important habitat component for these subspecies during the nesting and fledgling life stages in southeastern Atlantic salt marshes.