Climate Drivers of Spartina alterniflora Saltmarsh Production in Georgia,USA

Tidal wetlands are threatened by global changes related not only to sea level rise but also to altered weather patterns. To predict consequences of these changes on coastal communities, it is necessary to understand how temporally varying abiotic conditions drive wetland production. In 2000–2011, we conducted annual surveys of Spartina alterniflora biomass in tidal marshes at nine sites in and around the Altamaha river estuary on the coast of Georgia, USA. End of the year live biomass was assessed in the creekbank and midmarsh zones to estimate annual net primary production (ANPP). River discharge was the most important driver of S. alterniflora ANPP, especially in creekbank vegetation. Increased river discharge reduces water column salinity, and this was most likely the proximate driver of increased production. In the midmarsh zone, the patterns were less distinct, although river discharge was again the best predictor, but maximum temperature had similar predictive ability. In contrast to results from terrestrial grasslands, we found no consistent evidence for a sharply delimited critical period for any climate driver in the tidal marsh, which indicates that plant growth was responsive to abiotic drivers at any time during the growing season. Results were broadly consistent across multiple sites within a geographic region. Our results differ from previous analyses of production in S. alterniflora marshes, which either identified oceanic drivers of S. alterniflora production or were unable to identify any drivers, likely because the low-latitude sites we studied were hotter and more affected by river discharge than those in previous studies.     

互花米草与芦苇耐盐生理特征的比较分析

以天津滨海滩涂外来植物互花米草和本地种芦苇为研究对象,对两种植物根、茎、叶3个器官保护酶(超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶（POD）、过氧化氢酶(CAT))和膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)、游离脯氨酸、可溶性糖以及质膜相对透性及其季节动态变化进行了测定。结果表明：（1）互花米草体内SOD、POD、CAT酶活性、游离脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量在整个生长季节较芦苇偏低;（2）游离脯氨酸和可溶性糖是互花米草和芦苇体内重要的有机渗透调节物质;(3)两种植物根、茎、叶的质膜相对透性在整个生长季节基本保持稳定,但互花米草质膜相对透过性高于芦苇。该研究有利于解释互花米草适应潮间带生存环境的部分机制,并且从生理生态学特性角度说明其竞争力高于芦苇的原因。     

Interspecific Interactions between Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora along a Tidal Gradient in the Dongtan Wetland,Eastern China

The invasive species Spartina alterniora Loisel was introduced to the eastern coast of China in the 1970s and 1980s for the purposes of land reclamation and the prevention of soil erosion. The resulting interspecific competition had an important influence on the distribution of native vegetation, which makes studying the patterns and mechanisms of the interactions between Spartina alterniora Loisel and the native species Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud in this region very important. There have been some researches on the interspecific interactions between P. australis and S. alterniora in the Dongtan wetland of Chongming, east China, most of which has focused on the comparison of their physiological characteristics. In this paper, we conducted a neighbor removal experiment along a tidal gradient to evaluate the relative competitive abilities of the two species by calculating their relative neighbor effect (RNE) index. We also looked at the influence of environmental stress and disturbance on the competitive abilities of the two species by comparing interaction strength (I) among different tidal zones both for P. australis and S. alterniora. Finally, we measured physiological characteristics of the two species to assess the physiological mechanisms behind their different competitive abilities. Both negative and positive interactions were found between P. australis and S. alterniora along the environmental gradient. When the direction of the competitive intensity index for P. australis and S. alterniora was consistent, the competitive or facilitative effect of S. alterniora on P. australis was stronger than that of P. australis on S. alterniora. The interspecific interactions of P. australis and S. alterniora varied with environmental conditions, as well as with the method used, to measure interspecific interactions.     

Gas Transport in the Marsh Grass, Spartina alterniflora

Spartina plants have continuous gas spaces from the leaves tothe tips of the roots. Oxygen values in the roots are as lowas 3 per cent and increase toward the stem. Carbon dioxide valuesare highest in the rhizome and decrease up the stem and towardthe root tips. Oxygen and carbon dioxide moved through the plantsat equal rates for equal gradients, and these rates agree withmeasurements made on plants in the marsh. Calculated oxygenand carbon dioxide fluxes for the observed gradients in theobserved gas spaces agreed with measured fluxes. We concludethat gases move in and out of Spartina roots by diffusion throughuninterrupted gas spaces within the plant.     

Populations of Anaerobic Phototrophic Bacteria in a Spartina alterniflora Salt Marsh

Habitat-simulating media were used with the Hungate anaerobic roll tube technique to enumerate culturable anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria in sediment, tidal waters, and Spartina alterniflora plant samples collected from the salt marsh at Sapelo Island, Ga. No phototrophs were detected in samples of creekside (low marsh) sediment or in tidal waters in creekside regions. In the high marsh region, 90% of anaerobic phototrophic bacteria occurred in the top 5 mm of sediment and none were detected below 6 mm. There was a seasonal variation, with maximal populations occurring in summer and fall (mean, 4.4 × 10⁵ phototrophs g of dry sediment⁻¹) and minimal numbers occurring in winter (mean, 3.9 × 10³ phototrophs g of dry sediment⁻¹). During winter and late spring, phototrophs had a patchy distribution over the high marsh sediment surface. In contrast, during late summer they had a random uniform distribution. Tidal water collected over high marsh sediment contained an average of 8.7 × 10² phototrophs ml⁻¹, with no significant seasonal variation. Anaerobic phototrophic bacteria were also cultured from the lower stem tissue of S. alterniflora growing in both the high (4.3 × 10⁴ phototrophs g of dry tissue⁻¹) and creekside (4.9 × 10⁴ phototrophs g of dry tissue⁻¹) marsh regions. Chromatium buderi, Chromatium vinosum, Thiospirillum sanguineum, Rhodospirillum molischianum, and Chlorobium phaeobacteroides were the predominant anaerobic phototrophic species cultured from high marsh sediment. The two Chromatium species were dominant.     

Estimation of the primary productivity of Spartina alterniflora using a canopy model

A comprehensive canopy productivity model was built to study the productivity of a primary salt marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora. in Georgia, USA The canopy model was unique in employing plant demographic data to reconstruct canopy profiles and dynamics, which showed many growth processes that are otherwise difficult to discern in the field By linking canopy dynamics and leaf photosynthesis, the net total primary productivity of S alterniflora m a Georgia salt marsh was estimated to be 1421, 749, and 1441 g C m^-2 yr^-1 for the tall, short, and N-fertilized short populations respectively These estimates are reasonable in terms of the physiological capacity of S alterniflora and well below the range of 3000–4200 g C m^-2 yr^-1 as reported by some recent harvest studies Our detailed analysis suggested the net total productivity of S alterniflora might be greatly overestimated in the past This is mainly because of 1) failure to consider the translocation of photosynthate between aboveground and belowground parts, and 2) possible overestimates of belowground production We estimated the net belowground production to be 872, 397, and 762 g C m^-2 yr^-1 for the tall, short, and N-fertilized populations respectively After receiving nitrogen fertilizer, the net leaf carbon fixation in the short population increased from 1489 to 2487 g C m^-2 yr^-1, and our simulation showed the contribution of elevated leaf N to this increase was small, 21%, compared with that of increased leaf area, 79% Both tall and short populations allocated ca 48-49% of their annual gross leaf carbon fixation to belowground structures Nitrogen enrichment caused more allocation to aboveground parts in the short population, mainly for increasing leaf area The canopy model assumed that there was no leaf photosynthesis under tidal submergence, but if this assumption was relaxed, then leaf carbon fixation might increase 7–13% for different S alterniflora populations Although this research focused only on a salt marsh species, our general approaches, especially the coupling of leaf physiology with the reconstructed canopies, should be applicable to the study of production processes of many other plant populations     

Linking Improvement of Soil Structure to Soil Carbon Storage Following Invasion by a C4 Plant Spartina alterniflora

Ecosystems - Coastal wetlands are increasingly recognized as important ecosystems for long-term carbon (C) storage. However, how soil aggregation mediates C accumulation and sequestration in these...     

长江口九段沙盐沼湿地芦苇和互花米草生物量及碳储量

2010-2012年,采用野外采样和实验室测定相结合的方法,研究了长江口九段沙芦苇、互花米草植被带生物量的季节动态和碳储存能力.结果表明:两种植物生物部分(地上、地下、枯立物生物量之和)的有机碳储量均为秋季最高、春季最低.地上活体互花米草单位面积的平均碳储量(445.81 g·m-2)高于芦苇(285.52 g·m-2),芦苇枯立物的平均碳储量(203.15 g·m-2)低于互花米草(315.28 g· m-2),但芦苇区土壤表层(0 ～30 cm)有机碳储量(1048.62 g·m-2)约为互花米草区(583.33 g· m-2)的2倍.芦苇区的碳储存能力(3212.96g· m-2)总体上高于互花米草区(2730.42 g·m-2).表明保护芦苇群落对于维护盐沼湿地的碳汇功能具有重要意义.     

A study of the population dynamics of Spartina alterniflora at Jiuduansha shoals,Shanghai, China

This study investigated the population expansion pattern of an exotic species of Spartina alterniflora for a period of 7 years, after it had been newly introduced to the neonatal shoals of Jiuduansha (GPS), in the Yangtze Estuary, Shanghai. Remote sensing, in conjunction with geographical information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) was used to map saltmarsh vegetation on the Jiuduansha shoals and the classifications were then checked using in situ field surveys of selected areas. The results showed that the S. alterniflora population had expanded from 55 hm² when first introduced in 1997, to 1014 hm² in 2004. The population expansion pattern of S. alterniflora on the Jiuduansha shoals was compatible with the common feature of invasions, i.e. the initial colonization, a lag time and the onset of rapid population growth and range expansion. In the first year of plantation (1997), about 35 hm² of S. alterniflora was successfully colonized on the Jiuduansha shoals. The period between 1998 and 2000 was characterized by a lag time, and the area of S. alterniflora increased only to 101.6 hm². The year 2000 marked an onset of rapid population growth and range expansion and the annual expanding rate reached 25–116%, which exceeded any of the indigenous species and indicated the strong competitive capability, rapid range expansion and wide ecological niche of S. alterniflora.The advent of remote sensing, in conjunction with geographical information systems and global positioning systems, provides a potential tool for mapping vegetation, and for monitoring population dynamics and range expansion of invasive species on a large scale. The implications for population and community dynamics, biodiversity conservation and wetland management in terms of the analysis of the sequence of events associated with the initial colonization, a lag time, rate of geographic spread and features of geographic spread of the exotic S. alterniflora and the native P. australis on the Jiuduansha shoals are discussed.     

A comparison of the seed dormancy characteristics of Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora (Poaceae)

Seed dormancy characteristics of Spartina alterniflora were delineated previously by Plyler and Carrick (American Journal of Botany, vol. 80, pp. 752–756, 1993). This study was undertaken in order to determine whether or not the dormancy characteristics of S. patens are similar. As in the previous study, the site of a dormancy mechanism was determined by assessing the germinability of surgically altered dormant seeds. Likewise, the effects of three growth-regulating substances (abscisic acid, fusicoccin, and gibberellic acid), prechilling, and light were studied by assessing the germinability of appropriately treated dormant seeds. Surgical injury to the endosperm, and to a lesser extent the scutellum, produced significant germination in S. patens, whereas only injury to the scutellum produced germination in S. alterniflora. Exogenously applied abscisic acid was highly effective in maintaining dormancy in injured seeds of both species. Gibberellic acid and fusicoccin were ineffective in promoting germination in S. patens, but fusicoccin was highly effective in breaking dormancy in 5. alterniflora. Prechilling was effective in breaking dormancy in S. patens but not in S. alterniflora. In S. patens, treatments that broke dormancy were only successful when seeds were exposed to light during the germination period. It is concluded that the dissimilarities in the dormancy mechanisms may be manifestations of the different environmental adaptations these closely related species display.     

红树林生境中互花米草气孔导度的动态变化

以生长在山口红树林保护区内壤质海滩上的互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)为对象,对午间退潮到天黑这一特定时间段其叶片气孔导度及相应环境因子的变化进行了测定和分析.结果表明:互花米草不同叶位的叶片气孔导度不同,在垂直方向上,其排序大致呈现中上部>顶部>中下部>下部的趋势;叶片气孔导度与光强、叶温呈幂函数关系,与时间、相对湿度呈负指数函数关系;在相对湿度为50%～60%时,气孔导度最大,随着湿度的增加,气孔有关闭的趋势,气孔导度变小;互花米草植株中部的叶片对整个植株光合产物积累的贡献较大.各种环境因子对互花米草气孔的开闭存在交互作用,因此,互花米草叶片的气孔导度是对环境因子的综合反应.     

Evidence for Hygrometric Pressurization in the Internal Gas Space of Spartina alterniflora

Higher pressure, up to several hundred pascal relative to ambient, is generated by hygrometric pressurization within the central hollow space of the stem in Spartina alterniflora. Dilution of oxygen and nitrogen by water vapor within the plant's internal gas space results in an influx of nitrogen and oxygen from the air and a net increase in the internal gas pressure at steady state. The nature of the pressure gradient suggests that small pores exist in the plant tissues. Moreover, the compact arrangement of leaf mesophyll cells creates a high resistance for the mass flow of gases and contributes to the higher pressure within leaves. After experimentally venting the internal pressure, outside air diffused through the basal area of the adaxial side of the leaves into the internal space and elevated pressure was restored.     

Thymidine Incorporation by the Microbial Community of Standing Dead Spartina alterniflora

Thymidine incorporation by the microbial community on standing dead leaves of Spartina alterniflora did not obey many of the assumptions inherent in the use of the technique in planktonic systems. Incorporation rates of [methly-³H]thymidine were nonsaturable over a wide concentration range (10¹ to 10⁵ nM). Owing to metabolism by both fungi and bacteria, a major fraction of the radiolabel (mean, 48%) appeared in protein. Extraction of the radiolabeled macromolecules was inefficient, averaging 8.8%. Based on an empirically derived conversion factor, 4 × 10¹⁸ cells · mol of thymidine⁻¹, doubling times ranged from 4 to 69 h for the epiphytic bacterial assemblage.     

The positive and negative effects of exotic Spartina alterniflora in China

Spartina alterniflora is a perennial salt marsh grass native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America. Recognized for its effects of diminishing strong tide even storms and accelerating sediment deposition, S. alterniflora was introduced into China in 1979. Now the artificial vegetation of Spartina has expanded to around 50 000 h m² along the east coast of China due to its strong capability of propagating by seeds and rhizome fragments. Although it was listed among 16 harmful exotic species in China 3 years ago, we need to evaluate its positive and negative effects in the coastal region of China objectively. This paper reviews some major positive effects of S. alterniflora in China, e.g. being a dominant primary producer, buffering against tides, accelerating accretion and reclamation, absorbing nutrients and digesting pollutants, as well as some major negative effects, e.g. occupying the niche of local species, altering the mudflat habitat, changing and even diminishing biodiversity, and damaging the aquiculture in the tidal land. In addition, its biomaterial uses and biological substitution as a means of ecological regulation is also discussed.     

Estimation of primary production using five different methods in a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh

The aboveground production of Spartina alterniflora in a salt marsh in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA was estimated using five different harvest methods: peak standing crop (PSC), Milner-Hughes, Smalley, Wiegert-Evans, and Lomnicki et al., and a non-destructive method based on measurement of stem density and longevity. Annual production estimates were 831 ± 41, 831 ± 62, 1231 ± 252, 1873 ± 147 and 1437 ± 96 g dry wt m^–2 for each method, respectively. The average longevity of individually tagged young shoots was 5.2 ± 0.2 months, equivalent to an annual turnover rate of 2.3 crops per year. Among the five methods, Wiegert-Evans and Lomnicki et al. were considered more accurate than the other three because they corrected for mortality losses between sampling times. The Lomnicki et al. method was preferred over the Wiegert-Evans method because of its greater simplicity.     

互花米草NAC转录因子家族的鉴定与表达分析

互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)作为一种海岸带盐生植物,高度耐盐胁迫,但因为缺少参考基因组,其耐盐的分子机制却尚未见报道。NAC家族蛋白是植物特有的转录因子,调控植物的生长发育和胁迫应答。为了鉴定互花米草NAC蛋白(SaNAC)并探究它们与互花米草生长发育及胁迫响应之间的关系,本研究以互花米草三代全长转录组数据为参考,通过与水稻(Oryza sativa)、拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)和玉米(Zea mays)NAC蛋白序列进行比对,并结合保守功能域进一步筛选,最终找到62个SaNAC蛋白。从蛋白序列比对、进化、motif预测、同源性比较、亚细胞定位、组织表达以及非生物胁迫下的基因差异表达等方面分别对互花米草NAC家族成员进行分析,结果发现SaNAC蛋白均含有保守的NAM结构域,且在进化上与水稻NAC家族具有一定的相似性;SaNAC家族中的两个蛋白SaNAC9和SaNAC49在细胞核表达;另外,本研究还发现互花米草SaNAC基因表达具有高度组织和胁迫应答差异性。这些结果表明互花米草NAC转录因子家族不仅具有保守的功能域,而且在调控互花米草的生长发育和非生物胁迫响应过程中具有重要的作用。     

天津滨海滩涂互花米草有性繁殖特性

对分布在天津滨海滩涂的互花米草（Spartina alterniflora Loisel．）在开花、授粉、结实等方面进行了研究,结果表明：互花米草花期从8月中旬开始至10月下旬结束,花粉／胚珠（P／O）值为9874．67±2149．39,花粉粒小,适于风媒传粉;花粉活力随着散粉时间的延长呈指数递减,柱头具有适于捕捉花粉的特性,体外花粉管的生长表明,花粉的萌发能力较强;平均结实率为（67．56±2．39）％,种子萌发率高于80％,种子繁殖为种群的拓殖及补充起到重要作用。     

Molecular Analysis of Diazotroph Diversity in the Rhizosphere of the Smooth Cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora

N₂ fixation by diazotrophic bacteria associated with the roots of the smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, is an important source of new nitrogen in many salt marsh ecosystems. However, the diversity and phylogenetic affiliations of these rhizosphere diazotrophs are unknown. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified nifH sequence segments was used in previous studies to examine the stability and dynamics of the Spartina rhizosphere diazotroph assemblages in the North Inlet salt marsh, near Georgetown, S.C. In this study, plugs were taken from gel bands from representative DGGE gels, the nifH amplimers were recovered and cloned, and their sequences were determined. A total of 59 sequences were recovered, and the amino acid sequences predicted from them were aligned with sequences from known and unknown diazotrophs in order to determine the types of organisms present in the Spartina rhizosphere. We recovered numerous sequences from diazotrophs in the γ subdivision of the division Proteobacteria (γ-Proteobacteria) and from various anaerobic diazotrophs. Diazotrophs in the α-Proteobacteria were poorly represented. None of the Spartina rhizosphere DGGE band sequences were identical to any known or previously recovered environmental nifH sequences. The Spartina rhizosphere diazotroph assemblage is very diverse and apparently consists mainly of unknown organisms.     

Molecular analysis of diazotroph diversity in the rhizosphere of the smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora

N(2) fixation by diazotrophic bacteria associated with the roots of the smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, is an important source of new nitrogen in many salt marsh ecosystems. However, the diversity and phylogenetic affiliations of these rhizosphere diazotrophs are unknown. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified nifH sequence segments was used in previous studies to examine the stability and dynamics of the Spartina rhizosphere diazotroph assemblages in the North Inlet salt marsh, near Georgetown, S.C. In this study, plugs were taken from gel bands from representative DGGE gels, the nifH amplimers were recovered and cloned, and their sequences were determined. A total of 59 sequences were recovered, and the amino acid sequences predicted from them were aligned with sequences from known and unknown diazotrophs in order to determine the types of organisms present in the Spartina rhizosphere. We recovered numerous sequences from diazotrophs in the gamma subdivision of the division Proteobacteria (gamma-Proteobacteria) and from various anaerobic diazotrophs. Diazotrophs in the alpha-Proteobacteria were poorly represented. None of the Spartina rhizosphere DGGE band sequences were identical to any known or previously recovered environmental nifH sequences. The Spartina rhizosphere diazotroph assemblage is very diverse and apparently consists mainly of unknown organisms.     

Sulfur storage changed by exotic Spartina alterniflora in coastal saltmarshes of China

For the purpose of ecological engineering, Spartina alterniflora was introduced to China in 1979 and now covers about 112,000 ha of China's coastal lands. It was hypothesized that S. alterniflora could actively change the habitat environment, thus facilitating its competition over native species. In Yancheng Nature Reserve, sulfur storage of sediments and plant tissues was compared among marshes dominated by the exotic S. alterniflora and adjacent native Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis and bare mudflat. Results showed that the S. alterniflora marsh contained the highest content of water-soluble, adsorbed, carbonate-occluded and total sulfur in the sediment. The sulfur levels were higher in the center than at the edges of the S. alterniflora marsh. Native marshes showed no significant difference in sediment sulfur levels. With greater biomass and higher tissue sulfur concentrations, plant sulfur storage of S. alterniflora vegetation was also larger than those of the native vegetations. Because higher concentrations of sulfur increase the competitive advantage of S. alterniflora over native halophytes, the results of the research showing that S. alterniflora increased marsh sulfur storage may shed light on the mechanism of expansion of monospecific vegetation in coastal China.