Sediment addition enhances transpiration and growth of Spartina alterniflora in deteriorating Louisiana Gulf Coast salt marshes

Transpiration, leaf conductance, net photosynthesis, leaf growth, above-ground biomass and regeneration of new culms were studied in a rapidly subsiding Spartina alterniflora Lois. salt marsh following the addition at 47 and 94 Kg m^–2 of new sediment. Plant growth was enhanced in response to sediment addition as was evident by a significant increase in leaf area, above-ground biomass production and regeneration of new culms (p 0.05). Leaf conductance and transpiration rates were significantly greater in sediment treated plants than in control plants (p 0.05). Enhanced production of culms per unit area of marsh resulted in increased leaf area which allowed a greater capacity for net photosynthesis and contributed to increases in above-ground biomass of sediment treated plots.     

To identify impacts in variable systems using anomalous changes: a salt marsh example

A method is proposed to identify impacts of habitat modification in cases where it is difficult to site experimental and control samples. This problem occurs especially in heterogeneous systems, but may pose difficulties in any field experimental situation. The method is relevant to the situation where treated (modified) and untreated sites are spread over a range of habitat types. Types of change are identified and compared to treatments. If a specific change type is associated with a particular treatment then it is likely that the change is causally related to the treatment. There are five stages in the analysis. First, the classes or states of the sample sites, over a period of time, are identified (by numerical classification). Second, for each sample site, the sequence of states is listed. Third, transition matrices are made for each sample site to show the changes which have occurred. Fourth, the transition matrices are classified, to identify types of change. Finally, we use the Chisquared test to indicate whether the treated and untreated sites are associated with particular types of change. As an example, we refer to habitat modification to manage salt-marsh mosquitoes and we evaluate impacts on the environment mainly through changes to the vegetation. We consider that the method has potential to identify changes in heterogeneous systems even though little change was identified in the particular salt marsh studied.     

A remnant New Zealand carr

Carr vegetation was once extensive in New Zealand. It can be divided into Cordyline australis I Carex secta carr, comprising an open wood with scattered large herbs and an abundance of Carex species, and podocarp carr, dominated by tall conifers. Both have been almost eliminated by agricultural development. We studied a remnant of Cordyline australis I Carex secta carr in South Island, which graded at one end into salt marsh. Eight communities were recognized, including one pure salt marsh and two more with saline influence. Near the stream that provided moisture and alluvium for the area were herbaceous communities. In the poorly-drained area away from the stream were communities dominated by shrubs and small trees. The soil environment is similar to that of many European carrs, though generally less organic. A number of the exotic species are also found in European carrs.     

湛江高桥红树林和盐沼湿地的大型底栖动物次级生产力

为了比较湛江高桥潮间带不同植物生境的大型底栖动物次级生产力,根据2010年4个季度湛江高桥潮间带生境的大型底栖动物数据,运用Brey经验公式计算不同植物生境的大型底栖动物次级生产力.结果表明:湛江高桥红树林和盐沼湿地不同生境大型底栖动物平均次级生产力为11.77 g AFDM·m-2·a-1.其中,无瓣海桑生境次级生产力最高,为18.16 g AFDM·m-2·a-1,其次是桐花树、盐地鼠尾粟和木榄生境,分别为17.67、8.34和2.92 g AFDM·m-2·a-1.在4种生境中,木榄生境的年生产力/年均生物量(P/B)最高,为2.38,其次是无瓣海桑、盐地鼠尾粟和桐花树生境,分别为1.23、0.99和0.48.湛江高桥潮间带不同植物生境大型底栖动物次级生产力和P/B值的差异主要与总有机碳含量、食物类型和动物个体大小有关.     

The response of Puccinellia maritima to burial: A key to understanding its role in salt‐marsh dynamics?

Abstract. The plant and sediment dynamics in salt marshes are strongly interrelated, but few data are available to document their interaction. Puccinellia maritima is a perennial grass that occurs widely in salt marshes and this study examines its role in the stabilization or trapping of sediment in the pioneer zone and its response to burial, a characteristic phenomenon in accreting salt marshes. Puccinellia not only appears to limit erosion but also to significantly enhance accretion. The functional role of this species is largely dependent on the local disturbance regime. The response of Puccinellia to burial was studied in a series of burial treatments. Growth performance of Puccinellia was stimulated by burial of 4 mm sediment and reduced by burial of 8 mm/month. Burial under 12 mm of sediment led to high mortality of up to 97%. Response was determined by the instantaneous thickness of sediment rather than by the total quantity. Morphological response to burial consisted mainly of stem elongation. Plants collected from accretion zones in the field also produced tillers with adventitious roots at successive soil layers. The range of burial tolerances found for Puccinellia fits well with its occurrence in locations with up to 8 mm sediment accretion per tidal cycle, a common situation in the salt marsh studied.     

崇明东滩南部河口盐沼植物群落种间关系的数量分析

对崇明东滩南部盐沼植物群落样方进行调查,基于现有17种高等植物,特别是8种常见植物的2×2联列表和植被盖度值,利用方差比率法、χ²检验以及Spearman秩相关分析对物种关联性和相关性进行分析.结果表明: 方差比率(VR=0.61)的检验统计量W=48.61,落在 χ² 2个临界值区间之外,因此该区域盐沼植物群落内植物整体关联度表现为显著负相关;依据各优势植物对环境的适应方式和生境的主导因素,参考Spearman秩相关分析的结果,将它们划分为4个生态种组: 芦苇、糙叶苔草-藨草-水莎草、互花米草-海三棱藨草、白茅-稗草.崇明东滩南部盐沼植物群落种间关系复杂,群落表现极不稳定,植物对于环境影响较为敏感.在明确物种之间关系的基础上,针对海三棱藨草的分布现状提出了相应种群的保护措施和建议.     

Temporal variation and landcover influence survival in adult female mottled ducks

Adult survival is a key driver of waterfowl population growth and is subject to temporal and spatial variation. Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) are native to the Gulf Coast and peninsular Florida, USA, and have suffered population declines over the past decade, especially in Texas and Louisiana, USA. Although the cause of this decline is not well understood, previous research concluded variation in survival contributed to nearly a third of variation in the species' population growth rate. We used global positioning system-groupe spécial mobile (GPS-GSM) transmitters to study temporal and spatial variation in survival of adult female western Gulf Coast mottled ducks in southwestern Louisiana, 2017–2020. We evaluated weekly survival models parameterized with combinations of hunted and non-hunted periods, biological seasons, and landcover types that were used by mottled ducks. There were 3 competitive survival models, and all contained 4 parameters that parsed the annual cycle into the non-hunted period, first part of the general waterfowl season, and second part of the waterfowl season, and included the proportion of GPS locations in agricultural lands. Weekly survival was 0.979 during the first part of the general waterfowl hunting season, and 0.996 during the second part of the general waterfowl season. Daily survival rate increased with an increasing proportion of locations logged in agricultural lands. Annual survival rates were similar to other waterfowl that are not experiencing population declines, which suggests survival is not limiting population growth of mottled ducks along the western Gulf Coast. Managers should ensure the availability of refuge areas where hunting is prohibited during the first part of the general waterfowl season, when mottled ducks are at an increased risk of mortality, in addition to the targeted conservation of agricultural lands that provide cover and forage.     

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.     

淡水湿地种子库的小尺度空间格局

以长江中下游淡水湿地湖里沼泽为对象,研究了种子库在小尺度空间范围的水平分布格局。在沼泽中选择地表植被分布比较均一的16m×4m大小的方形区域,按1m间隔获取64个内径7·8cm、深5cm的圆柱状土样,通过幼苗萌发法鉴定每个土样的种子库组成。采用2个格局指数(离散系数和Lloyd平均拥挤指数)以及Moran空间自相关系数分析了种子库中优势种的空间分布格局。结果显示种子库由17个物种组成,多年生的锐棱荸荠(Eleocharisacutangula)和龙师草(E·tetraqueter)是种子库中密度最大的物种。两个格局指数显示7个分布频率大于10%的物种的种子全部为聚集分布。MoransI统计分析显示其中只有3个物种为显著的正的空间自相关,表明这3个物种的种子斑块大小超过了目前的两个取样单位之间的距离(1m),而其它4个物种的种子斑块则小于这个尺度。