scholarly journals Plant genotype determines biomass response to flooding frequency in tidal wetlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-411
Author(s):  
Svenja Reents ◽  
Peter Mueller ◽  
Hao Tang ◽  
Kai Jensen ◽  
Stefanie Nolte
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
Flooding Frequency ◽  
Strong Control ◽  
Marsh Accretion

Abstract. The persistence of tidal wetland ecosystems like salt marshes is threatened by human interventions and climate change. In particular, the threat of accelerated sea level rise (SLR) has increasingly gained the attention of the scientific community recently. However, studies investigating the effect of SLR on plants and vertical marsh accretion are usually restricted to the species or community level and do not consider phenotypic plasticity or genetic diversity. To investigate the response of genotypes within the same salt-marsh species to SLR, we used two known genotypes of Elymus athericus (Link) Kerguélen (low-marsh and high-marsh genotypes). In a factorial marsh organ experiment we exposed both genotypes to different flooding frequencies and quantified plant growth parameters. With increasing flooding frequency, the low-marsh genotype showed higher aboveground biomass production compared to the high-marsh genotype. Additionally, the low-marsh genotype generally formed longer rhizomes, shoots and leaves, regardless of flooding frequency. Belowground biomass of both genotypes decreased with increasing flooding frequency. We conclude that the low-marsh genotype is better adapted to higher flooding frequencies through its ability to allocate resources from below- to aboveground biomass. Given the strong control of plant biomass production on salt-marsh accretion, we argue that these findings yield important implications for our understanding of ecosystem resilience to SLR as well as plant species distribution in salt marshes.

scholarly journals Plant genotype determines biomass response to flooding frequency in tidal wetlands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja Reents ◽  
Peter Mueller ◽  
Hao Tang ◽  
Kai Jensen ◽  
Stefanie Nolte
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
Flooding Frequency ◽  
Strong Control ◽  
Marsh Accretion

Abstract. The persistence of tidal wetland ecosystems like salt marshes is threatened by human interventions and climate change. Particularly the threat of accelerated sea level rise (SLR) has recently gained increasing attention by the scientific community. However, studies investigating the effect of SLR on plants and vertical marsh accretion are usually restricted to the species or community level and do not consider phenotypic plasticity or genetic diversity. To investigate the response of genotypes within the same salt-marsh species to SLR, we used two known genotypes of Elymus athericus (Link) Kerguélen (low-marsh and high-marsh genotypes). In a factorial marsh organ experiment we exposed both genotypes to different flooding frequencies and quantified plant growth parameters. With increasing flooding frequency, the low-marsh genotype showed a higher aboveground biomass production compared to the high-marsh genotype. Additionally, the low-marsh genotype generally formed longer rhizomes, shoots and leaves, regardless of flooding frequency. Belowground biomass of both genotypes decreased with flooding frequency. We conclude that the low-marsh genotype is better adapted to higher flooding frequencies through its ability to allocate resources from below- to aboveground biomass. Given the strong control of plant biomass production on salt-marsh accretion, we argue that these findings yield important implications for our understanding of ecosystem resilience to SLR as well as plant-species distribution in salt marshes.

scholarly journals Estimating Aboveground Biomass and Its Spatial Distribution in Coastal Wetlands Utilizing Planet Multispectral Imagery

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwen J. Miller ◽  
James T. Morris ◽  
Cuizhen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
North Inlet ◽  
Vertical Range

Coastal salt marshes are biologically productive ecosystems that generate and sequester significant quantities of organic matter. Plant biomass varies spatially within a salt marsh and it is tedious and often logistically impractical to quantify biomass from field measurements across an entire landscape. Satellite data are useful for estimating aboveground biomass, however, high-resolution data are needed to resolve the spatial details within a salt marsh. This study used 3-m resolution multispectral data provided by Planet to estimate aboveground biomass within two salt marshes, North Inlet-Winyah Bay (North Inlet) National Estuary Research Reserve, and Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) Long-Term Ecological Research site. The Akaike information criterion analysis was performed to test the fidelity of several alternative models. A combination of the modified soil vegetation index 2 (MSAVI2) and the visible difference vegetation index (VDVI) gave the best fit to the square root-normalized biomass data collected in the field at North Inlet (Willmott’s index of agreement d = 0.74, RMSE = 223.38 g/m2, AICw = 0.3848). An acceptable model was not found among all models tested for PIE data, possibly because the sample size at PIE was too small, samples were collected over a limited vertical range, in a different season, and from areas with variable canopy architecture. For North Inlet, a model-derived landscape scale biomass map showed differences in biomass density among sites, years, and showed a robust relationship between elevation and biomass. The growth curve established in this study is particularly useful as an input for biogeomorphic models of marsh development. This study showed that, used in an appropriate model with calibration, Planet data are suitable for computing and mapping aboveground biomass at high resolution on a landscape scale, which is needed to better understand spatial and temporal trends in salt marsh primary production.

scholarly journals Top-down and sideways: Herbivory and cross-ecosystem connectivity shape restoration success at the salt marsh-upland ecotone

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247374
Author(s):  
Kerstin Wasson ◽  
Karen E. Tanner ◽  
Andrea Woofolk ◽  
Sean McCain ◽  
Justin P. Suraci
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Salt Marsh Restoration ◽  
Marsh Restoration ◽  
Restoration Site ◽  
Restoration Success

Wetland restoration provides remarkable opportunities to understand vegetation dynamics and to inform success of future projects through rigorous restoration experiments. Salt marsh restoration typically focuses on physical factors such as sediment dynamics and elevation. Despite many demonstrations of strong top-down effects on salt marshes, the potential for consumers to affect salt marsh restoration projects has rarely been quantified. Recently, major restoration projects at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in central California, USA provided an opportunity to examine how herbivory influences restoration success. We quantified the strength of consumer effects by comparing caged to uncaged plantings, and compared effects among plant species and sites. We used camera traps to detect which herbivores were most common and how their abundance varied spatially. Beyond characterizing consumer effects, we also tested management strategies for reducing negative effects of herbivory at the restoration sites, including caging, mowing, and acoustic playbacks of predator sounds. We found extremely strong consumer effects at sites with extensive stands of exotic forbs upland of the high marsh; uncaged restoration plants suffered heavy herbivory and high mortality, while most caged plants survived. Brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) were by far the most frequent consumers of these high marsh plants. Our work thus provides the first evidence of mammal consumers affecting salt marsh restoration success. Mowing of tall exotic forb cover adjacent to the marsh at one restoration site greatly reduced consumption, and nearly all monitored plantings survived at a second restoration site where construction had temporarily eliminated upland cover. Playbacks of predator sounds did not significantly affect restoration plantings, but restoration efforts in marsh communities vulnerable to terrestrial herbivory may benefit from concurrent restoration of predator communities in the upland habitats surrounding the marsh. A landscape approach is thus critical for recognizing linkages between terrestrial and marine vegetation.

scholarly journals Long-term invasion dynamics of Spartina increase vegetation diversity and geomorphological resistance of salt marshes against sea level rise

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Granse ◽  
Sigrid Suchrow ◽  
Kai Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
Marsh Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Diversity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe cordgrass Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard (Poaceae) is an invasive transformer in many salt marsh ecosystems worldwide. Relatively little is known about the capacity of Spartina to accelerate salt marsh succession and to protect salt marshes against sea level rise. We analyzed long-term changes in vegetation and elevation in mainland salt marshes of the European Wadden Sea in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, to estimate the impact of non-native Spartina on the geomorphological resistance of salt marshes to sea level rise and on changes in species diversity. From 1989 to 2019, the Spartina-zone shifted and expanded upwards to elevations of the high marsh zone and Spartina increased in frequency in several salt marsh vegetation communities. At sites where Spartina dominated the vegetation already three decades ago, elevation and species diversity increased with a higher rate compared to sites lacking Spartina. The median change rates reached for elevation MHT +8.6 versus +1.5 mm per year, for species richness +3 versus $$\pm$$ ± 0 species per three decades, and for evenness +0.04 versus −0.08 per three decades, regarding plots with versus without former Spartina dominance, respectively. Invasion of salt marshes by Spartina and its continued, long-term presence were associated with increased elevation and species diversity in the face of sea level rise.

Controls on salt marsh accretion: A test in salt marshes of Eastern Canada

Estuaries ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail L. Chmura ◽  
Grace A. Hung
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Marsh Accretion

A Salt Marsh Microcosm: An Experimental Unit for Marine Pollution Studies

1973 ◽  
Vol 1973 (1) ◽  
pp. 671-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Royal J. Nadeau ◽  
Thomas H. Roush
Keyword(s):  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Experimental Unit ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Present day bioassay procedures are inadequate to assess impact of a pollutant upon the environment. Using a single species tested under rigid laboratory conditions does not produce ecologically relevant information. A salt marsh microcosm was established and monitored to assess its applicability as a water pollution research tool toward determining the impact of oil spills upon coastal salt marshes. Growth of the major grass species was a measure of similarity between a nearby native salt marsh and the microcosm. No significant differences in growth were observed in low (Spartina alterniflora) and high marsh (Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata) species during most of the growing season. Gas chromatography, ultraviolet and fluorescent spectrophotometry were used to monitor the fate of oil released into one side of the microcosm. High boiling range hydrocarbons probably of biogenic origin, interfered with quantification by ultraviolet and fluorescent spectroscopy, but could be separated by gas chromatography for qualitative examination. Salt marsh microcosms can be easily used for studying the fate and effects of pollutants through a program of careful observation and monitoring.

scholarly journals Monitoring Impact of Salt-Marsh Vegetation Characteristics on Sedimentation: an Outlook for Nature-Based Flood Protection

Wetlands ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Martina Baaij ◽  
Jeroen Kooijman ◽  
Juul Limpens ◽  
Richard J. C. Marijnissen ◽  
Jantsje M. van Loon-Steensma
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Wave Attenuation ◽  
Stem Height ◽  
Sediment Grain Size ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Marsh Accretion

AbstractSalt marshes can protect coastlines against flooding by attenuating wave energy and enhancing shoreline stabilization. However, salt-marsh functioning is threatened by human influences and sea level rise. Although it is known that protection services are mediated by vegetation, little is known about the role of vegetation structure in salt-marsh accretion. We investigated the role of vegetation presence, vegetation type and structural vegetation characteristics in sedimentation and sediment grain size. We established 56 plots on a salt marsh on the Dutch Wadden island of Texel. Plots were divided over four vegetation types contrasting in vegetation structure and varied in elevation and distance to creeks. Vegetation presence was controlled by clipping in subplots. Within each plot, we measured seven vegetation characteristics, sedimentation and the sediment grain size distribution. Furthermore, we explored the effect of the natural variation in vegetation structure on wave attenuation with a simple model approach. For this, we developed vegetation scenarios based on the field measurements of stem height, diameter and density. We found that vegetation presence increased sedimentation on average by 42%. Sedimentation was highest in Salicornia vegetation and increased with stem height and branching level. Grain size also seemed to increase with branching level. Modelled wave attenuation was 7.5 times higher with natural vegetation compared to topography only, was strongest for Spartina vegetation and most sensitive to the natural variance in stem density. Our results can be used to improve predictions of salt-marsh accretion and the implementation of salt marshes in nature-based flood defences.

scholarly journals Neotyphodium interactions with a native grass are driven by endophyte haplotype

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 219-224
Author(s):  
L.J. Morse ◽  
S.H. Faeth ◽  
T.A. Day
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Leaf Rolling ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Grass Endophyte ◽  
Maternal Genotype

We examined the effect of endophyte infection, endophyte and host plant maternal genotype on traditional growth parameters. We also measured leaf water potential, leaf rolling, and stomatal density to provide explanations for differences in biomass production and relative growth rates. Our general findings show that Neotyphodium infection, Neotyphodium haplotype and its interaction with host maternal genotype influence Arizona fescue growth, and biomass production. Endophyte haplotype and its interaction with host maternal genotype is the most critical and consistent factor in influencing growth and physiological outcomes. Endophyte-host interactions are likely to be enormously complex because of the genetic and environmental variation that exists in natural populations. The outcome of these interactions in natural grass-endophyte systems is exceedingly difficult to predict based simply on the presence or absence of the endophyte. Keywords: growth rate, haplotype, leaf rolling, plant biomass, water potential, stomatal density

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