Population biology of Ammophila breviligulata and Calamovilfa longifolia on Lake Huron sand dunes. III. Dynamic changes in plant community structure

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1267-1270 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Population Biology ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Oenothera Biennis ◽  
Ammophila Breviligulata ◽  
Cakile Edentula ◽  
Dune Ridge ◽  
Artemisia Campestris ◽  
Calamovilfa Longifolia

Changes in vegetation and physiography of Lake Huron shoreline were studied by recording total counts and by comparing photographs taken in 1977, 1985, and 1987. In 1977, a large number of annual and biennial plant species such as Cakile edentula, Corispermum hyssopifolium, Salsola kali, Euphorbia polygonifolia, Artemisia campestris, and Oenothera biennis were found growing in association with two perennial grasses, Calamovilfa longifolia and Andropogon scoparius. Ammophila breviligulata was absent at that time, but became abundant through establishment of ramets from rhizome fragments after the storms of 1979 and 1981. Two damaging storms, one in October 1986 and the second in April 1987, wiped out almost all of Ammophila breviligulata, leaving a few remnant shoots among clumps of Calamovilfa longifolia. Observations suggest that the low density (two shoots∙m−2) of Ammophila breviligulata tillers among Calamovilfa longifolia populations on the first dune ridge has resulted from landward extensions of plagiotropic rhizomes from the once abundant Ammophila breviligulata populations on the lakeward end of the beach.

Population biology of Ammophila breviligulata and Calamovilfa longifolia on Lake Huron sand dunes. I. Habitat, growth form, reproduction, and establishment

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Population Biology ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Ammophila Breviligulata ◽  
Concentric Circles ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Calamovilfa Longifolia

Some aspects of the population biology of two dune-forming perennial grasses, Ammophila breviligulata Fern. and Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook) Scribn., growing along Lake Huron shoreline, were investigated under natural and controlled conditions. Plants of A. breviligulata exhibit erratic flowering, ranging from no panicles in some areas to 16 per hundred tillers in others. Calamovilfa longifolia plants occur as single clumps of varying diameters and flower profusely. Ammophila breviligulata expands into adjacent areas by producing plagiotropic rhizomes ranging in length from 1 to several m and then producing ramets on some of the nodes. Such a growth form is best suited for rapid colonization of bare areas. Clumps of C. longifolia expand outward in concentric circles through the development of diving rhizomes, and the radius of a clump increases by about 15 to 31 cm per year. This growth form is well suited for local occupancy. Ammophila breviligulata is more tolerant of burial (100 cm) in sand than C. longifolia (60 cm). Calamovilfa longifolia produces larger number of caryopses per square metre than A. breviligulata. The weight per caryopsis of both species is similar, but the significantly greater surface area per fruit of A. breviligulata improves its flotation ability in water, thus facilitating long-distance dispersal of fruits. Establishment of C. longifolia plants under natural conditions occurred almost exclusively from seedlings. In contrast, the establishment of A. breviligulata seedlings was rare and almost all new plants along the beach originated from clonal fragments cast on the drift line by high waves.

Population biology of Ammophila breviligulata and Calamovilfa longifolia on Lake Huron sand dunes. II. Ultrastructure of organelles and photosynthetic properties

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 2151-2159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly Elfman ◽  
M. A. Maun ◽  
W. G. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Bundle Sheath ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Mesophyll Cells ◽  
Ammophila Breviligulata ◽  
Calamovilfa Longifolia ◽  
Photosynthetic Properties

Organellar ultrastructure and photosynthetic properties of two grasses, Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook) Scribn. and Ammophila breviligulata Fern., growing on Lake Huron sand dunes were compared. Thylakoids of C. longifolia contained a relatively greater complement of the photosystem I (PSI) – chlorophyll a – protein complex, whereas thylakoids from A. breviligulata had a relatively greater complement of light-harvesting chlorophyll a + b complex. The chlorophyll a/b ratios of the mesophyll chloroplast thykaloids reflected the content of chlorophyll–protein complexes present in the membranes. Digitonin fractionation of mesophyll thylakoids from C. longifolia revealed that the PSI-enriched fraction contained more chlorophyll than the photosystem II (PSII) enriched fraction. Conversely, the PSII-enriched fraction accounted for the larger proportion of total chlorophyll in thylakoids from A. breviligulata. Whole chain electron transport (PSII + PSI) activity was greater in C. longifolia mesophyll thylakoids, at all light intensities. Chloroplast and mitochondrial ultrastructure were compared. The bundle sheath chloroplasts of C. longifolia contain extensive grana stacking and are distributed throughout the cell. The mitochondria of the bundle sheath and mesophyll cells are strikingly dimorphic. A suberin lamella is apparently absent from the bundle sheath cell walls. These results support the designation of C. longifolia as a C4 species of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – malic enzyme type.

Seed germination and seedling establishment of Calamovilfa longifolia on Lake Huron sand dunes

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Fluorescent Light ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
High Soil ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Number Of Leaves ◽  
Growth Chambers ◽  
Calamovilfa Longifolia

Caryopses ("seeds") of Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook.) Scribn. are dimorphic (brown and white) and are each enclosed in a lemma and palea. The most complete germination was obtained in lighted (fluorescent light of 1600 lx) growth chambers set at alternating temperatures of 25 °C day (14 h) and 10 °C night. Seed stratification did not increase total germination but the rate of germination was increased. The seeds imbibed about 50% by weight of water before germination was initiated.Under field conditions seeds accumulated in depressions. Seedlings failed to emerge from depths greater than 6 cm. The survival rate of seedlings was very low (0.5%) during 1978 because of a dry summer but was considerably higher in 1979 on south slopes (33%), under willow clumps (44%), and on north slopes (56%). Seedling mortality was due to high soil temperatures, desiccation, burial or exposure of seedlings, and biotic agents. Seedlings emerged from the soil mainly by elongation of the first internode. The coleoptile seemed to act as a protective sheath against high soil temperatures for the growing point enclosed within it. A significantly linear increase in height of seedlings, root length, and number of leaves occurred with an increase in the age of seedlings during both years.

Spatial pattern and seed dispersal of Lithospermum caroliniense on Lake Huron sand dunes

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene L. Westelaken ◽  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Parent Plant ◽  
The South ◽  
South Slope ◽  
Dune Ridge

Studies on spatial pattern and seed dispersal of Lithospermum caroliniense (Walt.) MacMill. on Lake Huron sand dunes revealed that the ratio of pin to thrum plants was approximately 1: 1 on the south slope of the first dune ridge and slack. However, thrum plants had a higher proportion than pin plants on the crest of the dune ridge. The density of plants was highest on the south slope as compared with the other topographical zones. The spatial pattern of plants was nonrandom and plants were clustered in each of the three topographical zones. Most dispersed seeds of L. caroliniense remained within 1 m of the parent plant. The seed dispersal was not radially symmetrical around the parent plant. The steepness of the dune slope affected the dispersal distance of some propagules. Some seeds were retained on the parent, but few of these seeds were normal. About 40 to 64% of the recovered seeds contained holes in the seed coat. Eight months after marking, about one-third of the original marked seeds were still intact.

Leaf demography and decline of Panicum racemosum populations in coastal foredunes of southern Brazil

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1593-1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
César S. B. Costa ◽  
Ulrich Seeliger ◽  
César V. Cordazzo
Keyword(s):  
Population Biology ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Salt Spray ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Leaf Demography ◽  
Growth Vigour ◽  
Sand Movement ◽  
Mobile Dune ◽  
Sand Deposition

We studied the effect of nutrient status and sand movement on the population biology of Panicum racemosum Spreng. over a 5-year period (1982–1986) on mobile, semifixed and fixed coastal foredune habitats in southern Brazil. The soils were deficient in nitrate, phosphate, and potassium (<0.5, 0.2–1.2, and 3–5 mg/kg, respectively) in all habitats, and a gradient of decreasing availability existed from the mobile to the fixed dunes. Half-lives of leaves were shorter in the fixed dune as compared with the mobile dune. Similarly, half-lives of leaves were shorter in summer than in winter. Experiments using cuttings of P. racemosum tillers showed that as P. racemosum plants grew, so did the deposition of sand on mobile foredunes. The mechanical deposition of sand itself did not stimulate P. racemosum growth. The deposition of saline sand provided a substrate that supported vertical growth of P. racemosum rhizomes and tillers and was a source of adsorbed nutrients. Also, active sand deposition limited the invasion of frontal dunes by other species. Panicum racemosum populations changed from "invader" to "mature" to "regressive" age states over a 5-year period, apparently in response to the spatial patterns of sand deposition and salt spray input. Key words: Panicum, leaf demography, growth vigour, sand dunes, temporal changes.

Allelopathic potential of Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata on Lake Huron sand dunes

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 1903-1912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyeong W. Yun ◽  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Fungal Colonization ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Allelopathic Potential ◽  
Artemisia Campestris

Greenhouse studies were conducted to test allelopathic effects of Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata on seed germination and seedling growth of several sand-dune species and colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. The aqueous extracts of A. campestris showed no inhibitory effect on seed germination, seedling elongation, or dry-weight growth of plants at lower concentrations (10 and 50%), but 100% concentration of the extracts caused varying degrees of inhibition depending on the test species. The mixing of dry leaves of seedlings of A. campestris to the sand showed severe inhibition of Elymus canadensis seedlings. The percent germination of test species in soil from the rhizosphere of A. campestris was significantly lower than that of the control. The leaf area and dry weight were also lower but the differences were not significant. The aqueous extract inhibited mycorrhizal fungal colonization in roots of three sand-dune grasses. Key words: allelopathy, Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata, seed germination, seedling growth, mycorrhizal fungi.

Reconstructing the age of coastal sand dunes along the northwestern shore of Lake Huron in Lower Michigan: Paleoenvironmental implications and regional comparisons

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan F. Arbogast ◽  
Michael E. Bigsby ◽  
Mark H. DeVisser ◽  
Shaun A. Langley ◽  
Paul R. Hanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Coastal Sand Dunes ◽  
Coastal Sand ◽  
Regional Comparisons

Population biology of Microlaena stipoides in a south-eastern Australian pasture

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 767 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Mitchell ◽  
J. M. Virgona ◽  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
D. R. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Microlaena Stipoides

Microlaena (Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides (Labill.) R.Br.) is a C3 perennial grass that is native to areas of south-eastern Australia. In this region, perennial grasses are important for the grazing industries because of their extended growing season and persistence over several years. This series of experiments focused on the population biology of Microlaena by studying the phenology (when seed was set), seed rain (how much seed was produced and where it fell), seed germination, germinable seedbank, seed predation and seedling recruitment in a pasture. Experiments were conducted at Chiltern, in north-eastern Victoria, on an existing native grass pasture dominated by Microlaena. Seed yields were substantial (mean 800 seeds m–2), with seed rain occurring over December–May. Microlaena has two distinct periods of high seed rain, in early summer and in early autumn. Seed predation is high. Within a 24-h period during peak seed production, up to 30% of Microlaena seed was removed from a pasture, primarily by ants. Microlaena seedlings recruited throughout an open paddock; however, seedling density was low (5 seedlings m–2). Microlaena represented only low numbers in the seedbank (0.01–0.05% of total); hence, any seedlings of Microlaena that germinate from the seedbank would face immense competition from other species. Management strategies for Microlaena-dominant pastures need to focus on the maintenance of existing plants.

Direct observation of fungal aggregates in sand dune soil

1978 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Clough ◽  
J. C. Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dune ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungus ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Phaseolus Vulgaris L ◽  
External Mycelium ◽  
Grass Hosts ◽  
Dune Soil ◽  
Scanning Electron

The mycorrhizal fungus Glomus in association with bean hosts, Phaseolus vulgaris L., growing in pot cultures and grass hosts, Calamovilfa longiflora (Hook.) Scribn and Andropogon sp. growing on Lake Huron sand dunes produced extensive external mycelium. This mycelium was the dominant factor in the aggregation of soil particles. Light and scanning electron microscope studies indicated that the sand grains were attached to the hyphae. An amorphous deposit was often present at the interfaces of sand grains and hyphae. It appeared to act as an adhesive. Staining procedures indicated that this material contained polysaccharide. Other microorganisms were observed in association with the Glomus hyphae and the amorphous deposits.

scholarly journals Comparison of two Satellite Imaging Platforms for Evaluating Sand Dune Migration in the Ubari Sand Sea (Libyan Fazzan)

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-7/W3 ◽  
pp. 1375-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Els ◽  
S. Merlo ◽  
J. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dune ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Satellite Imaging ◽  
Climate And Environmental Change ◽  
Sensing Platforms ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
Image Overlay ◽  
Crest Line ◽  
Dune Ridge

Sand dunes can change location, form or dimensions depending on wind direction and strength. Sand dune movements can be effectively monitored through the comparison of multi-temporal satellite images. However, not all remote sensing platforms are suitable to study sand dunes. This study compares coarse (Landsat) and fine (Worldview) resolution platforms, specifically focussing on sand dunes within the Ubari Sand Sea (Libya). Sand dune features (crest line, dune ridge basal outlines) were extracted from Landsat and Worldview 2 imagery in order to construct geomorphic maps. These geomorphic maps were then compared using image overlay and differencing, and the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) was used to determine if the mapped dune patterns were significantly different. It was found that Landsat is a sufficient data source when studying dune patterns within a regional sand sea, but smaller dunes identified from Worldview data were not capable of being extracted in the data sourced from Landsat. This means that for studies concerned with the dune patterns and movements within sand seas, Landsat is sufficient. But in studies where the specific dynamics of specific dunes are required, a finer resolution is required; platforms such as Worldview are needed in order to gain more detailed insight and to link the past and present day climate and environmental change.

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