scholarly journals Habitat heterogeneity: importance of salt marsh pools and high marsh surfaces to fish production in two Gulf of Maine salt marshes

2008 ◽  
Vol 368 ◽  
pp. 217-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA MacKenzie ◽  
M Dionne
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
High Marsh ◽  
Fish Production ◽  
Marsh Pools

scholarly journals Minimal net loss of vegetation via interior pond dynamics in an extensive unditched salt marsh

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Smith ◽  
Michael Pellew
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Cyclical Process ◽  
Marsh Pools ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Condition Assessments ◽  
Pool Formation

AbstractPonds in salt marshes are often interpreted as a symptom of degradation, yet ponds can also be part of a cyclical process of pool formation, expansion, tidal breaching and vegetation recovery. Pond dynamics may be altered by accelerated sea level rise, with consequences for the long-term stability of ecosystems. We test the prediction that ponds are in dynamic equilibrium across one the largest expanses of unditched salt marsh in the Northeast USA by (1) examining change in pond and marsh area between 1970 and present and (2) by tracking individual pool dynamics across an 87-year time series. We found that net pond area has remained unchanged since 1970 because the amount of marsh conversion to ponds is equivalent to the amount pond recovery to marsh. The ratio of tidally-connected ponds is increasing relative to non-tidal ponds which suggests that some rates of change may be decoupling, which may be related to a decline in the rate of pond formation. A nuanced understanding of marsh pools needs to be incorporated into marsh condition assessments and establishment of restoration priorities so that ponds are not interpreted as evidence of degradation when they are exhibiting a recovery cycle. Unditched marshes around the world are a rare resource that remains essential for advancing scientific understanding and serving as reference sites for restoration of marshes altered by past management.

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 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 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.

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 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.

Urbanization impacts on production and recruitment of Fundulus heteroclitus in salt marsh creeks

2020 ◽  
Vol 645 ◽  
pp. 187-204
Author(s):  
PJ Rudershausen ◽  
JA Buckel
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Multiple Factor Analysis ◽  
Southeastern Usa ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Dependent Relationship ◽  
Juvenile Abundance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Throw Trap

It is unclear how urbanization affects secondary biological production in estuaries in the southeastern USA. We estimated production of larval/juvenile Fundulus heteroclitus in salt marsh areas of North Carolina tidal creeks and tested for factors influencing production. F. heteroclitus were collected with a throw trap in salt marshes of 5 creeks subjected to a range of urbanization intensities. Multiple factor analysis (MFA) was used to reduce dimensionality of habitat and urbanization effects in the creeks and their watersheds. Production was then related to the first 2 dimensions of the MFA, month, and year. Lastly, we determined the relationship between creek-wide larval/juvenile production and abundance from spring and abundance of adults from autumn of the same year. Production in marsh (g m-2 d-1) varied between years and was negatively related to the MFA dimension that indexed salt marsh; higher rates of production were related to creeks with higher percentages of marsh. An asymptotic relationship was found between abundance of adults and creek-wide production of larvae/juveniles and an even stronger density-dependent relationship was found between abundance of adults and creek-wide larval/juvenile abundance. Results demonstrate (1) the ability of F. heteroclitus to maintain production within salt marsh in creeks with a lesser percentage of marsh as long as this habitat is not removed altogether and (2) a density-dependent link between age-0 production/abundance and subsequent adult recruitment. Given the relationship between production and marsh area, natural resource agencies should consider impacts of development on production when permitting construction in the southeastern USA.

scholarly journals Topological and Morphological Controls on Morphodynamics of Salt Marsh Interiors

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Ben R. Evans ◽  
Iris Möller ◽  
Tom Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Marsh Surface ◽  
Coastal Environments ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Morphological Segmentation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Over Time

Salt marshes are important coastal environments and provide multiple benefits to society. They are considered to be declining in extent globally, including on the UK east coast. The dynamics and characteristics of interior parts of salt marsh systems are spatially variable and can fundamentally affect biotic distributions and the way in which the landscape delivers ecosystem services. It is therefore important to understand, and be able to predict, how these landscape configurations may evolve over time and where the greatest dynamism will occur. This study estimates morphodynamic changes in salt marsh areas for a regional domain over a multi-decadal timescale. We demonstrate at a landscape scale that relationships exist between the topology and morphology of a salt marsh and changes in its condition over time. We present an inherently scalable satellite-derived measure of change in marsh platform integrity that allows the monitoring of changes in marsh condition. We then demonstrate that easily derived geospatial and morphometric parameters can be used to determine the probability of marsh degradation. We draw comparisons with previous work conducted on the east coast of the USA, finding differences in marsh responses according to their position within the wider coastal system between the two regions, but relatively consistent in relation to the within-marsh situation. We describe the sub-pixel-scale marsh morphometry using a morphological segmentation algorithm applied to 25 cm-resolution maps of vegetated marsh surface. We also find strong relationships between morphometric indices and change in marsh platform integrity which allow for the inference of past dynamism but also suggest that current morphology may be predictive of future change. We thus provide insight into the factors governing marsh degradation that will assist the anticipation of adverse changes to the attributes and functions of these critical coastal environments and inform ongoing ecogeomorphic modelling developments.

scholarly journals Mechanistic strategies of microbial communities regulating lignocellulose deconstruction in a UK salt marsh

Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Leadbeater ◽  
Nicola C. Oates ◽  
Joseph P. Bennett ◽  
Yi Li ◽  
Adam A. Dowle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Gene Profiling ◽  
Oxidative Enzymes ◽  
Lignocellulose Degradation ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Enzymatic Mechanisms

Abstract Background Salt marshes are major natural repositories of sequestered organic carbon with high burial rates of organic matter, produced by highly productive native flora. Accumulated carbon predominantly exists as lignocellulose which is metabolised by communities of functionally diverse microbes. However, the organisms that orchestrate this process and the enzymatic mechanisms employed that regulate the accumulation, composition and permanence of this carbon stock are not yet known. We applied meta-exo-proteome proteomics and 16S rRNA gene profiling to study lignocellulose decomposition in situ within the surface level sediments of a natural established UK salt marsh. Results Our studies revealed a community dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Deltaproteobacteria that drive lignocellulose degradation in the salt marsh. We identify 42 families of lignocellulolytic bacteria of which the most active secretors of carbohydrate-active enzymes were observed to be Prolixibacteracea, Flavobacteriaceae, Cellvibrionaceae, Saccharospirillaceae, Alteromonadaceae, Vibrionaceae and Cytophagaceae. These families secreted lignocellulose-active glycoside hydrolase (GH) family enzymes GH3, GH5, GH6, GH9, GH10, GH11, GH13 and GH43 that were associated with degrading Spartina biomass. While fungi were present, we did not detect a lignocellulolytic contribution from fungi which are major contributors to terrestrial lignocellulose deconstruction. Oxidative enzymes such as laccases, peroxidases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases that are important for lignocellulose degradation in the terrestrial environment were present but not abundant, while a notable abundance of putative esterases (such as carbohydrate esterase family 1) associated with decoupling lignin from polysaccharides in lignocellulose was observed. Conclusions Here, we identify a diverse cohort of previously undefined bacteria that drive lignocellulose degradation in the surface sediments of the salt marsh environment and describe the enzymatic mechanisms they employ to facilitate this process. Our results increase the understanding of the microbial and molecular mechanisms that underpin carbon sequestration from lignocellulose within salt marsh surface sediments in situ and provide insights into the potential enzymatic mechanisms regulating the enrichment of polyphenolics in salt marsh sediments.

Epibiosis on eggs and brooding care in the burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Brachyura:Varunidae): comparison between mudflats and salt marshes

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola V. Silva ◽  
Tomás A. Luppi ◽  
Eduardo D. Spivak
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Spartina Densiflora ◽  
Incubation Chamber ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Burrowing Crab ◽  
Chasmagnathus Granulatus

Chasmagnathus granulatus is a semiterrestrial intertidal burrowing crab that inhabits both the unvegetated mudflats and the cordgrass (Spartina densiflora) salt marshes in Mar Chiquita Lagoon (Argentina), where it is considered the ecologically key species. The mass of C. granulatus eggs incubated by females is colonized by epibiotic micro-organisms and accumulates detritus. The type of epibionts that use eggs as a substrate, the infestation degree, the maternal care behaviour and the protection of the incubation chamber were compared between females living on mudflats and on Spartina-dominated areas. In both places, the epibiosis by bacteria and filamentous fungi and peritrichid colonial ciliate was significantly higher in the periphery than in the centre of the brood mass. The accumulation of detritus was higher in the periphery in mudflat females but not in salt marsh females. Moreover, the level of detritus was significantly higher in mudflat than in salt marsh females only in the periphery of the brood. The infestation level of bacteria and fungi, and peritrichids, increased throughout the embryonic development only in mudflat females. The periphery of the brood mass was significantly more contaminated in mudflat than in marsh females, while the central region of the brood mass did not differ between habitats. The pleopods were significantly more contaminated by bacteria and filamentous fungi and peritrichid colonial ciliates in premoult females than in postmoult females, independently from the collection site. The percentage of females with abnormal embryos was significantly higher in mudflats (26.7%) than in marshes (12.3%). Females with late embryos spent more time flapping the abdomen and probing the embryos with the chela. Non-ovigerous females did not perform specific maternal care activities. The volume of brood mass both in early or late stage of development is greater than that of the incubation chamber and, consequently, peripheral embryos are more exposed.

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