Vegetation change and surface elevation dynamics in estuarine wetlands of southeast Australia

Vertical accretion and surface elevation trends were studied in mangrove and saltmarsh wetlands in southeast Australia. A total of 69 surface elevation tables, each associated with three feldspar marker horizons, was deployed in 10 wetlands across 7 estuaries, and monitored for three years. Saltmarsh and mangrove vegetation distributions were mapped for the same estuaries, and elevation characteristics of the wetlands were modelled. Rates of vertical accretion were found to correlate with tidal range. No relationship was found between rates of vertical accretion and surface elevation increase. A positive relationship was demonstrated between contemporary rates of saltmarsh surface elevation change and longer-term rates of mangrove encroachment into saltmarsh. We conclude that landward mangrove encroachment may be facilitated by local factors contributing to saltmarsh compaction during drought conditions.     

Food web analysis in two permanently open temperate estuaries: consequences of saltmarsh loss?

Saltmarsh vegetation, seston and microphytobenthos are all conspicuous components of most temperate estuaries and they potentially contribute to the estuarine food chain. Yet their relative contributions are unclear, as is the significance of saltmarsh losses through natural and human-induced impacts. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the contribution of various types of primary producers to detritus in the Walpole-Nornalup Estuary and Leschenault Inlet, two permanently open estuaries in SW Australia, and, estimate the flow of different types of detritus to higher trophic levels, using carbon ((13)C) and nitrogen ((15)N) stable isotopes as tracers. Results of the mixing model indicated that seston, microphytobenthos and to some extent seagrass and fringing saltmarsh were the main contributors to the detrital pool in both estuaries. However, the relative contribution of different primary producers varied both within and between estuaries. The contribution of saltmarsh was higher at sites close to rivers and dense fringing vegetation, while seston, microphytobenthos and seagrass dominated the detrital material at other sites. Benthic harpacticoid copepods were shown to feed on detritus though they appeared to actively select for different components of the detritus depending on site and estuary. Isotopic signatures of other consumers indicated that fish and invertebrates derived nutrients from MPB and detritus, either directly as food or indirectly through feeding on invertebrates. The overall contribution of saltmarsh to detritus was lower in Leschenault Inlet than in Walpole-Nornalup Estuary, possibly as a result of increased clearing of fringing vegetation around Leschenault Inlet. This pattern was however not reflected in harpacticoid food. Therefore, although losses of fringing saltmarsh around estuaries have the potential to significantly affect estuarine food webs, the significance of such losses will be site- and estuary-dependent.     

盐沼水-沉积物-植物界面流速研究进展

综述了近20多年来盐沼水-沉积物-植物界面流速的研究进展。在此基础上,拟对盐沼水-沉积物-植物界面的流速分布、变化和研究状况进行一定的归纳,并提出可能的研究方向和途径。内容包括通过野外观测和室内模拟定量分析研究盐沼和不同植被状况下(不同植株高度、密度、不同种类植株等)流速变化规律及其流速变化原因。本领域研究有待收集大量数据后进一步深入和系统地探讨。     

护滩软体排对潮滩碱蓬湿地修复的影响研究——以江苏条子泥为例

河口海岸潮滩湿地具有重要的生态服务功能,是近年来国家海岸带保护修复重大工程的重点关注区域。江苏条子泥潮滩湿地是中国黄（渤）海候鸟栖息地（第一期）的重要组成部分,面临着潮滩湿地保护修复和海堤工程维护的统筹协调等问题。护岸工程软体排是河口海岸工程常用的维护措施,但其对潮滩湿地保护和修复的影响尚不清楚。通过野外调查、碱蓬移栽和播种试验,分析了护滩软体排工程临近区域的高程、水动力、沉积物等环境参数对盐地碱蓬（Suaeda salsa）湿地修复的影响。结果表明：1）软体排对潮滩地貌影响明显,软体排内滩面稳定,软体排外亦有掩护效果,两月内促进盐沼植被区高程增量达29 cm,软体排外光滩高程变化剧烈;软体排建造后,海堤附近滩面地形有助于碱蓬植被定植,形成的高滩上移栽碱蓬存活率达55%,而在低处潮滩无法存活。2）碱蓬植被密度和株高受到盐度、高程、中值粒径环境因子的显著影响（P<0.05,P为显著性水平）,高程与碱蓬植被密度、株高正相关;盐度和中值粒径与碱蓬植被密度负相关;流速与碱蓬植被密度负相关;有效波高与碱蓬株高负相关。研究结果可为潮滩软体排护滩工程的实施、碱蓬盐沼植被定植机理和生态修复提供科...     

基于卫星遥感的潮滩植被、高程、潮沟空间关系探讨-以崇明东滩为例

The analysis of vegetation-environment relationships has always been a study hotspot in ecology. A number of biotic, hydrologic and edaphic factors have great influence on the distribution of macrophytes within salt marsh.Since the exotic species Spartina alterniflora(S. alterniflora) was introduced in 1995, a rapid expansion has occurred at Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve(CDNR) in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River Estuary, China.Several important vegetation-environment factors including soil elevation, tidal channels density(TCD),vegetation classification and fractional vegetation cover(FVC) were extracted by remote sensing method combined with field measurement. To ignore the details in interaction between biological and physical process,the relationship between them was discussed at a large scale of the whole saltmarsh. The results showed that Scirpus mariqueter(S. mariqueter) can endure the greatest elevation variance with 0.33 m throughout the marsh in CDNR. But it is dominant in the area less than 2.5 m with the occurrence frequency reaching 98%. S. alterniflora has usually been found on the most elevated soils higher than 3.5 m but has a narrow spatial distribution. The rapid decrease of S. mariqueter can be explained by stronger competitive capacity of S. alterniflora on the high tidal flat. FVC increases with elevation which shows significant correlation with elevation(r=0.30, p0.001). But the frequency distribution of FVC indicates that vegetation is not well developed on both elevated banks near tidal channels from the whole scale mainly due to tidal channel lateral swing and human activities. The significant negative correlation(r=–0.20, p0.001) was found between FVC and TCD, which shows vegetation is restricted to grow in higher TCD area corresponding to lower elevation mainly occupied by S. mariqueter communities. The maximum occurrence frequency of this species reaches to 97% at the salt marsh with TCD more than 8 m/m2.     

A cellular automata model for population expansion of Spartina alterniflora at Jiuduansha Shoals,Shanghai, China

Biological invasion has received considerable attention recently because of increasing impacts on local ecosystems. Expansion of Spartina alterniflora, a non-native species, on the intertidal mudflats of Jiuduansha Shoals at the Yangtze River Estuary is a prime example of a spatially-structured invasion in a relatively simple habitat, for which strategic control efforts can be modeled and applied. Here, we developed a Cellular Automata (CA) model, in conjunction with Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, to simulate the expanding process of S. alterniflora for a period of 8 years after being introduced to the new shoals, and to study the interactions between spatial pattern and ecosystem processes for the saltmarsh vegetation. The results showed that the CA model could simulate the population dynamics of S. alterniflora and Phragmites australis on the Jiuduansha Shoals successfully. The results strongly support the hypothesis of space pre-emption as well as range expansion with simple advancing wave fronts for these two species. In the Yangtze River Estuary, the native species P. australis shares the same niche with the exotic species S. alterniflora. However, the range expansion rate of P. australis was much slower than that of S. alterniflora. With the accretion of the Jiuduansha Shoals due to the large quantity of sediments deposited by the Yangtze River, a rapid range expansion of S. alterniflora is predicted to last for a long period into future. This study indicated the potential for this approach to provide valuable insights into population and community ecology of invasive species, which could be very important for wetland biodiversity conservation and resource management in the Yangtze River Estuary and other such impacted areas.     

The nitrogen cycle of an East Coast, U.K. saltmarsh: II. Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, tidal exchange

Measurements of nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) showed greatest rates in the saltmarsh pans with a benthic layer of cyanobacteria present. The smallest amount of nitrogen fixation occurred on the marsh surface where a Puccinellia maritima/Halimione portulacoides plant association shaded the underlying sediment. Phototrophic nitrogen fixation was always greater than dark, chemotrophic, bacterial fixation.Only a small proportion of the total amount of ammonium, which was formed during detrital breakdown, was nitrified to nitrate. Although there is a high capacity for bacterial nitrate reduction in these sediments, the process is limited by low nitrate availability and most nitrate upon reduction is converted to ammonium rather than being denitrified to gaseous products. Denitrification does not, therefore, result in any great loss of nitrogen from the saltmarsh.There was little net import or export of nitrogen on an annual basis, although nitrate and organic-N in small particulate material was removed from tidal water by the marsh, and there was net annual export of ammonium, dissolved organic-N and organic-N in large particulate material. Losses of nitrogen by the small net tidal export and by denitrification were approximately balanced by nitrogen fixation. It was concluded that the nitrogen cycle of the Colne Point saltmarsh was balanced on an annual basis, with most nitrogen being recycled within the marsh. The saltmarsh did not apparently act as a net source of nitrogen for the adjacent estuary, although it may act as an important processor of nitrogen, removing some forms of nitrogen such as nitrate from tidal water while exporting other forms of nitrogen such as dissolved organic-N.     

Quantifying saltmarsh vegetation and its effect on wave height dissipation: Results from a UK East coast saltmarsh

The degree to which incident wind waves are attenuated over intertidal surfaces is critical to the development of coastal wetlands, which are, amongst other processes, affected by the delivery, erosion, and/or resuspension of sediment due to wave action. Knowledge on wave attenuation over saltmarsh surfaces is also essential for accurate assessments of their natural sea-defence value to be made and incorporated into sea defence and management schemes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the use of a digital photographic method for the quantification of marsh vegetation density and then to investigate the relative roles played by hydrodynamic controls and vegetation density/type in causing the attenuation of incident waves over a macro-tidal saltmarsh.Results show that a significant statistical relationship exists between the density of vegetation measured in side-on photographs and the dry biomass of the photographed vegetation determined through direct harvesting. The potential of the digital photographic method for the spatial and temporal comparison of marsh surface vegetation biomass, density, and canopy structure is highlighted and the method was applied to assess spatial and seasonal differences in vegetation density and their effect on wave attenuation at three locations on a macro-tidal saltmarsh on Dengie Peninsula, Essex, UK. In this environmental setting, vegetation density/type did not have a significant direct effect on wave attenuation but modified the process of wave transformation under different hydrodynamic conditions. At the two locations, characterised by a relatively tall canopy (15–26 cm) with biomass values of 430–500 g m⁻², dominated by Spartina spp. (>70% of total dry biomass), relative incident wave height (wave height/water depth) is identified as a statistically significant dominant positive control on wave attenuation up to a threshold value of 0.55, beyond which wave attenuation showed no significant further increase. At the third location, characterised by only slightly less biomass (398 g m⁻²) but a shorter (6 cm) canopy of the annual Salicornia spp., no significant relationship existed between wave attenuation and relative wave height. Seasonally (between September and December) significant temporal increase/decrease in vegetation density occurred in one of the Spartina canopies and in the Salicornia canopy, respectively, and led to an expected (but not statistically significant) increase/decrease in wave attenuation. The wider implications of these findings in the context of form–process interactions on saltmarshes and their effect on marsh evolution are also discussed.     

Mud crab ecology encourages site-specific approaches to fishery management

Little is known about the effects of mud crabs population patterns on their exploitation. We used complementary approaches (experimental, fisher-based) to investigate how small-scale variations in density, size and sex-ratio related to the ecology of S. serrata may impact fishing practices in New Caledonia. Crabs were measured/sexed across 9 stations in contrasted mangrove systems between 2007 and 2009. Stations were described and classified in different kinds of mangrove forests (coastal, riverine, and estuarine); vegetation cover was qualitatively described at station scale. Annual catch was used as an indicator of fishing pressure. Middle-scale environmental factors (oceanic influence, vegetation cover) had significant contributions to crab density (GLM, 84.8% of variance), crab size and sex-ratio (< 30%). While small-scale natural factors contributed significantly to population structure, current fishing levels had no impacts on mud crabs. The observed, ecologically-driven heterogeneity of crab resource has strong social implications in the Pacific area, where land tenure system and traditional access rights prevent most fishers from freely selecting their harvest zones. This offers a great opportunity to encourage site-specific management of mud crab fisheries.     

Combined effects of waves and plants on a mud deposition event at a mudflat-saltmarsh edge in the Bahía Blanca estuary

This study was carried out at the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina, at the seaward edge of a saltmarsh. The saltmarsh-mudflat boundary in the study area shows sediment deposits at a higher elevation immediately seaward of the saltmarsh edge. We compared field determinations of water velocity, bed shear stress, wind wave conditions and variations of the bed elevation in the mudflat and within the Spartina alterniflora canopy at the seaward edge of a saltmarsh, and we evaluated the relative role of vegetation in the observed morphology. A mud deposition event that raised bed elevation in more than 5 cm occurred during the study period, with TSS concentrations > 500 mg l⁻¹, but simultaneous measurements performed on the bed levels confirmed that the sediments deposited did not originate from local resuspension within the edge of the canopy. In similar tidal cycles in terms of local wave activity and bed shear stresses at the sampling site, deposition occurred only with winds aligned with the azimuth of the Canal Principal, reaching a maximum fetch of more than 20 km in front of the sampling site.     

Invasive Spartina alterniflora-induced factors affecting epibenthos distribution in coastal salt marsh, China

Artificially introduced cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, rapidly colonized the intertidal flats of the Jiangsu coast, eastern China. The epibenthos on an intertidal flat invaded by S. alterniflora were studied, to identify how local epibenthos species react to an altered environment. Epibenthic samples and surficial sediment samples were collected along a shore-normal profile in 50 quadrats at ten stations across the Spartina salt marsh; and five control quadrats for a station located on the barren sandy-mud flat. The grain size parameters of the surficial sediments show that S. alterniflora altered the grain size gradient along the profile of the intertidal zone by trapping fine-grained sediments. Spartina alterniflora could inhabit lower elevations than indigenous salt marsh vegetation, thus creating larger areas of finer surficial sediments, which was suitable for not only native epibenthic species but also species which do not exist on the barren sandy-mud flat. Correlation analyses show that the epibenthos were sensitive to sediment grain size and type, on the invaded S. alterniflora salt marsh. Further, there was an interspecific relationship affecting the distribution of epibenthos. The results show that epibenthos preferred ecological niches, within the Spartina salt marsh, even in the same sampling station.     

植被演替对杭州湾南岸盐沼物质循环的影响

本研究选择杭州湾庵东浅滩作为研究区,选取盐沼区三个不同植被带进行柱状样的采集,通过测量沉积物的粒度、沉积速率、碳氮含量(有机碳、总碳、总氮、碳氮比)等参数,系统分析研究区盐沼湿地植被演替对盐沼物质循环产生的影响。研究结果发现,不同植被覆盖下沉积物粒径差异显著,沿海向陆逐渐变细;沉积速率从海三棱藨草滩、互花米草滩、植被交错区依次递减;总碳、总氮、有机碳含量特征为互花米草滩植被交错区海三棱藨草滩,碳氮比介于6～9,有机碳以海源物质为主;通过计算,发现有机碳埋藏速率为互花米草[159 g/(m2·a)]海三棱藨草[140 g/(m2·a)]植被交错区[119 g/(m2·a)]。从整体上来看,杭州湾南岸盐沼从海三棱藨草群落向互花米草群落演替时,沉积物颗粒发生细化,沉积速率有所变化,而总碳、有机碳、总氮含量增加,盐沼有机碳埋藏速率增加。     

Sediment dynamics modulated by burrowing crab activities in contrasting SW Atlantic intertidal habitats

Biogenic bottom features, animal burrows and biological activities interact with the hydrodynamics of the sediment–water interface to produce altered patterns of sediment erosion, transport and deposition which have consequences for large-scale geomorphologic features. It has been suggested that depending on the hydrodynamic status of the habitat, the biological activity on the bottom may have a variety of effects. In some cases, different bioturbation activities by the same organism can result in different consequences. The burrowing crab Neohelice granulata is the most important bioturbator at SW Atlantic saltmarshes and tidal plains. Because of the great variety of habitats that this species may inhabit, it is possible to compare its bioturbation effects between zones dominated by different hydrodynamic conditions. Internal marsh microhabitats, tidal creeks bottoms and basins, and open mudflats were selected as contrasting zones for the comparison on a large saltmarsh at Bahía Blanca Estuary (Argentina). Crab burrows act as passive traps of sediment in all zones, because their entrances remain open during inundation periods at high tide. Mounds are generated when crabs remove sediments from the burrows to the surface and become distinctive features in all the zones. Two different mechanisms of sediment transport utilizing mounds as sediment sources were registered. In the first one, parts of fresh mound sediments were transported when exposed to water flow during flooding and ebbing tide, with higher mound erosion where currents were higher as compared to internal marsh habitats and open mudflats. In the second mechanism, mounds exposed to atmospheric influence during low tide became desiccated and cracked forming ellipsoidal blocks, which were then transported by currents in zones of intense water flow in the saltmarsh edge. Sedimentary dynamics varied between zones; crabs were promoting trapping of sediments in the internal saltmarsh (380 g m⁻² day⁻¹) and open mudflats (1.2 kg m⁻² day⁻¹), but were enhancing sediment removal in the saltmarsh edge (between 10 and 500 g m⁻² day⁻¹ in summer). The implication is that biologically mediated sedimentological changes could be different among microhabitats, potentially leading to contrasting geomorphologic effects within a particular ecosystem.     

基于SPOT6遥感影像的滩涂湿地入侵种互花米草植株高度的反演研究

本文以SPOT6 高空间分辨率遥感影像为数据源,通过植被覆盖度和地上生物量两个参数进行滩涂湿地入侵种互花米草植株高度的估算研究。结果表明,三沙湾滩涂湿地互花米草植株高度平均值为2.04 m,以1~2 m和2~3 m植株为主要分布高度,分布面积分别为6.83 km2和10.31 km2,占研究区互花米草总面积的33.83%和51.06%,小于1 m和大于3 m的互花米草仅占9.26%和5.84%。估算值与真实值之间的均方根误差为0.204,绝对误差为0.04~0.37 m。该方法是对高空间分辨率光学影像应用研究的重要尝试,其反演方法具有较好的可行性,可较为准确的获取滩涂湿地植株高度信息。     

Recent saltmarsh accretion and sea level fluctuations in the Dyfi Estuary,central Cardigan Bay,Wales, UK

Rates of saltmarsh accretion were determined for the Dyfi Estuary, central Cardigan Bay, Wales, using marker layers and X-ray radiographic laminae counts. A three-month study revealed the amount of sediment that had accumulated, totalling 2.5 mm, equivalent to 10.0 mm/yr. The saltmarsh sediment accretion rate estimated by laminae counts is 11.5 mm/yr. These data, compared with previous published data, indicate that the rate of sediment accretion has decreased since the 1920s. This is cautiously proposed as suggesting that the upward trend of relative sea level in the Dyfi Estuary may have been decreasing over the last 80 years.     

Surface evolution and carbon sequestration in disturbed and undisturbed wetland soils of the Hunter estuary,southeast Australia

The aim of this work was to quantify the soil carbon storage and sequestration rates of undisturbed natural wetlands and disturbed wetlands subject to restriction of tidal flow and subsequent rehabilitation in an Australian estuary. Disturbed and undisturbed estuarine wetlands of the Hunter estuary, New South Wales, Australia were selected as the study sites for this research. Vertical accretion rates of estuarine substrates were combined with soil carbon concentrations and bulk densities to determine the carbon store and carbon sequestration rates of the substrates tested. Relationships between estuary water level, soil evolution and vertical accretion were also examined. The carbon sequestration rate of undisturbed wetlands was lower (15% for mangrove and 55% for saltmarsh) than disturbed wetlands, but the carbon store was higher (65% for mangrove and 60% for saltmarsh). The increased carbon sequestration rate of the disturbed wetlands was driven by substantially higher rates of vertical accretion (95% for mangrove and 345% for saltmarsh). Estuarine wetland carbon stores were estimated at 700–1000 Gg C for the Hunter estuary and 3900–5600 Gg C for New South Wales. Vertical accretion and carbon sequestration rates of estuarine wetlands in the Hunter are at the lower end of the range reported in the literature. The comparatively high carbon sequestration rates reported for the disturbed wetlands in this study indicate that wetland rehabilitation has positive benefits for regulation of atmospheric carbon concentrations, in addition to more broadly accepted ecosystem services.     

Feeding habits of juvenile flatfish in relation to habitat characteristics in the Baltic Sea

To investigate feeding habits of juvenile flounder (Platichthys flesus) and turbot (Psetta maxima) in relation to habitat characteristics a field survey with push net sampling was conducted in nursery areas with different ecological characteristics in the northern Baltic proper. Sampling sites were stratified to cover several different habitat types defined by substrate and wave exposure. Apart from flatfishes and epifauna, samples of macrofauna, meiofauna and hyperbenthic planktons were collected from each site together with data on vegetation, depth, salinity, temperature and turbidity. The diet differed between species where flounder diet was dominated by chironomids, copepods and oligochaetes while turbot apart from chironomids had a high incidence of amphipods, gobies and mysids. In both species there was a shift in diet with size, although this shift was influenced by the habitat. Among the environmental variables investigated, wave exposure was found to significantly influence flounder diet. Food preference in the most exposed areas was dominated by oligochaetes and copepods instead of chironomids, which dominated in sheltered areas. This study shows that habitat characteristics can have a major influence on feeding habits of juvenile flatfish.     

Nursery fidelity,food web interactions and primary sources of nutrition of the juveniles of Solea solea and S. senegalensis in the Tagus estuary (Portugal): A stable isotope approach

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to assess site fidelity of Solea solea and Solea senegalensis juveniles, to investigate food web interactions and to determine the dominant nutrient pathways in two nursery areas in the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Samples of water from the main sources and from the nursery areas and respective saltmarsh creeks were collected for isotope analysis, as well as sediment, benthic microalgae, saltmarsh halophytes, S. solea, S. senegalensis and its main prey, Nereis diversicolor, Scrobicularia plana and Corophium spp. While site fidelity was high in 0-group juveniles, it was lower for 1-group juveniles, possibly due to an increase in mobility and energy demands with increasing size. Analysis of the food web revealed a complex net of relations. Particulate organic matter from the freshwater sources, from each nursery's waters and saltmarsh creeks presented similar isotopic composition. Sediment isotopic composition and saltmarsh halophytes also did not differentiate the two areas. All components of the food web from the benthic microalgae upwards were isotopically different between the nursery areas. These components were always more enriched in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N at the lower nursery area than at the nursery located upstream, appearing as if there were two parallel trophic chains with little trophic interaction between each other. A mixture of carbon and nitrogen sources is probably being incorporated into the food web. The lower nursery area is more dependent upon an isotopically enriched energy pathway, composed of marine particulate organic matter, marine benthic microalgae and detritus of the C₄ saltmarsh halophyte Spartina maritima. The two nursery areas present a different level of dependence upon the freshwater and marine energy pathways, due to hydrological features, which should be taken into account for S. solea and S. senegalensis fisheries and habitat management.     

Interrelation between the vegetation index and the climatic parameters and structural characteristics of vegetation cover

The interrelations between the normalized difference vegetation index and the total incoming radiation; total evaporation; mean surface-air temperature over the vegetation period; and the structural characteristics of vegetation cover, such as its overground phytomass and overground net primary production, are analyzed on the basis of experimental and satellite data. The analysis was made with the use of the data obtained for plain regions of European Russia and western Siberia. It is shown that, for these regions, the latitudinal distributions of the values of the vegetation index and the structural vegetation-cover characteristics under consideration do not coincide. The relationships between the structural characteristics of vegetation cover (phytomass, production) and the vegetation index have the form of functions with saturation. The relationships between the vegetation index and the climatic parameters under consideration have a bell-shaped form. The analysis has shown that the normalized difference vegetation index is not an indicator for the values of the overground net primary production of vegetation cover and its overground phytomass within the areas under consideration.