Accretion rates and sediment accumulation in Rhode Island salt marshes

In order to test the assumption that accretion rates of intertidal salt marshes are approximately equal to rates of sea-level rise along the Rhode Island coast,²¹⁰Pb analyses were carried out and accretion rates calculated using constant flux and constant activity models applied to sediment cores collected from lowSpartina alterniflora marshes at four sites from the head to the mouth of Narragansett Bay. A core was also collected from a highSpartina patens marsh at one site. Additional low marsh cores from a tidal river entering the bay and a coastal lagoon on Block Island Sound were also analyzed. Accretion rates for all cores were also calculated from copper concentration data assuming that anthropogenic copper increases began at all sites between 1865 and 1885. Bulk density and weight-loss-on-ignition of the sediments were measured in order to assess the relative importance of inorganic and organic accumulation. During the past 60 yr, accretion rates at the eight low marsh sites averaged 0.43±0.13 cm yr^?1 (0.25 to 0.60 cm yr^?1) based on the constant flux model, 0.40±0.15 cm yr^?1 (0.15 to 0.58 cm yr^?1) based on the constant activity model, and 0.44±0.11 cm yr^?1 (0.30 to 0.59 cm yr^?1) based on copper concentration data, with no apparent trend down-bay. High marsh rates were 0.24±0.02 (constant flux), 0.25±0.01 (constant activity), and 0.47±0.04 (copper concentration data). The cores showing closest agreement between the three methods are those for which the excess²¹⁰Pb inventories are consistent with atmospheric inputs. These rates compare to a tide gauge record from the mouth of the bay that shows an average sea-level rise of 0.26±0.02 cm yr^?1 from 1931 to 1986. Low marshes in this area appear to accrete at rates 1.5–1.7 times greater than local relative sea-level rise, while the high marsh accretion rate is equal to the rise in sea level. The variability among the low marsh sites suggests that marshes may not be poised at mean water level to within better than ±several cm on time scales of decades. Inorganic and organic dry solids each contributed about 9% by volume to low marsh accretion, while organic dry solids contributed 11% and inorganic 4% to high marsh accretion. Water/pore space accounted for the majority of accretion in both low and high marshes. If water associated with the organic component is considered, organic matter accounts for an average of 91% of low marsh and 96% of high marsh accretion. A dramatic increase in the organic content at a depth of 60 to 90 cm in the cores from Narragansett Bay appears to mark the start of marsh development on prograding sand flats.     

Gut contents of common mummichogs,Fundulus heteroclitus L., in a restored impounded marsh and in natural reference marshes

We examined the gut contents of mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus L., entering and leaving ditches in three marsh regions within the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Connecticut: a restored impounded valley marsh, a marsh below the impoundment dike (Headquarters Marsh), and an unimpounded valley marsh (Davis Marsh). On the Headquarters Marsh and at certain times on the other two marshes, fish entered the ditches on the flooding tide with relatively little food in their guts and left them on the following ebbing tide with considerably more food in their guts. Since the high tides did not flood the surface of the high marsh, it appears that the ditches are important foraging areas. Major components of the gut contents were detritus, algae, amphipods, tanaids, copepods, and insects. During the summer, fish in the restored impounded marsh consumed less food per unit body weight than did fish inhabiting the other marsh regions.     

Comparison of giant cutgrass productivity in tidal and impounded marshes with special reference to tidal subsidy and waste assimilation

Aboveground live standing crop of giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea) populations in similar freshwater tidal and impounded nontidal marshes were almost identical (peaking at 1,039 g per m² in each). The mortality, however, was greater in the tidal marsh resulting in significantly (95% level) greater annual production of aboveground cutgrass in the tidal (1,530±103 g per m² per yr) than the impounded (1,172±88 g per m² per yr) marsh, a 31% difference which we consider to be a measure of tidal subsidy. Belowground production also was found to average higher in the tidal marsh, but estimates were not as satisfactory as the aboveground results due to sampling difficulties. Combined annual above and belowground net production comes to an estimated 2,048 ±101 g per m² per yr for the tidal and 1,481±219 for the impounded cutgrass marsh. The potential of freshwater tidal marshes for tertiary treatment of wastes is briefly discussed.     

Aboveground and belowground productivity ofSpartina alterniflora (Smooth Cordgrass) in natural and created Louisiana salt marshes

In Louisiana, salt marshes are being created in an effort to offset the large loss of such habitat that has occurred over the last 50 yr. Primary productivity is an important function and indicator of success for salt marsh creation and restoration projects. The aim of this study was to determine whether the aboveground and belowground productivity of the dominant salt marsh grassSpartina alterniflora in created marshes in southwest Louisiana began to approximate productivity levels in natural marshes, over time. Net annual aboveground primary productivity (NAPP) was measured by a harvest technique, while the ingrowth core method was used to estimate net annual belowground primary productivity (NBPP). NAPP levels were similar to those found in other, Louisiana salt marshes, while NBPP levels were similar to or higher than the reported range forS. alterniflora studied along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. NAPP tended to decrease as the created marshes aged, but the levels in the oldest, 19 year old, created marsh were still well above values measured in the, natural marshes. It was estimated that it would take 35 yr after marsh creation for NAPP in the created marshes to become equivalent to that in natural marshes. NBPP in the created marshes became equivalent to levels found in the natural marshes after 6–8 yr, but then belowground production increased with marsh age, reaching an asymptote that surpassed natural marsh levels. Equivalency in primary productivity has not been reached in these marshes. Elevation also affected productivity, as higher elevational sites with greater topographic heterogeneity had significantly lower aboveground and belowground biomass levels than those with elevations closer to mean sea level. This underscores the need to construct marshes so that their mean elevation and degree of topographic heterogeneity are similar to natural marshes.     

Patterns of sediment deposition in subsiding coastal salt marshes,Terrebonne Bay,Louisiana: The role of winter storms

High rates of wetland loss in the Mississippi deltaic plain have been attributed to a combination of insufficient marsh sedimentation and relative sea-level rise rates of over 1.2 cm yr^?1. This study examines contemporary patterns of sediment delivery to the marsh surface by evaluating the contribution of individual marsh flooding events. Strong meteorological effects on water level in Terrebonne Bay often mask the usual microtidal fluctuations in water level and cause flood events to be of unpredictable frequency and duration. Sediment deposited on the marsh surface was collected weekly at two sites. Preliminary results allow the relative contributions of tidal and storm inundations to be calculated. Maximum sedimentation is associated with strong southerly winds both causing increased flooding and mobilizing sediment from open bay areas. Sediment deposition is limited by the availability of suspended sediment and the opportunity for its transport onto the marsh surface.     

Photosynthesis and respiration ofSpartina andJuncus salt marshes in North Carolina: Some models

In situ ecosystem gas exchange measurements were taken monthly for a 15-month period during low tide forJuncus roemerianus Scheele and short, medium, and tall height forms ofSpartina alterniflora Loisel. in three salt marshes near Southport, North Carolina. Multiple regression analysis was used to obtain empirical relationships betwen gas exchange values and the physical and biotic variables measured. Preliminary models for net ecosystem photosynthesis, ecosystem respiration, and respiration of aboveground standing crop were developed. Validation of models was carried out in the following manner: (1) net primary productivity of aboveground standing crop was calculated from model data and compared with harvest estimates of net primary productivity for the same year; and (2) carbon exchange and energy efficiency values were compared with literature values. In general, theSpartina models, because of their larger data base, were more useful than theJuncus models. Annual primary productivity of aboveground standing crop calculated from gas exchange values was 1.8 to 3.6 times greater forSpartian than values calculated from harvest data by Smalley's method.Juncus values were approximately equal. Since values calculated from carbon data and harvest data are not entirely equivalent, required adjustments to the carbon values are discussed. Both species have two growth periods—one in ths pring and one in the fall—with the spring growth in excess of that in the fall. Net ecosystem productivity was highest in the spring and lowest in the summer. Ecosystem respiration amounted to 71% of gross annual photosynthesis. The aboveground standing crop contributed approximately 35% to this ecosystem respiration and the soil, the remaining 36%. Efficiency for gross photosynthesis per unit of solar radiation ranged from 0.22 to 1.11%. Efficiencies for net primary production of aboveground standing crop ranged from 0 to 0.82% and those of net ecosystem production from 0 to 0.56%.     

Distribution of natural uranium,thorium, lead,and polonium radionuclides in tidal phases of a Delaware salt marsh

Natural radionuclides in the uranium and thorium series were measured in solid tidal phases (suspended particles, bottom sediment, surface microlayer colloids) of a salt marsh in lower Delaware. The purpose was to identify potential processes responsible for trace element cycling (sources, redistribution and exchange) in salt water marshes and with their coastal waters. Generally, concentrations of U, Th,²¹⁰Pb, and²¹⁰Po on the tidal solid phases suggest a general mechanism by which tidal marshes appear to be trapping the nuclides into their interiors. The processes may include transport of enriched fine particles into the marsh, capture by salt marsh grass and chemical fixation by redox processes at the sediment surface. Specifically, the uranium contents of most of the samples are similar with activity ratios²³⁴U²³⁸U≧1, indicating a mixture of detrital and nondetrital (authigenic) uranium inputs such as seawater or ground water. Since the²³⁰Th daughter is generally deficient by about 50%, the authigenic enrichment process appears to favor uranium and is potentially linked to the extensive diagenetic sulfur redox cycle of salt marsh sediments. The²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratio is less than one on Spartina adsorbed solids, and could suggest a general process in salt marshes which favors²¹⁰Pb enrichment by atmospheric fallout over enrichment of²¹⁰Po on time scales of weeks which correspond to complete tide marsh exchange. A²²⁸Th/²³²Th activity ratio of less than unity on the solids adsorbed onto marsh grass suggests a net process whereby diffusive loss of the intermediate daughter²²⁸Ra from the adsorbed solids to tidal waters dominates over potential²²⁸Th scavenging by suspended sediment.     

Effects of sediment slurry enrichment on salt marsh rehabilitation: Plant and soil responses over seven years

In deltaic marshes, mineral sediment promotes positive elevation change and counters subsidence and sea level rise. In many such marshes sediment deficits result in wetland loss. One new way to address sediment deficiency is to supply marshes with sediments in a slurry that deposits the sediment in a thin layer over a large area. The long-term effects of this strategy are poorly understood. In a rapidly submerging,Spartina alterniflora salt marsh, we tested how different amounts of sediment ameliorated the effects of sea level rise and subsidence over 7 yr (1992–1998). Sediment slurry enrichment likely affected plants and soils by two mechanisms. It increased elevation and soil bulk density, leading to increased plant vigor and soil condition. These effects were long lasting, such that by 1998 areas receiving moderate amounts of sediment (5–12 cm relative elevation) had better plant vigor and soil condition compared to areas not receiving sediment (55% cover versus 20%; bulk densities of 0.4–1.0 g cm⁻³ versus 0.2 g cm⁻³; 0 mM hydrogen sulfide versus > 1.0 mM). The sediment slurry also had high nutrient content, which resulted in a pulse of growth, especially in areas receiving the most sediment (areas > 12 cm relative elevation initially had >90% cover and canopy heights >1.6 m). This nutrient-induced growth spurt was short lived and faded after 3 yr, at which point the long lasting effects of increased elevation probably became the dominant factor promoting plant vigor and soil condition. Moderate levels of sediment generated the most beneficial and long lasting effects to the vegetation and soils. This degree of sediment slurry addition countered the effects of subsidence and sea level rise, but not so much as to surpass the intertidal position to whichS. alterniflora is best adapted.     

Records of radionuclide deposition in two salt marshes in the United Kingdom with contrasting redox and accumulation conditions

Single cores from two salt marshes in the United Kingdom located near different nuclear facilities were investigated to compare chronostratigraphic estimates derived from the natural radionuclide ²¹⁰Pb_excess with estimates from the known times of introduction of artificial radionuclides to the environment. Both cores selected had clear visual indications of redox zonation, and evidence for diagenetic redox perturbation of the radionuclide records was also sought. In the core from Beaulieu Marsh on the south coast of England, the redox zonation was revealed by the profiles of the redox-sensitive elements Mn + I, Fe + P + As, and S, and the records of nuclear discharges were entirely contained within oxidized conditions in the upper 40 cm. The constant flux/constant sedimentation ²¹⁰Pb_excess accumulation estimate was 76% of that derived from the 1963 fallout ¹³⁷Cs level (0.35 vs. 0.46 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹ dry mass), but the constant flux ²¹⁰Pb_excess method indicated that accumulation rates were lower at Beaulieu before ∼1950. On any timescale, ¹³⁷Cs appears earlier in the sediment record than its introduction to the environment, but although downward diffusion of ¹³⁷Cs relative to ²⁴¹Am has clearly occurred, the ¹³⁷Cs peak still appeared in place and there was negligible penetration of ¹³⁷Cs into underlying reduced conditions. This core also contained a peak of the ⁶⁰Co discharges from either or both the Winfrith and La Hague nuclear plants that peaked in 1980 and 1984, respectively. The sediments in the core from Wyre Marsh on the eastern coast of the Irish Sea had accumulated more rapidly than those at Beaulieu, and in this case the redox zonation could be established only from Mn and S profiles. Here, the constant initial activity ²¹⁰Pb_excess accumulation rate estimate was 125% of that derived from the ¹³⁷Cs peak correlated with the 1975 Sellafield discharge maximum (0.79 vs. 0.64 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹). Sellafield discharge ¹³⁷Cs swamps fallout or Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs signals in this core, but the ¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am sediment records are well separated and remain consistent with the slightly different discharge patterns over time. This is so despite the fact that the maximum activity levels of both isotopes are now located well into reducing conditions out of which Mn must have migrated. The ²¹⁰Pb profile appeared similarly unaffected by the oxidized/reduced boundary in this case. This core was too short to define the limits of any downward ¹³⁷Cs migration. ²¹⁰Pb_excess accumulation rate estimates for salt marshes should be viewed with some caution because of the steady-state assumptions inherent in all ²¹⁰Pb_excess methods and the potential for fluctuating accumulation conditions and open system behavior in salt marshes.     

Mapping Benthic Habitats in Delaware Bay and the Coastal Atlantic: Acoustic Techniques Provide Greater Coverage and High Resolution in Complex, Shallow-Water Environments

Accurate benthic habitat maps are critical for resource management in coastal waters with competing uses. We used a 500 kHz phase-measuring bathymetric sonar (PMBS) and 900 kHz side-scan sonar to acquire seafloor data in estuarine and shelf environments. Grab samples and remotely operated vehicle video created geological and biological classifications for segmented maps produced by a backscatter clustering program. PMBS improves regional map resolution (<1 m), reduces the need for direct sampling, extends information on sediment–biological relationships to larger areas, and allows measurements of bedforms. Auto-segmentation was successful in environments with highly contrasting acoustic signatures and meters-scale homogeneity. Patchier communities are identifiable in PMBS data. Species preferences for sediment (i.e., tubeworm preference for sediment without shell hash) allowed us to determine potential habitat without identifying individual organisms in acoustic data. PMBS with sufficient ground-truthing offers an efficient way to map seafloor characteristics, which is critical in marine spatial planning efforts.     

Plankton in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea: from living communities to sediment assemblages —an actualistic approach

A synoptic study is carried out to reconstruct the development of the plankton community in the late Quaternary in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. It comprises quantitative analyses of coccolithophores, dinoflagellate cysts, diatoms and radiolarians. An actualistic approach is applied to evaluate the different fossil records of these plankton groups. The preliminary results of the current investigation are reported here.The composition and distribution of living communities of coccolithophores are presented as an example. A close relationship between the distribution of regional groups and surface water masses is observed. Seasonal vertical fluxes of coccolithophores and radiolarians through the water column show similar patterns within different years. However, diatoms are highly variable, both in absolute fluxes and species composition. The differentiation of sporadic and periodic processes is evident only after several years of observation. During settling and sedimentation biotic and abiotic processes such as grazing, dissolution and lateral transport alter the assemblages.Investigation of death assemblages in surface sediments reveals that in spite of these alteration processes the abundance and species distribution are related to surface water masses. Higher abundances and diversities are usually found in sediments underlying the warm Norwegian Current. Concentrations decrease to the north-west towards the cold polar water masses.The sediment assemblages of all groups are strongly altered relicts of former living communities. They are characterized by distinct changes in species composition and absolute abundances related to palaeo-oceanographic development. Their variation through the sedimentary record is used to distinguish four ecostratigraphic units during the late Weichselian and Holocene.     

Relationships of nitrogen loadings,residential development,and physical characteristics with plant structure in New England salt marshes

We examined the vascular plant species richness and the extent, density, and height ofSpartina species of ten Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island (United States) fringe salt marshes which had a wide range of residential land development and N-loadings associated with their watersheds. Significant inverse relationships of tallS. alterniflora with species richness and with the extent and density ofS. patens and shortS. alterniflora were observed. Extent and density ofS. patens and extent of shortS. alterniflora were positively and significantly related with plant species richness. Marsh elevation and area did not significantly correlate with plant structure. Flood tide height significantly and inversely correlated withS. patens, but did not significantly relate toS. alterniflora or plant species richness. Marsh width significantly and positively correlated with plant species richness andS. patens and inversely correlated with tallS. alterniflora. Significant inverse relationships were observed for N-load, % residential development, and slope withS. patens, shortS. alterniflora, and species richness, and significant positive relationships with tallS. alterniflora. The marsh slope and width were significantly correlated with N-load and residential development that made it difficult to determine to what extent anthropogenic stressors were contributing to the variation in the plant structure among the marshes. At five marhes with similar slopes, there were significant inverse relationships of N-load withS. patens (density and extent) and a positive relationship with tallS. alterniflora (extent). Although there were no significant relationships of slope with the plant metrics among the five sites, other physical factors, such as the flood tide height and marsh width, significantly correlated with the extent and density ofSpartina species. Significant relationships of N-load with plant structure (albeit confounded by the effect of the physical characteristics) support the hypothesis of competitive displacement of dominant marsh plants under elevated nitrogen. It is likely that the varying plant structure in New England marshes is a response to a combination of natural factors and multiple anthropogenic stressors (e.g., eutrophication and sea level rise).     

水沙变异条件下的河流系统调整及其研究进展

保持河流各方面整体协调是流域开发研究的重点和必然趋势,研究水沙变异条件下河流系统的调整机理,对于河流健康的保障具有重要意义.总结分析了水沙变异与河流系统的作用特性,明确了河流系统中水文、水力、地貌、生态等方面的各种调整实际上是与系统输入特性的特定变化相联系的;回顾了对河流系统及其功能的认识过程与研究现状,展望了将来的研究趋势.     

Geologic and human factors in the decline of the tidal salt marsh lithosome: the Delaware estuary and Atlantic coastal zone

Two to three thousand years ago, the fringing tidal salt marsh wetlands (including brackish and freshwater marsh) of the Delaware coastal zone were three to four times wider than at present. Observed variations in rates of marsh surface aggradation suggest that some areas are undergoing inundation whereas many other areas are undergoing aggradation at rates greater than sea-level rise as measured by a local tidal gauge (average 33 cm/ century based on a 70-year record) and may be undergoing floral succession. Accompanying these sedimentary processes are coastal erosion rates up to 6.9 m/yr along the Delaware estuary, up to 2.8 m/yr along the Delaware Atlantic coast, and ranging from 0.1 m/yr to 0.6 m/yr along the Delaware Atlantic coastal lagoons. Human development has destroyed nearly 9% of Delaware's fringing salt marshes between 1938 and 1975. The rapidly growing trend toward hardening the edge of the adjacent landward uplands leads us to the conclusion that much of the fringing salt marsh of Delaware will disappear over the next two to three centuries with only small remnants declining to extinction ca. 1500–1700 years into the future. Impacts on the State of Delaware, comprised of 13% fringing salt marshes 1/4 century ago, will be profound in terms of destruction of a large segment of the Atlantic coastal or eastern North American migratory bird flyway, and an eventual forced accommodation of the inhabitants of Delaware to these naturally ongoing geological processes.     

Fish assemblage composition in constructed and natural tidal marshes of San Diego Bay: Relative influence of channel morphology and restoration history

This study evaluated the use by fish of restored tidal wetlands and identified links between fish species composition and habitat characteristics. We compared the attributes of natural and constructed channel habitats in Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, San Diego Bay, California, by using fish monitoring data to explore the relationships between channel environmental characteristics and fish species composition. Fishes were sampled annually for 8 yr (1989–1996) at eight sampling sites, four in constructed marshes and four in natural marshes, using beach seines and blocking nets. We also measured channel habitat characteristics, including channel hydrology (stream order), width and maximum depth, bank slope, water quality (DO, temperature, salinity), and sediment composition. Fish colonization was rapid in constructed channels, and there was no obvious relationship between channel age and species richness or density. Total richness and total density did not differ significantly between constructed and natural channels, although California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) were found in significantly higher densities in constructed channels. Multivariate analyses showed fish assemblage composition was related to channel habitat characteristics, suggesting a channel’s physical properties were more important in determining fish use than its restoration status. This relationship highlights the importance of designing restoration projects with natural hydrologic features and choosing proper assessment criteria in order to avoid misleading interpretations of constructed channel success. We recommend that future projects be designed to mimic natural marsh hydrogeomorphology and diversity more closely, the assessment process utilize better estimates of fish habitat function (e.g., individual and community-based species trends, residence time, feeding, growth) and reference site choice, and experimental research be further incorporated into the restoration process.     

Species diversity and emergence patterns of nematocerous flies (Insecta: Diptera) from three coastal salt marshes in prince Edward Island, Canada

Emerging insects were monitored every 10 days between early May and late August 1993, from tidal pools in three coastal salt marshes on Prince Edward Island, Canada. The salt marsh pools ranged from about 1 m² to > 1,000 m² in surface area, and had salinities ranging from 11–27‰ Water temperatures through the study period ranged from 4–46°C. Most of the emerging insects were flies (Diptera; 85%), and two-thirds of these were in the sub-Order Nematocera, mainly Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae, and Culicidae. Forty-three species of Nematocera were identified, although most of these were rare occurrences, and twelve of the species are undescribed. No consistent relationships were found between abundance or diversity and pool size or marsh for Nematocera species overall, although some species showed a statistical preference for a particular marsh or pool size. Emergence patterns were consistent between marshes for species found in different marshes, but overall patterns were highly variable, depending upon species.     

长江澄通河段河床冲淤对流域减沙的响应

为研究潮汐河道不同区段在流域来沙减少条件下的冲淤响应机制,以长江澄通河段为例,根据水动力特性将其划分为江阴—天生港和天生港—徐六泾两段,结合1950—2014年的水沙资料及2005—2014年的地形资料,比较两段冲淤对流域减沙的响应差异。结果表明:上游江阴—天生港段对流域减沙敏感,较快地由淤积转为冲刷;下游天生港—徐六泾段1998—2004年期间受洪季平均径流流量减小、潮汐顶托作用相对增大的影响,冲刷速率为减小趋势,2004年以后受洪季平均径流流量增大、潮汐顶托作用相对减小及流域来沙持续减少的共同影响,冲刷速率为增大趋势。使得潮汐动力对天生港—徐六泾段由促淤变为促冲的临界洪季平均径流流量为36 000 m3/s,该径流流量也是使得潮汐顶托作用在江阴—天生港段由不显著变为显著的临界流量。目前,流域减沙已加剧澄通河段整体的冲刷。