Distribution and nutrient status of haplotypes of the marsh grassPhragmites australis along the Rappahannock River in Virginia |
| |
Authors: | C Rebekah Packett Randolph M Chambers |
| |
Institution: | 1. Biology Department and Keck Environmental Lab, College of William and Mary, 23185, Williamsburg, Virginia
|
| |
Abstract: | We compared the distribution and nutrient status of native haplotype F ofPhragmites australis along the freshwater to mesohaline tidal marsh gradient of the Rappahannock River, Virginia, for comparison with the nonnative,
invasive haploty M. Using GIS analysis of aerial photography and GPS-based ground truthing, we identified 55 separate clones
of native haplotype F comprising a total of 3.68 ha (range 0.002–0.734 ha), all found in tidal wetlands where surface water
salinity was 0 psu. We identified 219 separate clones of the invasive haplotype M covering 68.3 ha along the same stretch
of river (range 0.004–11.86 ha), found in wetlands where salinity ranged from 0 to 11 psu. From 15 separate clones for each
haplotype, average carbon content in leaves of the native was significantly higher than the invasive (43.90±0.08% versus 42.82±0.15%,
F1,28=20.938, p<0.01), and nitrogen content was significantly lower (2.22±0.03% versus 2.58±0.07%, F1,28=11.972, p<0.01). The average C:N:P ratio for leaf tissue was 1100∶48∶1 for haplotype F and 1084∶56∶1 for haplotype M. Relative
to the native, the invasive haplotype forms larger stands distributed throughout a broader estuarine reach and incorporates
more nitrogen in leaf tissue. From a management standpoint, nativePhragmites protection should focus on deterring nonnative haplotype invasion through the minimization of both adjacent upland disturbance
and nutrient enrichment in tidal freshwater marshes. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|