Differential salinity response between two Mississippi River subdeltas: Implications for changes in plant composition     

Guerry O. Holm  Charles E. Sasser 《Estuaries and Coasts》2001,24(1):78-89

Many studies have determined the physical dynamics of salt-water movement into riverine systems, but few studies have elucidated the role of periodic salinity incursions in affecting primary succession in active deltaic wetlands. The emergence of the neighboring Atchafalaya and Wax Lake Deltas, since a record Mississippi River flood in 1973, has created a unique area of land building and primary succession within the deteriorating wetland landscape of Louisiana. The vegetation in these deltas experiences the extremes of allogenic (riverine and tidal flooding, sedimentation, storm disturbance) and autogenic (herbivory, plant competition) forces. The rapid decline of the dominant vegetation,Sagittaria latifolia Willd. (Broadleaf Arrowhead), in the Atchafalaya Delta, and the continued dominance of this species in the Wax Lake Delta prompted us to investigate whether periodic salinity incursions were an additional stress on this species. The objectives of our study were to determine if salinity differences occurred between these deltas, describe the forces that controlled salinity incursions, and the level of salt exposure that adversely affected the growth ofS. latifolia. Continuous measurements of salinity and water level at six sites, revealed that salinity pulses (up to 7.0‰) were common in the Atchafalaya Delta; the Wax Lake Delta was not prone to elevated salinities. Salinity incursions in the Atchafalaya Delta were related to water level set-up, which was forced by strong (>10 m s⁻¹) easterly and southerly winds prior to cold front passages. The movement of distant tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico produced salinity incursions of longer duration than cold fronts. In a greenhouse experiment, the growth ofS. latifolia was impaired by salinity concentrations of 6.0‰ within 13 d; flooding treatments (20 cm) compounded the loss of aboveground tissue by the end of the experiment. Results from the field and greenhouse studies, compared with historic evidence of elevated salinities in the Atchafalaya delta, indicate that periodic salinity incursions, combined with additional stresses such as flooding and vertebrate herbivory, influence the distribution or presence ofS. latifolia in the Atchafalaya Delta.  相似文献   

Productivity and Resilience: Long-Term Trends and Storm-Driven Fluctuations in the Plant Community of the Accreting Wax Lake Delta     

Melissa?Vernon?CarleEmail author  Charles?E.?Sasser 《Estuaries and Coasts》2016,39(2):406-422

River deltas are dynamic geologic features where the plant community engages in critical feedbacks with geomorphology, and plant community development is impacted by both riverine and coastal drivers. A vegetation index (NDVI) calculated from a time series of 54 peak growing season Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-7 ETM+ images was used to assess the long-term trends and storm event-driven changes in the vegetation community associated with the Wax Lake Delta, an actively accreting subdelta of the Mississippi River. Multiple regression models were developed to explain variation in the vegetated area of the delta and mean delta NDVI from 1984 to 2011 as a function of date, hydrology, and seasonality. The models indicate that both vegetated area and mean NDVI increased over time from 1984 to 2011. Productivity measures following Hurricanes Lili (2002), Rita (2005), and Ike (2008) represented statistical outliers; significant decreases in NDVI following these storms suggest that hurricanes passing directly over or to the west of the delta result in short-term disturbance to the plant community, most likely related to saltwater intrusion associated with storm surge. However, in each case, both vegetated area and mean NDVI recovered to the long-term trend by the following growing season. These results demonstrate that the freshwater marshes within this mineral-rich, accreting delta are increasing in productivity as the delta matures and are extremely resilient to coastal storm disturbance.  相似文献   

Conceptual framework for assessing the response of delta channel networks to Holocene sea level rise     

Douglas J. Jerolmack 《Quaternary Science Reviews》2009,28(17-18):1786-1800

Recent research has identified two fundamental unit processes that build delta distributary channels. The first is mouth-bar deposition at the shoreline and subsequent channel bifurcation, which is driven by progradation of the shoreline; the second is avulsion to a new channel, a result of aggradation of the delta topset. The former creates relatively small, branching networks such as Wax Lake Delta; the latter generates relatively few, long distributaries such as the Mississippi and Atchafalaya channels on the Mississippi Delta. The relative rate of progradation to aggradation, and hence the creation of accommodation space, emerges as a controlling parameter on channel network form. Field and experimental research has identified sea level as the dominant control on Holocene delta growth worldwide, and has empirically linked channel network changes to changes in the rate of sea level rise. Here I outline a simple modeling framework for distributary network evolution, and use this to explore large-scale changes in Holocene channel pattern that have been observed in deltas such as the Rhine-Meuse and Mississippi. Rapid early- to mid-Holocene sea level rise forced many deltas into an aggradational mode, where I hypothesize that avulsion and the generation of large-scale branches should dominate. Slowing of sea level rise in the last ～6000 yr allowed partitioning of sediment into progradation, facilitating the growth of smaller-scale distributary trees at the shorelines of some deltas, and a reduction in the number of large-scale branches. Significant antecedent topography modulates delta response; the filling of large incised valleys, for example, caused many deltas to bypass the aggradational phase. Human effects on deltas can be cast in terms of geologic controls affecting accommodation: constriction of channels forces rapid local progradation and mouth-bar bifurcation, while accelerated sea level rise increases aggradation and induces more frequent channel avulsion.  相似文献   

Effects of nitrogen addition and salt grass (Distichlis spicata) upon high salt marsh vegetation in Northern California, USA     

Bibit Halliday Traut 《Estuaries and Coasts》2005,28(2):286-295

In the salt marshes of Tomales Bay, California, where grazing by cattle increases the input of nitrogen to the marsh (either directly or indirectly as runoff from within the salt marsh watershed), high salt marsh vegetation is dominated byDistichlis spicata and is less diverse than marshes without excess nutrients. Using a field experiment, I investigated the role of soil fertility on the plant community of the high salt marsh. I hypothesized that when soil fertility is increased by nitrogen addition plant productivity will increase, as indicated by height, biomass, and cover, and competitive exclusion, byD. spicata, will lead to a reduction in species richness and evenness, especially where the initial density ofDistichlis is high (from transplanting). After two growing seasons, biweekly nitrogen addition to the high salt marsh led to increased plant biomass and cover. Diversity was not reduced, and space preemption byDistichlis-transplants did not confer a competitive advantage. Although the dominant species thrived (e.g.,Salicornia virginica, D. spicata, Triglochin concinna) they did not displace subdominant species and decrease diversity. The vegetation response in this high salt marsh system does not support the hypothesis that as biomass and cover (indicators of productivity) increase in response to increased nitrogen, competitive exclusion will occur and diversity will decrease.  相似文献   

Nekton use of submerged aquatic vegetation, marsh, and shallow unvegetated bottom in the Atchafalaya River delta, a Louisiana tidal freshwater ecosystem     

David L. Castellanos  Lawrence P. Rozas 《Estuaries and Coasts》2001,24(2):184-197

We sampled nekton (fishes and decapod crustaceans) in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) (Potanogeton nodosus, Najas guadalupensis), in emergent marsh vegetation (Sagittaria spp. andScirpus americanus), and over unvegetated bottom associated with three islands in the Atchafalaya River Delta, Louisiana. The purpose of our study was to quantify nekton densities in these major aquatic habitat types and to document the relative importance of these areas to numerically dominant aquatic organisms. We collected a total of 33 species of fishes and 7 species of crustaceans in 298 1-m² throw trap samples taken over three seasons: summer (July and August 1994), fall (September and October 1994), and spring (May and June 1995). Fishes numerically accounted for >65% of the total organisms collected. Vegetated areas generally supported much higher nekton densities than unvegetated sites, although bay anchoviesAnchoa mitchilli were more abundant over unvegetated bottom than in most vegetated habitat types. Among vegetation types, most species showed no apparent preference between SAV and marsh. However, inland silversidesMenidia beryllina and freshwater gobiesGobionellus shufeldti were most abundant inScirpus marsh in summer, and blue crabsCallinectes sapidus were most abundant in SAV (Potamogeton) in spring. Several species (sheepshead minnowCyprinodon variegatus, rainwater killifishLucania parva, and blue crab) apparently selected the vegetated backmarsh of islands (opposite of riverside) over stream-sideScirpus marsh. Freshwater gobies, in contrast, were most abundant in streamsideScirpus marsh. Densities of juvenile blue crabs were high (up to 17 m⁻²) in vegetated delta habitat types and comparable to values reported from more saline regions of Gulf Coast estuaries. Shallow vegetated habitat types of the Atchafalaya River Delta and other tidal freshwater systems of the Gulf Coast may be important nursery areas for blue crabs and other estuarine species.  相似文献   

Seasonal and spatial water quality changes in the outflow plume of the Atchafalaya River,Louisiana, USA     

Robert R. Lane  John W. Day  Brian Marx  Enrique Reves  G. Paul Kemp 《Estuaries and Coasts》2002,25(1):30-42

The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between the Atchafalaya River and the Atchafalaya Delta estuarine complex. Measurements of suspended sediments, inorganic nutrients (NO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺, PO₄ ^3?), chlorophylla (chla), and-salinity were taken monthly from December 1996 to January 1998. These data were compiled by season, and the Atchafalaya River plume data were also analyzed using the Generalized Additive Model technique. There were significant decreases in NO₃ ^? concentrations during summer, fall, and winter as river water passed through the estuary, that were attributable to chemical and biological processes rather than dilution with ambient water. In some regions there were higher chla concentrations during summer and fall compared to winter and spring, when river discharge and the introduction of inorganic nutrients were highest, suggesting biological processes were active during this study. The presence of NH₄ ⁺, as a percentage of available dissolved inorganic nitrogen, increased with distance from the Atchafalaya River, indicative of remineralization processes and NO₃ ^? reduction. Mean PO₄ ^3? concentrations were often higher in the estuarine regions compared to the Atchafalaya River. During summer total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations increased with distance from the river mouth, suggesting a turbidity maximum. Highest chla concentrations were found in the bayous and shallow water bodies of the Terrebonne marshes, as were the lowest TSS concentrations. The low chla concentrations found in other areas of this study, despite high inorganic nutrient concentrations, suggest light limitation as the major control of phytoplankton growth. Salinity reached near seawater concentrations at the outer edge of the Atchafalaya River plume, but much lower salinities (<10 psu) were observed at all other regions. The Atchafalaya Delta estuarine complex buffers the impact of the Atchafalaya River on the Louisiana coastal shelf zone, with a 41% of 47% decrease in Atchafalaya River NO₃ ^? concentrations before reaching Gulf waters.  相似文献   

进积型三角洲交汇区沉积模式--以东营凹陷沙三中亚段为例     

陈杰  刘传虎  谭明友  魏红梅  李阳  廖晨  杨仁超 《沉积学报》2016,34(6):1187-1197

作为碎屑岩储层发育的最主要沉积相类型之一,进积型三角洲在油气勘探领域具有举足轻重的地位;加强对进积型三角洲沉积模式的研究,对于油气储层预测具有重要现实意义。渤海湾盆地东营凹陷古近纪湖盆内发育的东营三角洲和永安三角洲在沙河街组三段中亚段沉积期发生了交汇,而有关两个三角洲的交汇方式、沉积特征及交汇区储层的预测尚未引起足够的重视。以岩芯观测、录井和地震资料为基础,分析了东营凹陷古近系沙三段中亚段三角洲交汇区沉积特征,探讨了沉积期次、交汇过程,建立了三角洲交汇区沉积模式。研究表明,东营凹陷沙河街组三段中亚段主要发育湖泊、进积型三角洲沉积;储集砂体主要形成于三角洲前缘水下分流河道,河口坝微相次之,浊积岩主要分布于深湖区。认为此前界定的东营三角洲的分布范围可能被夸大,而永安三角洲的沉积规模可能被低估。东营凹陷古近系沙三中亚段可划分为9个期次,其作用过程可分为局部交汇阶段和完全交汇阶段。三角洲水下交汇区是水流汇聚和沉积物卸载的有利场所,叠置砂体可成为有利的油气储层,因而具有重要的油气勘探价值。  相似文献   

Physical stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Late Pleistocene-Holocene Tiber Delta depositional sequence   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

P. BELLOTTI  S. MILLI†  P. TORTORA  P. VALERI 《Sedimentology》1995,42(4):617-634

The Tiber Delta lies on the passive continental margin of central western Italy. The Tiber Delta is a Late Pleistocene—Holocene sedimentary succession and constitutes an ‘incomplete’high-frequency depositional sequence (4th or 5th order), which developed from the last post-glacial rise in sea level to the present stillstand. It is bound by a type 1 basal unconformity which cuts Pleistocene deposits. Five depositional systems have been identified: (1) coastal barrier—lagoon; (2) shelf-transition; (3) fluvial braided; (4) Tiber lagoonal deltas (T1, T2, T3); and (5) Tiber wave-dominated delta. The first four systems constitute the transgressive system tract (TST) which is characterized by a retrogradational parasequences set, while the fifth system represents the highstand system tract (HST) characterized by only one parasequence (progradational). The evolution of these depositional systems has been mostly controlled by sea-level rise, which was not continuous, but punctuated by eight minor stillstands and rapid rises. This mechanism of sea-level change led to the formation of parasequences that developed within the depositional systems. From a palaeogeographical point of view the present Tiber Delta area was mainly characterized by a coastal barrier, lagoon and Tiber lagoonal deltas (T1, T2, T3), which migrated landwards during the sea-level rise. Throughout the time of the present stillstand, the T3 lagoonal delta prograded rapidly into the lagoon, reaching the coastal barrier, and the lagoon was replaced first by marshes and then by the alluvial plain. Finally, the Tiber River overcame the littoral barrier supplying the coast, giving rise to the present wave-dominated delta.  相似文献   

Acute Effects of Drought on Emergent and Aquatic Communities in a Brackish Marsh     

Erin L. Kinney  Antonietta Quigg  Anna R. Armitage 《Estuaries and Coasts》2014,37(3):636-645

Plants and animals in brackish marshes are adapted to live within a wide, yet finite, range of conditions. Events that shift the environmental state beyond that range can dramatically alter habitats and, potentially, the numerous ecosystem services they provide. A prolonged exceptional drought in Texas (October 2010–January 2012) provided a unique opportunity to understand how brackish wetland habitats respond to an extreme environmental event. We examined marshes in the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area (Texas, USA) that fell within the drought affected area, including restored areas and an adjacent reference marsh. To test our hypothesis that the brackish marsh community would be sensitive to drought conditions, we quantified emergent plant and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and animal (invertebrates, fish) characteristics in summer 2010 and 2011. In spite of its severity, the exceptional drought of 2011 did not have a negative impact on emergent plant communities: biomass, stem density, and chlorophyll a concentrations were the same in pre-drought and drought years in all restored and reference areas. In contrast, SAV biomass was reduced by up to 100 % in the drought year. Some fish and invertebrate densities were also reduced by an order of magnitude or more, possibly due to the loss of SAV. Aquatic faunal species composition was markedly different in the drought year, largely due to the loss of the hydrobiid snail Probythinella protera and the gain of some marine species, including Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), and white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus). By altering aquatic the plant and animal community, this drought event may subsequently reduce trophic support for higher consumers, or contribute to a decline in water quality. Restoration monitoring programs that only focus on relatively stress-resistant, emergent wetland plant communities may underestimate the sensitivity of these ecosystems to extreme environmental events like droughts.  相似文献   

陕甘宁盆地晚三叠世的三角洲   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

李克勤 《沉积学报》1986,4(1):87-99

引言陕甘宁盆地是一个矩形内陆构造盆地,晚三叠世盆地在左旋剪切力作用下形成后接受的第一套沉积物就是延长组,它是生储盖发育齐全配套的湖相沉积。横向上相带分布变化有序;纵向上湖进、成熟、湖退三大阶段发育明显。延长组的所有油层,均属低产低渗油层,勘探这套油层需要在沉积相研究的基础上,筛选出有利生、储油配置,即在低渗区中找相对高渗区,在低产区中找相对高产区。三角洲的研究是一个重要的方面。  相似文献   

Coastal saltmarsh development at Southern Topsail Sound,North Carolina     

Steven P. Gammill  Paul E. Hosier 《Estuaries and Coasts》1992,15(2):122-129

Topsail Sound is a marsh-filled barrier lagoon in southeastern North Carolina. This study quantified changes within a 477-ha tidal marsh located landward of Lea and Coke islands in southern Topsail Sound. Aerial photographs from 1949, 1966, and 1984 were enlarged, and sample areas of salt marsh were digitized and compared. Since 1949, Old Topsail Inlet has migrated southwest 1.2 km. As the inlet migrated, new Spartina alterniflora marsh colonized 33.2 ha of intertidal sand flats within the inlet flood tidal delta, adjacent islands, and primary tidal creeks. Landward of the flood tidal delta, site specific gains and losses of marsh were recorded. It is estimated that since 1949, approximately 34.1 ha of the marsh area occupying the zone landward of the flood tidal delta has drowned. This loss of marsh, combined with the colonization of marsh mentioned above, resulted in a net decrease of 1 ha in the total area of marsh. This study provides evidence that, although lagoonal marshes may be drowning as a result of soil waterlogging, reduced sediment supply, and sea-level rise, potential marsh environments are created by oceanic inputs of sand when inlets migrate.  相似文献   

Response scenarios for the deltaic plain of the Rhône in the face of an acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise with special attention to<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salicornia</Emphasis>-type environments     

Didier Pont  John W. Day  Philippe Hensel  Evelyne Franquet  Frank Torre  Patrick Rioual  Carles Ibànez  Eric Coulet 《Estuaries and Coasts》2002,25(3):337-358

One of the most critical problems facing many deltaic wetlands is a high rate of relative sea-level rise due to a combination of eustatic sea-level rise and local subsidence. Within the Rhône delta, the main source of mineral input to soil formation is from the river, due to the low tidal range and the presence of a continuous sea wall. We carried out field and modeling studies to assess the present environmental status and future conditions of the more stressed sites, i.e.,Salicornia-type marshes with a shallow, hypersaline groundwater. The impacts of management practices are considered by comparing impounded areas with riverine areas connected to the Rhône River. Analysis of vegetation transects showed differences between mean soil elevation ofArthrocnemum fruticosum (+31.2 cm),Arthrocnemum glaucum (+26.5 cm), bare soil (+16.2 cm), and permanently flooded soil (?12.4 cm). Aboveground and belowground production showed that root:shoot ratio forA. fruticosum andA. glaucum was 2.9 and 1.1, respectively, indicating more stressful environmental conditions forA. glaucum with a higher soil salinity and lack of soil drainage. The annual leaf litter production rate of the two species is 30 times higher than annual stem litter production, but with a higher long-term decomposition rate associated with leaves. We developed a wetland elevation model designed to predict the effect of increasing rates of sea-level rise on wetland elevation andSalicornia production. The model takes into account feedback mechanisms between soil elevation and river mineral input, and primary production. In marshes still connected to the river, mineral input decreased quickly when elevation was over 21 cm. Under current sea-level rise conditions, the annual amount of riverine mineral input needed to maintain the elevation of the study marshes is between 3,000 and 5,000 g m^?2 yr^?1. Simulations showed that under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change best estimate sea-level rise scenario, a mineral input of 6,040 g m^?2 yr^?1 is needed to maintain marsh elevation. The medium term response capacity of the Rhône deltaic plain with rising sea level depends mainly on the possibility of supplying sediment from the river to the delta, even though the Rhône Delta front is wave dominated. Within coastal impounded marshes, isolated from the river, the sediment supply is very low (10 to 50 g m^?2 yr^?1), and an increase of sea-level rise would increase the flooding duration and dramatically reduce vegetation biomass. New wetland management options involving river input are discussed for a long-term sustainability of low coastal Mediterranean wetlands.  相似文献   

Capybara (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris</Emphasis> rodentia: Hydrochaeridae): A mammalian seagrass herbivore     

Joel C. Creed 《Estuaries and Coasts》2004,27(2):197-200

This note reports an unknown trophic interaction between a mammalian herbivore, the capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris), and the seagrassRuppia maritima (wigeongrass) and compares the feeding behavior of capybaras to other seagrass grazers. Observations were made in Spring 2002 in the Barra Grande, a small, shallow, moderately stratified, bar-built estuary at Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil. The activities of the capybaras were investigated and grazing impacts were quantified in situ. The capybaras were observed feeding onR. maritima during the day and aquatic feeding alternated with periods of feeding on land.R. maritima was the only submerged aquatic vegetation to be consumed by the capybaras. The feeding activity of the capybaras on wige ongrass consisted of alternately diving down to theR. maritima then surfacing; the capybaras spent a significantly greater amount of time under water. In the area where the capybaras foraged 18.1% of the seagrass meadow showed recent grazing scars. Vegetation of recently and not recently grazed areas were compared. Grazing scars, which were slightly elongated, were not completely devoid ofR. maritima but presented reduced standing crop: canopy height, shoot density, and shoot, rhizome, and root biomass were reduced in grazed areas. The grazing patterns observed in capybaras resembled those previously reported in the sirenia, mammals that include two seagrass-eating species.  相似文献   

The potential impact of herbivores on the susceptibility of the marsh plantSagittaria lancifolia to saltwater intrusion in coastal wetlands     

James B. Grace  Mark A. Ford 《Estuaries and Coasts》1996,19(1):13-20

The objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of simulated herbivory on the ability of a freshwater marsh plant to recover from temporary saltwater intrusion such as can be caused by tropical storms. Sods containingSagittaria lancifolia, a dominant plant in interior coastal marshes, were manipulated in the field so as to subject plants to a pulse of 15‰ salt water for a duration of 1 wk. In addition to the exposure to salt water, some plants were also subjected to both short-term and long-term flooding treatments of 20 cm, and to simulated herbivory (clipping). Following exposure to salt water, plants were allowed to recover over the winter and were harvested the next June. Neither simulated herbivory, nor salinity, nor flooding caused any long-term effect either singly or in pairwise combinations. However, when plants were subjected to herbivory, salt water, and flooding simultaneously, reduced growth and plant death occurred. These results suggest that high levels of grazing by herbivores may increase the susceptibility of coastal marsh plants to damage from saltwater intrusion. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY073 00002  相似文献   

Salt Marshes on Substrate Enriched in Organic Matter: The Case of Ombrogenic Atlantic Salt Marshes     

Grace M. Cott  Deborah V. Chapman  Marcel A. K. Jansen 《Estuaries and Coasts》2013,36(3):595-609

Ombrogenic Atlantic salt marshes are defined as areas of halophytic, terrestrial vegetation which are periodically flooded by the tide and have a predominant underlying organic substrate comprising of wood and/or Sphagnum peat that formed under freshwater conditions. The objective of this study was to determine to what extent salt marsh plant ecology and, specifically, vegetation composition and zonation relate to this underlying substrate of organic matter (peat). A vegetation survey was carried out on nine salt marshes, three on peat substrate and two on sand, mud and sand/mud, respectively. In parallel, key edaphic variables were measured including pH, conductivity, organic content, moisture content and nutrients: ammonium, nitrate and phosphorus. Salt marshes on peat substrate are distinct. Ammonium content was twice the maximum reported in other salt marsh studies, while the vegetation composition of salt marshes on peat substrate was significantly different from that of other salt marshes. Salt marshes on peat substrate were found to be higher in species diversity and richness and characterised by a predominantly forb and rush community. However, some common salt marsh species, such as Atriplex portulacoides and Spartina anglica were absent from salt marshes on peat. Ordination analysis revealed that zonation was primarily associated with conductivity on peat substrates. In contrast, moisture plays a greater role in zonation within non-peat salt marshes. The findings confirm that the high organic matter content of ombrogenic Atlantic salt marshes is associated with distinct vegetation composition.  相似文献   

A Comprehensive Study of Silica Pools and Fluxes in Wadden Sea Salt Marshes     

F. Müller  E. Struyf  J. Hartmann  A. Wanner  K. Jensen 《Estuaries and Coasts》2013,36(6):1150-1164

As an essential nutrient for diatoms, silica plays a key role in the estuarine and coastal food web. High concentrations of dissolved silica (DSi) were found in the seepage water of tidal freshwater marshes, which were therefore assumed to contribute to the silica supply to estuarine waters in times of silica limitation. A comprehensive budget calculation for European salt marshes is presented in this study. Earlier, salt marshes were considered to have even higher silica recycling rates than tidal freshwater marshes. Between 2009 and 2011, concentrations, pools and fluxes of silica in two salt marshes at the German Wadden Sea coast were determined (in soil, pore water, aboveground vegetation, freshly deposited sediments and seepage water). Subsequently, a budget was calculated. Special emphasis was placed on the influence of grazing management on silica cycling. Our results show that the two salt marshes were sinks for silica. The average import of biogenic silica (BSi) with freshly deposited sediments (1,334 kmol km^?2 year^?1) largely exceeded the DSi and BSi exports with seepage water (80 kmol km^?2 year^?1). Grazing management can affect silica cycling of salt marshes by influencing hydrology and vegetation structure. Abandoned sites had larger DSi export rates than grazed sites. One third of all BSi imports occurred in only one major flooding, underlining the relevance of rare events in the silica budget of tidal marshes. This aspect has been widely neglected in earlier studies, what might have led to an underestimation of silica import rates to tidal marshes hitherto.  相似文献   

河控三角洲前缘沉积体系定量研究--以鄱阳湖三角洲为例     

段冬平侯加根  刘钰铭王成刚 高 建 《沉积学报》2014,32(2):270-277

通过现代三角洲沉积的卫星照片可以获取并分析水下分流河道与河口坝的定量数据及其平面分布规律,丰富与完善储层地质知识库。以鄱阳湖三角洲为主要为研究对象,结合Wax Lake Delta现代沉积的卫星照片,对典型的朵状河控三角洲前缘水下分流河道与河口坝的平面分布特征及其相互关系进行定性及定量研究。结果表明水下分流河道的分叉角度近50 °,向湖盆方向宽度变窄（宽度降低0.72倍）、数量变多,呈发散叶脉状;单一的河口坝呈三角状和狭长心滩状,其中三角状河口坝发育在三角洲前缘下部,狭长心滩状河口坝位于三角洲前缘中上部,并且河口坝长度与宽度之间存在较好的线性关系。研究结果可以有效指导相似地下储层的精细微相研究。  相似文献   

Plant and infaunal communities associated with a created marsh     

Martin H. Posey  Troy D. Alphin  Christopher M. Powell 《Estuaries and Coasts》1997,20(1):42-47

Destruction of tidal wetlands has led to a growing interest in the restoration and creation of new wetland habitat. However, while natural stands of vegetation have been successfully duplicated, less is understood about the establishment of faunal communities in created or restored tidal marshes. Infauna, which may form an important link between detrital production and commercially important finfish and decapods, have received limited attention in vegetated marsh habitats. We examined the infauna, changes in vegetation composition, and selected physical parameters in created marshes of different ages. Infauna were sampled using standard core sampling techniques. Vegetation composition and changes in relative abundance were observed using plot-point techniques. Vegetation plots indicated ongoing replacement ofSpartina alterniflora bySchoenoplectus robustus, a pattern supported by comparisons of vegetation at one of the sites to that reported in a previous study. Infauna exhibited significant differences between sites of different ages, with the intermediate-age site having intermediate densities for several taxa. These results suggest that both infauna and vegetation in created marshes undergo long-term change (ongoing after 10–20 yr), with both the plant and infaunal communities having qualitatively similar overall species composition to natural marsh areas.  相似文献   

Wetland Loss Patterns and Inundation-Productivity Relationships Prognosticate Widespread Salt Marsh Loss for Southern New England     

Elizabeth Burke Watson  Cathleen Wigand  Earl W. Davey  Holly M. Andrews  Joseph Bishop  Kenneth B. Raposa 《Estuaries and Coasts》2017,40(3):662-681

Tidal salt marsh is a key defense against, yet is especially vulnerable to, the effects of accelerated sea level rise. To determine whether salt marshes in southern New England will be stable given increasing inundation over the coming decades, we examined current loss patterns, inundation-productivity feedbacks, and sustaining processes. A multi-decadal analysis of salt marsh aerial extent using historic imagery and maps revealed that salt marsh vegetation loss is both widespread and accelerating, with vegetation loss rates over the past four decades summing to 17.3 %. Landward retreat of the marsh edge, widening and headward expansion of tidal channel networks, loss of marsh islands, and the development and enlargement of interior depressions found on the marsh platform contributed to vegetation loss. Inundation due to sea level rise is strongly suggested as a primary driver: vegetation loss rates were significantly negatively correlated with marsh elevation (r ²?=?0.96; p?=?0.0038), with marshes situated below mean high water (MHW) experiencing greater declines than marshes sitting well above MHW. Growth experiments with Spartina alterniflora, the Atlantic salt marsh ecosystem dominant, across a range of elevations and inundation regimes further established that greater inundation decreases belowground biomass production of S. alterniflora and, thus, negatively impacts organic matter accumulation. These results suggest that southern New England salt marshes are already experiencing deterioration and fragmentation in response to sea level rise and may not be stable as tidal flooding increases in the future.  相似文献   

Asymmetrical deltas below wave base: Insights from the Fraser River Delta,Canada          下载免费PDF全文

Korhan Ayranci  Shahin E. Dashtgard 《Sedimentology》2016,63(3):761-779

The Fraser River Delta exhibits distinct asymmetry in the sedimentological and neoichnological characteristics of the updrift (south) and downdrift (north) sides of the main distributary channel in water depths below storm‐wave base. The asymmetry is the result of net northward tidal flow. Tides erode sediments across the updrift delta front, whereas the downdrift delta front is an area of net deposition. A submarine channel prevents sand eroded from the updrift delta front from reaching the downdrift delta. The updrift delta front and updrift upper prodelta are composed of sand or heterolithic sand and mud that show a low density of burrowing (Bioturbation Index 0 to 3) and are dominated by simple traces. The downdrift delta front and prodelta, and the updrift lower prodelta are composed of homogeneous muds with significantly higher bioturbation intensities (Bioturbation Index 3 to 6), and a more diverse suite of traces akin to Cruziana Ichnofacies. Using the Fraser River Delta as an archetype and comparing the Fraser to the Amazon River Delta, a preliminary model for deep‐water (below storm‐wave base: ca 20 m) asymmetrical deltas is proposed. Firstly, deep‐water asymmetrical deltas are recognized from sediments deposited below storm‐wave base. At these depths, tidal and ocean currents are more likely to impact sediment transport, but wave processes are less effective as a sediment transport mechanism. Sediments deposited below storm‐wave base in deep‐water asymmetrical deltas will display the following: (i) the updrift delta front will be coarser‐grained (for example, sand‐dominated or heterolithic sand and mud), than the downdrift delta front (for example, mud‐dominated); and (ii) the updrift delta front should show low‐diversity suites of simple burrows. Depending on sedimentation rates, the downdrift delta front and prodelta may show either high diversity suites of traces that are dominated by both complex and simple burrows (low sedimentation rates) or low density and diversity suites akin to the updrift delta front (high sedimentation rates).  相似文献