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1.
Evaluations of tidal wetland restoration efforts suffer from a lack of appropriate reference sites and standardized methods among projects. To help address these issues, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and the NOAA Restoration Center engaged in a partnership to monitor ecological responses and evaluate 17 tidal wetland restoration projects associated with five reserves. The goals of this study were to (1) determine the level of restoration achieved at each project using the restoration performance index (RPI), which compares change in parameters over time between reference and restoration sites, (2) compare hydrologic and excavation restoration projects using the RPI, (3) identify key indicator parameters for assessing restoration effectiveness, and (4) evaluate the value of the NERRS as reference sites for local restoration projects. We found that the RPI, modified for this study, was an effective tool for evaluating relative differences in restoration performance; most projects achieved an intermediate level of restoration from 2008 to 2010, and two sites became very similar to their paired reference sites, indicating that the restoration efforts were highly effective. There were no differences in RPI scores between hydrologic and excavation restoration project types. Two abiotic parameters (marsh platform elevation and groundwater level) were significantly correlated with vegetation community structure and thus can potentially influence restoration performance. Our results highlight the value of the NERRS as reference sites for assessing tidal wetland restoration projects and provide improved guidance for scientists and restoration practitioners by highlighting the RPI as a trajectory analysis tool and identifying key monitoring parameters.  相似文献   

2.
This study was designed to investigate seasonal changes on food available for benthic consumers in relation to tidal levels and sediment depth in an estuarine beach. The relationships between the biochemical characteristics of sedimentary organic matter and benthic macrofauna were analyzed quarterly over 2 years (from January 1997 to January 1999), in an estuarine soft intertidal zone from the NW coast of Spain (42°64′04″N, 8°88′36″W). Sediment samples were collected to provide a two-dimensional view of macroinfauna distribution in the intertidal zone and its relationship with the quantity and quality of the organic matter. The nutritional value of organic matter (i.e., lipid, protein, and carbohydrate) and the content of chlorophyll a of the sediment were measured. Macrofaunal assemblages and food availability in the sediment were studied at three tidal levels on the shore: two intertidal and one supratidal. Macroinfauna and biochemical compounds showed a clear vertical stratification with the highest macrofaunal abundance at the superficial layer of the sediment, where redox potential discontinuity was also observed. Crustaceans were found mainly inhabiting the supratidal level of the estuarine beach, while polychaetes and mollusks occupied the intertidal level. Food availability, measured as biopolymeric carbon, and also chlorophyll a from the sediment were better related to macroinfauna abundance, biomass, and abundance of main taxonomic groups. Macrofauna assemblages showed particular distribution in both vertical and horizontal ranges suggesting specific preferences to several abiotic factors. No clear seasonal pattern was found in macrofauna and sedimentary organic characteristics suggesting that macrofaunal assemblages are controlled by complex and unpredictable factors, including small-scale changes in substrate and hydrological characteristics.  相似文献   

3.
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   

4.
Few studies concerning tide-restricted and restoring salt marshes emphasize fishes and decapod crustaceans (nekton) despite their ecological significance. This study quantifies nekton utilization of three New England salt marshes under tide-restricted and restoring conditions (Hatches Harbor, Massachusetts; Sachuest Point and Galilee, Rhode Island). The degree of tidal restriction differed among marshes allowing for an examination of nekton utilization patterns along a gradient of tidal restriction and subsequent restoration. Based on sampling in shallow subtidal creeks and pools, nekton density and richness were significantly lower in the restricted marsh compared to the unrestricted marsh only at the most tide-restricted site (Sachuest Point). The dissimilarity in community composition between the unrestricted and restricted marsh sites increased with more pronounced tidal restriction. The increase in nekton density resulting from tidal restoration was positively related to the increase in tidal range. Species richness only increased with restoration at the most tide-restricted site; no significant change was observed at the other two sites. These patterns suggest that only severe tidal restrictions significantly reduce the habitat value of New England salt marshes for shallow subtidal nekton. This study suggests that the greatest responses by nekton, and the most dramatic shift towards a more natural nekton assemblage, will occur with restoration of severely restricted salt marshes.  相似文献   

5.
Foundation species regulate communities by reducing environmental stress and providing habitat for other species. Successful restoration of biogenic habitats often depends on restoring foundation species at appropriate spatial scales within a suitable range of environmental conditions. An improved understanding of the relationship between restoration scale and environmental conditions has the potential to improve restoration outcomes for many biogenic habitats. Here, we identified and tested whether inundation/exposure stress and spatial scale (patch size) can interactively determine (1) survival and growth of a foundation species, Spartina alterniflora and (2) recruitment of supported fauna. We planted S. alterniflora and artificial mimics in large and small patches at elevations above and below local mean sea level (LMSL) and monitored plant survivorship and production, as well as faunal recruitment. In the first growing season, S. alterniflora plant survivorship and stem densities were greater above LMSL than below LMSL regardless of patch size, while stem height was greatest in small patches below LMSL. By the third growing season, S. alterniflora patch expansion was greater above LMSL than below LMSL, while stem densities were higher in large patches than small patches, regardless of location relative to LMSL. Unlike S. alterniflora, which was more productive above LMSL, sessile marine biota recruitment to mimic plants was higher in patches below LMSL than above LMSL. Our results highlight an ecological tradeoff at ~LMSL between foundation species restoration and faunal recruitment. Increasing patch size as inundation increases may offset this tradeoff and enhance resilience of restored marshes to sea-level rise.  相似文献   

6.
鄱阳湖自然保护区湿地植被群落与水文情势关系   总被引：7，自引：0，他引：7  
以鄱阳湖自然保护区为研究对象,通过构建植被群落-水文参数直方图和计算敏感性指数,分析植被群落对水文条件变化的耐受性和敏感性,研究湿地植被群落与水文情势的关系。结果表明,在鄱阳湖自然保护区内,不同的植被群落对水文情势变化的耐受性和敏感性不同,苔草群落、假俭草群落对水文条件变化敏感性较低;苔草-廖子草群落、苔草-虉草群落和虉草-苔草群落对水文条件变化的敏感性较高,喜欢相对湿润的环境;南荻群落所能承受的水文条件变化范围较窄,喜欢相对干旱的环境。  相似文献   

7.
The aquatic macrofauna of the Guadalquivir estuary were sampled (1 mm mesh persiana net) at 5 sampling sites located along the entire (except the tidal freshwater region) estuarine gradient of salinity (outer 50 km). A total of 134 fish and macroinvertebrate species was collected but only 62 were considered common or regularly present in the estuary. Univariate measures of the community structure showed statistically significant differences among sampling sites: species richness, abundance, and biomass decreased in the upstream direction, being positively correlated with the salinity. Temporal differences of these three variables were also statistically significant. While a clear seasonal pattern (minimum densities in winter and maximum in spring-summer) was observed for abundance and biomass, no such pattern existed for the number of species. Mysids was the most dominant group throughout the estuary (96% to 99% of abundance; 49% to 85% of biomass), although fish biomass was also important at the outer estuary (36% to 38%). Multivariate analyses indicated highly significant spatial variation in the macrofaunal communities observed along the salinity gradient. These analyses suggest that the underlying structure was a continuum with more or less overlapping distributions of the species dependent on their ability to tolerate different physicochemical conditions. There were also significant temporal (intermonthly + interannual) variation of the estuarine community; the relative multivariate dispersion indicated that monthly variation was more considerable (relative multivariate dispersion >1) at the outer part of the estuary during the wet year (last 20 km) and was higher in the inner stations during the dry year (32 to 50 km from the river mouth). Since a clear negative exponential relationship was observed between the freshwater input (from a dam located 110 km upstream) and water salinity at all sampling stations, it is concluded that the human freshwater management is probably affecting the studied estuarine communities. While the higher seasonal (long-term) stability of the salinity gradient, due to the human control of the freshwater input, may facilitate the recruitment of marine species juveniles during the meteorologically unstable early-spring, the additional (short-term) salinity fluctuations during the warm period may negatively affect species that complete their lifecycle within the estuary.  相似文献   

8.
Macrobenthic assemblages in Calcasieu Lake estuary (Louisiana) were sampled at 11 sites from October 1983 through November 1985. The sites were numerically dominated by subsurface-deposit feeders, consisting mostly of polychaetes. Greater densities of macrofauna were collected at the northern (upper) stations of the lake than were collected in West Cove or the southern stations. Abundances of polychaetes, oligochaetes, and amphipods at the upper lake stations accounted for most of the differences among stations. The numerical dominance by detritivores (97% of the fauna) and lack of strong sediment or salinity gradients across the estuary, resulted in an absence of temporal pattern in trophic structure of the macrofauna.  相似文献   

9.
An integrated marsh management (IMM) project in an urbanized watershed on Long Island, New York, USA, aimed to mitigate salt marsh degradation and to reduce mosquito production by an innovative combination of restoration and open marsh water management methods. The grid ditch network at two treatment marshes was replaced with naturalized tidal channels and ponds. Effects of the hydrologic alterations were monitored utilizing a before–after–control–impact approach. The treatment marshes experienced a number of beneficial outcomes including a fourfold reduction in the invasive Phragmites australis and increased native vegetation cover in the most degraded portions of the marsh, increased abundance and diversity of marsh killifish and estuarine nekton species, higher shorebird and waterfowl densities, and increased avian species diversity. The successful implementation of IMM concept led to improved marsh health and diminished mosquito production. Therefore, this study may serve as a template for similar large-scale integrated salt marsh restoration projects.  相似文献   

10.
Independent methods of geological and molecular-biological chronologies have made it possible to define generally corresponding stages in the geological and biological evolution of the environments and communities of Lake Baikal since the Late Cretaceous, i.e., during the last 70 myr. All the abiotic elements drastically changed during geological evolution, with destruction of existing and formation of new natural complexes. Nevertheless, some specific zones retained relicts of former settings. The resulting present-day natural complex includes elements of different ages and geneses. Similar to different natural zones of the present-day Earth, which are populated by different biocoenoses, stages in the development of abiotic elements are also characterized by different faunal and floral assemblages. Some taxa were replaced by others, and the resulting aqueous biota of Lake Baikal includes different-age and ecologically different elements. The oldest groups of Baikal organisms appeared approximately 70 Ma ago, although the largest proportion of the lake biota started forming 4–3 Ma ago in response to the most drastic changes in the abiotic elements of the environment. The youngest taxa appeared 1.8 to 0.15 Ma ago, i.e., during the period when superdeep lake environments and mountainous glaciations were developing. The chronological coincidence of main stages in development of abiotic and biotic elements of the nature indicates their relationships. Particular transformations of abiotic elements and the probable mechanism of their influence on the evolution of living communities are also considered.  相似文献   

11.
Cedar Bayou, a natural tidal inlet, was recently dredged to allow for direct water exchange between the Gulf of Mexico and Mesquite Bay, TX, USA. We quantified changes in densities of juvenile nekton (fish, shrimps, and crabs) and community structure in Mesquite Bay after Cedar Bayou was reopened by collecting samples at both control and impact sites using an epibenthic sled 1 year before (October 2013–April 2014) and after (October 2014–April 2015) opening. Significantly higher densities of total nekton were observed at the impact sites after opening using a before-after control-impact design. Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), post-larval penaeid shrimps (Farfantepenaeus aztecus, F. duorarum, and Litopenaeus setiferus), and Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were significantly more abundant at impact sites after Cedar Bayou was opened. Multivariate analysis showed a significant change in impact site communities after opening and was driven by an increased presence of estuarine-dependent species. Overall, this study demonstrates that opening tidal inlets, such as Cedar Bayou, and reconnecting Mesquite Bay to the Gulf of Mexico increased the presence of numerous estuarine-dependent species, many of which were not present or occurred at very low densities prior to reopening. Thus, reestablishing the historical connectivity between a productive estuary and the open Gulf of Mexico via Cedar Bayou should reinstitute natural nekton recruitment processes important to the Aransas, Mesquite, and San Antonio Bay regions.  相似文献   

12.
In tropical South America, the mudflats of the Amazonian coast are unique because of their large size and unrivaled migration dynamics. On Guiana’s coast, macrofaunal communities are believed to be well-adapted to these dynamic conditions. In this study, the benthic macrofauna was sampled in April 2012 in the Awala-Yalimapo region of western French Guiana and at two sites in Suriname: Warappa Kreek and Bigi Pan. These sites are found 800, 920, and 1140 km from the Amazon delta, respectively. The richness, diversity, and densities of the macrofaunal communities in these mudflats are here described for the first time. Only 38 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were recorded, among which two species were common and widely distributed: the tanaid crustacean Halmyrapseudes spaansi and the polychaete Sigambra grubii; the former represented 84% of all individuals collected, with densities reaching up to 73,000 individuals m?2. Most of the OTUs consisted of relatively small individuals (<10 mm in length). The very low richness and diversity and the small sizes of the organisms are likely linked to the instability and softness of the substrate on these mudflats. This study suggests that the differences in macrofaunal community composition among sites could be due to the migration stage of banks rather than the distance from the Amazon delta and associated effects of river discharge.  相似文献   

13.
Tidal freshwater wetlands are complex, species-rich ecosystems located at the interface between tidal estuaries and nontidal rivers. This study conducted on the Patuxent River estuary in Maryland was designed to assess vegetation dynamics over several decades to determine if there were directional changes in the dominant communities. Aerial photographs (1970, 1989, and 2007) documented broad-scale spatial changes in major plant communities. The coverage of areas dominated by Nuphar lutea and Phragmites australis expanded; mixed vegetation and scrub–shrub habitats were essentially unchanged; and Typha and Zizania aquatica communities fluctuated in coverage. Data collected between 1988 and 2010 from permanent plots and transects were used to examine fine-scale changes. Shifts in the importance of some species through time were observed, but there were no directional changes in community species composition. The lack of directional change as measured at a fine scale is characteristic of tidal freshwater wetlands in which variations in the abundance of individual species, especially annuals, are responsible for most short-term change in species composition. Changes in the composition of plant communities are interpreted as responses to variations in vertical accretion, stability of habitat types, invasive plant species, and herbivores. In the future, vegetation changes are likely to occur as a result of the intrusion of brackish water and increased flooding associated with global climate change and sea level rise. This long-term study establishes a baseline from which potential future changes to tidal freshwater wetlands can be better understood.  相似文献   

14.
Changes in macrobenthic communities were studied over a 3.5 yr period following restoration activities in Alewife Cove, a small estuary located in southeastern Connecticut, U.S. Development around this estuary had resulted in reduced freshwater and tidal inflows, loss of critical habitats such as salt marshes, and eutrophication. Early in 1988 the lower reach of the estuary was dredged to increase tidal flushing and enhance environmental quality. Following dredging, tidal range within the Cove increased from 52 to 83 cm. Due to erosion within the Cove's lower channel and sediment migration into the Cove, tidal flows and ranges approached pre-dredge levels by 1991. Despite these changes, the percentage of silt/clay in the surface sediments in the middle and upper basins of the Cove declined by 30–45% over the study period. Changes in infaunal community structure in the lower reach following dredging were not great, primarily comprising shifts in the relative abundances of species typical of sandier versus muddier sediments. Directional changes in community structure were most evident in the middle and upper basins, away from the dredged area. Infaunal species richness increased significantly, with many species previously found only in the sand habitats of the lower reach establishing populations in the middle and upper basins. There was a significant decrease in the summer abundances of the pollution indicator polychaeteCapitella capitata throughout much of the middle and upper basins. Restoration efforts in Alewife Cove centering on altered bydrology resulted in selected positive changes. Increases in tidal flow altered environmental conditons in the middle and upper basins where shifts in infaunal community structure indicated decreases in organic loading of sediments over 2–3 yr. Continued changes in the physical dynamics of the lower reach reduced tidal flow, arresting the positive ecological changes that were beginning to occur. This type of restoration approach of small estuaries can have positive results, but there may be a lag in the ecological response of the system. Macrobenthic communities, in particular summer abundance patterns of selected species, provided an integrated assessment of ecological changes in the Cove.  相似文献   

15.
This paper examines how perennial Aster tripolium and annual Salicornia procumbens salt marshes alter the biomass, density, taxon diversity, and community structure of benthic macrofauna, and also examines the role of elevation, sediment grain size, plant cover, and marsh age. Core samples were collected on a fixed grid on an intertidal flat in the Westerschelde estuary (51.4° N, 4.1° E) over 5 years (2004–2008) of salt marsh development. In unvegetated areas, macrobenthic biomass, density, and taxon diversity were highest when elevation was highest, benthic diatoms were most abundant, and sediment median grain size was smallest. In contrast, in salt marsh areas, macrobenthic biomass and taxon diversity increased with median grain size, while the effects of elevation and diatom abundance on macrobenthic biomass, density, and diversity were not significant. In fine sediments, macrofaunal community structure in the salt marsh was particularly affected; common polychaetes such as Nereis diversicolor, Heteromastus filiformis, and Pygospio elegans had low abundance and oligochaetes had high abundance. Marsh age had a negative influence on the density of macrofauna, and A. tripolium stands had lower macrofaunal densities than the younger S. procumbens stands. There were no significant effects of marsh age, plant cover, and vegetation type on macrobenthic biomass, taxon diversity, and community structure. The results highlight that ecosystem engineering effects of salt marsh plants on macrofauna are conditional. Organic enrichment of the sediment and mechanical hindering of macrofaunal activity by plant roots are proposed as plausible mechanisms for the influence of the salt marsh plants on macrofauna.  相似文献   

16.
We determined tidal, diel (day-night), and diurnal (day to day) patterns of occurrence for the summer zooplankton assemblage in an intertidal salt marsh basin at North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina. In one time series, 153 μm pump and 365 μm net collections were made every 1–2 h during four consecutive tidal cycles. Taxonomic composition remained unchanged throughout most of the 48-h period, but densities and proportionalities of individual taxa were highly variable. Recurring patterns of abundance were observed and taxon-specific relationships with the tidal and diel cycles were indicated. Zooplankton were not uniformly distributed within flooding-ebbing water masses and distributions could not be explained by simple passive advection with the tides. Diel differences in densities of copepods and bivalves resulted from behavioral responses to changing light conditions. Large pulses of crab and shrimp larvae originating from nocturnal hatching events within the intertidal basin exited but did not return during the next flood tide. Higher densities of postlarval decapods on flood tides indicated settlement and recruitment to the shallow basin. In a second time series, replicated collections of the 153 μm and 365 μm assemblages were made during the daytime ebb tide every 1–3 d from May through October 1991 to determine relationships between diurnal changes in depth, salinity, and temperature and zooplankton composition and abundance. Diurnal variations in densities and proportionalities were less than those observed during the 48-h study and patterns were not regular. For most taxa, relationships between depth and abundance were the same in both time series. During periods of reduced salinity, densities of copepods,Uca zoeae, and barnacle nauplii decreased and densities ofUca megalopae andPenaeus postlarvae increased. However, zoeae emerged and postlarvae recruited throughout the 5-mo period, indicating that considerable flexibility in responses and tolerances existed within the populations. The diversity of life-history strategies and behavioral adaptations found among the zooplankton assures continuous occupation of flooded intertidal habitats. We suspect that the evolution and maintenance of temporally staggered recurring patterns of occurrence results in reductions in the competition for resources.  相似文献   

17.
Rates of sea level rise associated with climate change are predicted to increase in the future, potentially altering ecosystems at all ecological levels. Sea level rise can increase the extent of brackish water intrusion into freshwater ecosystems, which in turn can affect the structure and function of resident microbial communities. In this study, we performed a year-long mesocosm experiment using intact tidal freshwater marsh sediment cores to examine the effect of a 5-part per thousand (ppt) salinity increase on the diversity and community composition of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes. We used a clone library approach to examine the dsrA gene, which encodes an important catalytic enzyme in sulfate reduction. Our results indicate that tidal freshwater marshes contain extremely diverse communities of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Members of these communities were, on average, only 71 % similar to known cultured sulfate reducers and 81 % similar to previously sequenced environmental clones. Salinity and associated increases in sulfate availability did not significantly affect the diversity or community composition of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes. However, carbon quality and quantity, which correlated with depth, were found to be the strongest drivers of sulfate-reducing community structure. Our study demonstrates that the sulfate-reducing community in tidal freshwater marsh sediments appears resistant to increased salinity in the face of sea level rise. Additionally, the microorganisms that comprise this sulfate-reducing community appear to be unique to tidal freshwater marsh sediments and may represent novel lineages of previously undescribed sulfate reducers.  相似文献   

18.
感潮河段水位过程预报探讨   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
感潮河段水位过程同时受径流、潮流影响,其预报较为困难.将水位过程视为时间序列,用不同的模型进行了预报比较,认为以潮汐作用为主的水位预报可采用神经网络模型,对高水位预报可采用ARMA(2,1)模型,而对洪水作用为主的河道,各模型的预报能力均有待提高  相似文献   

19.
Nutrient availability is known to mediate plant community structure in many systems, but relatively few studies of nutrient effects have been done in systems where strong gradients in physical stress might constrain the effects of nutrients. Recent studies in New England, United States, salt marshes indicate that nutrients may strongly mediate plant community composition by increasing the competitive ability of stress-tolerant species that are normally displaced by competition to recently-disturbed or low-intertidal habitats. It is unknown whether these results can be generalized to salt marshes in other geographic regions that experience different climates, tidal regimes, and edaphic conditions. To address the generality of these results from New England, we fertilized seven different mixtures of salt marsh plants at study sites on the southeast and Gulf coasts of the U.S. Two of these mixtures were studied in both geographic regions. Consistent with results from New England, fertilization always increased the biomass of the low-marsh dominantSpartina alterniflora and usually led to it increasing in dominance at the expense of high-marsh species. Fertilization also led to increased community dominance byDistichlis, but only in a mixture where it was already common. Fertilization led to changes in plant dominance patterns in four of the seven types of mixtures that we studied. Results were not a function of edaphic conditions, at least within the range included in our study, and were consistent between the southeastern and Gulf coasts, which experience markedly different tidal regimes. The broad similarity of these results suggests that changes in nutrient input may lead to predictable changes in the composition of similar salt marsh plant communities across large geographic areas despite site to site variation in the abiotic environment.  相似文献   

20.
Distributions of mangroves in coastal wetlands are influenced by abiotic conditions and the net effect of biotic interactions, including competition, facilitation, and consumer pressure. In coastal wetlands, early successional shrubs, herbs, and grasses may facilitate recruitment of mangroves through multiple mechanisms, including amelioration of environmental conditions, propagule trapping, and structural support. In Mosquito Lagoon, FL, we observed an aggregated distribution of Rhizophora mangle propagules along vegetated shorelines with Batis maritima and Sarcocornia perennis and hypothesized that this distribution was a result of propagule trapping by the vegetation. We designed a field experiment to evaluate retention of R. mangle propagules on vegetated and unvegetated shorelines in Mosquito Lagoon. Significant differences were found in the retention time of mangrove propagules at each shoreline type, with vegetated shorelines retaining propagules significantly longer than unvegetated shorelines. Results from this study help to define facilitative mechanisms which may be important in successional processes of coastal wetlands and have direct restoration applications. Successful recovery of mangroves at restoration sites may be facilitated by establishment of B. maritima and S. perennis, when natural propagule sources are available, or through planting mangrove seedlings into existing stands of these halophytes when restoration areas are propagule-limited.  相似文献   

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