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1.
Spatial distribution patterns ofScirpus validus were studied in tidal marshes of the lower Savannah River. The hypothesis that changes in spatial pattern forS. validus would accompany differences in environmental parameters was tested by sampling densities and biomass along environmental gradients of salinity and elevation. Coefficients of dispersion were calculated forS. validus and used to compare spatial patterns among freshwater, midly oligohaline, strongly oligohaline, and mesohaline tidal marshes. Results indicated significantly greater clumping ofS. validus in mesohaline marsh than in freshwater marsh. Only the mildly oligohaline site supported a random population ofS. validus, while the strongly oligohaline marsh supported a uniform spatial distribution. Spatial pattern and relative importance ofS. validus, as well as composition of co-occurring species, changed significantly with changing salinity. The relations between changes in relative importance ofS. validus and differences in soil organic matter and elevation were also significant.  相似文献   

2.
Species of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are frequently used in the management of estuarine systems to set restoration goals, nutrient load reduction goals, and water quality targets. As human need for water increases, the amount of freshwater required by estuaries has become an increasingly important issue. While the, science of establishing the freshwater needs of estuaries is not well developed, recent attempts have emphasized the freshwater requirements of fisheries. We evaluate the hypothesis that SAV can be used to establish freshwater inflow needs. Salinity tolerance data from laboratory and field studies of SAV in the Caloosahatchee estuary, Florida, are used to estimate a minimum flow required to maintain the salt-tolerant freshwater species,Vallisneria americana, at the head of the estuary and a maximum flow required to prevent mortality, of the marine speciesHalodule wrightii at its mouth. ForV. americana, laboratory experiments showed that little or no growth occurred between 10‰ and 15‰ In the field, lower shoot densities (<400 shoots m?2) were associated with salinities greater than 10‰. Results forH. wrightii were more variable than forV. americana. Laboratory experiments indicated that mortality could occur at salinities <6‰, with little growth occurring between 6‰ and 12‰. Field data indicated that higher blade densities (>600 blades m?2) tend to occur at salinities greater than 12‰ Relationships between salinity in the estuary and discharge from the Caloosahatchee River indicated that flows>8.5 m3 s?1 would produce tolerable salinity (<10‰) forV. americana and flows<89 m3 s?1 would avoid lethal salinities (<6‰) forH. wrightii.  相似文献   

3.
Survival of the tubicolous amphipodAmpelisca abdita in a sediment toxicity test was negatively correlated with the presence of indigenousNephtys incisa. The gut contents ofN. incisa held in uncontaminated sediment included identifiable portions of the amphipods.A. abdita andMicrodeutopus gryllotalpa. Although most nephtyid polychaete worms are active predators,Nephtys incisa has been considered a nonselective deposit-feeder. We coclude thatN. incisa will prey upon amphipods under laboratory conditions. This predation may be a factor in the exclusion of surface-dwelling amphipods from theNephtys-Nucula community common in southern New England.  相似文献   

4.
Kinetics of microbial sulfate reduction in estuarine sediments   总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2  
Kinetic parameters of microbial sulfate reduction in intertidal sediments from a freshwater, brackish and marine site of the Scheldt estuary (Belgium, the Netherlands) were determined. Sulfate reduction rates (SRR) were measured at 10, 21, and 30 °C, using both flow-through reactors containing intact sediment slices and conventional sediment slurries. At the three sites, and for all depth intervals studied (0-2, 2-4, 4-6 and 6-8 cm), the dependence of potential SRR on the sulfate concentration followed the Michaelis-Menten rate equation. Apparent sulfate half-saturation concentrations, Km, measured in the flow-through reactor experiments were comparable at the freshwater and marine sites (0.1-0.3 mM), but somewhat higher at the brackish site (0.4-0.9 mM). Maximum potential SRR, Rmax, in the 0-4 cm depth interval of the freshwater sediments were similar to those in the 0-6 cm interval of the marine sediments (10-46 nmol cm−3 h−1 at 21 °C), despite much lower in situ sulfate availability and order-of-magnitude lower densities of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), at the freshwater site. Values of Rmax in the brackish sediments were lower (3.7-7.6 nmol cm−3 h−1 at 21 °C), probably due to less labile organic matter, as inferred from higher Corg/N ratios. Inflow solutions supplemented with lactate enhanced potential SRR at all three sites. Slurry incubations systematically yielded higher Rmax values than flow-through reactor experiments for the freshwater and brackish sediments, but similar values for the marine sediments. Transport limitation of potential SRR at the freshwater and brackish sites may be related to the lower sediment porosities and SRB densities compared to the marine site. Multiple rate controls, including sulfate availability, organic matter quality, temperature, and SRB abundance, modulate in situ sulfate-reducing activity along the estuarine salinity gradient.  相似文献   

5.
Bimonthly variations in shoot density, biomass, and blade productivity were used to estimate diel rates of primary productivity in conjunction with in situ measurements of photosynthesis and irradiance for a monospecific meadow ofHalodule wrightii Ascherson in Laguna Madre, Texas. Four separate techniques for estimating areal primary productivity were compared to estimates of primary production calculated from in situ measurements of photosynthesis and continuous recording of underwater light using the Hsat model. The clip and reharvest method, which is commonly used to measure shoot production, provided estimates ranging from 0.003 mol C m?2 d?1 in winter to 0.054 mol C m?2 d?1 in summer. In contrast, a method using aboveground biomass values, previously determined turnover rates, and belowground: aboveground biomass ratios provided estimates of primary production ranging from 0.04 mol C m?2 d?1 (winter) to 0.49 mol C m?2 d?1 (spring), similar to values determined from the Hsat model using in situ measurements of photosynthesis and ambient light regimes. Our results indicate that the clip and reharvest method dramatically underestimates primary productivity forH. wrightii, and that the inclusion of belowground biomass in carbon budget calculations is essential to obtaining realistic estimates of plant productivity. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY069 00022  相似文献   

6.
Data are presented from several experiments in the freshwater-saltwater interface (FSI) region of the Tamar Estuary. Longitudinal surveys of salinity and suspended particulate matter (SPM) at high water showed that the location of the FSI could be predicted in terms of a power-law regression with freshwater runoff. Longitudinal transects also were surveyed over periods of several hours. The FSI was observed to advect into the region on the flood with strong vertical mixing. After high water, stratification became intense as fresher water ebbed in the surface layers. The near-bed water in the stratified region began to ebb between 2 h and 3 h before low water. A model of the vertical structure of longitudinal currents showed that the enhanced stratification on the ebb, coupled with the longitudinal density gradient, partly produced this long period of slack, near-bed currents following high water. A strong turbidity maximum (TM) occurred during spring tides and was located slightly up-estuary of the FSI at high water. Longitudinal transects during a period of low freshwater runoff and large neap tide showed that at the start of the flood the TM was associated with the FSI region. As the FSI advected up-estuary on the flood there was considerable resuspension of sediment at the FSI. Some of this SPM moved with the FSI and reached the limit of saline intrusion, where it formed a slowly-eroding TM as particles settled during the long, high-water slack period. As the near-bed currents increased on the ebb and the FSI moved down-estuary, strong vertical mixing and resuspension of recently deposited sediment occurred in the unstratified water behind the FSI and the associated TM advected down-estuary. Additional effects were present with stronger tides and increased runoff.  相似文献   

7.
The establishment of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) at unvegetated sites in the freshwater tidal Potomac River was limited primarily by factors other than propagule availability. For two years, traps were used to quantify the amount of plant material reaching three unvegetated sites over the growing season. The calculated flux values provided a gross estimate of the flux of propagules that could potentially survive if other site factors were suitable. The mean flux ofHydrilla verticillata and all other species (≥0.01 gdw m?2 d?1) appeared sufficient to favor the establishment of vegetation, particularly considering the high viability (70–100%) of whole plants and fragments under controlled conditions. However, median water clarity values (i.e., for light attenuation, Secchi depth, total suspended solids, and chlorophylla) were below SAV restoration goals at all unvegetated sites. Additionally, sediments from unvegetated sites showed a potential for nitrogen limitation of the growth ofH. verticillata. Our findings support the hypothesis that in the tidal Potomac River, water clarity and nutrient (especially nitrogen) levels in sediment are key to plant community establishment.  相似文献   

8.
A methodology for the isolation ofRuppia maritima L. into algal-free laboratory culture is described. Seeds were surface sterilized with 96% ethyl alcohol of pH 2, kept for several months in cold storage at 7°C, and subsequently transferred to 25°C to induce germination. Basic culture conditions are discussed and a vessel of easy maintenance and sterilization forRuppia culture in ground glass sediments is presented. Minor modifications of this methodology might permit contaminant-free laboratory cultures of other estuarine and marine spermatophytes.  相似文献   

9.
Small blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 43–70 mm carapace width) can influence the size-distribution of the gastropod,Bittium varium, strongly reducing the contribution of snails >3 mm shell length in field enclosures. We test the hypothesis that these size-dependent effects are due to size-selective predation rather than size-dependent emigration from the field enclosures. In laboratory feeding trials, blue crabs showed negative selectivity for snails <2.5 mm and positive selectivity for snails >3.3 mm. When feeding, blue crabs crushBittium shells, but the opercula are deposited undamaged in the sediment. Sediment from a field enclosure experiment contained 6.5× moreBittium opercula from enclosures with blue crabs than from enclosures without blue crabs. We reconstructed the size distribution ofBittium killed by blue crabs from the opercula recovered from sediment. This distribution qualitatively matched those “missing” from the size frequency distribution of surviving snails. Estimates of selectivity from laboratory feeding trials predicted the pattern of size-selection fromBittium killed in the enclosures. We also estimated Strauss's linear index of selectivity and Chesson's α based on the size distribution of snails available during the field enclosure experiment. These indices predicted both the pattern of selectivity and the size distribution ofBittium killed in enclosures with blue crabs. We conclude that size-selective predation by blue crabs can explain the observed shifts inBittium size distributions.  相似文献   

10.
Although the sediments of coastal marine mangrove forests have been considered a minor source of atmospheric methane, these estimates have been based on sparse data from similar areas. We have gathered evidence that shows that external nutrient and freshwater loading in mangrove sediments may have a significant effect on methane flux. Experiments were performed to examine methane fluxes from anaerobic sediments in a mangrove forest subjected to secondary sewage effluents on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. Emission rates were measured in situ using a static chamber technique, and subsequent laboratory analysis of samples was by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. Results indicate that methane flux rates were lowest at the landward fringe nearest to the effluent discharge, higher in the seaward fringe occupied by red mangroves, and highest in the transition zone between black and red mangrove communities, with average values of 4 mg CH4 m?2 d?1, 42 mg CH4 m?2 d?1, and 82 mg CH4 m?2 d?1, respectively. Overall mean values show these sediments may emit as much as 40 times more methane than unimpacted pristine areas. Pneumatophores ofAviciennia germinans have been found to serve as conduits to the atmosphere for this gas. Fluctuating water level overlying the mangrove sediment is an important environmental factor controlling seasonal and interannual CH4 flux variations. Environmental controls such as freshwater inputs and increased nutrient loading influence in situ methane emissions from these environments.  相似文献   

11.
Monthly field sampling of active animals in a Louisiana coastal salt marsh monitored changes in size class frequency distributions, ovarian development of females, and rates of egg extrusion for two species ofUca endemic to the Gulf of Mexico. Ovigerous females occurred no earlier than February forUca spinicarpa and April forUca longisignalis. Peak percentages of ovigerous females were observed in June 1992 forUca longisignalis (67%) and in March 1993 forUca spinicarpa (85%). Peaks in ash-free dry weight (AFDW, in g) of females coincide with peak periods of ovarian development and subsequent ovigery. Mean biomass as AFDW of males and females combined forUca longisignalis was 0.26 g individual?1 and forUca spinicarpa was 0.17 g individual?1. A significant correlation existed between AFDW and carapace width in both species, males and females.U. longisignalis appears to be of warm-temperate lineage, and its reproductive activity is the more seasonally restricted, with later ovarian development, earliest egg laying delayed to late spring, and peak ovigery in summer. In keeping with putative tropical affinities ofUca spinicarpa, ovarian development is episodic over a longer-period from late winter to summer, and eggs are produced earlier in the year. The more striking seasonality in reproductive activity and biomass peaks forUca longisignalis may also reflect some nutritional dependency on temperate, annual marsh plants that characterize its preferred habitats.  相似文献   

12.
Setty and Nigam (1980) had described 72 species of benthonic foraminifers from 25 inner shelf stations off central West Coast of India and the results showed somewhat patchy and anamolous distributions. This paper presents the results ofQ-mode factor analysis, which was applied to reduce the number of variables into assemblages. The analysis reveals 4 important foraminiferal assemblages.Ammonia beccarii—Ammonia annectens assemblage,Nonion boueanum—Florilus scaphum assemblage.Trochammina inflata assemblage andBulimina exilis assemblage. They can be related to freshwater run-off and organic matter contents of the sediment.  相似文献   

13.
A benthic annular flume for both laboratory and in situ deployment on intertidal mudflats is described. The flume provides a means of quantifying material flux (i.e., biodeposition of suspended particulates, sediment resuspension, nutrients, oxygen, and contaminants) across the sediment-water interface in relation to changes in current velocity and benthic community structure and/or population density of key macrofauna species. Flume experiments have investigated the impact of the infaunal bivalveMacoma balthica and the epifaunal bivalveMytilus edulis on seston and sediment flux at the sediment-water interface. The bioturbatorMacoma was found to increase the sediment resuspension and/or erodability by 4-fold, at densities similar to those recorded at the Skeffling mudflat (Humber estuary) (i.e., >1000 individuals m?2). There was a significant correlation between sediment resuspension andMacoma density (r=0.99; p<0.001), which supported previous in situ field observations indicating bioturbation byMacoma enhanced sediment erodability. Biodeposition rates (g m?2 h1) ofMytilus edulis andCerastoderma edule were quantified and related to changes in population density in a mussel bed (Cleethorpes, Humber estuary). Biodeposition rates were up to 40-times the natural sedimentation rates. At the highest mussel bed densities (i.e., 50–100% cover or >1400 mussels m?2) the physical presence of this epifaunal bivalve on the sediment surface reduced erosion by 10-fold. The shift from net biodeposition to net erosion occurred at current velocities of 20–25 cm s?1. These results demonstrate that infaunal and epifaunal bivalves can have a significant impact on seston flux or sediment deposition and on sediment resuspension or erodability in estuaries where there are extensive mudflats.  相似文献   

14.
Nutrient limitation of the rhizophytic macroalgaPenicillus capitatus found associated with subtropical seagrass meadows in Bermuda was determined from enrichment assays and subsequent tissue analyses. The photosynthetic response ofP. capitatus to additions of inorganic nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P), measured as oxygen evolution in closed incubation chambers, increased significantly in both the 16 h and 6 d experiments only with nitrogen enrichment. The average photosynthetic response for all treatments was virtually identical in the two experiments, indicating that there was not a significant time lag in nutrient uptake and that the short term (16 h) assay accurately reflected the longer term (6 d) photosynthetic response to nutrient enrichment. Average tissue nitrogen levels for the nitrogen-treated algae were 29% higher than the phosphorus-treated algae and 18% greater than the controls, corroborating the results from the photosynthesis assay.P. capitatus may acquire nutrients directly from sediment sources via rhizoid holdfasts. Ratios of total dissolved nitrogen (TN) to total dissolved phosphorus (TP) in pore water at 10 and 20 cm depths (6.1 and 4.5, respectively) indicate a nitrogen-limited nutrient pool. These low pore water TN:TP ratios may be a function of a limited sorptive capacity of the calcium carbonate sediments for phosphate, anthropogenic nutrient inputs, or high rates of denitrification, all of which would induce N rather than P limitation in these carbonate-rich sediments.  相似文献   

15.
Deposit-feeders often select for particles on the basis of grain size. The available pool of particles at the sediment surface may be modified both by deposit-feeder activity and by sediment transport, but the effects of these alterations on deposit-feeder diet composition have received little attention. In laboratory experiments the spionid polychaeteParaprionospio pinnata altered the grain-size composition in its foraging area, and these alterations were reflected in grain-size changes in the diet. After simulated transport of fine-grain sediments,P. pinnata diets also changed in grain-size composition. Field data were collected from 9 m depth in the lower Chesapeake Bay. A video camera, deployed near the bottom, identified times of sediment transport over a 6-h Period;P. pinnata were collected concurrently for gut analysis. Consistent with predictions from the laboratory experiments,P. pinnata ingested primarily small-grain sizes. During periods of no sediment transport this feeding pattern reduced the relative availability of small particles; larger sediments were incorporated into the diet. Sediment transport may resupply the foraging area with fine-grain particles which are then incorporated into the diet. On these small spatial and time scales, deposit-feeder activity may affect the availability of food resources.  相似文献   

16.
Gaseous methane loss from a brackish, intertidal salt marsh sediment was measured in April, June, August, and October 1977. Twenty-four sediment cores were taken on each date. Annual loss of methane carbon from the mud flats was 10.7 g CH4?C per m2 per year, a value closer to freshwater values than marine systems. Loss of methane fromSpartina peat was low.  相似文献   

17.
We investigated the electrophoretically detectable variation at nine protein loci in seven populations ofCyathura polita and one population of the closely relatedC. burbancki from the Atlantic coast of North America. The average proportion of the genome heterozygous per individual \((\bar H)\) inC. polita ranges from about 0% in New Brunswick and Massachusetts to 9.3% in a Georgia population. \(\bar H\) in the population ofC. burbancki was 2.6%. On the basis of our results,C. polita can be separated into two geographic forms,northern (New Brunswick, Massachusetts, and Maryland) andsouthern (Georgia and Florida). The genetic distances between the southern and northernC. polita are similar to the genetic distances reported between species of several other invertebrate groups. Our genetic data support the idea that the northern and southern forms ofC. polita andC. burbancki comprise a triad of species that diverged from each other 2–3 million years ago. Since we know nothing about the genetic structure of populations ofCyathura between Georgia and Maryland, this interpretation must be considered preliminary.  相似文献   

18.
Following heavy winter storms and sedimentation in 1993,Spartina foliosa (Pacific cordgrass) clones established on a 6.5-ha mudflat in Tijuana Estuary, with over 80 new clones counted by 1997. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) storms in 1993 apparently facilitated the habitat conversion through river flooding, which caused a temporary reduction in soil salinity and delivered large volumes of sediment. Extreme sedimentation likely raised mudflat elevations enough to allowSpartina establishment. We hypothesized that clones, once established, increased sedimentation in a positive feedback loop leading to accelerated habitat conversion. We collected data on elevation,Spartina expansion, and sediment accretion in two consecutive years (1998–1999). The elevation range of the mudflats in 1998 (0.5–0.83 m NGVD) was within the elevation range ofSpartina at this site (0.39–0.83 m NGVD), indicating that remaining mudflats are at elevations suitable for further expansion. Sediment accretion ranged from 4.0–12.7 cm between 1997–1998 (ENSO conditions), but was close to long-term averages (? cm yr?1) in 1998–1999 (nonflood year) indicating how susceptible Tijuana Estuary is to sedimentation from episodic storms. Although accretion rates were similar withinSpartina clones and on bare mudflats over the ENSO winter, clones were typically dome-shaped suggesting higher sediment retention rates within clones. The radial expansion rates of clones (1.31±0.25 m in 1998; 1.12±0.07 m in 1999) approximated the maxima reported for this species and were not related to clone size or vigor. Conditions on the mudflat appear ideal forSpartina growth, masking differences that might otherwise be observed. Given the likelihood of sedimentation-driven habitat conversion in southern California and other Mediterranean-type estuaries, management efforts are needed to address sedimentation issues on a watershed scale. We recommend that wetland restoration projects in southern California include large areas of intertidal mudflat, both to maintain habitat for shorebird feeding and to allow colonization by salt marsh vegetation.  相似文献   

19.
The modelling of CO2 intrusion into virtual freshwater aquifers after a leakage from CO2 storage formations is a well-established approach for the identification of monitoring parameters and for the risk assessment. At presence, standard or close-to-standard conditions in terms of temperature (T), i.e. 25?°C and pressure (P), i.e. 1?C5?bar, are assumed. This approach neglects the fact that temperature and pressure conditions change with the depth of the freshwater aquifer. This study tests the accuracy of T?CP corrections of the geochemical constants in the system gaseous CO2?Cwater?Cmineral which are performed by the simulators PhreeqC (Parkhurst and Appelo in User??s guide to phreeqc (version 2)??a computer program for speciation, batch reaction, one-dimensional transport, and inverse geochemical calculations. Technical report, US Department of the Interior, 1999) and TOUGHREACT (Xu et?al. in Toughreact user??s guide: a simulation program for non-isothermal multiphase reactive geochemical transport in variably saturated geologic media. Technical report, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2004). It further identifies the impact of T and P variations on the predicted concentrations of the monitoring parameters pH and total inorganic carbon (TIC) and on the predicted concentration of the trace metal lead (Pb) in 3D multiphase-multicomponent simulations of virtual aquifers. The results reveal a strong imprecision in the correction of kinetic rates of mineral dissolution and a lack of corrections of sorption equilibrium states. The predicted pH and concentrations of TIC and lead depend strongly on the assumed T and P conditions. It is concluded that a neglect of T and P effects results in inaccurate predictions of groundwater chemistry. The impact assessment and monitoring strategies based on currently available modelling results consequently require strong improvements.  相似文献   

20.
Changes in paleoecology and climate of northern Tunisia during the last 3000 years were reconstructed based on the flood history interpreted from a 172-cm sediment core of Lake Ichkeul (NW Tunisia). Seven wet/dry episodes were identified based on biological (ostracods, foraminifera and mollusks) and biotic indices (H and E index, species richness and abundance). These proxy-based environmental changes were supported by correspondence analyses (CAs) and ecophenotypic responses of the brackish taxon Cyprideis torosa in addition to a grain-size study. Two dry episodes were identified in the lower (EP1) and upper (EP7) parts of the core. These were marked by the dominance of the brackish ostracod C. torosa. High water salinity was indicated by the presence of the brackish ostracod Loxoconcha elliptica, the foraminifer Ammonia sp. and lagoonal mollusks. The occurrence of the freshwater ostracods Ilyocypris sp., Herpetocypris sp., Dawinula stevensoni and Limnocythere inopinata was associated with high species richness and ecophenotypic changes of C. torosa valves indicating lower salinity during three major wet episodes (EP2, EP4, and EP6). The ecological and environmental changes, occurring between 3050 and 50 cal. year BP, are most likely linked to an increase of fluvial inputs which are also recognized in several other Mediterranean lakes. The humid episodes were interrupted by two saline periods (EP3 and EP5) during which freshwater ostracod assemblages declined, diversity indices dropped to the lowest values, and fine-grained sediments became dominant. The top of the core is characterized by the remarkable dominance of L. elliptica coupled with C. torosa, the absence of freshwater ostracods, and the changes in grain-size sediment parameters which are most likely the result of anthropogenic activities. The changes in hydrochemistry and sedimentology were attributed to the deepening of the Bizerte navigation canal, main wadis damming, and Tinja sluice construction which mostly occurred in the XXth century.  相似文献   

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