Carbon and nitrogen dynamics of the intertidal seagrass, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera japonica</Emphasis>, on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula |
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| Authors: | Jong-Hyeob Kim Seung Hyeon Kim Young Kyun Kim Kun-Seop Lee |
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| Institution: | 1.Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences,Pusan National University,Busan,Korea;2.Marine Eco-Technology Institute,Busan,Korea;3.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology,Gwangju,Korea |
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| Abstract: | Seagrasses require a large amount of nutrient assimilation to support high levels of production, and thus nutrient limitation for growth often occurs in seagrass habitats. Seagrasses can take up nutrients from both the water column and sediments. However, since seagrasses inhabiting in the intertidal zones are exposed to the air during low tide, the intertidal species may exhibit significantly different carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics compared to the subtidal species. To examine C and N dynamics of the intertidal seagrass, Zostera japonica, C and N content and stable isotope ratios of above- and below-ground tissues were measured monthly at the three intertidal zones in Koje Bay on the southern coast of Korea. The C and N content and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) ratios of seagrass tissues exhibited significant seasonal variations. Both leaf and rhizome C content were not significantly correlated with productivity. Leaf δ13C values usually exhibited negative correlations with leaf productivity. These results of tissue C content and δ13C values suggest that photosynthesis of Z. japonica in the study site was not limited by inorganic C supply, and sufficient inorganic C was provided from the atmosphere. The tissue N content usually exhibited negative correlations with leaf productivity except at the upper intertidal zone, suggesting that Z. japonica growth was probably limited by N availability during high growing season. In the upper intertidal zone, no correlations between leaf productivity and tissue elemental content and stable isotope ratios were observed due to the severely suppressed growth caused by strong desiccation stress. |
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