Influences of Salinity and Light Availability on Abundance and Distribution of Tidal Freshwater and Oligohaline Submersed Aquatic Vegetation |
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| Authors: | Erin C Shields Kenneth A Moore David B Parrish |
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| Institution: | (1) Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA |
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| Abstract: | Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities have undergone declines worldwide, exposing them to invasions from non-native
species. Over the past decade, the invasive species Hydrilla verticillata has been documented in several tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. We used annual aerial mapping surveys from
1998 to 2007, integrated with spatial analyses of water quality data, to analyze the patterns and rates of change of a H. verticillata-dominated SAV community and relate them to varying salinity and light conditions. Periods of declining SAV coverage corresponded
to periods where salinities exceeded 7 and early growing season (April to May) Secchi depths were <0.4 m. Increases were driven
by the expansion of H. verticillata along with several other species into the upper estuary, where some areas experienced an 80% increase in cover. Field investigations
revealed H. verticillata dominance to be limited to the upper estuary where total suspended solid concentrations during the early growing season were
<15 mg l−1 and salinity remained <3. The effect of poor early growing season water clarity on annual SAV growth highlights the importance
of water quality during this critical life stage. Periods of low clarity combined with periodic salinity intrusions may limit
the dominance of H. verticillata in these types of estuarine systems. This study shows the importance of the use of these types of biologically relevant episodic
events to supplement seasonal habitat requirements and also provides evidence for the potential important role of invasive
species in SAV community recovery. |
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