Salt Marsh Fucoid Algae: Overlooked Ecosystem Engineers of North Temperate Salt Marshes
| Autor: | Sarah A. Eberhardt, Megan C. Tyrrell, Michele Dionne |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Biomass (ecology)
geography geography.geographical_feature_category Marsh Ecology biology Aquatic Science biology.organism_classification Spartina alterniflora Ecosystem engineer Oceanography Algae Salt marsh Temperate climate Environmental science Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Trophic level |
| Zdroj: | Estuaries and Coasts. 35:754-762 |
| ISSN: | 1559-2731 1559-2723 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12237-011-9472-9 |
| Popis: | Salt marsh fucoid algae are a conspicuous component of north temperate marshes, yet comparatively little research has been conducted to examine their ecological effects. We examined the influence of salt marsh fucoids on physical conditions and the biotic community in a manipulative experiment conducted in a southern Maine back-barrier salt marsh. The biomass of salt marsh fucoids was higher than that of aboveground Spartina alterniflora in the zone where we conducted the experiment. Average daytime temperatures at the sediment surface were significantly reduced by the presence of salt marsh fucoids. Density and biomass of standing-dead S. alterniflora was significantly higher when salt marsh fucoids were removed. In contrast, the abundance of various species of epifauna and infauna were significantly enhanced by the presence of salt marsh fucoids. A regional survey indicated that results from the study site may be conservative because the biomass of salt marsh fucoids was lowest among other back-barrier marshes. Salt marsh fucoids are little studied ecosystem engineers whose presence affects the microclimate and biotic community, especially the animals that constitute the basal components of the salt marsh trophic relay. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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