Invasive cordgrass modifies wetland trophic function

Vascular plants strongly control belowground environments in most ecosystems. Invasion by vascular plants in coastal wetlands, and by cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) in particular, are increasing in incidence globally, with dramatic ecosystem-level consequences. We examined the trophic consequences of invasion by a Spartina hybrid (S. alterniflora x S. foliosa) in San Francisco Bay (USA) by documenting differences in biomass and trophic structure of benthic communities between sediments invaded by Spartina and uninvaded sediments. We found the invaded system shifted from an algae-based to a detritus-based food web. We then tested for a relationship between diet and tolerance to invasion, hypothesizing that species that consume Spartina detritus are more likely to inhabit invaded sediments than those that consume surface algae. Infaunal diets were initially examined with natural abundance stable isotope analyses and application of mixing models, but these yielded an ambiguous picture of food sources. Therefore, we conducted isotopic enrichment experiments by providing 15N-labeled Spartina detritus both on and below the sediment surface in areas that either contained Spartina or were unvegetated. Capitellid and nereid polychaetes, and oligochaetes, groups shown to persist following Spartina invasion of San Francisco Bay tidal flats, took up 15N from labeled native and invasive Spartina detritus. In contrast, we found that amphipods, bivalves, and other taxa less tolerant to invasion consumed primarily surficial algae, based on 13C enrichment experiments. Habitat (Spartina vs. unvegetated patches) and location of detritus (on or within sediments) did not affect 15N uptake from detritus. Our investigations support a "trophic shift" model for ecosystem response to wetland plant invasion and preview loss of key trophic support for fishes and migratory birds by shifting dominance to species not widely consumed by species at higher trophic levels.     

外源氮输入对互花米草生长及叶特征的影响

入侵种互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）是滨海盐沼湿地的多年生草本植物,研究人类活动引起的外源氮输入对其生长的影响有助于了解滨海湿地生态系统结构和功能的未来变化趋势。运用随机区组试验设计方法,模拟海滩水分条件（间歇淹水和持续淹水）,研究了互花米草的地上部生物量、叶片光合特征以及形态特征对外源氮输入的响应。结果表明：互花米草地上部生物量在施氮条件下显著增加,且在土壤处于间歇淹水状态时表现更为明显;施氮条件下植株分蘖数比对照处理分别增加了60.0%和60.2%,是引起地上部生物量增加的主要原因。施加氮素促进了互花米草叶片的生长,叶面积、叶数、叶长和叶宽均显著增加,而叶数的变化是导致植物叶面积增加的主要因素。外源氮输入促进了互花米草叶绿素含量的增加,而对净光合速率的季节变化特征无明显影响。持续淹水处理的植物地上部生物量、生长速率、分蘖数、净光合速率和叶面积均低于间歇淹水处理,说明持续淹水状态对互花米草生长造成了一定的抑制作用。     

Nutrient subsidies to belowground microbes impact aboveground food web interactions

Historically, terrestrial food web theory has been compartmentalized into interactions among aboveground or belowground communities. In this study we took a more synthetic approach to understanding food web interactions by simultaneously examining four trophic levels and investigating how nutrient (nitrogen and carbon) and detrital subsidies impact the ability of the belowground microbial community to alter the abundance of aboveground arthropods (herbivores and predators) associated with the intertidal cord grass Spartina alterniflora. We manipulated carbon, nitrogen, and detrital resources in a field experiment and measured decomposition rate, soil nitrogen pools, plant biomass and quality, herbivore density, and arthropod predator abundance. Because carbon subsidies impact plant growth only indirectly (microbial pathways), whereas nitrogen additions both directly (plant uptake) and indirectly (microbial pathways) impact plant primary productivity, we were able to assess the effect of both belowground soil microbes and nutrient availability on aboveground herbivores and their predators. Herbivore density in the field was suppressed by carbon supplements. Carbon addition altered soil microbial dynamics (net potential ammonification, litter decomposition rate, DON [dissolved organic N] concentration), which limited inorganic soil nitrogen availability and reduced plant size as well as predator abundance. Nitrogen addition enhanced herbivore density by increasing plant size and quality directly by increasing inorganic soil nitrogen pools, and indirectly by enhancing microbial nitrification. Detritus adversely affected aboveground herbivores mainly by promoting predator aggregation. To date, the effects of carbon and nitrogen subsidies on salt marshes have been examined as isolated effects on either the aboveground or the belowground community. Our results emphasize the importance of directly addressing the soil microbial community as a factor that influences aboveground food web structure by affecting plant size and aboveground plant nitrogen.     

Interactions between mangroves and exotic Spartina in an anthropogenically disturbed estuary in southern China

Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) was introduced to China in 1979 from the United States for reducing coastal erosion. It grows vigorously in China and has spread over much of the Chinese coast, from Leizhou Peninsula to Liaoning, a range of more than 19 degrees of latitude. On the southern coast of China, S. alterniflora has invaded mangrove-dominated habitats during the last two decades, but little is known about interactions between native mangroves and invasive S. alterniflora. We studied the distribution and competitive interactions between native mangroves and S. alterniflora in the Zhangjiang Estuary at four tidal sites along a salinity gradient: oligohaline upstream, mesohaline, polyhaline, and euhaline downstream. S. alterniflora occurred at all four sites, and several mangrove species occurred at all but the downstream euhaline site. S. alterniflora has invaded the estuary widely and has spread to the lower tidal margins of mangroves. It has not invaded mangrove areas with a closed canopy but has established in the mangrove zone where the canopy was opened by human disturbance. Ramets of S. alterniflora transplanted into the understory of mangrove stands with closed canopies died within 10 weeks, but 37.5% survived and grew well on open mud flats. S. alterniflora had virtually no competitive effect on mangrove seedlings planted at the upstream oligohaline site. However, S. alterniflora competitively reduced biomass of mangrove seedlings to 33% over a period of 14 weeks at the mesohaline and polyhaline sites where human disturbance has opened the mangrove canopy. In contrast, S. alterniflora marginally facilitated growth and survival of experimental seedlings at the downstream euhaline site. In China, mangroves occur along the coastline south of Whenzhou, but they have been severely disturbed and removed widely, mainly by mariculture activities. Natural vegetation patterns and our experimental results suggest that, without intervention, S. alterniflora could gradually replace these mangroves in mid-salinity regions of Chinese estuaries.     

Introduction and spread of Philine auriformis (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from New Zealand to San Francisco Bay and Bodega Harbor

Specimens of Philine auriformis have been observed in the southern portion of San Francisco Bay, California, since summer 1992. Specimens from Bodega Harbor were first discovered from intertidal mudflats in April 1994 and probably represent the spread of the San Francisco Bay population to a neighboring estuary. Their numbers have increased steadily and the species is now well established in both estuaries. Examination of the anatomy of specimens collected from California was compared with that described from New Zealand. No significant differences in anatomy were detected in animals from these different localities. It is suggested that the species was introduced into California waters by release of ballast water from international shipping.     

Mechanisms generating modification of benthos following tidal flat invasion by a Spartina hybrid.

Many coastal habitats are being substantially altered by introduced plants. In San Francisco Bay, California, USA, a hybrid form of the eastern cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is rapidly invading open mudflats in southern and central sections of the Bay, altering habitat, reducing macrofaunal densities, and shifting species composition. The invasion has resulted in significant losses of surface-feeding amphipods, bivalves, and cirratulid polychaetes, while subsurface feeding groups such as tubificid oligochaetes and capitellid polychaetes have been unaffected. In the present paper, we document the causes and mechanisms underlying the changes observed. Through a series of in situ manipulative experiments we examined the influence of hybrid Spartina canopy on a range of physical, chemical, and biological properties. The hybrid Spartina canopy exerted a strong influence on the hydrodynamic regime, triggering a series of physical, chemical, and biological changes in the benthic system. Relative to tidal flats, water velocity was reduced in hybrid patches, promoting deposition of fine-grained, organic-rich particles. The resulting changes in the sediment environment included increased porewater sulfide concentrations and anoxia, which led to poor survivorship of surface feeders such as bivalves, amphipods, and polychaetes. These are key taxa that support higher trophic levels including migratory shorebirds that feed on tidal flats. Altered flow in the Spartina canopy further contributed to changes in barnacle recruitment and resuspension of adult benthic invertebrates. Increased crab-induced predation pressure associated with Spartina invasion also contributed to changes in benthic invertebrate communities. Our results suggest that multiple physical, chemical, biotic, and trophic impacts of the Spartina invasion have resulted in substantial changes in benthic communities that are likely to have important effects on the entire ecosystem.     

互花米草入侵盐沼湿地CH4和N2O排放日变化特征研究

甲烷（CH4）和氧化亚氮（N2O）是导致全球气候变暖的2种重要温室气体,探索其源汇及地域排放特征一直是全球变化研究领域的核心内容。CH4和N2O通量的日变化研究是正确估算大时间尺度下CH4和N2O排放量的基础。利用静态箱法原位观测了江苏沿海芦苇（Phragmites australis）、盐蒿（Suada salsa）、光滩、水面以及互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）入侵湿地CH4和N2O排放的日变化特征。结果表明,1）互花米草湿地地上部生物量为1.70 kg·m^-2,土壤有机碳质量分数为13.55 g·kg^-1;分别是芦苇和盐蒿湿地的2.50-3.43和2.15-4.15倍。2）互花米草和芦苇湿地土壤10 cm处氧化还原电位（Eh）有明显日变化,最低值出现在3：00,最高值出现在12：00;光滩和盐蒿湿地没有明显的日变化。3）互花米草湿地 CH4日平均排放通量为0.52 mg·m^-2·h^-1,是其他湿地的2.12-6.40倍;N2O日平均通量为-3.24μg·m^-2·h^-1,显著低于盐蒿湿地、光滩和水面（P＜0.05）。互花米草和芦苇湿地CH4排放通量最高值（0.73 mg·m^-2·h^-1和0.30 mg·m^-2·h^-1）出现在15：00,最低值（0.37 mg·m^-2·h^-1和0.17 mg·m^-2·h^-1）出现在3：00,均与土壤孔隙水中CH4浓度呈显著负相关（P＜0.05）。互花米草湿地CH4排放通量与10 cm土温、Eh和生态系统CO2净交换量（NEE）显著正相关（P＜0.05）。互花米草和芦苇湿地N2O通量9：00-18：00为负值,21：00—6：00为正值,均与NEE呈显著负相关（P＜0.05）。盐蒿湿地、光滩和水面CH4和N2O排放通量没有明显日变化特征。互花米草入侵提高了沿海湿地CH4排放,但降低了N2O排放,植物对CH4传输作用以及向根际传输O2和易分解有机物是导致互花米草和芦苇湿地CH4和N2O排放表现出日变化特征的原因。     

Habitat utilization and alteration by the invasive burrowing isopod, Sphaeroma quoyanum, in California salt marshes

In recent years the pace of exotic species introduction and invasion has accelerated, particularly in estuaries and wetlands. Species invasions may affect coastal ecosystems in many ways. Alteration of sedimentary environments, through structure formation and burrowing, has particularly dramatic effects on coastal habitats. This study examines modification of channel bank and marsh edge habitat by the burrowing Australasian isopod Sphaeroma quoyanum Milne Edwards, in created and natural salt marshes of San Diego Bay and San Francisco Bay. Abundance and distribution patterns of this isopod species, its relationships with habitat characteristics, and its effects on sediment properties and bank erosion were examined seasonally, and in several marsh microhabitats. Mean isopod densities were 1541 and 2936 individuals per 0.25 m² in San Francisco Bay, and 361 and 1153 individuals per 0.25 m² in San Diego Bay study sites during December and July 1998, respectively. This isopod forms dense, anastomosing burrow networks. S. quoyanum densities did not differ as a function of location within creeks or location in natural versus created marshes. Burrows, which are on average 6 mm wide and 2 cm long, were associated with firm sediments containing high detrital biomass. Although erosion is a natural process along salt marsh banks, enclosure experiments demonstrated that isopod activities can enhance sediment loss from banks. In areas infested with S. quoyanum, losses may exceed 100 cm of marsh edge per year. The effects of habitat alteration by this invading species are likely to increase in severity in the coastal zone as these ecosystems become degraded. Received: 30 March 2000 / Accepted: 21 September 2000     

Arthropod food web restoration following removal of an invasive wetland plant.

Restoration of habitats impacted by invasive plants is becoming an increasingly important tool in the management of native biodiversity, though most studies do not go beyond monitoring the abundance of particular taxonomic groups, such as the return of native vegetation. Yet, the reestablishment of trophic interactions among organisms in restored habitats is equally important if we are to monitor and understand how ecosystems recover. This study examined whether food web interactions among arthropods (as inferred by abundance of naturally occurring stable isotopes of C [delta13C] and N [delta15N]) were reestablished in the restoration of a coastal Spartina alterniflora salt marsh that had been invaded by Phragmites australis. From patterns of C and N stable isotopes we infer that trophic interactions among arthropods in the native salt marsh habitats are characterized by reliance on the dominant marsh plant Spartina as a basal resource. Herbivores such as delphacid planthoppers and mirid bugs have isotope signatures characteristic of Spartina, and predatory arthropods such as dolicopodid flies and spiders likewise have delta13C and delta15N signatures typical of Spartina-derived resources (approximately -13 per thousand and 10 per thousand, respectively). Stable isotope patterns also suggest that the invasion of Phragmites into salt marshes and displacement of Spartina significantly alter arthropod food web interactions. Arthropods in Phragmites-dominated sites have delta13C isotope values between -18 per thousand and -20 per thousand, suggesting reliance on detritus and/or benthic microalgae as basal resources and not on Phragmites, which has a delta13C approximately -26 per thousand. Since most Phragmites herbivores are either feeding internally or are rare transients from nearby Spartina, these resources do not provide significant prey resources for other arthropod consumers. Rather, predator isotope signatures in the invaded habitats indicate dependence on detritus/algae as basal resources instead of the dominant vegetation. The reestablishment of Spartina after removal of Phragmites, however, not only returned species assemblages typical of reference (uninvaded) Spartina, but stable isotope signatures suggest that the trophic interactions among the arthropods were also similar in reestablished habitats. Specifically, both herbivores and predators showed characteristic Spartina signatures, suggesting the return of the original grazer-based food web structure in the restored habitats.     

氮输入对沼泽湿地植物生长和氮吸收的影响

氮是湿地植物生长必不可少的营养元素之一,但当外源氮输入超出植物生长需要时,氮素将抑制植物生长。不同植物对氮输入的响应不同,同一植物不同器官对氮输入的响应也不一致。为了探讨氮输入对湿地植物生长和氮吸收的影响机制,本文选取滇西北典型湖泊湿地纳帕海湖滨挺水植物茭草（Zizania caduciflora）和水葱（Scirpus validus）为对象,通过控制实验,研究了3个不同氮输入水平[0 g·m-2·a-1（对照,CK）、20 g·m-2·a-1（N20）、40 g·m-2·a-1（N40）]对茭草和水葱生物量积累、根冠比、氮吸收的影响。结果表明：培养期内,茭草地上生物量始终表现为N40〉N20〉CK,即氮输入促进茭草地上生物量积累;而水葱地上生物量随培养时间不同而发生变化,培养早期N20处理促进水葱地上生物量积累,N40处理抑制水葱地上生物量积累。茭草地下生物量表现为N40〉CK〉N20,即氮输入不足抑制茭草地下生物量积累,足够氮输入促进茭草地下生物量积累;水葱地下生物量表现为CK〉N20〉N40,即氮输入抑制水葱地下生物量积累。植物地上部分和地下部分生长对氮输入的响应也不一致,导致植物根冠比发生变化,茭草根冠比表现为N20     

Traits, not origin, explain impacts of plants on larval amphibians

Managing habitats for the benefit of native fauna is a priority for many government and private agencies. Often, these agencies view nonnative plants as a threat to wildlife habitat, and they seek to control or eradicate nonnative plant populations. However, little is known about how nonnative plant invasions impact native fauna, and it is unclear whether managing these plants actually improves habitat quality for resident animals. Here, we compared the impacts of native and nonnative wetland plants on three species of native larval amphibians; we also examined whether plant traits explain the observed impacts. Specifically, we measured plant litter quality (carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus ratios, and percentages of lignin and soluble phenolics) and biomass, along with a suite of environmental conditions known to affect larval amphibians (hydroperiod, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH). Hydroperiod and plant traits, notably soluble phenolics, litter C:N ratio, and litter N:P ratio, impacted the likelihood that animals metamorphosed, the number of animals that metamorphosed, and the length of larval period. As hydroperiod decreased, the likelihood that amphibians achieved metamorphosis and the percentage of tadpoles that successfully metamorphosed also decreased. Increases in soluble phenolics, litter N:P ratio, and litter C:N ratio decreased the likelihood that tadpoles achieved metamorphosis, decreased the percentage of tadpoles metamorphosing, decreased metamorph production (total metamorph biomass), and increased the length of larval period. Interestingly, we found no difference in metamorphosis rates and length of larval period between habitats dominated by native and nonnative plants. Our findings have important implications for habitat management. We suggest that to improve habitats for native fauna, managers should focus on assembling a plant community with desirable traits rather than focusing only on plant origin.     

Additive effects of aboveground polyphagous herbivores and soil feedback in native and range-expanding exotic plants

Plant biomass and plant abundance can be controlled by aboveground and belowground natural enemies. However, little is known about how the aboveground and belowground enemy effects may add up. We exposed 15 plant species to aboveground polyphagous insect herbivores and feedback effects from the soil community alone, as well as in combination. We envisaged three possibilities: additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects of the aboveground and belowground enemies on plant biomass. In our analysis, we included native and phylogenetically related range-expanding exotic plant species, because exotic plants on average are less sensitive to aboveground herbivores and soil feedback than related natives. Thus, we examined if lower sensitivity of exotic plant species to enemies also alters aboveground-belowground interactions. In a greenhouse experiment, we exposed six exotic and nine native plant species to feedback from their own soil communities, aboveground herbivory by polyphagous insects, or a combination of soil feedback and aboveground insects and compared shoot and root biomass to control plants without aboveground and belowground enemies. We observed that for both native and range-expanding exotic plant species effects of insect herbivory aboveground and soil feedback added up linearly, instead of enforcing or counteracting each other. However, there was no correlation between the strength of aboveground herbivory and soil feedback. We conclude that effects of polyphagous aboveground herbivorous insects and soil feedback add up both in the case of native and related range-expanding exotic plant species, but that aboveground herbivory effects may not necessarily predict the strengths of soil feedback effects.     

苏北潮滩群落交错带互花米草斑块与土著种竞争关系研究

选取盐城滨海湿地典型滩地（互花米草与碱蓬交错区、碱蓬滩）互花米草斑块,研究互花米草和本地种的生长特征、斑块微生境变化和互花米草与本地种的相对竞争力。结果表明：①和本地土著种碱蓬Suaeda salsa、芦苇Phragmites australis相比,入侵种互花米草Spartina alterniflora能更有效地改善微生境,其发达根系能够提高土壤含水量,互花米草的耐盐特性和泌盐作用能够使得互花米草在高盐度环境中生存,并有效的降低土壤盐度;②在互花米草与碱蓬交错区,从互花米草斑块边缘到中心,碱蓬的长势显著变弱,互花米草的长势显著增强,互花米草与碱蓬的相对竞争力为1.94±0.94,互花米草的竞争能力明显强于碱蓬;③在碱蓬滩,从互花米草斑块边缘到中心,碱蓬、芦苇的长势显著变弱,互花米草的长势显著增强,互花米草与碱蓬的相对竞争力为0.87±0.30,互花米草与碱蓬之间的竞争相对平衡;④因此,互花米草可能通过种间竞争不断侵蚀碱蓬生境,从而取代当地土著植被碱蓬和芦苇。     

Cars, Cows, and Checkerspot Butterflies: Nitrogen Deposition and Management of Nutrient-Poor Grasslands for a Threatened Species

Abstract: Nutrient-poor, serpentinitic soils in the San Francisco Bay area sustain a native grassland that supports many rare species, including the Bay checkerspot butterfly ( Euphydryas editha bayensis ). Nitrogen (N) deposition from air pollution threatens biodiversity in these grasslands because N is the primary limiting nutrient for plant growth on serpentinitic soils. I investigated the role of N deposition through surveys of butterfly and plant populations across different grazing regimes, by literature review, and with estimates of N deposition in the region. Several populations of the butterfly in south San Jose crashed following the cessation of cattle grazing. Nearby populations under continued grazing did not suffer similar declines. The immediate cause of the population crashes was rapid invasion by introduced annual grasses that crowded out the larval host plants of the butterfly. Ungrazed serpentinitic grasslands on the San Francisco Peninsula have largely resisted grass invasions for nearly four decades. Several lines of evidence indicate that dry N deposition from smog is responsible for the observed grass invasion. Fertilization experiments have shown that soil N limits grass invasion in serpentinitic soils. Estimated N deposition rates in south San Jose grasslands are 10–15 kg  N/ha/year; Peninsula sites have lower deposition, 4–6 kg N/ha/year. Grazing cattle select grasses over forbs, and grazing leads to a net export of N as cattle are removed for slaughter. Although poorly managed cattle grazing can significantly disrupt native ecosystems, in this case moderate, well-managed grazing is essential for maintaining native biodiversity in the face of invasive species and exogenous inputs of N from nearby urban areas.     

上海崇明东滩互花米草种子产量与活性对刈割的响应

有性繁殖与种子扩散是互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）侵入新生境的重要途径,抑制有性繁殖是有效控制互花米草进一步扩散与二次入侵的关键。文章研究了刈割对互花米草种子产量及其活性的影响,结果表明：四月（生长初期）1次刈割在一定程度上促进了互花米草的有性繁殖,其每穗种子数（481.3粒）、种子平均生活力（36.7%）与对照每穗种子数（425.5粒）和种子平均生活力（41.3%）间不存在显著差异,表现出超量补偿现象。四月和七月（扬花期）2次刈割与扬花期1次刈割能有效抑制互花米草的有性繁殖,其种子的生产量（每穗种子数分别为186.3和173.6粒）与活性（分别为18.0%和17.3%）较对照显著降低,表现出不足补偿现象。四月和七月2次刈割与七月扬花期1次刈割对互花米草有性繁殖的控制效果较好。在互花米草管理与控制实践中,扬花期刈割是有效控制互花米草有性繁殖与扩散的重要途径。     

Urbanization increases grassland carbon pools: effects of landscaping in Colorado's front range.

During the past few decades, urban and suburban developments have grown at unprecedented rates and extents with unknown consequences for ecosystem function. Carbon pools of soil and vegetation on landscaped properties were examined in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, in order to characterize vegetation and soils found in urban green spaces; analyze their aboveground biomass, vegetative C storage, and soil C storage; and compare these suburban ecosystem properties to their counterparts in native grassland and cultivated fields. Anthropogenic activities leave clear signatures on all three C compartments measured. Management level dominates the response of grass production, biomass, and N tissue concentration. This, in turn, influences the amount of C and N both stored in and harvested from sites. The site age dominates the amount of woody biomass as well as soil C and N. Soil texture only secondarily affects total soil carbon and total bulk density. Established urban green spaces harbor larger C pools, more than double in some cases, than native grasslands or agricultural fields on a per-area basis. Lawn grass produces more biomass and stores more C than local prairie or agricultural fields. Introduced woody vegetation comprises a substantial C pool in urban green spaces and represents a new ecosystem feature. After an initial decrease with site development, soil organic carbon (SOC) pools surpass those in grasslands within two decades. In addition to the marked increase of C pools through time, a shift in storage from belowground to aboveground occurs. Whereas grasslands store approximately 90% of C belowground, urban green spaces store a decreasing proportion of the total C belowground in soils through time, reaching approximately 70% 30-40 years after construction. Despite the substantial increase in C pools in this urban area, it is important to recognize that this shift is distinct from C sequestration since it does not account for a total C budget, including increased anthropogenic C emissions from these sites.     

Regulation of benthic algal and animal communities by salt marsh plants: impact of shading

Plant cover is a fundamental feature of many coastal marine and terrestrial systems and controls the structure of associated animal communities. Both natural and human-mediated changes in plant cover influence abiotic sediment properties and thus have cascading impacts on the biotic community. Using clipping (structural) and light (shading) manipulations in two salt marsh vegetation zones (one dominated by Spartina foliosa and one by Salicornia virginica), we tested whether these plant species exert influence on abiotic environmental factors and examined the mechanisms by which these changes regulate the biotic community. In an unshaded (plant and shade removal) treatment, marsh soils exhibited harsher physical properties, a microalgal community composition shift toward increased diatom dominance, and altered macrofaunal community composition with lower species richness, a larger proportion of insect larvae, and a smaller proportion of annelids, crustaceans, and oligochaetes compared to shaded (plant removal, shade mimic) and control treatment plots. Overall, the shaded treatment plots were similar to the controls. Plant cover removal also resulted in parallel shifts in microalgal and macrofaunal isotopic signatures of the most dynamic species. This suggests that animal responses are seen mainly among microalgae grazers and may be mediated by plant modification of microalgae. Results of these experiments demonstrate how light reduction by the vascular plant canopy can control salt marsh sediment communities in an arid climate. This research facilitates understanding of sequential consequences of changing salt marsh plant cover associated with climate or sea level change, habitat degradation, marsh restoration, or plant invasion.     

Population dynamics and control of invasive Spartina alterniflora: inference and forecasting under uncertainty

Managing invaded ecosystems entails making decisions about control strategies in the face of scientific uncertainty and ecological stochasticity. Statistical tools such as model selection and Bayesian decision analysis can guide decision-making by estimating probabilities of outcomes under alternative management scenarios, but these tools have seldom been applied in invasion ecology. We illustrate the use of model selection and Bayesian methods in a case study of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) invading Willapa Bay, Washington. To address uncertainty in model structure, we quantified the weight of evidence for two previously proposed hypotheses, that S. alterniflora recruitment varies with climatic conditions (represented by sea surface temperature) and that recruitment is subject to an Allee effect due to pollen limitation. By fitting models to time series data, we found strong support for climate effects, with higher per capita seedling production in warmer years, but no evidence for an Allee effect based on either the total area invaded or the mean distance between neighboring clones. We used the best-supported model to compare alternative control strategies, incorporating uncertainty in parameter estimates and population dynamics. For a fixed annual removal effort, the probability of eradication in 10 years was highest, and final invaded area lowest, if removals targeted the smallest clones rather than the largest or randomly selected clones. The relationship between removal effort and probability of eradication was highly nonlinear, with a sharp threshold separating -0% and -100% probability of success, and this threshold was 95% lower in simulations beginning early rather than late in the invasion. This advantage of a rapid response strategy is due to density-dependent population growth, which produces alternative stable equilibria depending on the initial invasion size when control begins. Our approach could be applied to a wide range of invasive species management problems where appropriate data are available.     

滨海不同生境下盐地碱蓬生物量分配特征研究

盐地碱蓬是黄河三角洲重要的先锋植物,抗盐能力强,分布范围广,对维持该地区生态系统稳定和演替发挥着重要作用。通过野外取样测定,研究了潮间带和潮上带盐地碱蓬种群的形态及生物量分配特征。在个体大小上,潮间带盐地碱蓬在株高和地径上显著低于潮上带盐地碱蓬;潮上带盐地碱蓬密集分布的株高高于散生分布,而生物量低于散生分布。在生物量分配特征上,潮间带盐地碱蓬Ⅰ以发展花、叶为主,潮上带盐地碱蓬Ⅱ的密集分布以优先发展茎为主,潮上带盐地碱蓬Ⅲ的散生分布以发展枝为主,属于种群发展的稳定阶段。因此,盐地碱蓬通过形态特征及生物量分配特征的调节,以适应潮间带和潮上带的不同生境特征,从而达到种群维持和土壤改良的目的。     

Using stable isotopes to monitor anthropogenic nitrogen inputs to estuaries

Use of stable nitrogen isotope ratios is one method that has been proposed to indicate anthropogenic nutrient enrichment in estuarine systems. However, the role of stable isotopes as a tool in long-term ecosystem monitoring has not been fully developed. Resident producer and consumer species were collected from marshes dominated by Spartina alterniflora and subject to a range of anthropogenic impacts in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and in Great South Bay and Jamaica Bay, New York. Tissue isotope ratios of Spartina alterniflora, Ulva lactuca, Fundulus heteroclitus, and Geukensia demissa were analyzed in order to determine which organisms are the most sensitive indicators of changes in anthropogenic nitrogen source and loading. Power analysis was used to determine the sample sizes necessary to detect change in nutrient source using the species sampled. Relationships between the delta15N values of the species sampled and watershed population density and residential development were evaluated. Population density was a better indicator of anthropogenic nitrogen impact than residential development, since most anthropogenic nitrogen in the study marshes was derived from wastewater. Consumer species demonstrated lower within-site variability than producer species and would therefore require smaller sample sizes to detect changes in nitrogen source and loading.