Plant biomass allocation strategies of the dominant species in an alpine meadow of northwestern Sichuan,China北大核心CSCD

Plant biomass partitioning is an important driver of whole-plant net carbon gain, as biomass allocation could directly affect plant's future growth and reproduction. Alpine meadow in the northwestern Sichuan was impressed by the abundant community structure and species diversity. This study on biomass allocation pattern of different functional types and lifeforms might help understand plant life-history strategy of alpine meadow plants. We investigated 72 dominant herbaceous species for their compartments, biomass, and morphological traits during 2012-2014. These plants were sampled from natural grassland, disturbed grassland, and wintergreen grassland; they belonged to three functional types (grass, sedge, and forb) and two lifeforms (annual and perennial). The scaling relationships between functional traits of these plants were analyzed using Model type II regression method to estimate the parameters of the allometric equations. (1) Biomass allocation proportion of components significantly differed among grasses, sedges, and forbs owing to phylogeny: grasses had the highest stem biomass percentage, sedges had higher root biomass percentage, and forbs had higher leaf biomass percentage, but the scaling relationships were not significantly different, and isometric scaling was noted between biomass components for the three functional types. (2) Moreover, plant lifeforms affected the biomass allocation proportion of components, owing to the shorter or longer turnover rate and investment strategy between annual and perennial species. Annuals allocated more biomass to the stem and reproduction organs, but perennials invested more biomass to the leaves and roots. (3) In addition, plants from different grassland types differed in both biomass and morphology traits. Moreover, forbs from natural grassland and wintergreen grassland had higher leaf and reproductive biomass, but those from disturbed grasslands had higher stem biomass. Our results suggest that the functional type and lifeform decide the inherent scaling relationships between components of plants, but anthropogenic disturbance significantly impacted the quantity of component biomass. This study has important theoretical and practical significance to understand the response of alpine plants to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance as well as to help in the scientific management of alpine meadow. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

高寒草甸退化对甘肃马先蒿生长状况与花期资源分配的影响

甘肃马先蒿（Pedicularis kansuensis）作为高寒草甸退化进程中的一种入侵毒杂草,其生长状况和繁殖特征为草地退化状况的重要指标,也是衡量高寒草甸演替进程的重要指示植物。通过比较重度退化和未退化高寒草甸的群落特征,甘肃马先蒿的生长状况与花期资源分配,结果表明：退化的高寒草甸土壤-植被系统变化明显,高寒草甸退化显著影响了甘肃马先蒿的生长状况和资源分配特征。在重度退化的黑土滩样地中,甘肃马先蒿个体形态特征如株高、根长、分叉数、叶片数、花数、总生物量都显著高于未退化高寒矮嵩草草甸样地;重度退化草甸中甘肃马先蒿花期各器官的资源投资状况,如根系投资、茎叶投资、繁殖投资分别为7.46%、48.76%、43.78%,未退化样地中甘肃马先蒿的根系投资、茎叶投资、繁殖投资分别为10.12%、54.34%、35.54%。在重度退化高寒草甸中甘肃马先蒿占据较大的生态位,长势良好,且将资源更多地用于繁殖投入。而未退化草甸中甘肃马先蒿优势度不大,更多的是将资源分配到根系和茎叶等营养器官,以期获得较多的水分、无机盐、光照等资源,增强个体竞争力。甘肃马先蒿在不同生境下资源分配的显著差异实质反映了草地退化的影响,亦是植物对外部环境改变的一种适应机制,同时也是植物可塑性的重要表现形式。     

The Thermal Discharges From Nuclear Power Plants in Taiwan

The increasing use of sea water for industrial cooling presents a real threat to the ecological environment in the ocean. in Taiwan where many electric power plants along the coast take sea water for cooling, people are concerned seriously about nuclear power plants. There are three nuclear power plants in Taiwan. Each plant has two units for generating power. the first two are located along the northern coast of Taiwan. the third is located in Kenting National Park along the coast of southernmost Taiwan. the plants take sea water for cooling, and discharge their heated effluents to the ocean surface from the coast. the thermal effluents have variable effects on the ecological environment near the plants. Fishermen living near the power plants complain that the heated water affects the inshore fishery catch. in addition, the thermal water from the second plant is easily accumulated near the coastal zone to influence the nearby swimming area in the summer-time. the thermal water from the third plant bleaches or kills some corals in shallow water near the outlet, and this conflicts with the interests of Kenting National Park.     

The Thermal Discharges From Nuclear Power Plants in Taiwan

The increasing use of sea water for industrial cooling presents a real threat to the ecological environment in the ocean. in Taiwan where many electric power plants along the coast take sea water for cooling, people are concerned seriously about nuclear power plants. There are three nuclear power plants in Taiwan. Each plant has two units for generating power. the first two are located along the northern coast of Taiwan. the third is located in Kenting National Park along the coast of southernmost Taiwan. the plants take sea water for cooling, and discharge their heated effluents to the ocean surface from the coast. the thermal effluents have variable effects on the ecological environment near the plants. Fishermen living near the power plants complain that the heated water affects the inshore fishery catch. in addition, the thermal water from the second plant is easily accumulated near the coastal zone to influence the nearby swimming area in the summer-time. the thermal water from the third plant bleaches or kills some corals in shallow water near the outlet, and this conflicts with the interests of Kenting National Park.     

Empirical realised niche models for British coastal plant species

Coastal environments host plant taxa adapted to a wide range of salinity conditions. Salinity, along with other abiotic variables, constrains the distribution of coastal plants in predictable ways, with relatively few taxa adapted to the most saline conditions. However, few attempts have been made to quantify these relationships to create niche models for coastal plants. Quantification of the effects of salinity, and other abiotic variables, on coastal plants is essential to predict the responses of coastal ecosystems to external drivers such as sea level rise. We constructed niche models for 132 coastal plant taxa in Great Britain based on eight abiotic variables. Paired measurements of vegetation composition and abiotic variables are rare in coastal habitats so four of the variables were defined using community mean values for Ellenberg indicators, i.e. scores assigned according to the typical alkalinity, fertility, moisture availability and salinity of sites where a species occurs. The remaining variables were the canopy height, annual precipitation, and maximum and minimum temperatures. Salinity and moisture indicator scores were significant terms in over 80 % of models, suggesting the distributions of most coastal species are at least partly determined by these variables. When the models were used to predict species occurrence against an independent dataset 64 % of models gave moderate to good predictions of species occurrence. This indicates that most models had successfully captured the key determinants of the niche. The models could potentially be applied to predict changes to habitats and species-dependent ecosystem services in response to rising sea levels.     

River inflow, estuarine salinity, and Carolina wolfberry fruit abundance: linking abiotic drivers to Whooping Crane food

The supply of freshwater to estuarine ecosystems is a critical factor in maintaining the overall health and organization of coastal marshes. Specifically along the Texas Gulf coast, the coupled effects of decreased freshwater inflows to the estuary and natural processes (e.g., precipitation, wind, and tides) can exert significant salt-stress on coastal marsh vegetation. In this project we sought to quantitatively link the inflow of freshwater to the estuary (San Antonio Bay) with Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) coastal marsh salinity and assess the influence of salinity and inundation on Carolina wolfberry (Lycium carolinianum Walt.) phenology (leaf and fruit abundance). The Carolina wolfberry is one of the more common high marsh plant species found at ANWR and has been shown to be a key food source for endangered Whooping Cranes which inhabit the coastal marshes of the ANWR each fall/winter. Results from our study show that periods of decreased freshwater inflows to the estuary correlated with increased marsh salinity at the ANWR. Wolfberry plants at ANWR marsh sites displayed increased fruit abundance during years which had lower mean summer time salinity (June, July, and August) in San Antonio Bay; conversely, during years of increased bay salinity during the same summertime months, wolfberry plants showed decreased fruit abundance. Through the continued validation of the relationship between inflows and coastal marsh salinity, we hope to provide additional insight into how wolfberry phenology varies inter-annually across both salinity and inundation regimes and how freshwater inflows may affect food availability for the endangered Whooping Crane.     

Foliar fungal pathogens and grassland biodiversity

By attacking plants, herbivorous mammals, insects, and belowground pathogens are known to play an important role in maintaining biodiversity in grasslands. Foliar fungal pathogens are ubiquitous in grassland ecosystems, but little is known about their role as drivers of community composition and diversity. Here we excluded foliar fungal pathogens from perennial grassland by using fungicide to determine the effect of natural levels of disease on an otherwise undisturbed plant community. Importantly, we excluded foliar fungal pathogens along with rabbits, insects, and mollusks in a full factorial design, which allowed a comparison of pathogen effects along with those of better studied plant enemies. This revealed that fungal pathogens substantially reduced aboveground plant biomass and promoted plant diversity and that this especially benefited legumes. The scale of pathogen effects on productivity and biodiversity was similar to that of rabbits and insects, but different plant species responded to the exclusion of the three plant enemies. These results suggest that theories of plant coexistence and management of biodiversity in grasslands should consider foliar fungal pathogens as potentially important drivers of community composition.     

锡林河河漫滩湿地植物群落特征及物种多样性分析

内蒙古高原草原区湿地具有不同于典型湿地的特征,同时还兼具草原的一些特征,在保持生物多样性和珍惜物种资源方面具有不可替代的重要作用.通过样方调查,以重要值为数量特征,采用指示种分析法和多样性指数测定,对内蒙古高原典型内陆河流——锡林河中游河漫滩湿地植被群落特征及物种多样性进行了系统分析和研究.结果表明:(1)锡林河中游河漫滩湿地植被依微地形由高河漫滩向低河漫滩可分为芦苇+羊草,黄花苜蓿+无茫雀麦,灰脉苔草+早熟禾,水甜茅群落,小糠草+蒙古扁穗草等5个群落,以禾本科、菊科、豆科三大草本为主,建群种有别于典型湿地和典型草原群落.(2)植物水分生态类型以湿生、中生为主且无水生类型,具有典型湿地和草原的双重特征;(3)湿地植物群落物种多样性、均匀性和丰富度表现出相似的变化趋势,多样性和丰富度较草甸草原低但高于典型草原;(4)锡林河河漫滩湿地植物群落是典型河流湿地和典型草原之间的过渡类型.表6,参28.     

Plant winners and losers during grassland N-eutrophication differ in biomass allocation and mycorrhizas

Human activities release tremendous amounts of nitrogenous compounds into the atmosphere. Wet and dry deposition distributes this airborne nitrogen (N) on otherwise pristine ecosystems. This eutrophication process significantly alters the species composition of native grasslands; generally a few nitrophilic plant species become dominant while many other species disappear. The functional equilibrium model predicts that, compared to species that decline in response to N enrichment, nitrophilic grass species should respond to N enrichment with greater biomass allocation aboveground and reduced allocation to roots and mycorrhizas. The mycorrhizal feedback hypothesis states that the composition of mycorrhizal fungal communities may influence the composition of plant communities, and it predicts that N enrichment may generate reciprocal shifts in the species composition of mycorrhizal fungi and plants. We tested these hypotheses with experiments that compared biomass allocation and mycorrhizal function of four grass ecotypes (three species), two that gained and two that lost biomass and cover in response to long-term N enrichment experiments at Cedar Creek and Konza Long-Term Ecological Research grasslands. Local grass ecotypes were grown in soil from their respective sites and inoculated with whole-soil inoculum collected from either fertilized (FERT) or unfertilized (UNFERT) plots. Our results strongly support the functional equilibrium model. In both grassland systems the nitrophilic grass species grew taller, allocated more biomass to shoots than to roots, and formed fewer mycorrhizas compared to the grass species that it replaced. Our results did not fully support the hypothesis that N-induced changes in the mycorrhizal fungal community were drivers of the plant community shifts that accompany N eutrophication. The FERT and UNFERT soil inoculum influenced the growth of the grasses differently, but this varied with site and grass ecotype in both expected and unexpected ways suggesting that ambient soil fertility or other factors may be interacting with mycorrhizal feedbacks.     

滨海盐沼及其植物群落的分布与多样性

滨海盐沼是广泛存在于世界中、高纬度地区的一种湿地生态系统,具有抵御风暴潮灾害、净化污染物和为珍稀濒危生物提供适宜生境等重要的生态和经济价值。滨海盐沼因随高程变化而急剧变化的环境梯度和植物带状分布现象而为生态学者阐释自然界物种的分布机制提供了理想系统。主要概述了滨海盐沼的定义、特点、类型、全球分布以及潮汐作用、土壤盐度等环境因子特征;阐述了不同尺度下滨海盐沼的植物群落分布和多样性特征。在滨海盐沼植物群落的分布特征上,重点阐述了中尺度下的植物带状分布,即植物群落往往在白海向陆渐高的不同高程梯度上表现出显著的分带分布,不同植物各自占据该梯度上的一定区域。通常认为,带状分布是植物竞争和物理性胁迫共同调控的结果,但其在不同地理区域的普适性仍存争议。滨海植物群落多样性往往较低,在中、小尺度上盐沼植物多样性受控于盐度、潮汐等物理性胁迫、植物间相互作用等因子的作用;在大尺度上盐沼植物多样性可能随纬度增大而增加。系统深入地认识滨海盐沼植物群落生态格局和过程,将为气候变化、生物入侵等人类影响下的滨海盐沼生态系统的管理和恢复提供有益经验。     

Effect of Vertebrate Grazing on Plant and Insect Community Structure

Abstract: We compared species diversity of plants and insects among grazed and ungrazed areas of Ponderosa pine–grassland communities in Arizona. Plant species richness was higher in two of three grassland communities that were grazed by native elk and deer and domestic cattle than in ungrazed areas inside a series of three large (approximately 40-ha) grazing exclosures. Similarly, plant species richness was higher in grazed areas relative to ungrazed areas at one of two series of smaller (approximately 25-m²) and short-term exclosure sites. Evenness of plant distribution, however, was greater inside ungrazed long-term exclosures but was reduced inside ungrazed short-term exclosures relative to grazed areas. Relative abundances of forbs, grasses, trees, and shrubs, and native and introduced plants did not differ between the long- and short-term grazing exclosures and their grazed counterparts. Relative abundances of some plant species changed when grazers were excluded, however. In contrast, insect species richness was not different between grazed and ungrazed habitats, although insect abundance increased 4- to 10-fold in ungrazed vegetation. Our results suggest that vertebrate grazing may increase plant richness, even in nutrient-poor, semi-arid grasslands, but may decrease insect abundances.     

Coastal inundation in the north-eastern mediterranean coastal zone due to storm surge events

Low-elevation coastal areas and their populations are at risk during and after the appearance of a storm surge event. Coastal flooding as a result of storm surge events is investigated in this paper for a number of areas around the north-eastern (NE) Mediterranean coastal zone (Adriatic, Aegean and north Levantine seas). The sea level rise (SLR) due to storm surge events is examined for the period 2000?C2004. Wind data, atmospheric pressure and wave data for this period as well as in situ sea elevation measurements (from stations around the Mediterranean coasts) were used. Potential inundation zones were then identified using a 90-m horizontal resolution digital elevation model (DEM). At these zones, the sea surface elevations were calculated for the study period, using the collected data and a 2D storm surge simulation model (1/10^o??1/10^o) output, examining the sea level alteration in specific coastal areas, where in situ measurements are absent and are characterised as ??risky?? in inundation areas, due to their topography. In order to determine the level of storm track implication on major SLR incidents, the trajectories of the respective storm events were computed. The aim of this paper is to investigate the major storm surge events that appeared during the study period, identify the major ??risky?? costal regions along the north-eastern Mediterranean coast and determine their hazard level due to inundation caused by storm surge phenomena. The combination of the risk level determination of an area and the calculation of sea level alteration is an important tool in terms of predicting and protecting the coastal area from extreme meteorological incidents.     

Grassland root communities: species distributions and how they are linked to aboveground abundance

There is little comprehensive information on the distribution of root systems among coexisting species, despite the expected importance of those distributions in determining the composition and diversity of plant communities. This gap in knowledge is particularly acute for grasslands, which possess large numbers of species with morphologically indistinguishable roots. In this study we adapted a molecular method, fluorescent fragment length polymorphism, to identify root fragments and determine species root distributions in two grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Aboveground biomass was measured, and soil cores (2 cm in diameter) were collected to depths of 40 cm and 90 cm in an upland, dry grassland and a mesic, slope-bottom grassland, respectively, at peak foliar expansion. Cores were subdivided, and species that occurred in each 10-cm interval were identified. The results indicated that the average number of species in 10-cm intervals (31 cm3) throughout the sampled soil profile was 3.9 and 2.8 species at a dry grassland and a mesic grassland, respectively. By contrast, there was an average of 6.7 and 14.1 species per 0.5 m2, determined by the presence of shoot material, at dry and mesic sites, respectively. There was no relationship between soil depth and number of species per 10-cm interval in either grassland, despite the exponential decline of root biomass with soil depth at both sites. There also was no relationship between root frequency (i.e., the percentage of samples in which a species occurred) and soil depth for the vast majority of species at both sites. The preponderance of species were distributed throughout the soil profile at both sites. Assembly analyses indicated that species root occurrences were randomly assorted in all soil intervals at both sites, with the exception that Festuca idahoensis segregated from Artemisia tridentata and Pseudoroegnaria spicata in 10-20 cm soil at the dry grassland. Root frequency throughout the entire sampled soil profile was positively associated with shoot biomass among species. Together these results indicated the importance of large, well-proliferated root systems in establishing aboveground dominance. The findings suggest that spatial belowground segregation of species probably plays a minor role in fostering resource partitioning and species coexistence in these YNP grasslands.     

Responsiveness of Ada Sea Defence Project to salt water intrusion associated with sea level rise

The Ada peninsular in Ghana has suffered rapid coastal erosion and inundation for over half a century, accompanied by loss of property and livelihoods, economic stagnation and salt water intrusion. Government intervened to respond to these threats by implementing a sea defence project. A preliminary assessment indicates the project will deal with some urgent needs of property loss reduction and invigorate livelihood and economic opportunities. However, it will have minimal beneficial impacts on groundwater salinization, and may actually intensify salinity of surface water in the Volta River and adjoining water points by shifting salinity intrusion further upstream to affect hitherto salinity-free areas. The spatial reach of the salinity shift is uncertain. The potential for further sea level rise will aggravate and accentuate the region’s water scarcity dilemma if a coherent water management strategy is not sort sooner. The project demonstrates the limitations of employing static, narrow objectively designed sea defence project as a response to coastal erosion and inundation, because it lacks the capacity to deal with dynamism, complexity and multi-dimensional impacts associated with climate change related sea level rise.     

入侵藤本薇甘菊的耐盐能力

薇甘菊Mikania micrantha Kunth为原产中南美洲的入侵藤本植物,现已在全球热带和亚热带地区照成严重的生态问题。野外观察发现薇甘菊已在珠三角沿海植被中滋生。为揭示薇甘菊的耐盐能力及其对滨海盐生植被的潜在危害性,分别对薇甘菊种子、根系和茎干在不同盐度胁迫下的响应进行了测定。在珠三角地区采集了薇甘菊3个批次的种子,并选取珠江三角洲6种常见植物（菊科假臭草Eupatorium catarium、藿香蓟Ageratum conyzoides、野茼蒿Crassocephalum crepidioides、鬼针草Bidens pilosa、翅果菊Pterocypsela indica和旋花科小花假番薯Ipomoea triloba）作为对照,测定了它们在不同NaCl盐度（质量分数）胁迫下的萌发率和幼苗生长;为揭示薇甘菊种子是否可由海水传播,将薇甘菊和对照植物假臭草、藿香蓟和鬼针草在不同盐度条件下浸泡不同时间后解除胁迫再观测其种子萌发率;为确定薇甘菊能否在滨海盐土中无性繁殖,分别对薇甘菊的根系和茎干在盐水浸泡下的植株生长进行了测定。研究结果表明：1）总体而言,薇甘菊3个种群在≤0.6%盐度胁迫下的种子萌发率均与对照组无显著差异,个别种群的这一阈值可高达1.5%,明显高于其他对照植物;同一盐度胁迫条件下,薇甘菊幼苗根系和苗高生长受抑制程度明显低于对照植物。2）即使经高达3.0%盐度胁迫浸泡长达12 d后,薇甘菊、藿香蓟和假臭草种子的萌发率也没有受到显著影响,而鬼针草种子的萌发率有明显下降;四种植物受浸泡后萌芽的幼苗生长均正常。3）薇甘菊根系受0.5%盐度胁迫时没有植株死亡,但苗高增长仅为对照组的53.3%;根系在1.0%盐度胁迫下有95%的植株能存活至少25 d,但苗高增长仅为对照的18.9%;根系在≥1.5%盐度胁迫下薇甘菊无法存活。4）被清水浸泡的薇甘菊茎茎叶均能存活且在全部被浸泡的节上萌芽。当薇甘菊茎干受≥1.0%盐水浸泡时,受浸泡的叶片全部死亡,在1.0%、2.0%和3.0%盐度胁迫下受试茎第21天的死亡率分别为42.9%、40.9%和86.4%。以上结果表明薇甘菊对盐生生境具一定的适应能力,可能通过种子萌发或无性繁殖扩张的方式对滨海盐生植被构成威胁,应当引起重视。     

Modeling compensated root water and nutrient uptake

Plant root water and nutrient uptake is one of the most important processes in subsurface unsaturated flow and transport modeling, as root uptake controls actual plant evapotranspiration, water recharge and nutrient leaching to the groundwater, and exerts a major influence on predictions of global climate models. In general, unsaturated models describe root uptake relatively simple. For example, root water uptake is mostly uncompensated and nutrient uptake is simulated assuming that all uptake is passive, through the water uptake pathway only. We present a new compensated root water and nutrient uptake model, implemented in HYDRUS. The so-called root adaptability factor represents a threshold value above which reduced root water or nutrient uptake in water- or nutrient-stressed parts of the root zone is fully compensated for by increased uptake in other soil regions that are less stressed. Using a critical value of the water stress index, water uptake compensation is proportional to the water stress response function. Total root nutrient uptake is determined from the total of active and passive nutrient uptake. The partitioning between passive and active uptake is controlled by the a priori defined concentration value c_max. Passive nutrient uptake is simulated by multiplying root water uptake with the dissolved nutrient concentration, for soil solution concentration values below c_max. Passive nutrient uptake is thus zero when c_max is equal to zero. As the active nutrient uptake is obtained from the difference between plant nutrient demand and passive nutrient uptake (using Michaelis–Menten kinetics), the presented model thus implies that reduced passive nutrient uptake is compensated for by active nutrient uptake. In addition, the proposed root uptake model includes compensation for active nutrient uptake, in a similar way as used for root water uptake. The proposed root water and nutrient uptake model is demonstrated by several hypothetical examples, for plants supplied by water due to capillary rise from groundwater and surface drip irrigation.     

海水混合和层化对叶绿素a垂直分布的影响

根据长江口海区、近岸浅水区、黄海冷水团海区和水深超过200m的陆架区等四个区域的定点调查获得的数据，分析了温度、盐度与叶绿素a垂直分布的相互关系。结果表明，长江口海区，陆源径流与海水混合不充分，表层营养盐含量较高，表层叶绿素a含量高于中下水层。近岸浅水区的苏北近岸海水垂向没有温跃层和盐跃层，叶绿素a的垂向分布也均匀，东海西部沿岸出现逆温跃层和逆盐跃层，海水垂直混合不充分，叶绿素a含量(6．72mg／m^3)在10m深水域最高。黄海冷水团海区海水的垂直混合不充分，叶绿素a的垂直变化显著，高值区出现在温跃层下方(4．37mg／m^3)。水深超过200m的陆架区，温度的阶梯状结构、营养盐跃层、光照等因素共同导致整个水层叶绿素a含量普遍较低。同时，结合历史资料分析认为，海水的混合、温度和盐度的层化将影响营养盐的浓度和分布，从而影响海水中叶绿素a的垂直分布。     

上海滨岸带生态环境问题及调控对策

结合长江口上海滨岸带资源与环境现状,重点分析了上海滨岸地区在经济快速发展过程中面临的主要生态环境问题;指出上海滨岸地区面临风暴潮、海平面上升、地面沉降等主要自然灾害;滨岸水环境质量恶化,重金属等污染物的生态风险不容忽视;潮滩过渡围垦导致湿地生态系统破坏严重。探讨了污水排放等人类活动对滨岸带生态环境的影响。此外,从战略环境评价、污染控制、生态恢复、行政法规和管理等方面,提出了相应的调控对策。     

Individual-based modeling of flooding and salinity effects on a coastal swamp forest

Coastal swamps are among the rapidly vanishing wetland habitats in Louisiana. Increased flooding, nutrient and sediment deprivation, and salt-water intrusion have been implicated as probable causes of the decline of coastal swamps. We developed a two-species individual-based forest succession model to compare the growth and composition of a cypress-tupelo swamp under various combinations of flooding intensity and salinity levels, using historical time-series of stage and salinity data as inputs. Our model simulates forest succession over 500 years by representing the growth, mortality, and reproduction of individual Taxodium distichum (baldcypress) and Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo) trees in a 1-km² spatial grid of 10 m × 10 m cells that vary in water levels and salinity through differences in elevation. We independently adjusted the elevations of each cell to obtain different grid-wide mean elevations and standard deviations of elevation; this affected the temporal and spatial pattern of flooding. We calibrated the model by adjusting selected parameters until averaged basal area, stem density and wood production rates under two different mean elevations (partially versus highly flooded) were qualitatively similar to comparable values reported for swamps in the literature. Corroboration involved comparing model predictions to four well-monitored contrasting habitat sites within the Maurepas Basin, Louisiana, USA. Model predictions of both species combined showed the same patterns among sites as the data, but the model overestimated wood production and the dominance of T. distichum. Exploratory simulations predicted that increased flooding leads to swamps with reduced basal areas and stem densities, while increased salinity resulted in lower basal areas at low salinity concentration (∼1-3 psu) and complete tree mortality at higher salinity concentrations (∼2-6 psu). Our model can provide insight into the succession dynamics of coastal swamps and information for the effective design of restoration actions.     

Kelp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Laminaria digitata</Emphasis>) increases germination and affects rooting and plant vigour in crops and native plants from an arable grassland in the Outer Hebrides,Scotland

Kelp and other seaweeds are traditionally used in many parts of the world as a soil amendment on arable fields. Seaweeds contain biochemical compounds that can act as plant growth regulators in terrestrial plants. In a low-intensity arable grassland in northwest Scotland an organic fertilizer, kelp (Laminaria digitata) has been used for hundreds of years, due to its anticipated positive effect as a soil conditioner and provider of plant nutrients. In this study the effects of kelp on germination and rooting of crops and native plants from this area were investigated in soil-free media. Germination was studied by incubation in the presence of kelp solutions. Rooting of plant cuttings was assessed after a pulse treatment with kelp solutions, and indole-3 acetic acid (IAA) as a reference plant growth regulator. Germination percentage of Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens and Avena strigosa seeds increased significantly when incubated with 0.05% kelp solutions. Total root weight and the individual weight of roots produced in cuttings of Vigna radiata and P. lanceolata were significantly increased when exposed to a 0.5% solution of kelp. Plant vigour, assessed visually, decreased significantly for P. lanceolata exposed to kelp at concentrations of 0.5 and 5.0% indicating the presence of a threshold level for an inhibitory effect of kelp at these concentrations, which may be due to high salinity. The results confirmed the presence of plant growth regulators in kelp, and indicates that amendment with kelp may potentially affect plant community composition. The threshold levels where some plants responded negatively to kelp amendment were close to or lower than the theoretical concentrations of kelp in soil water at field conditions with the current doses used on the machair, indicating that care should be taken in either administering kelp at the appropriate dose or leaching out salt before application.