Phylloplane algae of standing dead Spartina alterniflora

Phylloplane (leaf surface) algae on leaves from standing dead Spartina alterniflora Loisel in Sapelo Island marshes were enumerated by epifluorescence microscopy. The green alga Pseudendoclonium submarinum Wille dominated algal biovolume on both short-and tall-form plants during summer and winter. Intra-leaf and intra-plant patterns of algal biovolume and diversity indicated that desiccation stress may be an important selective factor. Observed epiphyte densities are 10- to 200-fold lower than values reported for communities on continuously submerged aquatic vegetation. Algal biovolume was less than 10% of that contained in the saprophytic (fungal and bacterial) community.     

Decomposition and microbial dynamics for standing,naturally positioned leaves of the salt-marsh grass Spartina alterniflora

Decomposition of leaves of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel.) was monitored for two cohorts of leaves from September 1984 to May 1985 (autumn and winterspring) at Sapelo Island (31°23 N; 81°17 W). The leaves were tagged in plance at the ligule, rather than cut and placed in litterbags. Dead leaves were not abscised from shoots. Loss of organic mass from the attached leaves was at least 60 to 68% of the orginal values. Fungal mass, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, formed > 98% of the microbial standing crops in two of three autumn samples, and in all samples for the colder, drier, winterspring cohort. Fungal mass was probably mostly in the form of the mycelium and pseudothecia of an ascomycete, Phaeosphaeria typharum (Desm.) Holm. Fungal dominance of microbial standing crops declined when autumn leaves bent downward and acquired a large sediment content (ash=35% of dry matter); the bacterial crop then rose to 7% of the total microbial crop. Microphotoautotrophic mass was always measurable, but was never more than 2% of the microbial crop. Carbon-dioxide fixation was much lower than carbon-dioxide release, and a substantial portion of the fixation may have been anaplerotic fungal fixation. Threeto 8 wk net fungal productivity (average per day) was much greater (16 to 26 times) than measured instantaneous bacterial productivity (extrapolated to per-day values) early in each decay period. Fungal productivity was negative late in the decay period. Fungal productivity was negative late in the decay period for autumn leaves, and was approximately equal to bacterial productivity late for winter-spring leaves. Net nitrogen immobilization was observed only late in the decay period for autumn leaves, implying that nearly all dead-leaf nitrogen was scavenged into fungal mass after the first sampling interval. Flux estimates for dead-leaf carbon indicated a flow of 11–15% of the original to fungal mass, 2% to bacterial mass, 15–21% to carbon dioxide, 10–12% to dissolved leachage, and 34–36% to small particles; 32–39% remained attached as shreds at the end of the study periods. Salt-marsh periwinkles (Littorina irrorata Say) appeared to be the major shredders of dead leaves and conveyors of leaf-particulate material to the marsh sediment, at least in those parts of the marsh where the snails are densely concentrated (usually areas of short- and intermediateheight cordgrass shoots).     

无瓣海桑和互花米草群落土壤化感作用比较

为揭示不同植物群落土壤在无瓣海桑(Sonneratia apetala)控制互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)中的作用,利用化感生物测定的方法,选用黑麦草(Lolium perenne)为受体,对比分析红树林无瓣海桑群落、互花米草群落以及无瓣海桑+互花米草群落土壤水提液的化感作用大小。结果表明3,种植物群落土壤水提液对黑麦草具有化感作用,无瓣海桑群落土壤和无瓣海桑+互花米草群落土壤水提液对黑麦草根长和苗高的影响表现出低促高抑的现象;ρ为0.25 g·mL-1的土壤水提液对黑麦草种子发芽和幼苗生长影响不大,1.0 g·mL-1土壤水提液对黑麦草根长和苗高产生显著影响,加入活性碳之后能减弱水提液的化感作用。ρ为0.25或0.5 g·mL-1条件下3,种土壤浸提液对黑麦草发芽率的影响无显著差异;ρ为1.0 g·mL-1的3种水提液都显著抑制黑麦草根长,而无瓣海桑群落土壤水提液表现出更强的化感作用,ρ为1.0 g·mL-1的土壤水提液显著抑制黑麦草苗高,无瓣海桑群落土壤对苗高的抑制作用显著强于互花米草群落土壤(P<0.01)。以黑麦草为受体,无瓣海桑群落土壤化感作用强于互花米草群落土壤,通过根系分...     

Emission control policies under uncertainty

The paper deals with the problem of optimal environmental policy under uncertainty. Usually, when an environmental policy is considered, only the expected values of the parameters of the marginal benefit and marginal cost functions associated with the policy are known. Thus a relevant question is: In the presence of uncertainty, what is the optimal policy mean for achieving the environmental objective? The study addresses itself to the specific objective of improving air quality although the analysis is generally applicable. The policy means are emission taxes and emission quotas. It is shown that under uncertainty neither of these means is generally optimal, and that specific parameter values of the costs and benefits relations and their distributions determine the optimal policy for each situation.     

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。     

苏北海滨湿地互花米草无性分株扩张能力

在新洋港滩涂由海向陆建立样地:光滩(mudflat)、零星互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)斑块(SAP)、稳定互花米草滩下边缘(SAFI)、2003年互花米草定居处(SAF03)1、989年互花米草定居处(SAF89)、碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)滩(SS)及禾草滩(GF),各样地原位栽培9株生长无差异的互花米草分蘖幼苗(1 m×1 m样方,3次重复),分析互花米草生长指标和繁殖成功率,研究互花米草在苏北海滨湿地的扩张能力。结果表明:(1)mudflat处互花米草分蘖幼苗存活率为7.8%,极显著低于其他样地,SAP、SAFI、SAF03、SAF89、SS和GF样地互花米草存活率分别为88.9%7、7.8%、60.0%、81.1%、0和66.6%;(2)mudflat处根状茎数量显著高于其他样地,但互花米草种子千粒重显著低于其他样地,127 d时mudflat、SAP、SAFI、SAF03、SAF89及GF处互花米草数量比原先存活的互花米草数量分别增加了24.81、9.73、0.26、.7、5.8和3.0倍;(3)SAP、SAFI及SAF89间总生物量无显著差异(P>0.05),且显著...     

Optimal monitoring and control under state uncertainty: Application to lionfish management

State variables in many renewable resource management problems, such as the abundance of a fish stock, are imperfectly observed over time. In systems characterized by state uncertainty, decision makers often invest in monitoring to learn about the level of a stock. We develop a stochastic bioeconomic model of marine invasive species management under state uncertainty. The decision maker in our model simultaneously evaluates optimal investment in monitoring and population control. Using a recently-devised method for solving continuous-state Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs), we find that the ability to learn through monitoring can alter the role of population control in the optimal policy function, for example by reducing control intensity in favor of monitoring. Optimal monitoring depends on the management context, including in our application lionfish population structure. The rich transient dynamics of our model depend critically on the relationship between the initial conditions for information and invader abundance.     

江苏潮滩湿地不同生境互花米草形态与生物量分配特征

通过对江苏潮滩湿地不同生境互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)种群生境特征、形态与生物量分配特征的分析,研究籽实成熟期互花米草形态与生物量分配特征及其影响因素.结果表明:(1)江苏潮滩湿地自海向陆不同生境间互花米草单株地上生物量、各形态指标、叶生物量比、繁殖分配Ⅰ和繁殖分配Ⅱ差异均显著(P<0.05),且与形态指标及其他生物量分配指标相比,繁殖分配的变异系数最大.(2)互花米草发生地米草生长时间最长,各形态指标(除种子数外)及单株地上生物量均最高;定居时间为1 a的米草各形态指标及单株地上生物量均最低.互花米草单株地上生物量及各形态指标分别与种群定居时间之间均呈正相关关系,其中单株地上生物量、茎长、叶长、叶宽、茎直径和种子数与种群定居时间均在α=0.01或α=0.05水平上呈显著正相关.(3)互花米草各形态指标(除种子数外)与土壤有机质、土壤总氮间均在α=0.01或α=0.05水平上呈显著正相关,土壤有机质与总氮是引起互花米草形态特征差异的重要因素.(4)互花米草各生物量分配指标与种群定居时间及土壤环境因子间在大多数情况下相关不显著,在特定的生境中互花米草特殊的生物量分配特征可能是其适应并成功入侵江苏潮滩湿地不同生境的重要原因之一.     

Effects of tidally mediated litter moisture content on decomposition of Spartina alterniflora and S. patens

Relationships between flooding frequency, flooding duration, litter moisture levels, and litter decay rates were investigated across the natural hydrologic gradient common to intertidal salt marshes. The effects on litter decay of natural and experimental alterations of litter moisture content were assessed in both field litterbag experiments (conducted in a southern New Jersey salt marsh from 1989 to 1990) and laboratory incubations (1990). Overall, tidally mediated litter moisture content was the dominant factor controlling litter decay throughout the vegetated marsh. Rates of carbon loss were most closely related to litter moisture levels (r=0.84), which were directly related to flooding frequency (r=0.66) and duration (r=0.63). Litter moisture levels were related to elevation within the tidal range due to increasing surface levation from creekbank to high marsh (ca. 54 cm) and height of litter above the sediment surface. Carbon losses from litter of short and tall form Spartina alterniflora Loisel. and S. patens (Aiton) Muhl. along the marsh elevation gradient indicate that while some of the variations in decay rates may be due to litter type, litter moisture accounted for most of the observed variation between marsh zones and within each litter type. Mousture levels are also affected by the water retention capacity of each litter type, which may also secondarily influence decay rates. Short-term incubations of litter indicated that CO₂ evolution was positively related to moisture content with negligible respiration at moisture levels below 15% (fresh mass), increasing to a maximum between 65 and 75% depending upon litter type. Since most Spartina spp. litter remains above the marsh surface where it maintains a lower moisture content than surface litter, the use of surface litterbags may overestimate rates of carbon loss in some systems. In addition, since changes in elevation of only a few centimeters had significant effects on both litter moisture levels and decay rates, slight changes in tidal regime may have important consequences for organic matter cycling in salt marshes by affecting litter decomposition processes.     

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。     

Alternative policy instruments under uncertainty: A programming model of toxic pollution control

This paper presents the results of a programming model which examines the relative performance of different regulatory regimes under uncertainty in controlling toxic wastes discharged by industry to a central treatment plant when the central is subject to threshold-type losses in treatment performance. Four regulatory regimes are examined: non-market quantity, price, marketable permit, and mixed price-quantity. The theoretical framework of the model is based on the analysis of prices vs quantities by Weitzman in 1974 and its extension to the case of a discontinuous threshold effect. The data used are based on the situation of Bridgeport, Connecticut, which has a number of metal finishing firms.     

Population dynamics of Müllerian mimicry under interspecific competition

We ask what the effects of mutualism on population dynamics of two competitive species are. We model the population dynamics of mutualistic interactions with positive density- and frequency-dependences. We specifically assume the dynamics of Müllerian mimicry in butterflies, where the mortality of both species is reduced depending on the relative frequency of the other species. We assume that the two species are under Lotka–Volterra density-dependent competition. The equilibria are compared with the cases of competition alone. Unlike the traditional model of positive density-dependence, population explosion does not appear in the current dynamics, but the new equilibrium is simply achieved. It is because the effects of positive density- or frequency-dependence are restricted to parts of mortality. Both positive density- and frequency-dependences do promote coexistence of the mimetic species. However, the two models show a distinctive difference for coexistence. The effects of positive density-dependence are rather limited. In contrast, positive frequency-dependence always promotes coexistence, irrespective of environmental conditions. The results may imply that the evolutionary origin of Müllerian mimicry may depend on frequency-dependence (and density-dependence), but that its current population dynamics may depend solely on density-dependence. The role of frequency- and density-dependences on evolutionary dynamics is an open question.     

Lignocellulose and lignin in the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora: initial concentrations and short-term,post-depositional changes in detrital matter

Individuals of Mytilus edulis of the same age (ca 2 months) were collected as spat from natural populations. Relative growth rates were determined among individuals differing in heterozygosity at five enzyme loci. Growth rate was positively correlated with individual heterozygosity and each of the five loci contributed about equally to the relatinship. More heterozygous individuals also achieved more uniform average growth rates. Although there was a deficiency of heterozygotes at each locus, relative to Hardy-Weinberg expectations, the magnitude of the deficiency, measured as F_IS, was less among faster growing mussels. Our results conform closely with those of Zouros et al. (1980) on the American oyster. We conclude that the relationship between multiple locus heterozygosity and growth rate is one that is general to a diversity of outbreeding plant and animal populations. Other studies indicate that this relationship is due to a greater average metabolic efficiency of more heterozygous individuals. This relationship does not emerge from experimental designs in which there has been limited genetic sampling of the natural genetic variation.     

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。     

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。     

Substitution and the control of pollution : A comparison of effluent charges and quantity standards under uncertainty

Single-valued price and quantity controls of a polluting activity are compared under uncertainty. The ability to substitute other inputs for the pollutant in the production of a positively valued final good, and the usual discrepancy between the amount of pollution actually consumed and the amount emitted are carefully incorporated. The first is found to influence the degree to which cost fluctuation is reflected in the output of the final good. The second concern alters the region of the benefit function into which output is inserted. Both change the welfare losses associated with random fluctuation in the costs of reducing pollution.     

Grazing rates of organic matter and living fungal biomass of decaying Spartina alterniflora by three species of salt-marsh invertebrates

 The pathway for the flow of salt-marsh grass production into marsh food-webs is still not well defined. We compared the abilities of three marsh macroinvertebrates [salt marsh periwinkles, Littoraria irrorata (Say) (=Littorina irrorata), salt-marsh coffee-bean snails, Melampus bidentatus (Say); and a talitrid amphipod, Uhlorchestia spartinophila Bounsfield and Heard] to access standing-dead leaves of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel). The invertebrates were incubated with naturally-decaying leaves, and the rates of removal of organic matter and living fungal biomass (ergosterol) were measured. The impact of invertebrate activity upon fungal growth rates was measured as rates of fungal-membrane synthesis (incorporation of radioacetate into ergosterol). The removal rates of organic leaf biomass per mg individual biomass were highest for amphipods (700 μg mg⁻¹ d⁻¹) and lowest for periwinkles (90 μg mg⁻¹ d⁻¹), but the relatively large biomass of the snails made their removal rates per individual greater than those of amphipods. Net removal of ergosterol by all three invertebrates was >50% for yellow-brown (early-decay) leaf blades. For fully-brown (advanced-decay) blades, >50% removal of ergosterol was found only for periwinkles; exposure to coffee-bean snails and amphipods resulted in a net ergosterol reduction of ≤20%. The lower net reduction of living fungal biomass by coffee-bean snails and amphipods may have been due to fungal-growth stimulation (2.3-fold stimulation in coffee-bean snails and 1.5-fold stimulation in amphipods). Grazing by periwinkles did not stimulate fungal growth, possibly because of its high intensity. Grazing by these three salt-marsh shredders may affect marsh-grass shoot-decay in different ways. Periwinkles may abbreviate the period of fungal production, and incorporate the decaying material relatively quickly into snail biomass and fecal-pellet rain to the sediments. Coffee-bean snails and amphipods may enhance and prolong fungal production, along with the formation of fecal-pellet rain. All three invertebrates fed preferentially on leaf blades rather than leaf sheaths, and feeding rates of gastropods were higher during the night than during the day. Received: 25 November 1998 / Accepted: 4 November 1999     

Population dynamics and production of euphausiids

Seasonal changes in abundance, size and aspects of the population structure of Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) and Nyctiphanes couchi (Bell) are described from samples taken with the Continuous Plankton Recorder at 10 m depth over a 2 yr period (1966 and 1967) in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. M. norvegica lived for a maximum of just over 2 yr, and adults of both year-classes spawned during a limited breeding season in the spring or summer. N. couchi spawned over a prolonged breeding season, giving rise to a complex of cohorts with overlapping size ranges. It was concluded that 3 or 4 cohorts were spawned in each year and that the maximum life span was probably greater than 1 yr, although maturity may be attained in less than a year. Estimated annual production at 10 m depth for M. norvegica ranged from 0.80 to 18.74 mg m^-3yr^-1 and for N. couchi from 0.67 to 8.23 mg m^-3yr^-1. P:B ratios ranged from 1.3:1 to 6.3:1 for M. norvegica and 4.0:1 to 5.5:1 for N. couchi.     

Survival, growth and reproduction of the salt-marsh amphipod Uhlorchestia spartinophila reared on natural diets of senescent and dead Spartina alterniflora leaves

The talitrid amphipod Uhlorchestia spartinophila lives in close association with standing-dead leaves of the smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora Loisel in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America. This study probed the strength of the trophic link between the amphipod population and the decomposition process in this detrital-based ecosystem. We measured survival, growth and reproductive output in groups of amphipods reared for 6 wk on five diets derived from sheath and blade portions of S. alterniflora leaves just prior to (senescent) and during (dead) decomposition. In unfed treatments, the daily specific mortality rate was 0.391 and starved amphipods survived no longer than 11 d. Among the fed treatments, a diet of senescent sheaths resulted in the lowest survival (20%) and yielded no offspring. Groups fed senescent blades, dead sheaths, dead blades and unwashed dead sheaths had survival rates of 56 to 84% and produced 5.0 to 12.5 offspring replicate⁻¹. Sex ratio usually favored females, but approached unity in treatments with high overall survival, suggesting that quality of available food resources may influence sex ratio in this species. Mean specific growth rates (mm mm⁻¹ d⁻¹) ranged from 0.013 to 0.016, and matched previous estimates of growth from field populations. Overall ecological performance (survival + growth + reproduction) was similar for all food treatments, except senescent sheaths, which yielded a final mean (±SD) dry biomass (0.4 ± 0.42 mg replicate⁻¹) of amphipods significantly lower than that of other diets (1.7 ± 0.81 to 2.6 ± 0.69 mg replicate⁻¹). Natural diets derived from decomposing cordgrass leaves can fulfill the nutritional requirements of U. spartinophila populations, but variation in initial amounts of living fungal biomass among the five experimental diets only partially explained the responses of amphipods in our experiment. Structural characteristics and variation in rates of fungal occupation within different portions of cordgrass leaves may affect the amphipod's ability to access plant production made available by decomposers. Received: 12 December 1996 / Accepted: 18 December 1996     

Nitrogen accretion,and the nature and possible significance of N2 fixation (Acetylene reduction) in a Nova Scotian Spartina alterniflora stand

Total aboveground nitrogen accretion through the 1975 growing season at a short Spartina alterniflora stand was estimated as 78 kg N ha^-1, compared to estimated N₂ fixation on the mud surface of 22 kg N ha^-1 and subsurface N₂ fixation of 93 kg N ha^-1. Subsurface N accretion was estimated to be of the order of 77 kg N ha^-1. Mudsurface ARA (acetylene-reducing activity) exhibited a pronounced mid-season maximum, while subsurface ARA exhibited a general trend of increase from May to September, and then a decline as a function of falling temperature. Various experiments suggested that mud-surface ARA was associated largely with non-heterocystous blue-green algae and photosynthetic bacteria, while subsurface ARA was associated mainly with vital activity of S. alterniflora. Counts of various groups of bacteria indicated an enrichment of anaerobic (glucose-utilizing) and microaerophilic (malateutilizing) N₂-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere in comparison to non-rhizosphere soil. Treatment of roots with chloramine-t for 2 h reduced total numbers (plate count), anaerobic N₂ fixers, and microaerophilic N₂ fixers by factors of 357, 172, and 22, respectively, suggesting a relative enrichment of microaerophiles in the interior or endorhizosphere of the roots. ARA of excised roots was correlated with ¹⁴C-activity for roots from a plant previously exposed to ¹⁴CO₂, and with branching and age of the roots.