TIDE GATE INFLUENCES ON A TIDAL MARSH1

ABSTRACT: Construction of a tide gate at the mouth of the north channel of the Savannah River in Georgia has resulted in significant changes in salinities influencing marsh community changes. The tide gate is directly responsible for a 2 to 6 mile upstream displacement of salt water in the river. In the marsh, soil salinities ranged from 0.0 ppt at upstream sites to 12 ppt at downstream sites when the tide gate was in operation. Within two months of taking the tide gate out of operation, interstitial salinities at the downstream sites dropped to 4 ppt. Influences of the tide gate on marsh vegetation were modeled in a geographic information system. With the tide gate out of operation, the model predicts that freshwater marsh would increase in area by 340 percent.     

Evaluation of the Impacts of Dock Structures and Land Use on Tidal Creek Ecosystems in South Carolina Estuarine Environments

Tidal creeks and their associated salt marshes are the primary link between uplands and estuaries in the southeastern region. They are also critical nursery and feeding grounds. In addition, the uplands surrounding creeks are preferred sites for homebuilding because of their natural beauty and the ability to access the estuary from a personal dock structure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cumulative impacts of docks on tidal creek nursery habitats for both small and large tidal creeks. The number of docks was associated with the amount of impervious cover in both small and large creeks. The presence of docks had little measurable effect on sediment metal concentrations at the scale of small and large creeks. In small and large creeks, sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were related to the human activity in the upland that includes the presence of docks at the scale of small and large creeks. Some impacts on the benthic community were associated with docks and human activity in small creeks but not in large creeks. Suburban development may reduce fish and crustacean abundances, but the dock may potentially mediate the development effect. Individually, the harm to the marine environment resulting from dock shading, chrominated copper arsenate leachates, and PAH contamination was small at the scale of tidal creeks. However, impacts from dock structures could not be separated from anthropogenic watershed-scale effects. These results demonstrate that suburban development with its accompanying dock construction does represent a major source of environmental degradation to tidal creeks and associated salt marsh habitats.     

WATER BUDGET COMPUTATION FOR A SHALLOW LAKE-LAKE OKEECHOBEE,FLORIDA1

ABSTRACT: The water budget computation in shallow lakes is complicated because marsh vegetation can transpire large quantities of lake water. Thus, a model including the marsh zone evapotranspiration (WET) was developed to compute the water budget for Lake Okeechobee. Three periods of testing (1969–74), planning (1963–74), and recorded period (1952–77) were used to compare the differences of the sum of storage deviation between the WET and conventional methods (WOET). Results of the WOET method showed that the sum of stage deviations were 87.42 cm (2.868 ft.), 231.80 cm (7.605 ft.), and 284.50 cm (9.333 ft.) in the testing, planning, and recorded periods, respectively. These stage deviations are equivalent in the same order to 29, 76, and 93 percent of the lake volume. In general, the WET method not only was applicable to compute the water budget for the lake but also reduced the sum of storage deviation by about 42, 31, and 49 percent, respectively, in those three periods. The storage deviation in WET method was reduced on an average to about 2 percent each year in all three periods, and the deviations were scattered more randomly than in WOET.     

河口盐沼植物分布对有效光合辐射的响应

对东滩植被带光量子通量密度的调查研究表明:互花米草带与海三棱藨草带光量子通量密度没有显著性差异,其值分别为1 570和1 556μmol/(m2·s)。光照对两物种的生长、繁殖等植物行为的影响只取决于其对光照的利用能力和效率;在互花米草和海三棱藨草混生带,到达互花米草和海三棱藨草的光量子通量密度之间存在显著差异(P0.05),互花米草对海三棱藨草的遮荫效应达63%,表明互花米草对海三棱藨草具有强的遮荫作用。光照不足严重影响海三棱藨草的生长,在混生带,海三棱藨草生长速率降低,种群密度和生物量减少,植株高度增加。因此,互花米草对海三棱藨草的遮荫作用,抑制了海三棱藨草在中潮滩的更新过程,因而也是造成海三棱藨草生境丧失的重要原因之一。     

Temporal and Spatial Relationships Between Watershed Land Use and Salt Marsh Disturbance in a Pacific Estuary

Historical and recent remote sensing data can be used to address temporal and spatial relationships between upland land cover and downstream vegetation response at the watershed scale. This is demonstrated for sub-watersheds draining into Elkhorn Slough, California, where salt marsh habitat has diminished because of the formation of sediment fans that support woody riparian vegetation. Multiple regression models were used to examine which land cover variables and physical properties of the watershed most influenced sediment fan size within 23 sub-watersheds (1.4 ha to 200 ha). Model explanatory power increased (adjusted R(2) = 0.94 vs. 0.75) among large sub-watersheds (>10 ha) and historical watershed variables, such as average farmland slope, flowpath slope, and flowpath distance between farmland and marsh, were significant. It was also possible to explain the increase in riparian vegetation by historical watershed variables for the larger sub-watersheds. Sub-watershed area is the overriding physical characteristic influencing the extent of sedimentation in a salt marsh, while percent cover of agricultural land use is the most influential land cover variable. The results also reveal that salt marsh recovery depends on relative cover of different land use classes in the watershed, with greater chances of recovery associated with less intensive agriculture. This research reveals a potential delay between watershed impacts and wetland response that can be best revealed when conducting multi-temporal analyses on larger watersheds.     

Hydrologic analysis for coastal wetland restoration

Increasing recognition of the value of tidal wetlands has led to interest in how to restore and enhance areas that have been modified by human activity. The policy of recognizing restoration or enhancement as mitigation for destruction of other wetlands is controversial. Once policy questions are separated from technical questions, the steps in a successful project are straightforward A key element in the design of a successful project is quantitative hydraulic and hydrologic analysis of alternatives. Restoration projects at two sites in California used a combination of empirical geomorphic relationships, numerical modeling, and verification with field observations. Experience with these and other wetland restoration projects indicates the importance of longterm postproject monitoring, inspection, and maintenance     

螃蟹活动对闽江河口互花米草沼泽湿地土壤温室气体排放通量的影响

于2015年1月（冬季）、4月（春季）、6月（夏季）和9月（秋季）,以闽江河口互花米草沼泽湿地为研究区,采用静态箱与气相色谱结合的方法,研究螃蟹对湿地土壤CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放通量及综合增温潜势的影响。研究表明：温室气体排放季节变化较为显著,CO₂、CH₄排放通量最大值均出现在夏季,N₂O排放通量最大值出现在秋季,CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放通量最小值均出现在春季。与无螃蟹组相比,高潮滩和中潮滩螃蟹组CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放通量均值都增大,其中高潮滩螃蟹组CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放通量依次增大了46.36%、66.67%和69.66%,中潮滩螃蟹组CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放通量依次增大了53.57%、142.97%、73.08%。相关性分析结果表明：土壤CO₂排放通量与土壤温度显著正相关（n=96,p＜0.05）,CH₄和N₂O排放通量与土壤温度显著正相关（n=96,p＜0.01）;N₂O排放通量与土壤pH显著正相关（n=96,p＜0.01）,与土壤含水量显著正相关（n=96,p＜0.05）。综上所述,螃蟹活动对闽江河口互花米草沼泽湿地土壤的干扰促进了温室气体的排放,为有效调节湿地碳、氮固持作用和湿地生态系统科学管理提供了参考。     

崇明东滩不同部位的季节性沉积研究

2002年4月至2003年4月，通过对崇明东滩南部、中部和北部的标志桩观测以及实地观测分析，发现崇明东滩在一年中不同季节冲淤变化过程存在很大差异：春季到夏季，南部以冲刷为主，中部和北部以淤积为主；夏季到秋季，南部和中部以淤积为主，北部表现为冲刷；秋季到冬季，南部、中部和北部都以冲刷为主；头一年冬季到次年春季，南部和北部以淤积为主，中部则表现为冲刷。在同一观测路线上，不同季节高、中、低潮滩冲淤也存在一定差异。通过对沉积物粒度、水体含沙量等指标的测试，并借助潮差等资料，探究了影响潮滩季节性沉积的因素，发现潮滩季节性沉积与潮滩基础地貌、水体含沙量、水动力、潮流等有密切关系；但在不同部位不同季节，各因素对潮滩冲淤影响程度各不相同。     

SALINITY AND SEDIMENTATION STUDY–COOPER RIVER REDIVERSION,CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA1

The study was prepared in 1966 for the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of the Interior, for presentation to the United States Army Corps of Engineers which had under study several routes for rediversion of the discharge from the Santee-Cooper Hydro Electric Plant, Steam Plant and Lock. Each rediversion was designed to by-pass the Charleston Harbor and this study and report was concerned with one of those routes–Rediversion Route “B.” The channel was to be designed for a maximum fresh-water flow of 27,500 cfs and a mean flow of 15,500 cfs. The objectives of the study and report were to make an estimate of: (1) the geographical extent of salt marsh waters of which the salinity will be measurably reduced, and (2) the probable accumulation of fresh-water borne sediments in those same waters. Special consultants were Dr. F. H. Kellogg, Memphis State University, and Mr. K. L. Drennan, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi.     

Short-term and long-term facilitation of goose grazing by livestock in the Dutch Wadden Sea area

We studied the impact of livestock grazing on the distribution ofBranta bernicla bernicla (Dark-bellied Brent goose) in the Dutch Wadden Sea during spring. It was hypothesized that livestock facilitate short-term (within-season) grazing for geese as well as long-term (over years). Therefore we measured grazing pressure by geese in salt marsh and polder areas that were either grazed (spring-grazed) or ungrazed during spring (summer-grazed). Additionally, we carried out a preference experiment with captive geese to test the preference between spring-grazed and summer-grazed polder swards. We furthermore compared patterns of use by geese between long-term ungrazed and grazed salt marshes. In May, there is a difference in grazing pressure by geese between polder pastures that are grazed or ungrazed during spring. In this month, the ungrazed polder pastures are abandoned and the geese shift to either the grazed polder pastures or to the salt marsh. Vegetation in the polder that had been spring-grazed had a lower canopy height and a higher tiller density than summer-grazed vegetation. The captive geese in the preference experiment showed a clear preference for vegetation that had been spring-grazed by sheep over ungrazed vegetation. Goose grazing pressure was negatively correlated to canopy height, both on the polder and on the salt marsh. Within the plant communities dominated byFestuca rubra andPuccinellia maritima, marshes that were intensively grazed by livestock generally had higher grazing pressure by geese than long-term ungrazed or lightly grazed salt marshes.