Role of Crab Herbivory in Die-Off of New England Salt Marshes

Abstract:  Die-offs of cordgrass are pervasive throughout western Atlantic salt marshes, yet understanding of the mechanisms precipitating these events is limited. We tested whether herbivory by the native crab , Sesarma reticulatum , is generating die-offs of cordgrass that are currently occurring on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), by manipulating crab access to cordgrass transplanted into die-off areas and healthy vegetation. We surveyed 12 Cape Cod marshes to investigate whether the extent of cordgrass die-off on creek banks, where die-offs are concentrated, was related to local Sesarma grazing intensity and crab density. We then used archived aerial images to examine whether creek bank die-off areas have expanded over the past 2 decades and tested the hypothesis that release from predation, leading to elevated Sesarma densities, is triggering cordgrass die-offs by tethering crabs where die-offs are pervasive and where die-offs have not yet been reported. Intensity of crab grazing on transplanted cordgrass was an order of magnitude higher in die-off areas than in adjacent vegetation. Surveys revealed that Sesarma herbivory has denuded nearly half the creek banks in Cape Cod marshes, and differences in crab-grazing intensity among marshes explained >80% of variation in the extent of the die-offs. Moreover, the rate of die-off expansion and area of marsh affected have more than doubled since 2000. Crab-tethering experiments suggest that release from predation has triggered elevated crab densities that are driving these die-offs, indicating that disruption of predator–prey interactions may be generating the collapse of marsh ecosystems previously thought to be exclusively under bottom-up control .     

巴颜喀拉山高寒草地及其退化的遥感研究─—以巴颜喀拉山达日县段为例

本文应用遥感技术，探讨了巴颜喀拉山北坡－青海省达日县段高寒草地资源及其退化高山草甸草地的成因、分布和判断标志，将研究区划分为5个草地类型和3个退化草地型，重点分析了高山草甸草地退化的主要原因和影象特征．     

Predictors of specialist avifaunal decline in coastal marshes

Coastal marshes are one of the world's most productive ecosystems. Consequently, they have been heavily used by humans for centuries, resulting in ecosystem loss. Direct human modifications such as road crossings and ditches and climatic stressors such as sea‐level rise and extreme storm events have the potential to further degrade the quantity and quality of marsh along coastlines. We used an 18‐year marsh‐bird database to generate population trends for 5 avian species (Rallus crepitans, Tringa semipalmata semipalmata, Ammodramus nelsonii subvirgatus, Ammodramus caudacutus, and Ammodramus maritimus) that breed almost exclusively in tidal marshes, and are potentially vulnerable to marsh degradation and loss as a result of anthropogenic change. We generated community and species trends across 3 spatial scales and explored possible drivers of the changes we observed, including marsh ditching, tidal restriction through road crossings, local rates of sea‐level rise, and potential for extreme flooding events. The specialist community showed negative trends in tidally restricted marshes (?2.4% annually from 1998 to 2012) but was stable in unrestricted marshes across the same period. At the species level, we found negative population trends in 3 of the 5 specialist species, ranging from ?4.2% to 9.0% annually. We suggest that tidal restriction may accelerate degradation of tidal marsh resilience to sea‐level rise by limiting sediment supply necessary for marsh accretion, resulting in specialist habitat loss in tidally restricted marshes. Based on our findings, we predict a collapse of the global population of Saltmarsh Sparrows (A. caudacutus) within the next 50 years and suggest that immediate conservation action is needed to prevent extinction of this species. We also suggest mitigation actions to restore sediment supply to coastal marshes to help sustain this ecosystem into the future.     

闽江河口短叶茳芏沼泽湿地沉积物磷的赋存形态和空间分布

对闽江河口区不同盐度短叶茳芏沼泽湿地沉积物中磷的赋存形态和分布特征进行了研究,探讨了河口沉积物中磷的来源及其影响因子.结果表明:1闽江河口湿地沉积物全磷(TP)含量介于607.91~807.60 mg·kg-1,平均值为726.29 mg·kg-1;有机磷(OP)含量介于120.44~166.63 mg·kg-1,平均值为139.43 mg·kg-1,约占TP的18.93%;无机磷(IP)含量介于479.65~647.56 mg·kg-1,平均值为586.86 mg·kg-1,约占TP的81.07%,IP是磷的主要赋存形态.2IP中,赋存形态以闭蓄态磷(O-P)和铁结合态磷(Fe-P)为主,分别占IP的39.97%和32.92%;其次是钙结合态磷(Ca-P)和铝结合态磷(Al-P),分别占IP的17.89%、9.22%.3在空间分布上,TP、OP、IP含量在由海向陆方向整体呈先降低后递增趋势;IP不同赋存形态在空间上也整体上呈现出以上趋势;垂直方向上,总体都表现为随土层深度波动降低,这在一定程度上反映了近年来河口湿地环境污染的加剧.4磷的赋存形态和空间分布特征是电导率、pH、容重、含水率和粒度等多因子综合作用的结果.     

冻融对内蒙古温带贝加尔针茅草甸草原N2O通量的影响

本研究以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原为研究对象,通过室内模拟实验与野外观测实验相结合,分析不同土层、放牧与封育、长期与短期冻融、不同冻融频率与冻融温差强度对草地土壤N2O产生与排放的影响.结果表明:冻融期间,从地表到下层15cm土壤N2O的产生速率随深度的增加而逐渐减少,N2O的产生主要来源于0~9cm的表层土壤;冻融期间温差相同的情况下,冻融次数越多,N2O的产生速率越小;N2O的产生速率随着温差的变小而减少;冻融期间封育样地的N2O排放量大于放牧样地,且封育样地的N2O排放量占全年排放总量的25.09%,大于放牧样地(12.38%),但从观测年排放总量看,放牧却促进了草地N2O源的功能;草地春融期间的N2O排放量是整个冻融期N2O排放量的最大贡献者.     

Ecological Feasibility Studies in Restoration Decision Making

The restoration of degraded systems is essential for maintaining the provision of valuable ecosystem services, including the maintenance of aesthetic values. However, restoration projects often fail to reach desired goals for a variety of ecologic, financial, and social reasons. Feasibility studies that evaluate whether a restoration effort should even be attempted can enhance restoration success by highlighting potential pitfalls and gaps in knowledge before the design phase of a restoration. Feasibility studies also can bring stakeholders together before a restoration project is designed to discuss potential disagreements. For these reasons, a feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of restoring a tidal freshwater marsh in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia. The study focused on science rather than engineering questions, and thus differed in approach from other feasibility studies that are mostly engineering driven. The authors report the framework they used to conduct a feasibility study to inform other potential restoration projects with similar goals. The seven steps of the framework encompass (1) initiation of a feasibility study, (2) compilation of existing data, (3) collection of current site information, (4) examination of case studies, (5) synthesis of information in a handbook, (6) meeting with selected stakeholders, and (7) evaluation of meeting outcomes. By conducting a feasibility study using the seven-step framework, the authors set the stage for conducting future compliance studies and enhancing the chance of a successful restoration.     

The threat of abandonment in socio-ecological landscapes: Farmers’ motivations and perspectives on high nature value grassland conservation

Future sustainability of the conservation management of socio-ecological landscapes is typically reliant on on-going agricultural management. Such management may be threatened by changes in the drivers of management and the fragility of the stakeholder networks that deliver management. This study examined evidence for the risk of abandonment in a series of case study high nature value (HNV) grassland sites. The work found that the motivation of farmers to participate in the conservation management was typically limited and often marginal. Landowners and conservation stakeholders who relied on partner farmers to manage such sites often struggled to recruit and retain their participation, leading to increased turnover among managing farmers and to some sites being under-managed. Primary reasons for difficulty of recruitment and farmer turnover included a lack of candidate farmers in the local landscape, and the marginal and fluctuating economics of grassland management. A trend towards greater financial incentivisation of farmers was evident, which policy-makers responsible for agri-environment schemes should note, and elsewhere some conservation organisations were seen to be bringing grassland management in-house. Farmers’ motivations to participate in conservation management of such systems may continue to weaken and abandonment may therefore become a significant risk to the successful conservation of such systems. Conservation stakeholders need to foster good relations with their farmer-manager partners and not further depress their limited motivations to participate, as well as consider carefully whether farmer stakeholders are being adequately compensated for their efforts.     

Determining Ecological Equivalence in Service-to-Service Scaling of Salt Marsh Restoration

The amount of ecological restoration required to mitigate or compensate for environmental injury or habitat loss is often based on the goal of achieving ecological equivalence. However, few tools are available for estimating the extent of restoration required to achieve habitat services equivalent to those that were lost. This paper describes habitat equivalency analysis (HEA), a habitat-based “service-to-service” approach for determining the amount of restoration needed to compensate for natural resource losses, and examines issues in its application in the case of salt marsh restoration. The scientific literature indicates that although structural attributes such as vegetation may recover within a few years, there is often a significant lag in the development of ecological processes such as nutrient cycling that are necessary for a fully functioning salt marsh. Moreover, natural variation can make recovery trajectories difficult to define and predict for many habitat services. HEA is an excellent tool for scaling restoration actions because it reflects this ecological variability and complexity. At the same time, practitioners must recognize that conclusions about the amount of restoration needed to provide ecological services equivalent to those that are lost will depend critically on the ecological data and assumptions that are used in the HEA calculation.     

Monitoring nekton as a bioindicator in shallow estuarine habitats

Long-term monitoring of estuarine nekton has many practical and ecological benefits but efforts are hampered by a lack of standardized sampling procedures. This study provides a rationale for monitoring nekton in shallow (<#60; 1 m), temperate, estuarine habitats and addresses some important issues that arise when developing monitoring protocols. Sampling in seagrass and salt marsh habitats is emphasized due to the susceptibility of each habitat to anthropogenic stress and to the abundant and rich nekton assemblages that each habitat supports. Extensive sampling with quantitative enclosure traps that estimate nekton density is suggested. These gears have a high capture efficiency in most habitats and are small enough (e.g., 1 m²) to permit sampling in specific microhabitats. Other aspects of nekton monitoring are discussed, including spatial and temporal sampling considerations, station selection, sample size estimation, and data collection and analysis. Developing and initiating long-term nekton monitoring programs will help evaluate natural and human-induced changes in estuarine nekton over time and advance our understanding of the interactions between nekton and the dynamic estuarine environment.     

Performance of a subsurface-flow constructed wetland in southern China

IntroductionTheconstructedwetlandshavebecomeaglobaltechnologyforwaterpollutioncontrolbothindevelopedanddevelopingcountries(Seidal,196 6 ,1976 ;Kickuth ,1977;Cooper,1995 ;IWA ,2 0 0 0 ) .Recentinventoriesindicatedthattherearemorethan 6 0 0 0andmorethan 10 …