Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lathadevi K. K. Chintapenta, Katharine I. I. Ommanney, Gulnihal Ozbay
Summary: Human activities in wetlands and seasonal changes can affect the concentrations of heavy metals in soil and the types of marsh vegetation. The study found that different types of wetland vegetation and the ion composition of the soil can influence the levels of heavy metals.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Qiqiong Zhang, Zhongzheng Yan, Xiuzhen Li
Summary: In this study, differences in root iron plaque formation and the composition of Fe-oxidizing bacteria (IOB) and Fe-reducing bacteria (IRB) communities in the rhizosphere of Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis were compared. The results showed significant differences in iron plaque content and microbial diversity between the two plant species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junlin Ren, Jianshe Chen, Changlin Xu, Johan van de Koppel, Mads S. Thomsen, Shiyun Qiu, Fangyan Cheng, Wanjuan Song, Quan-Xing Liu, Chi Xu, Junhong Bai, Yihui Zhang, Baoshan Cui, Mark D. Bertness, Brian R. Silliman, Bo Li, Qiang He
Summary: While protected areas are successful in rescuing wetlands and shorebird habitats, plant invasions are extensive and undermine the formation of new native marshes. The global invasion of exotic species into protected areas highlights the profound consequences of bioinvasions on conservation.
Article
Agronomy
Wei Wang, Junhong Bai, Qiongqiong Lu, Guangliang Zhang, Dawei Wang, Jia Jia, Yanan Guan, Lu Yu
Summary: The study investigated the effects of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature on biochar characteristics, revealing that high temperatures negatively affected biochar yields, H and O contents. Biochar derived from Spartina alterniflora showed higher ash content but lower C/H/N/O contents and HHVs compared to Phragmites australis-derived biochar. Additionally, cost analysis demonstrated that large-scale reactor production of biochar was more cost-effective than bench-scale reactor production, and Spartina alterniflora-derived biochar had a higher cost due to feedstock price and drying process.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Youzheng Zhang, Steven C. Pennings, Zixia Liu, Bo Li, Jihua Wu
Summary: Global variation in litter decomposition rates is influenced by climate, decomposer taxa, and litter quality. This study explores how litter decomposition rate and quality vary within a species across different latitudes, finding that higher latitude plants have faster decomposition rates due to lower defensive compounds and higher nutrient levels. Additionally, exotic species decomposed faster than native species, indicating differences in defensive mechanisms and nutrient concentrations.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanhang Li, Jing Hua, Chiquan He, Daoyuan Wang, Zhenzhen Zhao, Feifei Wang, Yuchen Wang, Xiaoxi Wang, Xueping Chen, Xiaoyan Liu
Summary: The invasion of Spartina alterniflora leads to the accumulation of reduced inorganic sulfur (RIS) and promotes sulfate reduction and the accumulation of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), facilitating the invasion and expansion of S. alterniflora. S. alterniflora can mitigate sulfide stress by enriching iron, reducing Fe(III), and forming pyrite.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yu Gao, Jiquan Chen, Tingting Zhang, Bin Zhao, Steven McNulty, Haiqiang Guo, Feng Zhao, Ping Zhuang
Summary: This study in the Yangtze estuary investigated the lateral detrital C flux influenced by the invasive Spartina alterniflora, highlighting significant impacts on the ecosystem structure and functions. Techniques like tower-based measurements, field sampling, and modeling were used to quantify and understand these processes.
ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Lin, Yanli Yang, Ping Yang, Yan Hong, Linhai Zhang, Chuan Tong, Derrick Y. F. Lai, Yongxin Lin, Lishan Tan, Yalan Tian, Kam W. Tang
Summary: The study examined the impact of invasive Spartina alterniflora and subsequent reclamation on soil nitrogen composition in coastal wetlands in China. Results showed that the conversion of mudflats to Spartina alterniflora increased total nitrogen content, while subsequent conversion to aquaculture ponds decreased it. The invasion of Spartina alterniflora was a major driver of increased bioavailability of nitrogen in coastal soil, which was partly reversed by the reclamation for aquaculture ponds.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhonghua Ning, Dongxue Li, Cong Chen, Chengjie Xie, Guogui Chen, Tian Xie, Qing Wang, Junhong Bai, Baoshan Cui
Summary: Understanding the dynamics and pathways of invasive plants in relation to geomorphic landscape features is crucial for predicting and managing their expansion in non-native habitats. In this study, the evolutionary patterns of tidal channel networks in the Yellow River Delta were quantified using remote-sensing imagery, and the invasion patterns of Spartina alterniflora were identified. The study also revealed the influence of tidal channel characteristics on the plant's invasion dynamics.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Sikai Wang, Qiang He, Youzheng Zhang, Qiang Sheng, Bo Li, Jihua Wu
Summary: The study found that the invasion of Spartina alterniflora significantly altered the functional composition of benthic food webs in unvegetated habitats, driven by both trophic and nontrophic effects. However, in vegetated native habitats, the replacement of native plants by Spartina led to a shift in consumer diet but did not significantly alter the functional composition of benthic food webs. The relative importance of trophic and nontrophic effects of plant invasions on benthic food webs varied with habitat structure.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Abbey Humphreys, Adrianna L. Gorsky, Donna M. Bilkovic, Randolph M. Chambers
Summary: With rising sea levels, there is an increase in the area occupied by the slightly more saline plant species of reed in low-salinity tidal marshes, while the area of native salt marsh grass remains relatively stable. Additionally, there is a decrease in species richness in low-salinity tidal marshes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Niu Li, Ming Nie, Bo Li, Jihua Wu, Jiayuan Zhao
Summary: Aboveground litter inputs from plants play a crucial role in carbon and nutrient fluxes to the soil. This study compared the effects of aboveground litter from native Phragmites australis and exotic Spartina alterniflora on soil nitrification and denitrification, finding species-specific impacts on these processes, particularly more pronounced in the late growth phase. The study also showed that while previous research has highlighted the strong impacts of invasive Spartina alterniflora on nitrogen removal processes, the aboveground litter from this species did not significantly alter nitrification or denitrification, suggesting the presence of other important pathways in these processes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Wendy Ampuero Reyes, Gail L. Chmura
Summary: This study systematically investigated the contribution of belowground plant material to soil accretion in tidal salt marshes. The results showed that the traditional method of measuring carbon density underestimates the true contribution of salt marsh plants to soil accretion.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Anna R. Armitage, Carolyn A. Weaver, Ashley A. Whitt, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: The study found that woody encroachment of mangroves into coastal wetlands can lead to a decrease in plant species richness and changes in animal assemblages, with certain species being more common in areas without mangroves. Results were consistent with a previous manipulative experiment, indicating mangroves have significant impacts on associated plant and animal communities as woody encroachment continues and mangrove cover increases.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Bin Wang, Xianbiao Lin
Summary: The wide and rapid invasion of Spartina alterniflora threatens the sustainability of coastal wetlands in China and negatively impacts sediment biogeochemical processes. This study investigated the effects of this invasive species on sediment nitrate reduction processes in mangrove wetlands. The results showed significant spatial differences in denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, and their contributions among different plant communities. Spartina alterniflora invasion increased sediment nitrogen loss while reducing nitrogen retention in mangrove wetlands, posing a threat to their buffer function and nitrogen pools protection in estuarine and coastal ecosystems.