Article
Environmental Sciences
Joshua Moody, Danielle Kreeger
Summary: Ribbed mussels contribute to nutrient cycling and vertical accretion in salt marshes through their filter-feeding activity, but their distribution and habitats impact the landscape-level distribution of their filtration activity. This study assessed the spatial variability of ribbed mussel filtration in New Jersey and Rhode Island salt marshes, finding differences in filtration rates and contributions across different habitats.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sara Martin, Nigel Temple, Gillian Palino, Just Cebrian, Eric Sparks
Summary: The study found that large-scale breakwaters are effective in maintaining high coverage of natural marshes, but have minimal impact on shoreline plant growth. Breakwaters reduce pressure for upland migration, allowing marsh patches to expand seaward. The presence of breakwaters can help preserve fringing marsh vegetation in high wave energy environments, but adaptive management may be necessary for future effectiveness in response to sea-level rise.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
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
Environmental Sciences
Yan Zhao, Yue Li, Yan Jin, Tao Cui, Sen Wang, Fanlong Kong
Summary: This study found that Ulva prolifera extracts could inhibit the seed germination and seedling growth of Spartina alterniflora. The higher the concentration of the extracts, the stronger the inhibitory effect. The extracts were rich in organic acids, alcohols, and esters, which might be the dominant allelochemicals responsible for the inhibition. The sustained-release agent embedded with the U. prolifera extract showed potential for field dosing. Salinity significantly reduced the survival rate of S. alterniflora.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ryann E. L. Rossi, Charles A. Schutte, Jordan Logarbo, Caleb Bourgeois, Brian J. Roberts
Summary: The study reveals a mutualistic relationship between Gulf ribbed mussels (G. granosissima) and smooth cordgrass (S. alterniflora), in which the mussels enhance the growth and productivity of cordgrass, leading to improved salt marsh stability and function.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenzhen Zhao, Xiuzhen Li, Liming Xue, Shiwei Lin, Yuxi Ma, Lin Su, Zeyuan Li, Lv Gong, Zhongzheng Yan, Peter I. Macreadie
Summary: Invasive Spartina alterniflora has become a global management challenge in coastal wetlands. China has decided to eradicate it completely, but concerns about the high costs and its provision of beneficial ecosystem functions have arisen. This study explores a reasonable pathway of S. alterniflora management that balances control of invasive species and ecosystem functions, providing a sustainable and flexible spatial strategy.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Wenwen Liu, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: This study explored the importance of plant species and different habitat conditions to synchrony in plant productivity across coastal marsh habitats in Georgia, USA. Synchrony was highest within a plant species and within a marsh zone, and decreased across species with increasing distance and elevational differences. Abiotic conditions, such as water column temperature and salinity, also showed high synchrony among sites, pointing to the Moran effect as a likely explanation for the findings.
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
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
Environmental Sciences
Sarah C. Crosby, Nicole C. Spiller, Devan S. Healy, Lauren Brideau, Luke M. Stewart, Jamie M. P. Vaudrey, Kasey E. Tietz, Peter J. Fraboni
Summary: Excess nitrogen in coastal waters poses a threat to ecosystems, particularly salt marshes, but studies in Long Island Sound suggest that its role in driving salt marsh loss may be less significant than previously thought. Eutrophication continues to be a critical issue for these ecosystems despite aggressive nitrogen reduction efforts in the region.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jose L. Rolando, Max Kolton, Tianze Song, Joel E. Kostka
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between the root microbiome of Spartina alterniflora and its health and productivity, and found that the root microbiome plays an important role in regulating the plant host. The presence of highly active and competitive species in the root microbiome, as well as their correlation with plant productivity, suggests the involvement of the root microbiome in regulating and enhancing the primary productivity of S. alterniflora.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Runqiu Huang, Junyu He, Nan Wang, George Christakos, Jiali Gu, Li Song, Ji Luo, Susana Agusti, Carlos M. Duarte, Jiaping Wu
Summary: Coastal blue carbon ecosystems have promising benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Research shows that mangrove transplantation and Spartina alterniflora invasion have significant effects on the carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands. Additionally, plant-derived organic carbon can be exported to the surrounding environment due to rapid sediment turnover.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Clara Chaisson, Chad C. Jones, R. Scott Warren
Summary: This study investigated the loss of Spartina alterniflora stems within the growing season and found that this loss accounted for at least 20% of the estimated annual productivity. Higher early season density was associated with greater seasonal stem loss, suggesting that self-thinning may be a possible influencing factor.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew R. Payne, David M. Burdick, Gregg E. Moore, Cathleen Wigand
Summary: Research shows that adding 10 cm of sand to pots planted with Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens can result in fewer stems for S. patens after 2 months, but not for S. alterniflora. Total biomass and root mass were not significantly impacted for either species, indicating that plants will fully recover from the thin-layer placement over time. Effects of thin-layer placement on biomass and stem density did not vary significantly by elevation, and short-term results suggest it is a promising strategy to enhance marsh resilience to sea level rise in New England.
JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guangliang Zhang, Junhong Bai, Christoph C. Tebbe, Laibin Huang, Jia Jia, Wei Wang, Xin Wang, Lu Yu, Qingqing Zhao
Summary: This study investigated soil fungal communities in a salt marsh ecosystem with native and exotic plant species. It found that plant invasion significantly decreased fungal richness and diversity, altered community composition, and led to homogenization of the fungal community. The invaded sites had a higher proportion of saprophytic fungi, while growth of pathogenic fungi was inhibited. Soil pH and salinity were identified as important factors in shaping the fungal community structures in the context of plant invasion.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)