Distribution and salinity tolerance of intertidal mosses from Nova Scotian salt marshes

Garbary, David J.; Miller, Anthony G.; Scrosati, Ricardo A.; Kim, Kwang-Young; Schofield, W. B.

doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2008)111[282:dastoi]2.0.co;2

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…This may be a result of sea level rise. The integrity of salt marshes in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere is being jeopardized by increases in sea level (Najjarr et al 2000;Hartig et al 2002;Gehrels et al 2005;Erwin et al 2006;Garbary et al 2008). Effective sea level in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence has risen over 30 cm during the twentieth century and is predicted to increase at least another 70 cm this century (Forbes et al 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cheticamp, Pomquet, Merigomish, Antigonish and Caribou Harbour are all shallow water systems (mostly 1-5 m) with sand dune barrier beaches and with soft-bottom communities typically dominated by Zostera marina L. Pugwash Harbour is a deeper water channel with no sand dune barrier present. All the estuaries have extensive areas of fringing salt marshes and a tidal amplitude of approximately 1.4 m. The shores have very limited exposure to wave action, and the fetch for the sampling sites varied from 200 to 500 m. Although there is considerable variation in salinity within each estuary, sampling sites we used typically varied from 20 to 28% (Kim et al 2004;Garbary et al 2008).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population structure of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa in salt marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

2010

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The ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, is highly dependent on the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora for amelioration from environmental stress and substrate stabilization. Spartina alterniflora is a foundation species in marshes, and G. demissa is typically associated with cordgrass beds. Marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence are experiencing erosion and degradation, presumably as a result of increases in sea level, which increases salinity exposure and negatively impacts S. alterniflora. The population structure of the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, was studied at nine sites in six estuaries in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in Nova Scotia, Canada, where marsh degradation is occurring. Mussel length was used as a proxy for age of G. demissa in three salt marsh zones characterized by density and elevation of Spartina alterniflora: (1) a lower zone in which the S. alterniflora was dead, but where the basal mat was coherent, (2) a zone of living, but low density S. alterniflora at the margin of the living marsh, and (3) a zone of dense S. alterniflora one to three meters back from the edge. Mussel length was significantly different across the three zones in seven of the nine sites. Mean length decreased as elevation increased, and small mussels (i.e., 1-3 cm) were absent at seven sites. The smallest mussels occurred in the dense S. alterniflora zone, higher in the marsh. Mussel length in the two western sites did not differ between zones, and small mussels (i.e., 1-3 cm) were present, but rare. The absence of small mussels in seven of the nine sites, and the size frequency distribution at remaining sites, suggests a lack of recent recruitment and a long-term threat to the survival of G. demissa. Salt marsh degradation and the death of S. alterniflora have negatively impacted G. demissa recruitment, and population decline is evident.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population structure of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa in salt marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

2010

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“…There are some mosses that occur in areas that are inundated by tides (Table 2); for example, four species in Northern England (Adam 1976) and five species in Nova Scotia, one of which has been shown to survive immersion in seawater for 24 h (Garbary et al 2008). Aronson (1989) lists only one genus of a salt resistant fern.…”

Section: Salt Tolerance In Bryophytes and Pteridophytesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The realisation that halophytes have evolved several times should encourage attempts to generate new salttolerant crops and may assist plant breeders in several ways. First, it may illuminate specific traits associated with salt tolerance Aronson (1989) A Cratoneuron stellatum was shown to survive immersion in seawater for 24 h (Garbary et al 2008).…”

Section: Breeding For Salt Tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of halophytes: multiple origins of salt tolerance in land plants

Flowers

Galal

Bromham

2010

Functional Plant Biol.

615

370

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Abstract. The evolution of salt tolerance is interesting for several reasons. First, since salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) employ several different mechanisms to deal with salt, the evolution of salt tolerance represents a fascinating case study in the evolution of a complex trait. Second, the diversity of mechanisms employed by halophytes, based on processes common to all plants, sheds light on the way that a plant's physiology can become adapted to deal with extreme conditions. Third, as the amount of salt-affected land increases around the globe, understanding the origins of the diversity of halophytes should provide a basis for the use of novel species in bioremediation and conservation. In this review we pose the question, how many times has salt tolerance evolved since the emergence of the land plants some 450-470 million years ago? We summarise the physiological mechanisms underlying salt-tolerance and provide an overview of the number and diversity of salt-tolerant terrestrial angiosperms (defined as plants that survive to complete their life cycle in at least 200 mM salt). We consider the evolution of halophytes using information from fossils and phylogenies. Finally, we discuss the potential for halophytes to contribute to agriculture and land management and ask why, when there are naturally occurring halophytes, it is proving to be difficult to breed salt-tolerant crops.

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“…Effective sea level rise is already affecting fringing salt marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Garbary et al 2008), and the erosion of coastal sand dunes is another manifestation of this phenomenon. If the current dune systems are to remain intact, management practices must reflect this reality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<em>Rosa rugosa</em> as an Invader of Coastal Sand Dunes of Cape Breton Island and Mainland of Nova Scotia

et al. 2010

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Rosa rugosa is described for the first time as an invasive species associated with coastal sand dunes in Atlantic Canada. Our surveys of 24 beaches on western Cape Breton Island and the mainland of northern Nova Scotia from Cheticamp to Fox Harbour showed that 11 of the dune systems (ca. 45%) were colonized. This was more prevalent in Cape Breton where R. rugosa occurred on 9 of 13 systems, whereas only 2 of 9 mainland systems were colonized. Four dunes (three in Cape Breton) were considered heavily colonized with 0.4 -8.8% of the dune area with cover of R. rugosa. These beaches had 12 -42 independent clumps with almost monospecific stands over 90 % cover. In general, heavily colonized beaches were found adjacent to communities where extensive domestic planting and hedges of R. rugosa occurred and where escapes onto roadsides had occurred. In most colonized beach systems, rhizomes from clones extended 1 -5 m to produce younger shoots. The absence of Ammophila breviligulata, Lathyrus maritimus and Myrica pensylvanica, from the interior of many clumps of R. rugosa suggests that native dune communities are being negatively impacted. This exacerbates dune integrity already compromised by impacts of sea level rise.

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Distribution and salinity tolerance of intertidal mosses from Nova Scotian salt marshes

Cited by 25 publications

References 20 publications

Population structure of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa in salt marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

Population structure of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa in salt marshes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

Evolution of halophytes: multiple origins of salt tolerance in land plants

<em>Rosa rugosa</em> as an Invader of Coastal Sand Dunes of Cape Breton Island and Mainland of Nova Scotia

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