In situ survival and development of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seedlings

Piazzi, Luigi; Acunto, Stefano; Cinelli, Francesco

doi:10.1016/s0304-3770(98)00115-6

Cited by 61 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…7a; Table 4). Piazzi et al (1999) observed lower survival rates of P. oceanica seedlings at 2-m depth than at 10-m depth. A correlative study in a P. oceanica meadow (Infantes et al 2009) suggested that at depths between 0 and 5 m nearbottom orbital velocities were too high for P. oceanica to be present, whereas at depths greater than 7 m velocities were lower and a dense meadow was present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seedling tolerance to wave exposure

Infantes

Orfila

Bouma

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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We studied the role of hydrodynamics in the establishment of sea grass seedlings for two Mediterranean sea grass species, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa, by combining flume and field studies. Flume measurements under both unidirectional and oscillatory flow showed that P. oceanica seedlings experienced higher drag forces than C. nodosa, which could be related to the larger total leaf area. Drag coefficients were between 0.01 and 0.1 for Reynolds numbers of 10 3 and 10 5 . As a result, P. oceanica seedlings required 40-50% of root length anchored to the sediment before being dislodged, whereas C. nodosa required < 20%. To validate the flume results, seedling survival in sandy beds was evaluated for two depths (12 and 18 m) at two field locations. To calculate near-bottom orbital velocities at the planting sites, deep-water waves were propagated to shallow water using a numerical model. Our results showed that P. oceanica seedlings experienced high losses after the first autumn storms when near-bottom orbital velocities exceeded 18 cm s 21 . The loss of C. nodosa seedlings was much lower and some seedlings survived velocities as high as 39 cm s 21 . Thus, flume and field results are consistent in explaining relative higher losses of P. oceanica seedlings than for C. nodosa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seedling tolerance to wave exposure

Infantes

Orfila

Bouma

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…Recruitment of P. oceanica seedlings occurs from May to August (Buia and Mazzella 1991 ) and seedlings can be found in rock, gravel and dead matte, but survivorship is highest in the latter (Balestri et al 1998, Piazzi et al 1999. The lower survivorship of seedlings established in dead matte at 2 m depth than at 10 m depth has been attributed to differences of water movement with depth (Piazzi et al 1999 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Posidonia oceanica seedlings from beach-cast fruits for seagrass planting

2013

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Posidonia oceanica seedlings produced from beach-cast fruits were planted in an area where this Mediterranean seagrass was lost as a consequence of fishfarming. The effects of substratum type (dead matte vs. meadow) and planting level (above vs. below bottom surface) on seedling survivorship and leaf development were evaluated after 3 years. Seedling capacity to resist uprooting was also tested by comparing survivorship and leaf development after 2 years in seedlings firmly anchored in dead matte by artificial means (mesh-pot) with those planted without any anchoring other than their roots. Survivorship in dead matte was 44 % after 3 years and was not affected by planting level. Seedling planting inside the meadow led to complete mortality after 3 years. Seedlings planted below the bottom surface branched during the second year and 50 % had produced from one to five additional shoots after 3 years. After 2 years, survivorship and leaf development of seedlings planted with mesh-pot anchoring was similar to that of seedlings planted without anchoring. Current environmental conditions in the impacted area allow P. oceanica seedlings to survive, but natural recovery might be limited by propagule availability. Planting of seedlings in dead matte without anchoring does not affect survivorship and leaf development and might be a feasible technique for restoration of P. oceanica meadows.

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“…At maturity (early spring) the positively buoyant fruits are transported by currents away from parental shoots, enabling dehisced seeds to colonize sites outside the range of vegetative growth (Buia & Mazzella 1991. Recruitment by seeds has been observed only occasionally in the field (Buia & Mazzella 1991, Balestri et al 1998b, Piazzi et al 1999, Diaz Almela et al 2008. Although densities as high as to 480 germinated seeds m -2 have been detected in favorable sites, available data indicate that only a few seedlings can initiate new patches (Balestri et al 1998b, Alberto et al 2003, Jover et al 2003, Migliaccio et al 2005, Balestri & Lardicci 2008, Diaz Almela et al 2008.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It seems that newly established seedlings rely on seed C-based reserves for most of the 1st year (Balestri et al 1998b, Belzunce et al 2005), but subsequently a large proportion of them (ca. 70%) perish possibly due to environmental stresses (Balestri et al 1998a, Piazzi et al 1999, Balestri & Bertini 2003, Balestri & Lardicci 2008. Virtually nothing is known, however, on seed nutritional quality and nutritional status of seedlings during early growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed nutrient content and nutritional status of Posidonia oceanica seedlings in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea

Balestri¹,

Gobert²,

Lepoint³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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We studied nutritional constraints on growth of Posidonia oceanica seedlings, morphometry and elemental content of mature seeds, and seedlings stranded on a beach of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea on 3 dates (May 2004, May 2005 and December 2005. The mean total nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content of P. oceanica seeds was high compared with closely related species. Seeds varied considerably in mass, and their nutrient and carbon (C) content increased linearly with mass. This indicates substantial variation in the amount of reserves initially available for seedling growth. Stored reserves in seeds were used by seedlings within 6 to 8 mo after germination: P was retrieved with greater efficiency (86%) than was N (69%) and C (20%). From May to December of the 2nd year (2005), the tissue nutrient concentrations of seedlings declined due to fast utilization and translocation of nutrients from the internal pools to support summer growth. Instead the C concentration in roots and rhizomes increased, indicating an accumulation of C. Seedling tissue N and P concentrations were above the critical levels reported for seagrasses, and were also lower than those of plagiotropic rhizomes of P. oceanica collected in the same period. These results suggest that P may play a major role in constraining growth of P. oceanica seedlings. KEY WORDS: Seeds · Seedlings · Nutritional constraints · Morphometric analysis · Elemental analysisResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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In situ survival and development of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seedlings

Cited by 61 publications

References 12 publications

Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seedling tolerance to wave exposure

Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seedling tolerance to wave exposure

Use of Posidonia oceanica seedlings from beach-cast fruits for seagrass planting

Seed nutrient content and nutritional status of Posidonia oceanica seedlings in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea

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