Influences of Vegetation and Abiotic Environmental Factors on Salt Marsh Invertebrates

evin, Lisa A.; Talley, Theresa Sinicrope

doi:10.1007/0-306-47534-0_30

Cited by 62 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 129 publications

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“…The strong inXuence of invasive S. anglica is implied from the spatial variation in the composition of macrobenthic assemblages along the intertidal transect, particularly between the open mudXat and the marsh site. Low species richness and macrofaunal diversity are common characteristics of intertidal mudXats and saltmarshes due to extreme and variable physical and chemical conditions (Levin and Talley 2000). The macrobenthic community was, in our study area, numerically dominated by one epifauna species, H. ulvae, while infauna dominated in terms of species richness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Hacker et al 2001;Cottet et al 2007). Much work has been undertaken on the changes of invertebrate macrobenthic assemblages associated with Spartina saltmarshes in North America (Levin and Talley 2000;Neira et al 2005;Brusati and Grosholz 2006), while there is only limited information from northern Europe (Vinther et al 2001;Gribsholt and Kristensen 2003). The Wadden Sea is treasured by its special native biodiversity and is a stepping stone for a variety of migratory waterbirds (Vinther et al 2001;Loebl et al 2006).…”

Section: Electronic Supplementary Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Invertebrate macrobenthos are an integrated biological component in intertidal soft-sediment ecosystems including mudXats, sandXats and saltmarshes (Snelgrove 1998;Levin and Talley 2000). Macrobenthos modify topographical features, aVect sediment stability, controls energy Xow and nutrient cycling and also inXuences the meiofauna and microorganisms (Aller and Aller 1998;Snelgrove 1998;Reise 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most macrofauna are also of great importance to ecological-and economic-important species at higher trophic levels (Reise 2005;Rosa et al 2008). Provided the signiWcant roles and feasibility for experimental analysis, macrofauna assemblages are generally regarded as important indicators of system resilience to disturbances, such as biological invasions, pollution and eutrophication (Snelgrove 1998;Levin and Talley 2000). The accelerating concerns on bioinvasions in coastal soft-sediments have inspired much recent research (Reise et al 1999Thieltges et al 2006;Cottet et al 2007;Nehring and Hesse 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the conXicting results from various saltmarshes make extrapolations between regions problematic due to site-speciWc characteristics of Spartina spp. invasions (Levin and Talley 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Tang

Kristensen

2010

Helgol Mar Res

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We conducted a survey to provide knowledge on mechanisms controlling spatial and temporal variability of macrobenthos in an intertidal Wadden Sea area partly covered by invasive Spartina anglica. Benthic macrofauna was collected seasonally at seven stations along a transect covering non-vegetated mudXat and vegetated marsh areas. Shannon diversity index was consistently higher for macrobenthos in the open mudXat compared to the marsh area. Infaunal species, like Arenicola marina, TubiWcoides benedeni and Macoma balthica, were more abundant in the mudXat than the marsh, while the opposite was evident for epifaunal species, like Hydrobia ulvae and Littorina littorea. The infaunal crustacean, Corophium volutator, on the other hand, appeared particularly attracted to the mudXatmarsh boundary. The biomass of below-ground plant materials and macrodetritus was positively correlated with the total macrofaunal abundance, while the biomass of dead below-ground plant materials alone showed a signiWcant negative correlation with infaunal abundance. Total macrofaunal abundance was highest during summer in the mudXat, while no seasonal pattern was evident in the marsh.The negative inXuence of S. anglica invasions on infaunal abundance may have serious implications for higher trophic levels, such as waterbirds, that forage in Wadden Sea areas and thus for the overall biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Electronic Supplementary Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Tang

Kristensen

2010

Helgol Mar Res

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Directional movement of consumer fronts associated with creek heads in salt marshes

Pennings

2021

Ecology

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Consumers often deplete local resources and aggregate along edges of remaining resources, forming “consumer fronts.” We examined the factors that promote Sesarma reticulatum crab aggregations at saltmarsh creek heads to explain the directional but slow movement of these fronts. We also created artificial creek heads to test the hypothesis that hydrological conditions at creek heads create superior habitat for crabs. Soil temperatures were ˜11–12% cooler, hydrogen sulfide concentrations lower (0.0 vs. ˜0.58 mg/L), and dissolved oxygen concentrations twofold higher at the creek head versus the marsh platform. In the artificial creek‐head experiment, altering hydrological conditions led to lower dissolved sulfide levels, higher dissolved oxygen levels, and increased densities of crab burrows and Sesarma crabs. Moreover, the elevation of the soil surface declined rapidly at artificial creek heads versus controls, suggesting that crabs were increasing erosion. Our results suggest that abiotic conditions for crabs are better at the leading edge of the creek head than the trailing edge, explaining the directional movement of the front. Moreover, the speed at which the front propagates appears to be limited by the rate at which the creekhead erodes, rather than by crab mobility. The directional and slow movement of Sesarma fronts compared to consumer fronts of other invertebrates appears to result from the inextricable link between Sesarma and marsh geomorphology, whereas other consumer fronts are associated mostly with food resources.

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Effects of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation on Macrozoobenthos in a Coastal Lagoon of the Southwestern Atlantic

Arocena

2007

International Review of Hydrobiology

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The freshwater-dominated part of Rocha coastal lagoon recently experienced sudden colonization by submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Macrophytes may be beneficial or detrimental for the zoobenthos, and both assemblages may in turn affect the food availability for birds and fishes. With the aim of evaluating the effect of SAV on water conditions and on the composition, abundance and diversity of macrozoobenthos, vegetated areas (V, up to 500 g DW m -2 ) were compared with vegetation-free areas (N). The benthic abundance was higher in V (up to 5 000 ind m -2 ) than in N (up to 2 200 ind m -2 ). Species richness and abundance of amphipods, gastropods and chironomids were also higher at V compared with N. Conversely, the abundance of Tanais stanfordi (Crustacea), Erodona mactroides (Bivalvia) and Laeonereis culveri (Polychaeta), and the Shannon diversity were higher at N.

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Influences of Vegetation and Abiotic Environmental Factors on Salt Marsh Invertebrates

Cited by 62 publications

References 129 publications

Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Associations between macrobenthos and invasive cordgrass, Spartina anglica, in the Danish Wadden Sea

Directional movement of consumer fronts associated with creek heads in salt marshes

Effects of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation on Macrozoobenthos in a Coastal Lagoon of the Southwestern Atlantic

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