Literature-based latitudinal distribution and possible range shifts of two US east coast dune grass species (<i>Uniola paniculata</i>and<i>Ammophila breviligulata</i>)

Goldstein, Evan B.; Mullins, Elsemarie V.; Moore, Laura J.; Biel, Reuben G.; Brown, Joseph; Hacker, Sally D.; Jay, Katya R.; Mostow, Rebecca S.; Ruggiero, Peter; Zinnert, Julie C.

doi:10.7717/peerj.4932

Cited by 33 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…Ammophila breviligulata, also known as American beach grass, dominates many of the dunes from Hog Island northward and grows (and is planted) as far south as Cape Fear, NC (Woodhouse et al, 1977;Goldstein et al, 2018). Ammophila breviligulata, also known as American beach grass, dominates many of the dunes from Hog Island northward and grows (and is planted) as far south as Cape Fear, NC (Woodhouse et al, 1977;Goldstein et al, 2018).…”

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A C 3 (cool season) grass, A. breviligulata propagates using rhizomes and thrives in depositional environments (Disraeli, 1984;Ehrenfeld, 1990;Selisker, 1994). ) and as far north as Assateague Island, Maryland (Stalter and Lamont, 1990;Goldstein et al, 2018). ) and as far north as Assateague Island, Maryland (Stalter and Lamont, 1990;Goldstein et al, 2018).…”

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hog Island lies in the habitat range of several important dune grasses, making it an ideal place for a multi-species transplant experiment. Ammophila breviligulata, also known as American beach grass, dominates many of the dunes from Hog Island northward and grows (and is planted) as far south as Cape Fear, NC (Woodhouse et al, 1977;Goldstein et al, 2018). A C 3 (cool season) grass, A. breviligulata propagates using rhizomes and thrives in depositional environments (Disraeli, 1984;Ehrenfeld, 1990;Selisker, 1994).…”

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uniola paniculata (sea oats) dominates dunes south of Cape Hatteras and has been found growing on the Virginia Barrier Islands (Tatnall, 1946;Harris et al, 2017;Mullins and Moore, 2017. ) and as far north as Assateague Island, Maryland (Stalter and Lamont, 1990;Goldstein et al, 2018). U.paniculata also propagates via rhizomes but is a C 4 (warm season) grass (Wagner, 1964;Lonard et al, 2011).…”

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating dune‐building feedback at the plant level: Insights from a multispecies field experiment

Mullins

Moore

Goldstein

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Coastal foredunes provide the first line of defense against rising sea levels and storm surge and for this reason there is increasing interest in understanding and modeling foredune formation and post‐storm recovery. However, there is limited observational data available to provide empirical guidance for the development of model parameterizations. To provide guidance for improved representation of dune grass growth in models, we conducted a two‐year multi‐species transplant experiment on Hog Island, VA, U.S.A. and measured the dependence of plant growth on elevation and distance from the shoreline, as well as the relationship between plant growth and sand accumulation. We tracked total leaf growth (length) and aboveground leaf length and found that Ammophila breviligulata (American beachgrass) and Uniola paniculata (sea oats) grew more than Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass) by a factor of 15% (though not statistically significant) and 45%, respectively. Our results also suggest a range of basal/frontal area ratios (an important model parameter) from 0.5‐1 and a strong correlation between transplant growth and total sand deposition for all species at the scale of two years, but not over shorter temporal scales. Distance from the shoreline and elevation had no effect on transplant growth rate but did have an effect on survival. Based on transplant survival, the seaward limit of vegetation at the end of the experiment was approximately 30 m from the MHWL and at an elevation of 1.43 m, corresponding to inundation less than 7.5% of the time according to total water level calculations. Results from this experiment provide evidence for the dune‐building capacity of all three species, suggesting S. patens is not a maintainer species, as previously thought, but rather a moderate dune builder even though its growth is less stimulated by sand deposition than A. breviligulata and U. paniculata. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Site and Meteorological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Investigating dune‐building feedback at the plant level: Insights from a multispecies field experiment

Mullins

Moore

Goldstein

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…From year to year, average winter minimum temperatures have increased at the VCR (Goldstein et al. ). Temperature events colder than −11°C, a conservative estimate of the seedling freeze threshold, have occurred 44 times since 1985 at the Painter, Virginia, meteorological station.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal facilitative and competitive trade‐offs between shrub seedlings and coastal grasses

2020

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Citation: Sinclair, M. N., N. N. Woods, and J. C. Zinnert. 2020. Seasonal facilitative and competitive trade-offs between shrub seedlings and coastal grasses. Ecosphere 11(1):Abstract. Shrub expansion is occurring in grasslands globally and may be impacted by the balance of competition and facilitation with existing grasses. Along the mid-Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the native shrub Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) is rapidly expanding and displacing other native coastal species. Recent research suggests that much of this expansion is due to warming winter temperatures, as temperatures below À15°C kill M. cerifera. The objective of this project was to understand the importance of species interactions with grasses on the growth and physiology of M. cerifera at the seedling life stage through both field and laboratory experiments. In the field, grasses were removed around seedlings and microclimate and shrub physiology and growth were measured. Seeds and seedlings were experimentally frozen to measure the freeze tolerance at both life stages. We found that grasses provided~1.3°C insulation to shrubs during winter. A freezing threshold for M. cerifera seedlings was experimentally found between À6°C and À11°C, but seeds remained viable after being frozen to the coldest ecologically relevant temperatures. Seedlings competed for light with grasses during warm months and grew more where grasses were clipped, revealing a trade-off between winter insulation and summer light competition. Morella cerifera exhibits ecosystem engineering at the seedling stage by significantly reducing summer maximum temperatures. When seedlings are very young (less than one year), grasses appear to improve germination and seedling survival. These phenomena enable rapid expansion of M. cerifera across the landscape and likely inform shrub expansion mechanisms in other systems. Although seedlings are small and relatively vulnerable, this life stage appears to have significant implications for ecosystem trajectory in grasslands undergoing shrub encroachment.

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Whole plant traits of coastal dune vegetation and implications for interactions with dune dynamics

Walker

Zinnert

2022

Ecosphere

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Coastal dunes are important protective features against sea level rise and coastal storms. Interactions between dune plant aboveground structures and sediment trapping that allow for dune building and maintenance are well established. More recently, studies documenting belowground biomass for promoting erosion resistance in dominant dune species have been conducted, yet a knowledge gap remains regarding species-specific characterization of whole plants, specifically with respect to roots, rhizomes, and belowground stems.Our objective was to quantify above-and belowground traits of four dominant dune grasses to document the potential for species-specific effects on dune growth, maintenance, and erosion resistance. We examined above-and belowground traits among four prominent dune grasses of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America: Ammophila breviligulata, Panicum amarum, Spartina patens, and Uniola paniculata. Whole plant samples of each species were collected from the foredune at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Field Research Facility in Duck, North Carolina, USA, and quantified for several above-and belowground traits (e.g., stem height, rhizome number and length, root surface area by diameter class, root tensile strength, and mycorrhizal percent infection). Belowground factors known to impact important dune processes, such as rhizome length, mycorrhizal percent infection, and root traits, differed substantially among species. When visualized in multivariate space, all species significantly differed in suites of aboveand belowground traits. When considering belowground only, Ammophila and Spartina were similar, despite differences in biomass allocation. Species separated along axes related to mycorrhizal association, biomass allocation, and root construction. The four co-occurring dune grass species were dissimilar in suites of plant traits. Belowground trait differences were driven by those describing root construction, biomass allocation, and mycorrhizal infection.

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Literature-based latitudinal distribution and possible range shifts of two US east coast dune grass species (Uniola paniculataandAmmophila breviligulata)

Cited by 33 publications

References 97 publications

Investigating dune‐building feedback at the plant level: Insights from a multispecies field experiment

Investigating dune‐building feedback at the plant level: Insights from a multispecies field experiment

Seasonal facilitative and competitive trade‐offs between shrub seedlings and coastal grasses

Whole plant traits of coastal dune vegetation and implications for interactions with dune dynamics

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