Water source utilization and foliar nutrient status differs between upland and flooded plant communities in wetland tree islands

Saha, Amartya; Sternberg, Leonel da Silveira O’Reilly; Ross, Michael S.; Miralles‐Wilhelm, Fernando

doi:10.1007/s11273-010-9175-1

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…These two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive to each other, but this study will be focusing on ramifications of the chemohydrodynamic hypothesis. This hypothesis has been supported by previous studies that have shown that tree island plants can use marsh water during the dry season Saha et al 2010). One of the predictions of the chemohydrodynamic model is that since nutrient harvesting is transpiration driven, tree islands with low dry season transpiration will have lower nutrient accumulation rates than tree islands with high dry season transpiration.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…These results are consistent with the differences in the average water levels and hydroperiod of the marshes surrounding the slough and prairie tree islands. In a previous study using stable isotope ratios as a tracer of water uptake in tree islands, Saha et al (2010) showed that Everglades tree island plants use soil trapped rain water during the wet season and marsh water during the dry season. Our foliar d 13 C results suggest that slough tree island avoid water stress by accessing marsh water supply during the dry season, while prairie tree Table 2 Results of univariate two-way ANOVA examining: seasonal and tree island type effects on foliar d 15 N of 7 tree islands (a), species and tree island type effects on foliar d 15 N of the common species (b), and nested univariate one-way ANOVA examining effects of individual tree islands nested in different tree island types on foliar d 15 N of sawgrass growing near 6 tree islands (c) island plants experience water stress as the surrounding marshes dry out.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Celtis laevigata and Chrysophyllum oliviforme are typically restricted to the slough islands, while Ardisia escallonioides, Lysiloma latisiliqua, Nectandra coriacea, Quercus virginiana, and Sideroxylon salicifolium are more common on the prairie islands. All of these species are intolerant of prolonged flooding (Saha et al 2010). The deciduous species (Bursera simaruba and Celtis laevigata) lose their leaves during the January to May dry season, with a leafless period of about 1 month long.…”

Section: Species and Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking water use and nutrient accumulation in tree island upland hammock plant communities in the Everglades National Park, USA

et al. 2010

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The tree island hammock communities in the Florida Everglades provide one of many examples of self-organized wetland landscape. However, little is understood about why these elevated tree island communities have higher nutrient concentration than the surrounding freshwater marshes. Here we used stable isotopes and elemental analysis to compare dry season water limitation and soil and foliar nutrient status in upland hammock communities of 18 different tree islands located in the Shark River Slough and adjacent prairie landscapes. We observed that prairie tree islands, having a shorter hydroperiod, suffer greater water deficits during the dry season than slough tree islands by examining shifts in foliar d 13 C values. We also found that prairie tree islands have lower soil total phosphorus concentration and higher foliar N/P ratio than slough tree islands. Foliar d 15 N values, which often increase with greater P availability, was also found to be lower in prairie tree islands than in slough tree islands. Both the elemental N and P and foliar d 15 N results indicate that the upland hammock plant communities in slough tree islands have higher amount of P available than those in prairie tree islands. Our findings are consistent with the transpiration driven nutrient harvesting chemohydrodynamic model. The water limited prairie tree islands hypothetically transpire less and harvest less P from the surrounding marshes than slough tree islands during the dry season. These findings suggest that hydroperiod is important to nutrient accumulation of tree island habitats.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Species and Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking water use and nutrient accumulation in tree island upland hammock plant communities in the Everglades National Park, USA

et al. 2010

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“…However, the stepped nature of WCA3AS impedes that process, drowning out large portions of foraging habitat as water pools below elevation breaks. Knowledge of discontinuous elevation gradients, and perched and depressed areas within WCA3AS and considering them for restoration decisions reduces uncertainty of restoration actions; particularly when hydrology is such an important factor (Fuller et al 2008) and small changes in elevation lead to large differences in water depths and nutrient cycles (Saha et al 2010). …”

Section: Elevation Breakmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of discontinuous elevation gradients on fragmentation and restoration in patterned wetlands

2011

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Abstract. Large wetlands around the world face the possibility of degradation, not only from complete conversion, but also from subtle changes in their structure and function. While fragmentation and isolation of wetlands within heterogeneous landscapes has received much attention, the disruption of spatial patterns/processes within large wetland systems and the resulting fragmentation of community components are less well documented. A greater understanding of pattern/process relationships and landscape gradients, and what occurs when they are altered, could help avoid undesirable consequences of restoration actions. The objective of this study is to determine the amount of fragmentation of sawgrass ridges due to artificial impoundment of water and how that may be differentially affected by spatial position relative to north and south levees. We also introduce groundbreaking evidence of landscape-level discontinuous elevation gradients within WCA3AS by comparing generalized linear and generalized additive models. These relatively abrupt breaks in elevation may have non-linear effects on hydrology and vegetation communities and would be crucial in restoration considerations. Modeling suggests there are abrupt breaks in elevation as a function of northing (Y-coordinate). Fragmentation indices indicate that fragmentation is a function of elevation and easting (X-coordinate), and that fragmentation has increased from 1988-2002. When landscapes change and the changes are compounded by non-linear landscape variables that are described herein, the maintenance processes change with them, creating a degraded feedback loop that alters the system's response to structuring variables and diminishes our ability to predict the effects of restoration projects or climate change. Only when these landscape variables and linkages are clearly defined can we predict the response to potential perturbations and apply the knowledge to other landscape-level wetland systems in need of future restoration.

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“…The subtropical climate of South Florida is defined by a distinct seasonality in annual precipitation that shifts between winter (dry) and summer (wet) (Mulholland et al 1997), and thus some species have adapted by seasonally changing the source of the water they utilize. In the wet season, some plants have adapted to use local soil moisture primarily supplied by precipitation for transpiration, while during the dry season, the same plants tap into regional groundwater (Saha et al 2010). Species that are vulnerable to moisture fluctuations are unable to survive these changes.…”

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Responses of Four Non-tidal Forest Communities of the Florida Everglades to Hurricane Impact over 21 Years

May¹

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The regular occurrence of hurricane-associated winds has been an important factor in shaping the structure and composition of the forest ecosystems of the Florida Everglades. Forest communities in the Everglades are adapted to hurricane disturbances, but increased frequency and/or intensity of hurricanes may lead to decline or even collapse of these communities. The overall objective of this project is to understand the patterns, pace, and mechanisms of the recovery process to Hurricane Andrew damage in four Everglade forest communities: pinelands, hardwood hammocks, bayhead tree islands, and cypress domes. This study combines long-and short-term field measurements and experimental garden studies to determine how the four woody plant community types recover from hurricane impacts. Most of the community types were adversely affected by storm damage in the short-term (3 years post-hurricane) through altered growth rates and canopy defoliation, however these effects were relatively short vii lived and were not visible in shifts in species composition after the long-term (20 year) recovery period. Only in the most diverse communities over the long-term there was a delayed mortality in damaged individuals that drove a diversity loss. This loss was not present over the short-term recovery time period. Using individual damage extent and short-term recovery growth rates, I developed a simplified model that accurately predicted surviving individual stem size over long-term recovery periods of Taxodium distichum within cypress domes and select hardwood hammock species. The shadehouse experiments demonstrated the importance of nutrient availability to growth of seedlings of canopy dominants. Recruits of these species responded to changing environmental conditions associated with storm impact through a variety of strategies in accordance with their adaptive traits. Synergistically, the combined parts of this dissertation demonstrate directional community and species-specific shifts that vary over time scales.Storm impacts have the potential to alter community composition and diversity within impacted systems, and in particular the Everglades ecosystem.viii Taxodium distichum dominate cypress dome communities because they are able to establish in and tolerate long hydroperiods that exclude other woody species (Duever et al. 1986).Cypress dome communities are dominated by a single species (Taxodium distichum var. nutans) and are relatively resistant to the damaging effects of hurricanes, with mortality of damaged trees being relatively low , Noel et al. 1995.Non-canopy species such as epiphytes are shown to be highly damaged from hurricanes but their communities recover (Oberbauer et al. 1996). Large trees are more likely to be damaged as a result of storm impacts. (Whelan 1997). Toppling of tall trees in cypress domes can be beneficial to the community because it allows for regeneration of the canopy by new recruits (Duever et al. 1986).Pineland communities in the Everglades are dominated by a single species (Pinus elliott...

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Water source utilization and foliar nutrient status differs between upland and flooded plant communities in wetland tree islands

Cited by 30 publications

References 47 publications

Linking water use and nutrient accumulation in tree island upland hammock plant communities in the Everglades National Park, USA

Linking water use and nutrient accumulation in tree island upland hammock plant communities in the Everglades National Park, USA

Implications of discontinuous elevation gradients on fragmentation and restoration in patterned wetlands

Responses of Four Non-tidal Forest Communities of the Florida Everglades to Hurricane Impact over 21 Years

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