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Hall LA, Woo I, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Takekawa JY, Krabbenhoft DP, Yee D, Grenier L, De La Cruz SEW. Linking Mesoscale Spatial Variation in Methylmercury Production to Bioaccumulation in Tidal Marsh Food Webs. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:19263-19273. [PMID: 37956992 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Differences in sediment biogeochemistry among tidal marsh features with different hydrological and geomorphological characteristics, including marsh interiors, marsh edges, first-order channels, and third-order channels, can result in spatial variation in MeHg production and availability. To better understand the link between MeHg production in sediments and bioaccumulation in primary and secondary consumer invertebrates and fish, we characterized mesoscale spatial variation in sediment biogeochemistry and MeHg concentrations of sediments, water, and consumer tissues among marsh features. Our results indicated that marsh interiors had biogeochemical conditions, including greater concentrations of organic matter and sulfate reduction rates, that resulted in greater MeHg concentrations in sediments and surface water particulates from marsh interiors compared to other features. Tissue MeHg concentrations of consumers also differed among features, with greater concentrations from marsh edges and interiors compared to channels. This spatial mismatch of MeHg concentrations in sediments and water compared to those in consumers may have resulted from differences in behavior and physiology among consumers that influenced the spatial scale over which MeHg was integrated into tissues. Our results highlight the importance of sampling across a suite of marsh features and considering the behavioral and physiological traits of sentinel taxa for contaminant monitoring studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A Hall
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, NASA Research Park Bldg. 19, N. Akron Road, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
| | - Isa Woo
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, NASA Research Park Bldg. 19, N. Akron Road, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
| | - Mark Marvin-DiPasquale
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area, Earth System Processes Division, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - John Y Takekawa
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, NASA Research Park Bldg. 19, N. Akron Road, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
| | - David P Krabbenhoft
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mercury Research Laboratory, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, United States
| | - Donald Yee
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Avenue, Richmond, California 94804, United States
| | - Letitia Grenier
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Avenue, Richmond, California 94804, United States
| | - Susan E W De La Cruz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, NASA Research Park Bldg. 19, N. Akron Road, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
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Ruskin KJ, Clark JD, Hotopp A, Kovach AI, Guido NA, Hernandez DL, Peña C, Webb SN, Shriver WG. New extralimital breeding records of saltmarsh sparrows ( Ammospiza caudacuta) and Nelson's sparrows ( Ammospiza nelsoni) and their implications. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10532. [PMID: 37736274 PMCID: PMC10509385 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Saltmarsh (Ammospiza caudacuta) and Nelson's (A. nelsoni) sparrows are sister taxa that breed in tidal marshes along the coast of the Northeastern United States and Canada. The Saltmarsh Sparrow breeds from mid-coast Maine south to Virginia, while the Acadian Nelson's Sparrow breeds from the Canadian maritime provinces south to northern Massachusetts. Here, we present three extralimital observations of breeding Saltmarsh (n = 2) and Nelson's (n = 1) sparrows. In 2021 and 2022, we observed Saltmarsh Sparrow females attending nests at Mendall Marsh, ME, and Milbridge, ME, respectively, approximately 60 and 110 km beyond the documented northern extent of the Saltmarsh Sparrow breeding range. In 2022, we observed a breeding-condition male Nelson's sparrow singing in the upriver portion of a marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, approximately 115 km beyond the previously documented southern extent of the Nelson's Sparrow breeding range. We confirmed morphological species identification using a panel of microsatellite DNA loci. Due to both the well-documented population declines of these species in the region and the intensity of sampling effort undertaken in recent years, we suggest that these observations likely are not indicative of range expansion. However, they do indicate that these 2 taxa have the capacity to use and successfully reproduce in marshes well beyond their established breeding limits. Our findings provide novel insight into the potential for these taxa to occur and successfully breed outside their documented breeding ranges. Given increased interest in their conservation, these results support the idea that management actions aimed at creating or maintaining nesting habitat across both species ranges could benefit both taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine J. Ruskin
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Jonathan D. Clark
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireUSA
| | - Alice Hotopp
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Adrienne I. Kovach
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireUSA
| | - Nicole A. Guido
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of DelawareNewarkDelawareUSA
| | - Dean L. Hernandez
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Colin Peña
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Samantha N. Webb
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - W. Gregory Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of DelawareNewarkDelawareUSA
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Röthig T, Trevathan-Tackett SM, Voolstra CR, Ross C, Chaffron S, Durack PJ, Warmuth LM, Sweet M. Human-induced salinity changes impact marine organisms and ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:4731-4749. [PMID: 37435759 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is fundamentally altering marine and coastal ecosystems on a global scale. While the effects of ocean warming and acidification on ecology and ecosystem functions and services are being comprehensively researched, less attention is directed toward understanding the impacts of human-driven ocean salinity changes. The global water cycle operates through water fluxes expressed as precipitation, evaporation, and freshwater runoff from land. Changes to these in turn modulate ocean salinity and shape the marine and coastal environment by affecting ocean currents, stratification, oxygen saturation, and sea level rise. Besides the direct impact on ocean physical processes, salinity changes impact ocean biological functions with the ecophysiological consequences are being poorly understood. This is surprising as salinity changes may impact diversity, ecosystem and habitat structure loss, and community shifts including trophic cascades. Climate model future projections (of end of the century salinity changes) indicate magnitudes that lead to modification of open ocean plankton community structure and habitat suitability of coral reef communities. Such salinity changes are also capable of affecting the diversity and metabolic capacity of coastal microorganisms and impairing the photosynthetic capacity of (coastal and open ocean) phytoplankton, macroalgae, and seagrass, with downstream ramifications on global biogeochemical cycling. The scarcity of comprehensive salinity data in dynamic coastal regions warrants additional attention. Such datasets are crucial to quantify salinity-based ecosystem function relationships and project such changes that ultimately link into carbon sequestration and freshwater as well as food availability to human populations around the globe. It is critical to integrate vigorous high-quality salinity data with interacting key environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, nutrients, oxygen) for a comprehensive understanding of anthropogenically induced marine changes and its impact on human health and the global economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Röthig
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Branch of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- Aquatic Research Facility, Nature-Based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Stacey M Trevathan-Tackett
- School of Life and Environmental Science, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Cliff Ross
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Samuel Chaffron
- Nantes Université, École Centrale Nantes, CNRS, LS2N, UMR 6004, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, F-75016, Paris, France
| | - Paul J Durack
- Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | | | - Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Nature-Based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
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Castillo JM, Gallego-Tévar B, Grewell BJ. Wrack Burial Limits Germination and Establishment of Yellow Flag Iris ( Iris pseudacorus L.). Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:1510. [PMID: 37050136 PMCID: PMC10096986 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Seed burial under wrack, mats of water-transported plant debris, can limit recruitment of seedlings in wetlands. In a greenhouse experiment, we studied the effects of wrack burial (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 cm depths) on germination and emergence of the macrophyte Iris pseudacorus, native to Europe, Mediterranean Basin, and western Asia, that has invaded wetlands in nearly every global ecozone. We recorded the percentages of germinating, senescent, and quiescent seeds and evaluated seedling establishment and growth relative to substrate environmental variables. Seedling emergence of I. pseudacorus was reduced from >80% in controls without burial to <40% even at minimal wrack depths of 1 cm. Few I. pseudacorus seedlings were able to emerge from wrack burial of up to 8 cm in depth. We also found greater numbers of both quiescent seeds and germinated seeds that did not emerge from wrack burial. Reduced seedling emergence and increased seed quiescence with wrack burial were primarily explained by a reduction in daily temperature variation within the substrate. No senescent seedlings were observed with any depth of wrack burial. In view of our results, the management of I. pseudacorus invasion will be a long-term challenge, requiring continued control due to persistent seeds in wrack-buried seed banks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M. Castillo
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Ap. 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Blanca Gallego-Tévar
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Ap. 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Brenda J. Grewell
- USDA-ARS, Invasive Species & Pollinator Health Research Unit, Department of Plant Sciences MS-4, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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5
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Blackburn MB, Farrar RR, Sparks ME, Kuhar D, Mowery JD, Mitchell A, Gundersen-Rindal DE. Chromobacterium phragmitis sp. nov., isolated from estuarine marshes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:2681-2686. [PMID: 31199223 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirteen isolates of Gram-stain-negative, motile, violet-pigmented bacteria were isolated from marshes along tidal portions of the Potomac and James rivers in Maryland and Virginia, USA, respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequences and fatty acid analysis revealed a high degree of relatedness among the isolates, and genomic sequencing of two isolates, IIBBL 112-1T and IIBBL 274-1 (from the Potomac and James rivers, respectively), revealed highly similar genomic sequences, with a blast-based average nucleotide identity (ANIb) of ca. 98.7 %. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested that the species most highly related to IIBBL 112-1T were Chromobacterium amazonense, Chromobacterium subtsugae and Chromobacterium sphagni. However, deletion of a 25-nucleotide sequence that may have been horizontally acquired by both IIBBL 112-1T and C. amazonense resulted in a substantially different analysis; in the latter case, the species nearest IIBBL 112-1T were Chromobacterium violaceum, Chromobacterium vaccinii and Chromobacterium piscinae. Whole-genome alignments between either IIBBL 112-1T or IIBBL 274-1 and the type strains of C. vaccinii or C. violaceum resulted in ANIb values in the range of ca. 87 %, while alignment with C. amazonense CBMAI 310T resulted in an ANIb of ca. 83 %. Collectively, these data demonstrate that IIBBL 112-1T and IIBBL 274-1 represent a new taxon within the genus Chromobacterium. We propose the name Chromobacterium phragmitis sp. nov. for this taxon; the type strain is IIBBL 112-1T (=NRRL B-67132T=JCM 31884T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Blackburn
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Robert R Farrar
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Michael E Sparks
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Daniel Kuhar
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Joseph D Mowery
- Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ashaki Mitchell
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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Benvenuti B, Walsh J, O'Brien KM, Kovach AI. Plasticity in nesting adaptations of a tidal marsh endemic bird. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10780-10793. [PMID: 30519406 PMCID: PMC6262926 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
If individuals can perceive and manage risks, they may alter their behaviors based on prior experience. This expectation may apply to nest site selection of breeding birds, for which adaptive behavioral responses may enhance fitness. Birds that nest in tidal marshes have adapted to the challenges posed primarily by periodic, monthly tidal flooding and secondarily by predation. We investigated adaptive responses in nesting behavior of the saltmarsh sparrow (Ammospiza caudacutus), an obligate tidal-marsh-breeding bird, using 536 nests monitored across 5 years. Using linear mixed effects models, we tested whether nest characteristics differed among nests that were successful, depredated, or flooded, and we investigated whether females made changes in nest structure and placement according to outcome of their previous nesting attempt. Nest characteristics differed among females with different nest fates. Fledged and depredated nests were built higher in the vegetation and in higher elevation areas of the marsh than those that flooded. Successful nests had more canopy cover and were comprised of a lower proportion of high marsh vegetation (Spartina patens) than those that were flooded or depredated. Females with nests that failed due to flooding constructed subsequent nests higher in the vegetation and at higher elevation than those that were successful in their prior attempt, consistent with a response to previous experience. Eighty-five percent of females renested within the average home range core area distance (77 m), indicating a high degree of nest placement fidelity. Females for which nests were depredated in their prior nesting attempt renested at a greater distance than females for which the previous nesting attempts were successful. Our findings suggest saltmarsh sparrows exhibit plasticity in nesting behavior, which may be important for balancing selective pressures in a dynamic environment. This plasticity, however, is insufficient to enable them to adapt to the increased flooding predicted with sea-level rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bri Benvenuti
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire
| | - Jennifer Walsh
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire
- Present address:
Fuller Evolutionary Biology ProgramCornell Laboratory of OrnithologyIthacaNew York
| | - Kathleen M. O'Brien
- Rachel Carson National Wildlife RefugeUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceWellsMaine
| | - Adrienne I. Kovach
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire
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7
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Young MA, Macreadie PI, Duncan C, Carnell PE, Nicholson E, Serrano O, Duarte CM, Shiell G, Baldock J, Ierodiaconou D. Optimal soil carbon sampling designs to achieve cost-effectiveness: a case study in blue carbon ecosystems. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0416. [PMID: 30258032 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers are increasingly studying carbon (C) storage by natural ecosystems for climate mitigation, including coastal 'blue carbon' ecosystems. Unfortunately, little guidance on how to achieve robust, cost-effective estimates of blue C stocks to inform inventories exists. We use existing data (492 cores) to develop recommendations on the sampling effort required to achieve robust estimates of blue C. Using a broad-scale, spatially explicit dataset from Victoria, Australia, we applied multiple spatial methods to provide guidelines for reducing variability in estimates of soil C stocks over large areas. With a separate dataset collected across Australia, we evaluated how many samples are needed to capture variability within soil cores and the best methods for extrapolating C to 1 m soil depth. We found that 40 core samples are optimal for capturing C variance across 1000's of kilometres but higher density sampling is required across finer scales (100-200 km). Accounting for environmental variation can further decrease required sampling. The within core analyses showed that nine samples within a core capture the majority of the variability and log-linear equations can accurately extrapolate C. These recommendations can help develop standardized methods for sampling programmes to quantify soil C stocks at national scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary A Young
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter I Macreadie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clare Duncan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul E Carnell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily Nicholson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Oscar Serrano
- School of Science, Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Glenn Shiell
- BMT Pty Ltd, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jeff Baldock
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Glen Osmond, South Australia, Australia
| | - Daniel Ierodiaconou
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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Van de Broek M, Vandendriessche C, Poppelmonde D, Merckx R, Temmerman S, Govers G. Long-term organic carbon sequestration in tidal marsh sediments is dominated by old-aged allochthonous inputs in a macrotidal estuary. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:2498-2512. [PMID: 29431887 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tidal marshes are vegetated coastal ecosystems that are often considered as hotspots of atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Although large amounts of organic carbon (OC) are indeed being deposited on tidal marshes, there is no direct link between high OC deposition rates and high OC sequestration rates due to two main reasons. First, the deposited OC may become rapidly decomposed once it is buried and, second, a significant part of preserved OC may be allochthonous OC that has been sequestered elsewhere. In this study we aimed to identify the mechanisms controlling long-term OC sequestration in tidal marsh sediments along an estuarine salinity gradient (Scheldt estuary, Belgium and the Netherlands). Analyses of deposited sediments have shown that OC deposited during tidal inundations is up to millennia old. This allochthonous OC is the main component of OC that is effectively preserved in these sediments, as indicated by the low radiocarbon content of buried OC. Furthermore, OC fractionation showed that autochthonous OC is decomposed on a decadal timescale in saltmarsh sediments, while in freshwater marsh sediments locally produced biomass is more efficiently preserved after burial. Our results show that long-term OC sequestration is decoupled from local biomass production in the studied tidal marsh sediments. This implies that OC sequestration rates are greatly overestimated when they are calculated based on short-term OC deposition rates, which are controlled by labile autochthonous OC inputs. Moreover, as allochthonous OC is not sequestered in-situ, it does not contribute to active atmospheric CO2 sequestration in these ecosystems. A correct assessment of the contribution of allochthonous OC to the total sedimentary OC stock in tidal marsh sediments as well as a correct understanding of the long-term fate of locally produced OC are both necessary to avoid overestimations of the rate of in-situ atmospheric CO2 sequestration in tidal marsh sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dries Poppelmonde
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roel Merckx
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stijn Temmerman
- Department of Biology, Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gerard Govers
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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9
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Field CR, Bayard TS, Gjerdrum C, Hill JM, Meiman S, Elphick CS. High-resolution tide projections reveal extinction threshold in response to sea-level rise. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:2058-2070. [PMID: 27684043 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sea-level rise will affect coastal species worldwide, but models that aim to predict these effects are typically based on simple measures of sea level that do not capture its inherent complexity, especially variation over timescales shorter than 1 year. Coastal species might be most affected, however, by floods that exceed a critical threshold. The frequency and duration of such floods may be more important to population dynamics than mean measures of sea level. In particular, the potential for changes in the frequency and duration of flooding events to result in nonlinear population responses or biological thresholds merits further research, but may require that models incorporate greater resolution in sea level than is typically used. We created population simulations for a threatened songbird, the saltmarsh sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus), in a region where sea level is predictable with high accuracy and precision. We show that incorporating the timing of semidiurnal high tide events throughout the breeding season, including how this timing is affected by mean sea-level rise, predicts a reproductive threshold that is likely to cause a rapid demographic shift. This shift is likely to threaten the persistence of saltmarsh sparrows beyond 2060 and could cause extinction as soon as 2035. Neither extinction date nor the population trajectory was sensitive to the emissions scenarios underlying sea-level projections, as most of the population decline occurred before scenarios diverge. Our results suggest that the variation and complexity of climate-driven variables could be important for understanding the potential responses of coastal species to sea-level rise, especially for species that rely on coastal areas for reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Field
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Conservation and Biodiversity, and Institute of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
| | - Trina S Bayard
- Audubon Washington, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle, WA, 98118, USA
| | - Carina Gjerdrum
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Jason M Hill
- Vermont Center for Ecostudies, PO Box 420, Norwich, VT, 05055, USA
| | - Susan Meiman
- Institute for Wildlife Studies, 2327 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Chris S Elphick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Conservation and Biodiversity, and Institute of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
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10
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Correll MD, Wiest WA, Hodgman TP, Shriver WG, Elphick CS, McGill BJ, O'Brien KM, Olsen BJ. Predictors of specialist avifaunal decline in coastal marshes. Conserv Biol 2017; 31:172-182. [PMID: 27542096 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Coastal marshes are one of the world's most productive ecosystems. Consequently, they have been heavily used by humans for centuries, resulting in ecosystem loss. Direct human modifications such as road crossings and ditches and climatic stressors such as sea-level rise and extreme storm events have the potential to further degrade the quantity and quality of marsh along coastlines. We used an 18-year marsh-bird database to generate population trends for 5 avian species (Rallus crepitans, Tringa semipalmata semipalmata, Ammodramus nelsonii subvirgatus, Ammodramus caudacutus, and Ammodramus maritimus) that breed almost exclusively in tidal marshes, and are potentially vulnerable to marsh degradation and loss as a result of anthropogenic change. We generated community and species trends across 3 spatial scales and explored possible drivers of the changes we observed, including marsh ditching, tidal restriction through road crossings, local rates of sea-level rise, and potential for extreme flooding events. The specialist community showed negative trends in tidally restricted marshes (-2.4% annually from 1998 to 2012) but was stable in unrestricted marshes across the same period. At the species level, we found negative population trends in 3 of the 5 specialist species, ranging from -4.2% to 9.0% annually. We suggest that tidal restriction may accelerate degradation of tidal marsh resilience to sea-level rise by limiting sediment supply necessary for marsh accretion, resulting in specialist habitat loss in tidally restricted marshes. Based on our findings, we predict a collapse of the global population of Saltmarsh Sparrows (A. caudacutus) within the next 50 years and suggest that immediate conservation action is needed to prevent extinction of this species. We also suggest mitigation actions to restore sediment supply to coastal marshes to help sustain this ecosystem into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen D Correll
- School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, U.S.A
| | - Whitney A Wiest
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, U.S.A
| | - Thomas P Hodgman
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bangor, ME, 04401, U.S.A
| | - W Gregory Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, U.S.A
| | - Chris S Elphick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Conservation and Biodiversity, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, U.S.A
| | - Brian J McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, U.S.A
| | - Kathleen M O'Brien
- Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Wells, ME, 04090, U.S.A
| | - Brian J Olsen
- School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, U.S.A
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