Investigations of the Availability and Survival of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Propagules in the Tidal Potomac River

Rybicki, Nancy B.; McFarland, Dwilette G.; Ruhl, Henry A.; Reel, J.T.; Barko, John W.

doi:10.2307/1353242

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The submersed aquatic plant community richness of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is similar to that reported for other river systems such as the Mississippi River (Kenow et al 2007) and the tidal Potomac River (Rybicki et al 2001), fluvial lakes such as the St. Laurence Lake (Quebec, Canada) (Vis et al 2003), and lentic systems such as lakes in Maine (Hunter et al 1986). However, in the Delta, the ratio of non-native to native plant species is higher (4:5) than that for these other systems (1:6, 1:14 or 2:5) (Hunter et al 1986;Kenow et al 2007;Rybicki et al 2001;Vis et al 2003). This indicates that the non-native species are a major and much larger component of submersed aquatic plant communities in this system than reported in others.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Effects of invasive species on plant communities: an example using submersed aquatic plants at the regional scale

2010

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Submersed aquatic plants have a key role in maintaining functioning aquatic ecosystems through their effects on the hydrological regime, sedimentation, nutrient cycling and habitat of associated fauna. Modifications of aquatic plant communities, for example through the introduction of invasive species, can alter these functions. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, a major invasive submersed plant, Brazilian waterweed Egeria densa, has become widespread and greatly affected the functionality of the submersed aquatic plant community. Rapid assessments of the distribution and abundance of this species are therefore crucial to direct management actions early in the season. Given the E. densa bimodal growth pattern (late spring and fall growth peaks), summer assessments of this species may indicate which and where other submersed species may occur and fall assessments may indicate where this and other species may occur in the following spring, primarily because the Delta's winter water temperatures are usually insufficient to kill submersed aquatic plant species. We assessed community composition and distribution in the fall of 2007 and summer of 2008 using geostatistical analysis; and measured summer biomass, temperature, pH, salinity, and turbidity. In the fall of 2007, submersed aquatic plants covered a much higher proportion of the waterways (60.7%) than in the summer of 2008 (37.4%), with a significant overlap between the seasonal distribution of native and nonnative species. Most patches were monospecific, and multispecies patches had significantly higher dominance by E. densa, co-occurring especially with Ceratophyllum demersum. As species richness of non-natives increased there was a significant decrease in richness of natives, and of native biomass. Sustained E. densa summer biomass negatively affected the likelihood of presence of Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton crispus, and Elodea canadensis but not their biomass within patches. Depth, temperature and salinity were associated with biomass; however, the direction of the effect was species specific. Our results suggest that despite native and invasive non-native submersed plant species sharing available niches in the Delta, E. densa affects aquatic plant community structure and composition by facilitating persistence of some species and reducing the likelihood of establishment of other species. Successful management of this species may therefore facilitate shifts in existing non-native or native plant species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Effects of invasive species on plant communities: an example using submersed aquatic plants at the regional scale

2010

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“…Correlations between temporal shifts in water quality, species composition, and RADs may be related to differential responses between species to changing conditions. Differences in species-specific responses to TSS, nutrients and other factors in terms of growth rates, photosynthetic efficiencies, depth of colonization in various light conditions, and production and transport of propagules (16,19,26,27) may be explanatory factors in the observed changes in species composition.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, SAV habitat has historically changed in abundance and diversity because of disease, anthropogenic impacts, and major tropical storms (15,16). By the late 1970s, many previously vegetated areas were devoid of vegetation.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Long-term reductions in anthropogenic nutrients link to improvements in Chesapeake Bay habitat

Ruhl

Rybicki

2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Great effort continues to focus on ecosystem restoration and reduction of nutrient inputs thought to be responsible, in part, for declines in estuary habitats worldwide. The ability of environmental policy to address restoration is limited, in part, by uncertainty in the relationships between costly restoration and benefits. Here, we present results from an 18-y field investigation (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) community dynamics and water quality in the Potomac River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. River and anthropogenic discharges lower water clarity by introducing nutrients that stimulate phytoplankton and epiphyte growth as well as suspended sediments. Efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay are often viewed as failing. Overall nutrient reduction and SAV restoration goals have not been met. In the Potomac River, however, reduced in situ nutrients, wastewater-treatment effluent nitrogen, and total suspended solids were significantly correlated to increased SAV abundance and diversity. Species composition and relative abundance also correlated with nutrient and water-quality conditions, indicating declining fitness of exotic species relative to native species during restoration. Our results suggest that environmental policies that reduce anthropogenic nutrient inputs do result in improved habitat quality, with increased diversity and native species abundances. The results also help elucidate why SAV cover has improved only in some areas of the Chesapeake Bay.ecology | eutrophication | restoration | submerged aquatic vegetation

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“…Propagules of submersed plants are much more difficult to find during surveys than established stands of macrophytes. H. verticillata Table 5 and E. najas both have a high dispersal capability via vegetative structures such as stem fragments (Cook & Lüönd, 1982;Cook & Urmi-König, 1984;Rybicki et al, 2001;Bini & Thomaz, 2005). Although macrophyte colonization in the River Paraná is favoured by longitudinal dispersal, it is very probable that propagules eventually become available in the subcatchments of the River Ivinheima, and especially in the River Baía (S. M. Thomaz, unpublished).…”

Section: Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental predictors of the occurrence of exotic Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle and native Egeria najas Planch. in a sub-tropical river floodplain: the Upper River Paraná, Brazil

et al. 2009

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Investigations of the Availability and Survival of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Propagules in the Tidal Potomac River

Cited by 23 publications

References 41 publications

Effects of invasive species on plant communities: an example using submersed aquatic plants at the regional scale

Effects of invasive species on plant communities: an example using submersed aquatic plants at the regional scale

Long-term reductions in anthropogenic nutrients link to improvements in Chesapeake Bay habitat

Environmental predictors of the occurrence of exotic Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle and native Egeria najas Planch. in a sub-tropical river floodplain: the Upper River Paraná, Brazil

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