Long-Term Changes in Distribution and Frequency of Aquatic Vascular Plants and Charophytes in an Estuary in the Baltic Sea

Pitkänen, Henrietta; Peuraniemi, Minttu; Westerbom, Mats; Kilpi, Mikael; Numers, Mikael von

doi:10.5735/085.050.701

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Phragmites distribution is also a corner stone in coastal ecology, as reed belts sustain high biodiversity by providing nesting areas for birds (Huhta 2009;Meriste et al 2012) and spawning areas for fish Lappalainen et al 2008). The role of Phragmites on the functioning of coastal areas is, however, contradictory, as during the last decades, Phragmites has spread along the shore areas of the Baltic Sea and is claimed to also have negative feedbacks on coastal ecosystems due to its rapid spread (Huhta 2009;Pitk€ anen et al 2013). Phragmites is a strong competitor and once established in an area often outcompetes and shades other plant species decreasing local biodiversity (Munsterhjelm 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that Phragmites expanded with higher rates in linear anthropogenic habitats compared with natural wetlands. Additionally, Phragmites is a pioneer species, being among the first species to settle on virgin soil after mechanical alterations of land, such as dredging and near-shore building (Pitk€ anen et al 2013). Along the Baltic coast, the increasing eutrophication due to excess nutrient runoff from land together with decreased grazing pressure has led to the spread of large perennial species such as Phragmites (Jutila 2001;von Numers 2011;Pitk€ anen et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, Phragmites is a pioneer species, being among the first species to settle on virgin soil after mechanical alterations of land, such as dredging and near-shore building (Pitk€ anen et al 2013). Along the Baltic coast, the increasing eutrophication due to excess nutrient runoff from land together with decreased grazing pressure has led to the spread of large perennial species such as Phragmites (Jutila 2001;von Numers 2011;Pitk€ anen et al 2013). In the Finnish Archipelago, the expansion of Phragmites has been rapid in soft and sheltered areas where reed belts have become denser and wider (Pitk€ anen et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Along the Baltic coast, the increasing eutrophication due to excess nutrient runoff from land together with decreased grazing pressure has led to the spread of large perennial species such as Phragmites (Jutila 2001;von Numers 2011;Pitk€ anen et al 2013). In the Finnish Archipelago, the expansion of Phragmites has been rapid in soft and sheltered areas where reed belts have become denser and wider (Pitk€ anen et al 2013). Phragmites is also witnessed to expand outward in new areas in the archipelago (von Numers 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of coastal ecosystem studies of the Finnish coasts addressed the prevalence and expansion of Phragmites (e.g., Ojala and Louekari 2002;Ikonen and Hagelberg 2007;Huhta 2009), its role in the ecosystem and interaction with other species (e.g., H€ arm€ a et al 2008;Lappalainen et al 2008;Kaitaranta et al 2013), and the social interest and concern that it raises (IBAM 2011; Lamp en 2012). However, few studies have attempted to map Phragmites occurrences (Luther 1951;Suominen 1998;Pitk€ anen 2006), and yet fewer attempted to model its distribution in the area (von Numers 2011;Pitk€ anen et al 2013). Suominen (1998) delineated Phragmites colonies for three sites in the Archipelago Sea from aerial photographs which date back to the second half of the last century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Modeling the role of the close‐range effect and environmental variables in the occurrence and spread of Phragmites australis in four sites on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea

Altartouri

Nurminen

Jolma

2014

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Phragmites australis, a native helophyte in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, has significantly spread on the Finnish coast in the last decades raising ecological questions and social interest and concern due to the important role it plays in the ecosystem dynamics of shallow coastal areas. Despite its important implications on the planning and management of the area, predictive modeling of Phragmites distribution is not well studied. We examined the prevalence and progression of Phragmites in four sites along the Southern Finnish coast in multiple time frames in relation to a number of predictors. We also analyzed patterns of neighborhood effect on the expansion and disappearance of Phragmites in a cellular data model. We developed boosted regression trees models to predict Phragmites occurrences and produce maps of habitat suitability. Various Phragmites spread figures were observed in different areas and time periods, with a minimum annual expansion rate of 1% and a maximum of 8%. The water depth, shore openness, and proximity to river mouths were found influential in Phragmites distribution. The neighborhood configuration partially explained the dynamics of Phragmites colonies. The boosted regression trees method was successfully used to interpolate and extrapolate Phragmites distributions in the study sites highlighting its potential for assessing habitat suitability for Phragmites along the Finnish coast. Our findings are useful for a number of applications. With variables easily available, delineation of areas susceptible for Phragmites colonization allows early management plans to be made. Given the influence of reed beds on the littoral species and ecosystem, these results can be useful for the ecological studies of coastal areas. We provide estimates of habitat suitability and quantification of Phragmites expansion in a form suitable for dynamic modeling, which would be useful for predicting future Phragmites distribution under different scenarios of land cover change and Phragmites spatial configuration.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Modeling the role of the close‐range effect and environmental variables in the occurrence and spread of Phragmites australis in four sites on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea

Altartouri

Nurminen

Jolma

2014

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Increases in temperature and freshwater inputs will shift grazing patterns of a coastal mesograzer on foundation species

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Foundation species, and the roles that they play in structuring ecosystems, are threatened by global change. For example, charophytes are a refuge for zooplankton and stabilize sediments, but they are also a food source for various animal species (water birds, fishes, and invertebrates). Particularly, the introduction of new species, such as Gammarus tigrinus, into the Baltic Sea led to yet not understood changes in the food web. Furthermore, future projections point to increased water temperatures and freshwater inputs affecting species capacity to acclimatize to changing abiotic factors. In this study, we investigated the influence of temperature and salinity on the grazing pressure of G. tigrinus on two charophyte species: Chara aspera and Chara tomentosa. The grazing experiments were conducted in a full‐factorial design with the factors salinity (3–13 g kg−1), temperature (5–30°C), and charophyte species. Grazing rates were determined as mass deviation within 48 h considering biomass changes in the presence and absence of gammarids. Grazing rates were further used to calculate charophyte losses in two coastal lagoons with different salinity concentrations for recent and future time periods. Increasing freshwater inputs can buffer charophyte biomass loss at higher temperatures. Gammarids had a higher grazing impact on C. aspera than on C. tomentosa. The potential grazing peak of about 24°C is not yet reached in these coastal waters but may be reached in the near future as shown by our future projection results. However, a temperature increase and decrease in salinity will cause a shift in seasonal individual grazing patterns from summer to spring and autumn. An increase in temperature and freshwater input can lead to a shift in optimal habitats for G. tigrinus in the future. These interactions between abiotic and biotic factors will affect the future spatial distribution that charophytes can exploit as foundation species.

show abstract

Recreational land use contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coastal areas are at the centre of human–nature relationship, shaped by recreation, tourism and aesthetic values. However, socioeconomic drivers of biodiversity change in coastal areas have received less attention. Soft sediment seafloors support diverse species communities and contribute to ecosystem functionality. One of the main threats is dredging, which sweeps resident organisms. Dredgings are commonly done to deepen waterways, but also for the purposes of private housing. The ecological impacts of these small‐sized dredgings are not well known over broad environmental and geographical gradients. We developed a simple approach for spatial integration of ecological and socioeconomic system, to describe how recreational land use change contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity. It shows how human behaviour, such as preference for a location of second home, can be derived from spatial data and coupled with ecological change. We characterize typical locations of second homes based on accessibility, aesthetics and environment, and with the information identified suitable areas for new second homes. We also quantified typical areas of dredging, based on the depth and substrate of the sea floor, and the extent of the reed beds, influencing the access to properties. We then simulate an annual increase of new second homes and expected land‐use change, namely dredging of shores. Finally, we quantified the realized and projected loss of marine biodiversity from dredged sites, based on species distribution models, relying on extensive ecological data collected from over 170,000 underwater sites. We found that small‐sized dredging can be detrimental to coastal biodiversity, as dredging targets shallow, photic bays and lagoons, with diverse algal and aquatic plant communities, with limited recovery potential. Dredgings also had broad impacts on benthic faunal habitats, which maintain ecosystem processes and functions. Our results reveal a significant ecological change driven by recreational land use. Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss requires a holistic understanding of socioecological systems. Our results highlight the need for integrating land–sea interactions into conservation policies and reforming current land‐use regulation for the benefit of marine biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

show abstract

Long-Term Changes in Distribution and Frequency of Aquatic Vascular Plants and Charophytes in an Estuary in the Baltic Sea

Cited by 23 publications

References 52 publications

Modeling the role of the close‐range effect and environmental variables in the occurrence and spread of Phragmites australis in four sites on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea

Modeling the role of the close‐range effect and environmental variables in the occurrence and spread of Phragmites australis in four sites on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea

Increases in temperature and freshwater inputs will shift grazing patterns of a coastal mesograzer on foundation species

Recreational land use contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About