Phenology, biomass and productivity of sub-Antarctic Ruppia filifolia

An update on morphology and distribution of Ruppia filifolia (Philippi) Skottsberg in the Magellan region, southern Chile

“…Ruppia filifolia has also been described in marine, hyposaline waters of the Patagonian Fjords Ecosystem in the Magellan region of Chile's Subantarctic archipelago, including the species phenology and biomass (Mansilla et al, 2013;Murcia et al, 2015). But continued monitoring and assessment of new niche distributions for Ruppiaceae communities in the region, and their molecular phylogenies is paramount to gather baseline information to identify future environmental and community changes (e.g., Coles et al, 2011) in the Magellan region.…”

“…1), a brackish (18) water body (Kilian et al, 2007) from the Magellan region, where this taxon is abundant according to ancient (Hagstrom, 1911;Skottsberg, 1916) and recent reports (Mazzella & Gambi, 1993, Mansilla et al, 2013, Murcia et al, 2015. These collections of R. filifolia include also 20 plants sampled in Tierra del Fuego areas reported by Moore (1983), as well as non-systematic collections of 31 plants in total from different shallow water bodies throughout the archipelago (see Results).…”

“…Brackish water coastal ponds, estuaries, lagoons, and fjords are also habitats, where R. filifolia has been found from 44°S down to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands (Moore, 1973(Moore, , 1983Álvarez et al, 2010;San Martín et al, 2011). Recent studies show that biomass and productivity of some R. filifolia perennial meadows in Chile´s Subantarctic region, are quite significant (Murcia et al, 2015), suggesting this species might play ecosystem roles as relevant as those played by seagrasses in other coastal areas. Seagrass communities worldwide are paramount to coastal, benthic ecosystem function, owing to their contribution to biological productivity, maintenance of biodiversity, nursery habitat, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, production and export of organic carbon, shoreline protection, and as bio-engineers, sediment stabilizers and bioindicators of environmental and coastal conditions (Terrados & Duarte 2000;Orth et al, 2006).…”

“…Ruppia filifolia is a perennial, rooted, submerged aquatic plant, inhabiting fresh to hyposaline, and shallow, water bodies, in soft, fine-sediment substrates at 0.5 to 6.0 m depth range in southern Chile (Murcia et al, 2015). Areas of R. filifolia presence in Tierra del Fuego (Fig.…”