Seasonal Changes in the Productivity, Caloric Content, and Chemical Composition of a Population of Salt-Marsh Cord-Grass (Spartina alterniflora)

Squiers, Edwin R.; Good, Ralph E.

doi:10.2307/1351263

Cited by 57 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Living S. alterniflora is composed of ca 70 to 82 O/O carbohydrate by dry weight (Squiers & Good 1974, Smith et al 1979, and 99 % of this carbohydrate is cellulosic structural material (McIntire & Dunstan 1976). The refractory cellulosic components may slowly decompose in situ after senesence of S. alterniflora (Smith et al 1979, Mountford 1980, but some of the Litter may be exported to adjacent estuaries during periods of high tides, unusual storms (Pickral & Odum 1976) or as the result of ice rafting (Heinle & Flemer 1976).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestion and absorption of refractory carbon from the plant Spartina alterniflora by the oyster Crassosfrea virginica

Newell¹,

Langdon²

1986

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The vascular plant Spartina alterniflora Loisel., grown in an atmosphere containing '"CO2, was chem~cally treated to produce a lignocellulosic, crude f~b e r material containing 0 1 ' 10 lipid, no measurable protein, 4.4 Yo starch, 85.4 % cellulose and 7.7 YO lignin. This material was introduced. via syringe through the mouth, into the stomachs of oysters Crassostrea virginjca; these were then held for 24 h in 13 ppt filter-sterilized seawater at 25 "C. A second group of C, virginica was treated identically, except for the addition of 5 mg I-' of the antibiotics chlorarnphenlcol and rifampicin to both food material and seawater. Direct enumeration (DAPI) of bacteria demonstrated that treatment with antibiotics eliminated bacteria from the oysters' stomach fluid. The I4C specific activities of cell-free hemolymph and tissue samples taken 24 h after feeding indicated that oysters were able to digest and absorb carbon from the S. alterniflora mater~al with a mean efficiency of 1.3 %. There were no significant differences (ANOVA, p > 0.05) in the digestion and absorption of I4C material between antibiotic treated and untreated oysters. Furthermore, in vjtro cellulolytic activities of tissue homogenates of antibiotic treated oysters were not significantly different (ANOVA, p > 0.05) from those of untreated oysters. These results indicate that oysters are able to digest only small amounts of refractory cellulosic material and that this process is not enhanced by bacterla present in the stomach. In vitro characterization of the cellulolytic enzymes of the crystalline style of C. virginica under aseptic conditions indicated the presence of P-1,4-glucanase (Cx cellulase) activity that released oligosaccharides from the S. alterniflora material. Neither C, cellulase, capable of degrading crystalline cellulose, nor $-glucosidase activities were detected, using cotton fibre and cellobiose as substrates, respectively. These results suggest that the principal function of style cellulase activity is the partial depolymerisation of refractory amorphous cellulose, perhaps aiding the digestion of algal cells and detritus.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestion and absorption of refractory carbon from the plant Spartina alterniflora by the oyster Crassosfrea virginica

Newell¹,

Langdon²

1986

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Such methods rely on the seasonal (yearly) turnover of plant material with a regular seasonal difference between live and dead standing crops, and the ability to track the loss of dead material. Kirby & Gosselink 1976Squiers & Good 1974Teal 1962Nixon & Oviatt 1973Valiela^ra/. 1976Valielaera/.…”

Section: Net Primary Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity and nutrient content of Juncus kraussii in an estuarine marsh in south‐western Australia

Congdon

McComb

1980

Australian Journal of Ecology

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Juncus kraussii, which is the dominant emergent macrophyte in the marshes of the Blackwood River Estuary, has an estimated net aboveground production there of 0.3 to 1.3 kg dry weight m~^ yr~'. A high standing crop of live culms is present throughout the year and dead material generally exceeds live. New culms are produced throughout the year, but especially during the warm season. Growth and senescence of culms also occurs throughout the year although there is evidence for increased growth in the warm season.Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus are given on a per g dry weight and per m^ basis. Some 60% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus remain in the dead culm material, the remainder being retranslocated. Sodium and, especially, potassium are readily retranslocated during senescence, but calcium and magnesium are much less mobile.

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“…Tidal wrack consists of dead plant material which forms mats that are rafted about by winds, tides, and currents (Warming 1904, Harshberger 1916, Nichols 1920, Conard 1935, Miller and Egler 1950, Kurz and Wagner 1957, Ranwell 1961, Teal 1962, Squires and Good 1974, McCaffrey 1976. In salt marshes of the eastern United States, wrack is mostly woody stems of tall growth form cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora (Teal 1962, Nadeau 1972, Squires and Good 1974, but in some areas eelgrass, Zostera marina, predominates (Kurz andWagner 1957, Godfrey andGodfrey 1975).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In salt marshes of the eastern United States, wrack is mostly woody stems of tall growth form cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora (Teal 1962, Nadeau 1972, Squires and Good 1974, but in some areas eelgrass, Zostera marina, predominates (Kurz andWagner 1957, Godfrey andGodfrey 1975).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These mats are often stranded in marshes by high tides. For wrack in marshes, the underlying soil surface replaces the estuary as the site of decomposition (Squires and Good 1974). Litterbag decomposition studies demonstrate that Spartina may take more than a year to decompose (Burkholder 1956, Burkholder and Bornside 1957, de la Cruz 1965.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Origins and Effects of Spartina Wrack in a Virginia Salt Marsh

Reidenbaugh

Banta

1980

GCR

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Movements of mats of tidal wrack (dead Spartinu alterniflora) and impacts of the wrack were followed in color infrared aerial photographs of a sloping foreshore salt marsh on Wallops Island, Virginia. Tidal wrack may be stranded in high marsh, where it decomposes, or it may be temporarily stranded at lower elevations. The wrack kills under!ying Spartinu alterniflora in low marsh and in the transition zone from low to high marsh. Wrack is the major cause of devegetated areas within the marsh, but these areas eventually revegetate, and do not evolve into pans. There are substantial short-term reductions in S. alrerniflora marsh productivity. Other effects of wrack are discussed.

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Seasonal Changes in the Productivity, Caloric Content, and Chemical Composition of a Population of Salt-Marsh Cord-Grass (Spartina alterniflora)

Cited by 57 publications

References 22 publications

Digestion and absorption of refractory carbon from the plant Spartina alterniflora by the oyster Crassosfrea virginica

Digestion and absorption of refractory carbon from the plant Spartina alterniflora by the oyster Crassosfrea virginica

Productivity and nutrient content of Juncus kraussii in an estuarine marsh in south‐western Australia

Origins and Effects of Spartina Wrack in a Virginia Salt Marsh

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