The Vegetation Silica Pool in a Developing Tidal Freshwater Marsh

Invasion of a Widespread, Non‐Native Grass Causes Downstream Reductions in Bioavailable Silica

“…Also, this series of events on the Platte may not have led to a noticeable reduction in the Mississippi River’s silica delivery to the Gulf of Mexico because the Platte is a relatively small tributary of that larger river. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the importance of vegetative control on silica cycling in riparian zones of rivers, as has previously been demonstrated for estuaries and wetlands (Carbonnel et al 2009; Jacobs et al 2013; Weiss et al 2013). Quantifying silica pools through the discrete vegetative phases of the Platte helps constrain the magnitude of sequestration that may result from vegetation change in other places.…”

Beyond grasses: the potential benefits of studying silicon accumulation in non-grass species

“…High silica accumulating plant species are considered a major pool in the silicon cycle, affecting silicon fluxes and turnover rates (Conley, 2002; Falkowski et al, 2004; Derry et al, 2005; Sommer et al, 2006; Li et al, 2011; Carey and Fulweiler, 2012; Struyf and Conley, 2012; Vandevenne et al, 2013; Schoelynck et al, 2014). Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated the significant roles of plant silicification on the silicon cycle in grasslands (e.g., Melzer et al, 2012), freshwater and tidal ecosystems (e.g., Jacobs et al, 2013; Schoelynck et al, 2014) and forests (e.g., Farmer, 2005; Farmer et al, 2005; Cornelis et al, 2011). Furthermore, since silicate weathering is a CO 2 -consuming process, the effects of silica uptake and accumulation by plants on the silicon cycle may also influence the global carbon cycle (Street-Perrott and Barker, 2008).…”

Evaluating Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetlands

“…Restored tidal freshwater wetlands may be important in buffering dissolved silicon loading to estuaries, increasing resilience of diatom communities (Jacobs et al, 2013).…”