Top-down impact through a bottom-up mechanism: the effect of limpet grazing on growth, productivity and carbon allocation of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass)

Zimmerman, Richard C.; Kohrs, Donald G.; Alberte, Randall S.

doi:10.1007/bf00333949

Cited by 57 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…night conditions), assumed by some authors to be 65% of the rate in the light (aerobic) period (Smith et al 1984), or (2) the photosynthetic conversion ratio from O 2 to C units that has been considered to be either 1 mol of O 2 :1 mol CO 2 (Herzka & Dunton 1998) or 1.2 mol of O 2 :1 mol CO 2 (Zimmerman et al 1996). To test our carbon budget sensitivity to these parameters, values were calculated using the extreme values of the preceding parameters.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…reduction of belowground respiration during the night hours; oxygen conversion to carbon units) have been used indistinctly in the literature dealing with seagrass C balances (Zimmerman et al 1996, Herzka & Dunton 1998. For Zostera marina, the belowground organs consumption during the dark period has been observed to be 65% of the rate in the light period (Smith et al 1984).…”

Section: Validity Of Annual C Balance Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual metabolic carbon balance of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: the importance of carbohydrate reserves

Alcoverro

Manzanera²,

Romero³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

185

132

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We present the seasonal carbon (C) balance of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile calculated from seasonal rates of C gain (photosynthesis), C loss (respiration) and growth. We compare our balance with the evolution of seasonal C reserves in order to determine the parameters (shoot:root biomass, reserve allocation, photosynthetic parameters, etc.) that influence the seasonal cycle of the plant. Additionally, we examine whether the annual C balance can be used as a valid tool for testing the vulnerability of seagrasses to light reduction. The seasonal whole-plant C balance showed alternate negative (from September to June) and positive (July and August) values. This trend was the result of the interplay among several seasonal factors such as irradiance, water turbidity, photosynthetic parameters, respiratory rates, shoot growth, within-shoot age distribution, and principally, the low photosynthetic:non-photosynthetic biomass ratio. The lack of significant correlation between seasonal growth and metabolic balance (C gain -C demand) did not permit the prediction of plant growth. Conversely, the seasonal pattern of carbon storage was consistent with the periods of positive and negative C balance. Consequently, reserve mobilization allows overwintering and re-growth under conditions of negative C balance. Using different calculations the annual C balance was found to be negative during 1993; this is in accordance with the carbohydrate interannual depletion and the shoot density decline. Since Posidonia oceanica is regressing in the Mediterranean, our carbon budget may notably contribute to future carbon models that can be essential tools for defining the minimum light requirements for survival. More insight into the functioning of some of the parameters that definitively influence this carbon budget (e.g.: the rhizome/root oxygen consumption and the O 2 to C conversion) is needed to fully understand the vulnerability of seagrasses to light reduction.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Validity Of Annual C Balance Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual metabolic carbon balance of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: the importance of carbohydrate reserves

Alcoverro

Manzanera²,

Romero³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

185

132

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Since the diffusion of oxygen from the overlying water into the sediment pore water is low (Kemp et al, 1992), and the basipetal translocation (from leaves to below-ground parts) of sucrose and oxygen and further release to the rhizosphere are reduced (as a consequence of lower light availability) (Smith et al, 1984;Zimmerman et al, 1996), this may generate a reduction in the redox potential of the sediments leading to anoxia. Such conditions are harmful to seagrasses not only because of the decrease of oxygen and sucrose transfer to the below-ground parts, but also because the occurrence of sulfide compounds in the surroundings of the rhizosphere may result in toxicity (Hemminga, 1998;Holmer & Bondgaard, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions of light and organic matter under contrasting resource simulated environments: the importance of clonal traits in the seagrass Zostera noltii

et al. 2009

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Light reduction in the water column and enhanced organic matter (OM) load into the sediments are two main consequences of eutrophication in marine coastal areas. This study addresses the combined effects of light, OM, and clonal traits in the seagrass Zostera noltii. Large Z. noltii plants were grown in sand with or without the addition of OM and under two light levels (high light and low light). Whereas some complete plant replicates were grown under homogeneous light and/or OM conditions, other replicates were grown under contrasting light and/or OM levels between the apical and the distal parts of the same plant. The three-way factorial design (light, OM load, and apex position) allowed us to determine the harmful effect of light reduction and OM enrichment on the growth, photosynthetic performance, and biochemical composition of Z. noltii. The addition of OM to the sediment promoted a decrease, or even an inhibition, in net plant growth regardless of the light level when the whole plants were grown under homogeneous light conditions. However, the results differed when plants were grown under contrasting light and/or OM conditions between apical and distal parts. In this case, the harmful effect of OM load was alleviated when apical parts were grown under high light conditions. OM loads also negatively affected the photosynthetic performance, evaluated as leaf fluorescence. The results indicate the importance of clonal traits in the response of Z. noltii growth to light conditions and OM enrichment.

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“…In this regard, seagrasses are unlike many algae which often have the ability to utilize HCO 3 − as an additional source of inorganic carbon when CO 2 is limiting. For example, most marine algae derive 90% or more of their photosynthetic carbon requirements from HCO 3 − , but marine seagrasses manage to satisfy only ≤50% of their carbon requirements in this way (Zimmerman et al 1995(Zimmerman et al , 1996Beer and Koch 1996;Beer and Rehnberg 1997;Zimmerman et al 1997;Invers et al 2001;Björk et al 1997;Jiang, Huang, and Zhang 2010). In addition, some freshwater SAV species are almost completely reliant on dissolved aqueous CO 2 , and lightsaturated photosynthesis is typically CO 2 -limited in low alkalinity water (Lloyd, Canvin, and Bristow 1977).…”

Section: Coastal Zone Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty-first century climate change and submerged aquatic vegetation in a temperate estuary: the case of Chesapeake Bay

Arnold

Zimmerman

Engelhardt

et al. 2017

Ecosyst Health Sustain

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Introduction: The Chesapeake Bay was once renowned for expansive meadows of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). However, only 10% of the original meadows survive. Future restoration efforts will be complicated by accelerating climate change, including physiological stressors such as a predicted mean temperature increase of 2-6°C and a 50-160% increase in CO 2 concentrations. Outcomes: As the Chesapeake Bay begins to exhibit characteristics of a subtropical estuary, summer heat waves will become more frequent and severe. Warming alone would eventually eliminate eelgrass (Zostera marina) from the region. It will favor native heat-tolerant species such as widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) while facilitating colonization by non-native seagrasses (e.g., Halodule spp.). Intensifying human activity will also fuel coastal zone acidification and the resulting high CO 2 /low pH conditions may benefit SAV via a "CO 2 fertilization effect." Discussion: Acidification is known to offset the effects of thermal stress and may have similar effects in estuaries, assuming water clarity is sufficient to support CO 2 -stimulated photosynthesis and plants are not overgrown by epiphytes. However, coastal zone acidification is variable, driven mostly by local biological processes that may or may not always counterbalance the effects of regional warming. This precarious equipoise between two forcesthermal stress and acidification -will be critically important because it may ultimately determine the fate of cool-water plants such as Zostera marina in the Chesapeake Bay. Conclusion: The combined impacts of warming, coastal zone acidification, water clarity, and overgrowth of competing algae will determine the fate of SAV communities in rapidly changing temperate estuaries.

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Top-down impact through a bottom-up mechanism: the effect of limpet grazing on growth, productivity and carbon allocation of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass)

Cited by 57 publications

References 44 publications

Annual metabolic carbon balance of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: the importance of carbohydrate reserves

Annual metabolic carbon balance of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: the importance of carbohydrate reserves

Interactions of light and organic matter under contrasting resource simulated environments: the importance of clonal traits in the seagrass Zostera noltii

Twenty-first century climate change and submerged aquatic vegetation in a temperate estuary: the case of Chesapeake Bay

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