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Martínez-Soto KS, Johnson DS. A fiddler crab reduces plant growth in its expanded range. Ecology 2024; 105:e4203. [PMID: 37926441 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Species across the planet are shifting or expanding their ranges because of climate change. These are climate migrants. Although climate migrants are well documented, their impacts on recipient ecosystems are not. Climate migrants that are also ecosystem engineers (species that modify or create habitats) will likely have profound effects on ecosystems. The Atlantic marsh fiddler crab, Minuca pugnax, is a burrowing crab that recently expanded its range into the northeastern United States. In its historical range, M. pugnax enhances the aboveground growth of the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, a plant critical to marsh persistence. In a control-impact study, however, we found that Spartina aboveground biomass was 40% lower when M. pugnax was present. Thus, the positive effect of M. pugnax on Spartina aboveground biomass flipped to a negative one in its expanded range. Spartina belowground biomass was also 30% lower on average when crabs were present, a finding consistent with what is seen in the historical range. These impacts on Spartina are likely due to burrowing by M. pugnax. Benthic microalgae was, on average, 45% lower when crabs were present. Fiddler crabs eat benthic microalgae, and these results suggest that fiddler crabs can control algal biomass via grazing. Because fiddler crabs reduced the biomass of foundational primary producers in its expanded range, our results imply that M. pugnax can influence other saltmarsh functions such as carbon storage and accretion as they expand north. Most strikingly, our results suggest that as species expand or shift their range with climate change, not only can they have profound impacts in their new ranges but those impacts can be the inverse of what is seen in their historical ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla S Martínez-Soto
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
| | - David S Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
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2
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Watson EB, Ferguson W, Champlin LK, White JD, Ernst N, Sylla HA, Wilburn BP, Wigand C. Runnels mitigate marsh drowning in microtidal salt marshes. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2022; 10:1-17. [PMID: 36507472 PMCID: PMC9728634 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.987246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
As a symptom of accelerated sea level rise and historic impacts to tidal hydrology from agricultural and mosquito control activities, coastal marshes in the Northeastern U.S. are experiencing conversion to open water through edge loss, widening and headward erosion of tidal channels, and the formation and expansion of interior ponds. These interior ponds often form in high elevation marsh, confounding the notion applied in predictive modeling that salt marshes convert to open water when elevation falls below a critical surface inundation threshold. The installation of tidal channel extension features, or runnels, is a technique that has been implemented to reduce water levels and permit vegetation reestablishment in drowning coastal marshes, although there are limited data available to recommend its advisability. We report on 5 years of vegetation and hydrologic monitoring of two locations where a total of 600-m of shallow (0.15-0.30-m in diameter and depth) runnels were installed in 2015 and 2016 to enhance drainage, in the Pettaquamscutt River Estuary, in southern Rhode Island, United States. Results from this Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) designed study found that runnel installation successfully promoted plant recolonization, although runnels did not consistently promote increases in high marsh species presence or diversity. Runnels reduced the groundwater table (by 0.07-0.12 m), and at one location, the groundwater table experienced a 2-fold increase in the fraction of the in-channel tidal range that was observed in the marsh water table. We suggest that restoration of tidal hydrology through runnel installation holds promise as a tool to encourage revegetation and extend the lifespan of drowning coastal marshes where interior ponds are expanding. In addition, our study highlights the importance of considering the rising groundwater table as an important factor in marsh drowning due to expanding interior ponds found on the marsh platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B. Watson
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Lena K. Champlin
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer D. White
- Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Charlestown, RI, United States
| | - Nick Ernst
- Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Charlestown, RI, United States
| | - Habibata A. Sylla
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brittany P. Wilburn
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cathleen Wigand
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI, United States
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3
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Beheshti K, Endris C, Goodwin P, Pavlak A, Wasson K. Burrowing crabs and physical factors hasten marsh recovery at panne edges. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0249330. [PMID: 34986154 PMCID: PMC8730443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Salt marsh loss is projected to increase as sea-level rise accelerates with global climate change. Salt marsh loss occurs along both lateral creek and channel edges and in the marsh interior, when pannes expand and coalesce. Often, edge loss is attributed to erosive processes whereas dieback in the marsh interior is linked to excessive inundation or deposition of wrack, but remains poorly understood. We conducted a two-year field investigation in a central California estuary to identify key factors associated with panne contraction or expansion. Our study explored how an abundant burrowing crab, shown to have strong negative effects on marsh biomass near creek edges, affects panne dynamics. We also explored which physical panne attributes best predicted their dynamics. To our knowledge, ours is the first study of panne dynamics in a California marsh, despite how ubiquitous pannes are as a feature of marshes in the region and how often extensive marsh dieback occurs via panne expansion. Overall, we found that pannes contracted during the study period, but with variable rates of marsh recovery across pannes. Our model incorporating both physical and biological factors explained 86% of the variation in panne contraction. The model revealed a positive effect of crab activity, sediment accretion, and a composite of depth and elevation on panne contraction, and a negative effect of panne size and distance to nearest panne. The positive crab effects detected in pannes contrast with negative effects we detected near creek edges in a previous study, highlighting the context-dependence of top-down and bioturbation effects in marshes. As global change continues and the magnitude and frequency of disturbances increases, understanding the dynamics of marsh loss in the marsh interior as well as creek banks will be critical for the management of these coastal habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Beheshti
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Charlie Endris
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Watsonville, CA, United States of America
| | - Peter Goodwin
- Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, United States of America
| | - Annabelle Pavlak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Kerstin Wasson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Watsonville, CA, United States of America
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Beheshti KM, Wasson K, Angelini C, Silliman BR, Hughes BB. Long‐term study reveals top‐down effect of crabs on a California salt marsh. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Beheshti
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Kerstin Wasson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Royal Oaks California 95076 USA
| | - Christine Angelini
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Brian R. Silliman
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Beaufort North Carolina 28516 USA
| | - Brent B. Hughes
- Department of Biology Sonoma State University Rohnert Park California 94928 USA
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Walker JB, Rinehart SA, White WK, Grosholz ED, Long JD. Local and regional variation in effects of burrowing crabs on plant community structure. Ecology 2020; 102:e03244. [PMID: 33191507 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Burrowing animals can profoundly influence the structure of surrounding communities, as well as the performance of individual species. Changes in the community structure of burrowing animals or plants together with changing abiotic parameters could shift the influence of burrowers on surrounding habitats. For example, prior studies in salt marshes suggest that fiddler crabs stimulate cordgrass production, but leaf-grazing crabs suppress cordgrass production. Unfortunately, testing this prediction and others are impeded because few studies have examined crab impacts on the plant community and across multiple sites, multiple years, or both. This challenges our ability to predict how burrowing animals will influence plant community structure, and when and where these impacts will occur. We manipulated the densities of the dominant burrowing crabs in plant assemblages dominated by Pacific cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) and perennial pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica) at three sites in southern California for three years (2016, 2017, 2018). Crab impacts on plant community structure differed among each of our three sites. In contrast to our predictions, (1) leaf-grazing crabs (Pachygrapsus crassipes) had positive effects on cordgrass cover at one site and no effect on cordgrass production at a nearby site in the same marsh and (2) fiddler crabs (Uca crenulata) did not stimulate cordgrass production at another marsh. Because crabs affected traits of cordgrass, but not pickleweed, in the direction consistent with changes in cordgrass cover, we propose that marsh-specific crab effects on community structure were largely mediated through changes in cordgrass, as opposed to pickleweed. Importantly, crabs facilitated cordgrass during marsh-wide cordgrass loss, suggesting that crabs may mitigate environmental stress for this ecologically important plant. Because cordgrass abundance can be a critical measure of marsh functioning and is often a restoration target, we suggest that managing cordgrass populations would benefit from additional information about crab populations and their impacts among years, and among and within marshes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet B Walker
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California, 92182, USA.,Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Shelby A Rinehart
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
| | - Wendi K White
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - Edwin D Grosholz
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Jeremy D Long
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
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Perry DC, Chaffee C, Wigand C, Thornber C. Implementing adaptive management into a climate change adaptation strategy for a drowning New England salt marsh. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 270:110928. [PMID: 32721353 PMCID: PMC8842880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Due to climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, future conditions and impacts facing coastal habitats are unclear to coastal resource managers. Adaptive management strategies have become an important tactic to compensate for the unknown environmental conditions that coastal managers and restoration ecologists face. Adaptive management requires extensive planning and resources, which can act as barriers to achieve a successful project. These barriers also create challenges in incorporating adaptive management into climate change adaptation strategies. This case study describes and analyzes the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council's approach to overcome these challenges to implement a successful adaptive management project to restore a drowning salt marsh using the climate change adaptation strategy, sediment enhancement, at Quonochontaug Pond in Charlestown, RI. Through effective communication and active stakeholder involvement, this project successfully incorporated interdisciplinary partner and stakeholder collaborations and developed an iterative learning strategy that highlights the adaptive management method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C Perry
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
| | - Caitlin Chaffee
- Coastal Resources Management Council, 4808 Tower Hill, Wakefield, RI, 02879, USA
| | - Cathleen Wigand
- US EPA ORD CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Carol Thornber
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
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7
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Raposa KB, Kutcher TE, Ferguson W, McKinney RA, Miller K, Wigand C. Evaluation of Plot-Scale Methods for Assessing and Monitoring Salt Marsh Vegetation Composition and Cover. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020; 27:151-167. [PMID: 33551633 DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation is a key component of salt marsh monitoring programs, but different methods can make comparing datasets difficult. We compared data on vegetation composition and cover collected with 3 methods (point-intercept, Braun-Blanquet visual, and floristic quality assessment [FQA]) in 3 Rhode Island salt marshes. No significant differences in plant community composition were found among the methods, and differences in individual species cover in a marsh never exceeded 6% between methods. All methods were highly repeatable, with no differences in data collected by different people. However, FQA was less effective at identifying temporal changes at the plot scale. If data are collected from many plots in a marsh, any of the methods are appropriate, but if plot-scale patterns are of interest, we recommend point-intercept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth B Raposa
- Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; PO Box 151, Prudence Island RI 02872
| | - Thomas E Kutcher
- Rhode Island Natural History Survey; 14 East Farm Road, Kingston RI 02881
| | | | - Richard A McKinney
- NHEERL-EPA-ORD, Atlantic Ecology Division; 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett RI 02882
| | - Ken Miller
- General Dynamics Information Technology; 6361 Walker Lane, Alexandria VA 22310
| | - Cathleen Wigand
- NHEERL-EPA-ORD, Atlantic Ecology Division; 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett RI 02882
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8
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Raposa KB, Weber RL, Ferguson W, Hollister J, Rozsa R, Maher N, Gettman A. Drainage enhancement effects on a waterlogged Rhode Island (USA) salt marsh. ESTUARINE, COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE 2019; 231:106435. [PMID: 39220562 PMCID: PMC11363153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Drainage enhancement (e.g., ditch digging, open-marsh water management, runnelling) has long been used to reduce tidal marsh soil waterlogging and surface ponding to promote salt hay production and mosquito control. Now it is also being used as a tool to enhance marsh resilience to sea-level rise despite a lack of studies that evaluate its effectiveness as an intervention approach. We therefore conducted a controlled field experiment to evaluate short-term responses to drainage enhancement of a Rhode Island (USA) salt marsh. Drainage enhancement elicited rapid physical changes in portions of the marsh including declines in water levels and marsh elevation, but the biological components examined (e.g., vegetation and bird community composition) were largely unaffected. In two of the four areas monitored, marsh surface inundation duration declined from > 75% to 3-10% and low water levels dropped by 20 cm. Mean annual marsh surface elevation in monitoring plots increased 5 mm one year after drainage enhancement but dropped to 11 mm below initial conditions after three years. The decline in elevation varied among habitats, with the greatest decline (18 mm) found in areas dominated by Spartina alterniflora and/or bare ground. Vegetation community composition and % cover and heights of dominant species were unchanged, but areas that were initially bare had fully revegetated after three years. Drainage enhancement also had no effects on bird community composition or marsh sparrow (Ammodramus spp.) density. Our study provides evidence that drainage enhancement can relieve waterlogging and some of its impacts without any apparent adverse effects on the composition and abundance of existing vegetation and bird communities. At the same time, it can induce a loss of marsh platform elevation that has the potential to offset declining water levels and inhibit high marsh enhancement. Finally, unanticipated findings from our study provide evidence that the effects of larger-scale drivers such as sea-level rise may predominate over localized responses to drainage enhancement itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth B. Raposa
- Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Prudence Island RI USA
| | - Robin L. Weber
- Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Prudence Island RI USA
| | | | - Jeffrey Hollister
- Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett RI USA
| | - Ron Rozsa
- Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett RI USA
| | - Nicole Maher
- The Nature Conservancy Long Island Chapter, Cold Spring Harbor NY USA
| | - Alan Gettman
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Kingston RI USA
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9
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Wasson K, Raposa K, Almeida M, Beheshti K, Crooks JA, Deck A, Dix N, Garvey C, Goldstein J, Johnson DS, Lerberg S, Marcum P, Peter C, Puckett B, Schmitt J, Smith E, Laurent KS, Swanson K, Tyrrell M, Guy R. Pattern and scale: evaluating generalities in crab distributions and marsh dynamics from small plots to a national scale. Ecology 2019; 100:e02813. [PMID: 31291466 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The generality of ecological patterns depends inextricably on the scale at which they are examined. We investigated patterns of crab distribution and the relationship between crabs and vegetation in salt marshes at multiple scales. By using consistent monitoring protocols across 15 U.S. National Estuarine Research Reserves, we were able to synthesize patterns from the scale of quadrats to the entire marsh landscape to regional and national scales. Some generalities emerged across marshes from our overall models, and these are useful for informing broad coastal management policy. We found that crab burrow distribution within a marsh could be predicted by marsh elevation, distance to creek and soil compressibility. While these physical factors also affected marsh vegetation cover, we did not find a strong or consistent overall effect of crabs at a broad scale in our multivariate model, though regressions conducted separately for each site revealed that crab burrows were negatively correlated with vegetation cover at 4 out of 15 sites. This contrasts with recent smaller-scale studies and meta-analyses synthesizing such studies that detected strong negative effects of crabs on marshes, likely because we sampled across the entire marsh landscape, while targeted studies are typically limited to low-lying areas near creeks, where crab burrow densities are highest. Our results suggest that sea-level rise generally poses a bigger threat to marshes than crabs, but there will likely be interactions between these physical and biological factors. Beyond these generalities across marshes, we detected some regional differences in crab community composition, richness, and abundance. However, we found striking differences among sites within regions, and within sites, in terms of crab abundance and relationships to marsh integrity. Although generalities are broadly useful, our findings indicate that local managers cannot rely on data from other nearby systems, but rather need local information for developing salt marsh management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Wasson
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Royal Oaks, California, 95076, USA.,University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Kenneth Raposa
- Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 151, Prudence Island, Rhode Island, 02872, USA
| | - Monica Almeida
- Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, California, 91932, USA
| | - Kathryn Beheshti
- University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Crooks
- Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, California, 91932, USA
| | - Anna Deck
- San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, California, 94920, USA
| | - Nikki Dix
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, 32082, USA
| | - Caitlin Garvey
- University of Connecticut, 75 North Eagleville, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
| | - Jason Goldstein
- Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maine Coastal Ecology Center, 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells, Maine, 04090, USA
| | - David Samuel Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Scott Lerberg
- Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve of Virginia, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Pamela Marcum
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, 32082, USA
| | - Christopher Peter
- Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 89 Depot Road, Greenland, New Hampshire, 03840, USA
| | - Brandon Puckett
- North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, USA
| | - Jenni Schmitt
- South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 5417, Charleston, Oregon, 97420, USA
| | - Erik Smith
- North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, University of South Carolina, P.O. Box 1630, Georgetown, South Carolina, 29442, USA
| | - Kari St Laurent
- Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, Delaware, 19901, USA
| | - Katie Swanson
- Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, Texas, 78373, USA
| | - Megan Tyrrell
- Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit, Massachusetts, 02536, USA
| | - Rachel Guy
- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, P.O. Box 15, Sapelo Island, Georgia, 31327, USA
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Chen P, Zhang Y, Zhu X, Lu C. Distribution of crabs along a habitat gradient on the Yellow Sea coast after Spartina alterniflora invasion. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6775. [PMID: 31024775 PMCID: PMC6474335 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of Spartina alterniflora invasion on macrobenthos have long been of concern; however, there is currently no unified conclusion regarding these effects. Most studies on crabs focus on one species or limited habitat types, and assessments of the community-level effects of S. alterniflora invasion considering multiple species and habitat types have rarely been conducted. In this study, we sampled crabs along a habitat gradient from the shoreline to inland areas on the Yellow Sea coast, including the mudflat, S. alterniflora marsh, Suaeda salsa marsh and Phragmites australis marsh. A total of 10 crab species were found among all habitats, with five species in the mudflat, six species in S. alterniflora marsh, seven species in S. salsa marsh and four species in P. australis marsh. The Shannon index values for the crab communities were similar between S. alterniflora marsh and S. salsa marsh, and these values were significantly higher than those for the mudflat and P. australis marsh. However, the total biomass of crabs was highest in the mudflat, and Metaplax longipes, Philyra pisum and Macrophthalmus dilatatus exclusively preferred the mudflat. The analysis of principal components and similarities showed that the crab community structure in S. alterniflora marsh was most similar to that in S. salsa marsh, while the crab community structure in the mudflat was most different from that in the other habitat types. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of crabs varies across a habitat gradient after S. alterniflora invasion and that the crab community in S. alterniflora marsh is slightly different from that associated with the local vegetation but shows a large difference from that in the mudflat. This study indicates that some crab species may have adapted to habitat containing alien S. alterniflora, while other crab species reject this new marsh type. The effects of the distribution of crabs after S. alterniflora invasion on the regional ecosystem need further study in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Chen
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,College of Environment and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Changhu Lu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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