Salt Marshes-biotic perspectives

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What is a salt marsh? * “A community of emerged halophytic vegetation in areas alternately inundated and drained by tidal action.” ° “Expansive inter- or supratidal areas occupied by rooted emergent vascular macrophytes and a variety of epiphytes and epifauna.” Emerged: sticking out of the water; Halophytic: salt-loving; Inundated: flooded; macrophyte: plant that’s large enough to see; epiphyte: plant growing on another organism but not a parasite; epifauna: animal version of epiphyte 

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Where are salt marshes found? * Along intertidal shore of estuaries - Flat, protected waters * Extensive from Maine-Florida, along Gulf coast from Florida-Texas ¢ In FL, most abundant north of the freeze line (70% of state’s salt marsh) 

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The salt marsh community * Plants - Marsh grasses - Associated halophytic (salt-tolerant) ۱35 * Animals - Permanent residents - Visitors 

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Associated plants * Many are succulent - Exceptions include saltgrass'” glasswort, sea purslane) * Form transitional zone between salt marsh and maritime hammock 

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Salt marsh zonation * Intertidal— Spartina, Juncus ٠ High marsh (above mean high water) —Distichlis spicata, Batis maritima, Salicornia spp., Borrichia sp., Sueda linearis, Limonium carolinanum ¢ Upper edge of high marsh—/va frutescens, Baccharis halmifolia * Marsh-mangrove transition zone 

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Resident animals ¢ Littorina irrorata - Marsh periwinkle (snail) * Crabs - Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) - Marsh crabs (Sesarma sp ‏وتيك کت‎ - Ribbed mussel ' 7 

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¢ The majority of commercially- important marine species rely on estuaries/salt marsh at some stage of life - Examples include blue crab, oysters, hard clams, shrimp, red drum, seatrout, sheepshead, bluefish, mullet 

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Productivity * Biological term—amount of carbon produced per m? per unit time - 3 kg (ash free dry weight)/m?/year - Limiting factors include nutrients, light * Salt marsh plants provide detritus for the estuarine food web - Few grazers on blades (< 10% of biomass) - Large detrital biomass supports broad food web 

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Partial salt marsh food web Dolphins Mussel Zooplankto nf Detritus ۱ Phytoplankt on 

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* Feeding grounds * Microhabitats ee centile toh. ‏دده و‎ a uals 0/7 علأوناوم- a ater depth, dissolved oxygen - Sedimentation 

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Salt Marshes -biotic perspectives Maia McGuire, PhD Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent What is a salt marsh? • “A community of emerged halophytic vegetation in areas alternately inundated and drained by tidal action.” • “Expansive inter- or supratidal areas occupied by rooted emergent vascular macrophytes and a variety of epiphytes and epifauna.” Emerged: sticking out of the water; Halophytic: salt-loving; Inundated: flooded; macrophyte: plant that’s large enough to see; epiphyte: plant growing on another organism but not a parasite; epifauna: animal version of epiphyte Where are salt marshes found? • Along intertidal shore of estuaries – Flat, protected waters • Extensive from Maine-Florida, along Gulf coast from Florida-Texas • In FL, most abundant north of the freeze line (70% of state’s salt marsh) The salt marsh community • Plants – Marsh grasses – Associated halophytic (salt-tolerant) plants • Animals – Permanent residents – Visitors Salt marsh grasses • Spartina alterniflora – Smooth cord grass • Juncus roemerianus – Black needle rush • Cladium mariscoides – Swamp sawgrass • Spartina patens – Salt meadow cord grass Associated plants • Many are succulent – Exceptions include saltgrass • Many are edible (saltwort, glasswort, sea purslane) • Form transitional zone between salt marsh and maritime hammock Salt marsh zonation • Intertidal—Spartina, Juncus • High marsh (above mean high water) —Distichlis spicata, Batis maritima, Salicornia spp., Borrichia sp., Sueda linearis, Limonium carolinanum • Upper edge of high marsh—Iva frutescens, Baccharis halmifolia • Marsh-mangrove transition zone Resident animals • Littorina irrorata – Marsh periwinkle (snail) • Crabs – Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) – Marsh crabs (Sesarma spp.) • Geukensia demissa – Ribbed mussel Tidal Marsh Visitors • Birds • Crabs • Shrimp • Fish • Diamondback terrapin • The majority of commerciallyimportant marine species rely on estuaries/salt marsh at some stage of life – Examples include blue crab, oysters, hard clams, shrimp, red drum, seatrout, sheepshead, bluefish, mullet Importance of salt marshes • Productivity • Habitat • Erosion control • Filtration Productivity • Biological term—amount of carbon produced per m² per unit time – 3 kg (ash free dry weight)/m²/year – Limiting factors include nutrients, light • Salt marsh plants provide detritus for the estuarine food web – Few grazers on blades (< 10% of biomass) – Large detrital biomass supports broad food web Partial salt marsh food web Dolphins Humans Fish Birds Oyster s Insects Shrim p Marsh grass Bacteria, fungi Crabs Snail s Mussel s Zooplankto n Detritus Phytoplankt on Habitat • Nursery grounds • Feeding grounds • Microhabitats – Aerial – Benthic – Aquatic • Stressful environment – Rapid changes in temperature, salinity, water depth, dissolved oxygen – Sedimentation This powerpoint was kindly donated to www.worldofteaching.com http://www.worldofteaching.com is home to over a thousand powerpoints submitted by teachers. This is a completely free site and requires no registration. Please visit and I hope it will help in your teaching.