Acta Oceanologica Sinica

, Volume 32, Issue 8, pp 61–67 | Cite as

Dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrates in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii and its response to shading

Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

A field survey was performed to examine nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) dynamics in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii at the Xincun Bay in southern China. An indoor experiment to investigate the response of NSC in T. hemprichii to shade was conducted. Belowground tissue of T. hemprichii was the dominant site of NSC reserves, and soluble sugar was the primary storage compound. The starch content of belowground tissue was lower in high intertidal areas than in low intertidal areas, indicating that the longer air exposure in high intertidal areas resulted in less NSC synthesis and less accumulation of NSC in T. hemprichii. The lowest level of soluble sugar and its proportion to NSC in belowground tissue were observed near the cage culture area, where the nutrient concentration in water and sediment was the highest; while the highest level of that was observed near the coastal shrimp farm, Where salinity was the lowest. Soluble sugar in belowground tissue showed the following trend: summer>spring>winter>autumn. This corresponded to seasonal changes in the intensity of light. Leaf sugar accumulated during the autumn-winter period, providing a carbon and energy source for flower bud formation and seed germination. Short-term shading decreased NSC accumulation. Collectively, these results suggest that nutrient enrichment, freshwater discharge and exposure to air affect NSC dynamics in T. hemprichii. Light intensity, flower bud formation, and seed germination were all found to induce seasonal variations in NSC in T. hemprichii.

Key words

Thalassia hemprichii nonstructural carbohydrates Xincun Bay dynamics shade 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alcoverro T, Manzanera M, Romero J. 2001. Annual metabolic carbon balance of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: the importance of carbohydrate reserves. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 211: 105–116CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Alcoverro T, Zimmerman R, Kohrs D, et al. 1999. Resource allocation and sucrose mobilization in light-limited eelgrass Zostera marina. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 187: 121–131CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Biber P D, Kenworthy W J, Paerl H W. 2009. Experimental analysis of the response and recovery of Zostera marina (L.) and Halodule wrightii (Ascher.) to repeated light-limitation stress. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 369(2): 110–117CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Björk M, Short F, McLeod E, et al. 2008. Managing Seagrasses for Resilience to Climate Change. Gland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 56Google Scholar
  5. Brun F G, Olive I, Malta E J, et al. 2008. Increased vulnerability of Zostera noltii to stress caused by low light and elevated ammonium levels under phosphate deficiency. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 365: 67–75CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Burke M K, Dennison W C, Moore K A. 1996. Non-structural carbohydrate reserves of eelgrass Zostera marina. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 137: 195–201CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Burkholder J A M, Mason K M, Glasgow J H B. 1992. Water-column nitrate enrichment promotes decline of eelgrass Zostera marina: Evidence from seasonal mesocosm experiments. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 81: 163–178CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Burkholder J A M, Tomasko D A, Touchette B W. 2007. Seagrasses and eutrophication. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 350(1–2): 46–72CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Cabaco S, Santos R. 2007. Effects of burial and erosion on the seagrass Zostera noltii. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 340(2): 204–212CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Chollett I, Bone D, Pérez D. 2007. Effects of heavy rainfall on Thalassia testudinumbeds. Aquatic Botany, 87(3): 189–195CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Collier C J, Lavery P, Ralph P, et al. 2009. Shade-induced response and recovery of the seagrass Posidonia sinuosa. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 370(1–2): 89–103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Collier C J, Waycott M, Ospina A G. 2011. Responses of four Indo-West Pacific seagrass species to shading. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 65: 342–354CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. De Rosa S, Zavodnik N, De Stefano S, et al. 1990. Seasonal Changes of biomass and soluble carbohydrates in the seagrass Zostera noltii Hornem. Botanica Marina, 33(5): 411–414Google Scholar
  14. Dennison W C. 2009. Global trajectories of seagrasses, the biological sentinels of coastal ecosystems. In: Duarte CM, ed. Global Loss of Coastal Habitats: Rates, Causes and Consequences. Madrid: Fundacion BBVA, 91–108Google Scholar
  15. Duarte C M, Gattuso J. 2010. Seagrass meadows. In: Cleveland C J, ed. Encyclopedia of Earth. Washington D C: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the EnvironmentGoogle Scholar
  16. Eklöf J, McMahon K, Lavery P. 2009. Effects of multiple disturbances in seagrass meadows: shading decreases resilience to grazing. Marine and Freshwater Research, 60(12): 1317–1327CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Fokeera-Wahedally S, Bhikajee M. 2005. The effects of in situ shading on the growth of a seagrass, Syringodium isoetifolium. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 64(2–3): 149–155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, Standardization Aministration of the People’s Republic of China. 2008. GB17378.4-2007. The specification for marine monitoring, part 4: seawater analysis (in Chinese). Beijing: the Standards Press of ChinaGoogle Scholar
  19. Huang Xiaoping, Huang Liangmin, Li Yinghong, et al. 2006. Main seagrass beds and threats to their habitats in the coastal sea of South China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 51: 136–142CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Invers O, Kraemer G, Pérez M, et al. 2004. Effects of nitrogen addition on nitrogen metabolism and carbon reserves in the temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 303(1): 97–114CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Jupp B, Durako M, Kenworthy W, et al. 1996. Distribution, abundance, and species composition of seagrasses at several sites in Oman. Aquatic Botany, 53(3–4): 199–213CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Koops A J, Groeneveld HW. 1990. Mobilization of endosperm reserves and uptake of sucrose and valine by the cotyledons of Euphorbia lathyris L. Journal of Experimental Botany, 41(10): 1279–1285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Lazar A C, Dawes C J. 1991. A seasonal study of the seagrass Ruppia maritima L. in Tampa Bay, Florida. Organic constituents and tolerances to salinity and temperature. Botanica Marina, 34: 265–269CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Lee K S, Dunton K. 1996. Production and carbon reserve dynamics of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 143: 201–210CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Lee K S, Dunton K. 1997. Effect of in situ light reduction on themaintenance, growth and partitioning of carbon resources in Thalassia testudinum banks ex König. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 210(1): 53–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Lee K S, Park S R, KimY K. 2007. Effects of irradiance, temperature, and nutrients on growth dynamics of seagrasses: a review. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 350(1–2): 144–175CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Leoni V, Vela A, Pasqualini V, et al. 2008. Effects of experimental reduction of light and nutrient enrichments (N and P) on seagrasses: a review. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 18(2): 202–220CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Longstaff B, Dennison W. 1999. Seagrass survival during pulsed turbidity events: the effects of light deprivation on the seagrasses Halodule pinifolia and Halophila ovalis. Aquatic Botany, 65: 105–121CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Mackey P, Collier C, Lavery P. 2007. Effects of experimental reduction of light availability on the seagrass Amphibolis griffithii. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 342: 117–126CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Manzanera M, Pérez M, Romero J. 1998. Seagrass mortality due to oversedimentation: an experimental approach. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 4(1): 67–70CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Marbà N, Duarte CM. 2010. Mediterranean warming triggers seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) shoot mortality. Global Change Biology, 16(8): 2366–2375CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Murphy L R, Kinsey S T, Durako M J. 2003. Physiological effects of short-term salinity changes on Ruppia maritima. Aquatic Botany, 75(4): 293–309CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Neckles H A, Short F T, Barker S, et al. 2005. Disturbance of eelgrass Zostera marina by commercial mussel Mytilus edulis harvesting in Maine: dragging impacts and habitat recovery. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 285: 57–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Nejrup L B, Pedersen MF. 2008. Effects of salinity and water temperature on the ecological performance of Zostera marina. Aquatic Botany, 88(3): 239–246CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Olivé I, Brun F G, Vergara J J, et al. 2007. Effects of light and biomass partitioning on growth, photosynthesis and carbohydrate content of the seagrass Zostera noltii Hornem. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 345: 90–100CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Palacios S, Zimmerman R. 2007. Response of eelgrass Zostera marina to CO2 enrichment: possible impacts of climate change and potential for remediation of coastal habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 344: 1–13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Peralta G, Pérez-Lloréns J, Hernández I, et al. 2002. Effects of light availability on growth, architecture and nutrient content of the seagrass Zostera noltii Hornem. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 269(1): 9–26CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Pirc H. 1985. Growth dynamics in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. Marine Ecology, 6(2): 141–165CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Pirc H. 1989. Seasonal changes in soluble carbohydrates, starch, and energy content in Mediterranean seagrasses. Marine Ecology, 10(2): 97–105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Pollard P, Greenway M. 1993. Photosynthetic characteristics of sea-grasses (Cymodocea serrulata, Thalassia hemprichii and Zoster-a capricorni) in a low-light environment, with a comparison of leaf-marking and lacunal-gas measurements of productivity. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 44(1): 127–139Google Scholar
  41. Quarmby C, Allen S E. 1989. Organic Constituents. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific PressGoogle Scholar
  42. Ralph P, Durako M, Enriquez S, et al. 2007. Impact of light limitation on seagrasses. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 350(1–2): 176–193CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Romero J, Martinez-Crego B, Alcoverro T, et al. 2007. Amultivariate index based on the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (POMI) to assess ecological status of coastal waters under the water framework directive (WFD). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 55: 196–204CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Ruíz J, Marín-Guirao L, Sandoval-Gil J. 2009. Responses of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica to in situ simulated salinity increase. Botanica Marina, 52(5): 459–470Google Scholar
  45. Ruíz J, Romero J. 2001. Effects of in situ experimental shading on the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 215: 107–120CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Serrano O, Mateo M, Renom P. 2011. Seasonal response of Posidonia oceanica to light disturbances. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 423: 29–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  47. Shafer D J, Sherman T D, Wyllie-Echeverria S. 2007. Do desiccation tolerances control the vertical distribution of intertidal seagrasses?. Aquatic Botany, 87(2): 161–166CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  48. Short F, Carruthers T, Dennison W, et al. 2007. Global seagrass distribution and diversity: A bioregionalmodel. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 350(1–2): 3–20CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  49. Sugiura H, Hiroe Y, Suzuki T, et al. 2009. The carbohydrate catabolism of Zostera marina influenced by lower salinity during the pregermination stage. Fisheries Science, 75(5): 1205–1217CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Touchette B W. 2007. Seagrass-salinity interactions: physiological mechanisms used by submersed marine angiosperms for a life at sea. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 350(1–2): 194–215CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Touchette B W, Burkholder J A M. 2002. Seasonal variations in carbon and nitrogen constituents in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) as influenced by increased temperature and water-column nitrate. Botanica Marina, 45: 23–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  52. Uy W. 2001. Functioning of Philippine Seagrass Species Under Deteriorating Light Conditions. Boca Raton: the Chemical Rubber Company PressGoogle Scholar
  53. Waycott M, Collier C, McMahon K, et al. 2007. Vulnerability of sea-grasses in the Great Barrier Reef to climate change. In: Johnson J E, Marshall P A, eds. Climate Change and the Great Barrier Reef. Townsville: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Australian Greenhouse Office, 193–235Google Scholar
  54. Xu Zhanzhou, Huang Liangmin, Huang Xiaoping, et al. 2008. A primary study on sexual reproduction of seagrass Thalassia hemprichii at Xincun Bay. Journal of Tropical Oceanography (in Chinese), 27(2): 60–63Google Scholar
  55. Yemm E, Willis A. 1954. The estimation of carbohydrates in plant extracts by anthrone. Biochemical Journal, 57: 508–514Google Scholar

Copyright information

© The Chinese Society of Oceanography and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Zhijian Jiang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Xiaoping Huang
    • 1
  • Jingping Zhang
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of OceanologyChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
  2. 2.Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in HainanChinese Academy of SciencesSanyaChina

Personalised recommendations