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Relationships Between Soil Composition and Spartina Alterniflora Dieback in an Atlantic Salt Marsh

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Abstract

Large scale dieback of Spartina alterniflora poses a threat to salt marsh ecosystem function. Several hypothesized drivers of recent dieback events have been proposed, however, some aspects of salt marsh soil composition and dieback recurrence remain unexplored. We surveyed soil conditions in dieback affected zones and unaffected zones in two marshes on Sapelo Island, Georgia during a drought year to test whether dieback is associated with spatial variations in soil properties such as pH, salinity, water retention and texture. We also surveyed previously documented dieback locations to test whether dieback zones exhibit spatial recurrence. Tidal salt marshes showed significant spatial variability in three physical soil characteristics and exhibited strong associations with zones of S. alterniflora dieback. Sediments in dieback zones had lower silt content, higher bulk density and lower field capacity (a measure of water retention) relative to healthy S. alterniflora stands. Dieback zones also showed patterns of spatial recurrence and similarities with vegetation free areas. These data suggest that the legacy of dieback may be reflected in soils making certain areas susceptible to further dieback during drought periods.

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Acknowledgments

E. Thomas conducted particle size analyses, A. Johnson and B. Korte assisted with sample processing in Madison. We wish to thank S. Powers and E. Stanley for helpful discussion; and J. Gaeta and M. Kornis for discussion and feedback on an early version of the manuscript. We also thank The University of Georgia Marine Institute for providing housing and laboratory space. This work was funded by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute under grants from the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and from the State of Wisconsin Federal grant number NA100AR4170070.

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  1. Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 680 N. Park St., Madison, WI, 53715, USA

    John T. Crawford

  2. W.F. Baird and Associates, Madison, WI, USA

    Amanda G. Stone

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  1. John T. Crawford
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  2. Amanda G. Stone
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Correspondence to John T. Crawford.

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Crawford, J.T., Stone, A.G. Relationships Between Soil Composition and Spartina Alterniflora Dieback in an Atlantic Salt Marsh. Wetlands 35, 13–20 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0588-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0588-0

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