Inter-Island Variability in Above and Belowground Plant Biomass in Interior Marshes on the Virginia Barrier Islands ...

• Main Author: Blecha, Staci B.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: Old Dominion University 2010
• Subjects: Barrier Islands; Hog Island; Smith Island
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25777/kzwf-ea78; https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/141/

The Virginia Coast Reserve's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site is of great interest because the barrier islands have been migrating, rapidly at times, and are exceptionally dynamic. The barrier islands have tidal saltwater marshes on the lagoon side and freshwater marshes on the island interiors. In these interior marshes on North Hog Island, South Smith Island, and North Parramore Island, salinity and depth to water table were measured to determine if these factors were influencing biomass and biomass allocation patterns in the marsh. Hog Island had the freshest interior marshes (0 and 0.7 ppm), and the most diverse (H'=0.84 and 1.026), but had the least aboveground biomass (36.69 and 161.92 g/m2). Smith and Parramore Islands were more saline (18.6 and 19.8 ppm, respectively), less diverse (H'=0.504 and 0.745), and had higher aboveground biomass (406.86 and 563.32 g/m2). The saltiest marsh, on Parramore Island, had the most aboveground biomass. Belowground biomass was primarily located in fine roots ...