Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic
Eelgrass Zostera marina L. populations located near the species southern limit in the western North Atlantic were assessed monthly from July 2007 through November 2008. We identified (1) dominant life history strategies and local environmental conditions in southern Z. marina populations, (2) quanti...
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ftjamescook:oai:researchonline.jcu.edu.au:31234 2024-02-11T10:06:17+01:00 Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic Jarvis, Jessie C. Moore, Kenneth Kenworthy, W. Judson 2012 application/pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/1/Jarvis%20et%20al%202012.pdf unknown Inter-Research http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09428 https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/ https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/1/Jarvis%20et%20al%202012.pdf Jarvis, Jessie C., Moore, Kenneth, and Kenworthy, W. Judson (2012) Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 444. pp. 43-56. open Article PeerReviewed 2012 ftjamescook https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09428 2024-01-22T23:32:23Z Eelgrass Zostera marina L. populations located near the species southern limit in the western North Atlantic were assessed monthly from July 2007 through November 2008. We identified (1) dominant life history strategies and local environmental conditions in southern Z. marina populations, (2) quantified differences in reproductive phenology between populations and different local environmental conditions, and (3) compared reproductive strategies to established annual and perennial life history paradigms. Observed populations expressed both life history strategies with one Z. marina population completely losing aboveground biomass and reestablishing from seeds (annual model) while another population retained aboveground biomass throughout the year (perennial model). A third life history strategy, characterized here as a mixed-annual population, was also observed after some seedlings were found to reproduce both sexually and asexually during their first year of growth thereby not conforming to any currently established life history paradigm. Development of multiple life history strategies within this region may be in response to stressful summer water temperatures associated with the southern edge of the species' range. We suggest that neither annual nor perennial life history strategies always provide a superior mechanism for population persistence as perennial populations can be susceptible to multiple consecutive years of stress, and annual populations are unable to fully exploit available resources throughout much of the year. The mixed-annual strategy observed here represents another possible life history model which may provide the mechanism necessary for Z. marina populations to persist during times of environmental transition. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic James Cook University, Australia: ResearchOnline@JCU Marine Ecology Progress Series 444 43 56 |
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Open Polar |
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James Cook University, Australia: ResearchOnline@JCU |
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ftjamescook |
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description |
Eelgrass Zostera marina L. populations located near the species southern limit in the western North Atlantic were assessed monthly from July 2007 through November 2008. We identified (1) dominant life history strategies and local environmental conditions in southern Z. marina populations, (2) quantified differences in reproductive phenology between populations and different local environmental conditions, and (3) compared reproductive strategies to established annual and perennial life history paradigms. Observed populations expressed both life history strategies with one Z. marina population completely losing aboveground biomass and reestablishing from seeds (annual model) while another population retained aboveground biomass throughout the year (perennial model). A third life history strategy, characterized here as a mixed-annual population, was also observed after some seedlings were found to reproduce both sexually and asexually during their first year of growth thereby not conforming to any currently established life history paradigm. Development of multiple life history strategies within this region may be in response to stressful summer water temperatures associated with the southern edge of the species' range. We suggest that neither annual nor perennial life history strategies always provide a superior mechanism for population persistence as perennial populations can be susceptible to multiple consecutive years of stress, and annual populations are unable to fully exploit available resources throughout much of the year. The mixed-annual strategy observed here represents another possible life history model which may provide the mechanism necessary for Z. marina populations to persist during times of environmental transition. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jarvis, Jessie C. Moore, Kenneth Kenworthy, W. Judson |
spellingShingle |
Jarvis, Jessie C. Moore, Kenneth Kenworthy, W. Judson Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
author_facet |
Jarvis, Jessie C. Moore, Kenneth Kenworthy, W. Judson |
author_sort |
Jarvis, Jessie C. |
title |
Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
title_short |
Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
title_full |
Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
title_fullStr |
Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic |
title_sort |
characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western north atlantic |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/1/Jarvis%20et%20al%202012.pdf |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09428 https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/ https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31234/1/Jarvis%20et%20al%202012.pdf Jarvis, Jessie C., Moore, Kenneth, and Kenworthy, W. Judson (2012) Characterization and ecological implication of eelgrass life history strategies near the species' southern limit in the western North Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 444. pp. 43-56. |
op_rights |
open |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09428 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
444 |
container_start_page |
43 |
op_container_end_page |
56 |
_version_ |
1790603893572370432 |