Biomass partitioning in an endemic southern African salt marsh species Salicornia tegetaria (Chenopodiaceae)

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dc.contributor.authorBrown, Catherine
dc.contributor.authorRajkaran, Anusha
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-08T07:49:55Z
dc.date.available2023-02-08T07:49:55Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractThe below ground biomass of salt marsh species accounts for more than half of the total plant biomass in salt marsh systems, yet no biomass data exist for salt marsh species in South Africa. The aims of the current study were to compare the biomass allocation of Salicornia tegetaria in six estuaries and relate findings to their environmental conditions. The current study measured the physico-chemical variables of the sediment (moisture content, organic matter content, electrical conductivity, pH) and pore water (temperature, salinity, pH, depth) at Olifants, Berg, Langebaan, Heuningnes, Nahoon and Kwelerha estuaries. Above and below ground biomass and stem height measurements were also collected. The below ground biomass (1.51 ± 0.24 kg m−2) and root/shoot ratio (1.36 ± 0.17) was the lowest at Heuningnes Estuary with no significant difference at the remaining estuaries, suggesting that factors, such as geomorphology and sedimentological processes, could have a stronger effect on the biomass allocation in this species. Important drivers of biomass allocation were sediment pH, redox potential and pore water depth. The current study provides baseline information for S. tegetaria, an endemic salt marsh species, for which there is a paucity of data. This species plays a major role in the ecology of the lower intertidal zone, which will be vulnerable to sea-level rise.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBrown, C., & Rajkaran, A. (2020). Biomass partitioning in an endemic southern African salt marsh species Salicornia tegetaria (Chenopodiaceae). African Journal of Aquatic Science 2020, 45(1–2),41–48. https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2019.1687419en_US
dc.identifier.issn1727-9364
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2019.1687419
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/8378
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherTaylor and Francis Groupen_US
dc.subjectClimate changeen_US
dc.subjectBiologyen_US
dc.subjectConservationen_US
dc.subjectBiodiversityen_US
dc.subjectSalt marsh speciesen_US
dc.titleBiomass partitioning in an endemic southern African salt marsh species Salicornia tegetaria (Chenopodiaceae)en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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