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Mechanisms generating modification of benthos following tidal flat invasion by a Spartina hybrid.

Carlos Neira1, Edwin D Grosholz, Lisa A Levin

  • 1Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093-0218, USA. cneira@coast.ucsd.edu

Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America
|August 30, 2006
PubMed
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Invasive Spartina alterniflora alters San Francisco Bay mudflats, reducing crucial invertebrate populations. This cordgrass invasion changes sediment conditions, impacting food webs and shorebird habitats.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Ecology
  • Invasive Species Biology
  • Coastal Habitat Alteration

Background:

  • Coastal habitats worldwide face significant alteration from introduced plant species.
  • The hybrid form of eastern cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) is rapidly invading San Francisco Bay mudflats.
  • This invasion alters habitat, reduces macrofaunal densities, and shifts species composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document the causes and mechanisms of observed changes in San Francisco Bay's benthic system due to Spartina alterniflora invasion.
  • To examine the influence of the hybrid Spartina canopy on physical, chemical, and biological properties through in situ manipulative experiments.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted in situ manipulative experiments to assess Spartina canopy impacts.
  • Analyzed changes in hydrodynamic regime, sediment properties, and benthic community structure.

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  • Investigated effects on macrofaunal densities, species composition, and survivorship.

    • Main Results:

    • Hybrid Spartina canopy reduced water velocity, promoting deposition of fine-grained, organic-rich particles.
    • Increased porewater sulfide concentrations and anoxia in sediments led to poor survivorship of surface-feeding invertebrates.
    • Altered flow, increased predation pressure, and changes in barnacle recruitment were observed within Spartina patches.
    • Significant losses of surface feeders (amphipods, bivalves, polychaetes) and unaffected subsurface feeders were documented.

    Conclusions:

    • Spartina alterniflora invasion causes substantial changes in benthic communities through multiple physical, chemical, biotic, and trophic impacts.
    • These changes negatively affect key invertebrate taxa supporting higher trophic levels, including migratory shorebirds.
    • The invasion has profound ecosystem-level effects on San Francisco Bay's tidal flats.