Morphological and anatomical responses of selected coastal salt

200 Pages·2013·10.35 MB·English

by  Seliskar, Denise M.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF
Denise M. Seliskar for the degree of Master of Science in
Botany and Plant Pathology presented on June 30, 1980.
Title: Morphological and anatomical responses of selected
coastal salt marsh lants to spin moisture.
Redacted for privacy
Abstract approved:
Fred R. Rick on
of Deschampsia
Morphological and anatomical characteristics
cespitosa, Distichlis spicata, Grindelia integrifolia, Jaumea
studied from the marsh
carnosa and Salicornia virginica were
fringing Netarts Bay, Oregon. Significant morphological differ-
between upper and lower distribu-
ences were found along transects
of 40 m at the most."
tional limits of each species, a distance
portion of the marsh except
Plants were taller in the upper, drier,
for D. spicata, where the reverse was true. In certain cases stem
branching, amount of
diameter, leaf width, internode length,
features found to be different
flowering and stem density were among
Lignification of vas-
along the transects of the various species.
stems of D. spicata from its
cular bundle sheaths was greatest in
Larger vascular bundles of J. carnosa, more sclerenchma
upper zone.
in S. virginica were found to
in G. integrifolia and less aerenchyma
distributional areas of
be characteristic of plants from the upper
these species.
With vertical and lateral transplants of the five species it was
concluded that these species respond plastically in their morphology
and anatomy to the environment. In all cases the transplanted plants
took on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the sur-
rounding plants. Since the various morphological forms are not gene-
tically fixed they are not considered to be ecotypes.
D. cespitosa; D. spicata, G. integrifolia and S. virginica were
studied under three soil moisture treatments (saturated (SAT), field
capacity (FC) and near wilting point (DRY)) in a controlled greenhouse
experiment. Aerenchyma formation in S. virginica and sclerenchyma
formation in G. integrifolia were affected by soil moisture in the
greenhouse similarly to the way they were along the field transects.
Lignification of vascular bundle sheaths of D. spicata did not appear
to be controlled by soil moisture, Morphological characteristics of
S. virginica in the greenhouse in relation to soil moisture were sim,
ilar to those found in the field. Variability of characteristics of
the other species in the field did not correlate so well with green-
house soil moisture studies indicating that other environmental fac-
tors are influential in effecting morphology.
Above and helowground biomass of each species was measured in
the greenhouse. Maximum biomass occurred under FC conditions in both
cases for the four species. In the SAT treatment greatest root bio-
mass was found in the upper 10 cm of soil for each species. Root:
affected by
shoot ratios of D. cespitosa and S. virginica were not
changes in soil moisture while that of D. spicata was lowest in the
in the DRY treat-
SAT treatment and that of G.integrifolia was lowest
ment.
Morphological and Anatomical Responses
of Selected Coastal Salt Marsh Plants
to Soil Moisture
by
Denise Martha Seliskar
A THESIS
submitted. to
Oregon State University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree of
Master of Science
Completed June 30, 1980
Commencement June 1981
APPROVED:
Redacted for privacy
Associate Professor of botany and Plant Pathology
in charge of major
Redacted for privacy
Department Chairman Botany and Plant Pathology
Redacted for privacy
Dean of Graduate School
Date thesis is presented June 30, 1980
Typed by Rae Clark for Denise Martha Seliskar
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Fred Rickson, Bob Frenkel and Hal Kibby
for their advice throughout this research effort and Dave McIntire
for also reviewing the thesis. Appreciation is extended to Dennis
De Courcey, Wayne Moyer and especially Katherine Skirvin for their
help in the execution of the project. I would like to thank Mel
Carriker for the use of his laboratory at the University of
Delaware. Thanks also to Jim Hay for help in the greenhouse, Pam
Palinsky for drafting, and Rae Clark for the typing of the thesis.
My special thanks to Jack Gallagher, a very understanding and
patient husband.
This study was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Grent No. R806013010 administered through the Corvallis
Environmental Research Laboratory.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction
1
Statement of the Problem
1
Temperature, Light and Wind 5
Salinity 6
Mineral Nutrition 8
Drought 9
Waterlogging 11
Purpose 15
Approach 15
II. Transects 18
Introduction 18
Materials and Methods 19
Results and Discussion 27
Upper vs Lower Distributional Limit 27
Differences Along the Transects 41
Soil Moisture 60
Soil Chemical Properties 65
Conclusions 75
III. Transplants 76
Introduction 76
Materials and Methods 77
Results and Discussion 80
Deschampsia cespitosa 80
Distichlis spicata 85
Grindelia integrifolia 33
Jaumea carnosa 94
SiTicoriiTTUFginica 99
Conclusions 113
IV. Greenhouse 114
Introduction 114
Materials and Methods..,............ . . ....... ... 115
Results and Discussion 122
Morphology and Anatomy........... ..... , ..... . . . 122
Aerial Biomass 133
Underground Biomass and Distribution 143
Root to Shoot Ratios 143
Conclusions 156
V. Summary 157
.
Recommendations for Future 159
VI, Literature Cited.......... ......... ......,........ 162
.
VII. Appendix., ........ . ....... ..... .ft 170
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Schematic representation of the distribution
of the five selected species 19
2. Map of the Netarts Bay Area 23
3. Stem cross sections of Distichlis spicata
from its upper and lower distributional
limits 37
4. Stem cross sections of Grindelia integrifolia
from its upper and lower distributional
limits 39
5. Stem cross sections of Jaumea carnosa from its
upper and lower distributional limits 40
6. Stem cross sections of Salicornia virginica from
its upper and lower distributional limits 42
7. Stem cross sections of Distichlis spicata
along transect 58
8. Stem cross sections of Grindelia integrifolia
along transect 59
9. Stem cross sections of Jaumea carnosa along
transect 61
10. Stem cross sections of Salicornia virginica
along transect 62
Soil moisture tension for the north sampling
'11.
area, May-November, 1979 63
12. 1979 precipitation for Tillamook, Oregon 66
13. 1979 high tides at Netarts Bay, Oregon 67
14. Design of transplant experiment for Jaumea
carnosa, Distichlis spicata and Salicornia
virginica 78
15. Soil moisture tension of upper vs lower
Deschampsia cesaitosa transplants 81
16. Soil moisture tension of upper vs lower
Distichlis spicata transplants 86
LIST OF FIGURES (continued)
Figure Page
17. Stem cross sections of transplanted
Distichlis spicata 91
18. Soil moisture tension of upper vs lower
Grindelia integrifolia transplants 92
19. Stem cross sections of transplanted
Grindelia integrifolia 97
20. Soil moisture tension of upper vs lower
Jaumea carnosa transplants 98
21. Stem cross sections of transplanted
Jaumea carnosa 104
22. Soil moisture tension of upper vs lower
Salicornia virginica transplants 105
23. Stem cross sections of transplanted
Salicornia virginica.. 110
24. Design of field capacity pot 117
25. Soil moisture tension curve for greenhouse
river sand 119
26. Stem cross sections of Distichlis spicata
from the greenhouse experiment 128
27. Stem cross sections of Grindelia integrifolia
from the greenhouse experiment.. 132
Stem cross sections of Salicornia virginica
28.
from the greenhouse experiment 137
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Sampling points along transects with zero being
the lower limit of species distribution 22
2. Morphological characteristics measured for
each species 24
3. Deschampsia cespitosa. Morphological
measurements of plants from the upper and
lower distributional limits 28
4. Distichlis spicata. Morphological measurements
of plants from the upper and lower distributional
limits 29
5. Grindelia integrifolia. Morphological
measurements of plants from the upper and lower
distributional limits 30
6. Jaumea carnosa. Morphological measurements of
plants from the upper and lower distributional
limits 33
7. Salicornia virginica. Morphological measurements
of plants from the upper and lower distributional
limits 34
8. Deschampsia cespitosa. Morphological measure-
ments of plants along transect 43
9. Deschampsia cespitosa. SNK range test of
significant variables . 45
10. Elevational data for transect points 47
11. Distichlis spicata. Morphological measurements
of plants along transect 48
12. Distichlis spicata. SNK range test of signifi-
cant variables ...... ......... ...... .. ..... 49
13. Grindelia integrifolia. Morphological measurements
of plants along transect 51
14. Grindelia SNK range test of
si
52
tilifTc an t variables
LIST OF TABLES (continued)
Page
Table
15. Jaumea carnosa. Morphological measurements
53
of plants along transect
16. Jaumea carnosa. SNK range test of significant
54
variables
17. Salicornia virginica. Morphological measure-
55
ments of plants along transect
18. Salicornia virginica. SNK range test of
56
significant variables
19. Soil chemical properties along the Deschampsia
68
cespitosa transect.
20. Soil chemical properties along the Distichlis
69
spicata transect
21. Soil chemical properties along the Grindelia
integrifolia transect 70
22. Soil chemical properties along the Jaumea
carnosa transect .. 71
23. Soil chemical properties along the Salicornia-
virginica transect 72
24. Elevational Data for Transplants 82
25. Deschampsia cespitosa Transplants - morphological
83
measurements
26. Deschampsia cespitosa Transplants. SNK range
84
test of significant variables
27. Distichlis spicata. Chemical properties of
87
transplanted soil
28. Distichlis spicata Transplants - morphological
89
measurements
29. Distichlis spicata Transplants. SNK range test
90
of significant variables........... ....... . ......
30. Grindelia integrifolia. Chen'ica1 properties
of transplanted soil.... ....... .. ........ ...... 93