Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows.
There is strong evidence of a global long-term decline in seagrass meadows that is widely attributed to anthropogenic activity. Yet in many regions, attributing these changes to actual activities is difficult, as there exists limited understanding of the natural processes that can influence these va...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3315502?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819148021555789824 |
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| author | Richard K F Unsworth Michael A Rasheed Kathryn M Chartrand Anthony J Roelofs |
| author_facet | Richard K F Unsworth Michael A Rasheed Kathryn M Chartrand Anthony J Roelofs |
| author_sort | Richard K F Unsworth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is strong evidence of a global long-term decline in seagrass meadows that is widely attributed to anthropogenic activity. Yet in many regions, attributing these changes to actual activities is difficult, as there exists limited understanding of the natural processes that can influence these valuable ecosystem service providers. Being able to separate natural from anthropogenic causes of seagrass change is important for developing strategies that effectively mitigate and manage anthropogenic impacts on seagrass, and promote coastal ecosystems resilient to future environmental change. The present study investigated the influence of environmental and climate related factors on seagrass biomass in a large ≈250 ha meadow in tropical north east Australia. Annual monitoring of the intertidal Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle seagrass meadow over eleven years revealed a declining trend in above-ground biomass (54% significant overall reduction from 2000 to 2010). Partial Least Squares Regression found this reduction to be significantly and negatively correlated with tidal exposure, and significantly and negatively correlated with the amount of solar radiation. This study documents how natural long-term tidal variability can influence long-term seagrass dynamics. Exposure to desiccation, high UV, and daytime temperature regimes are discussed as the likely mechanisms for the action of these factors in causing this decline. The results emphasise the importance of understanding and assessing natural environmentally-driven change when interpreting the results of seagrass monitoring programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:39:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-23b4c12847044ab79745d8ba1cf61bdd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:39:05Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-23b4c12847044ab79745d8ba1cf61bdd2022-12-21T18:23:59ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0173e3413310.1371/journal.pone.0034133Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows.Richard K F UnsworthMichael A RasheedKathryn M ChartrandAnthony J RoelofsThere is strong evidence of a global long-term decline in seagrass meadows that is widely attributed to anthropogenic activity. Yet in many regions, attributing these changes to actual activities is difficult, as there exists limited understanding of the natural processes that can influence these valuable ecosystem service providers. Being able to separate natural from anthropogenic causes of seagrass change is important for developing strategies that effectively mitigate and manage anthropogenic impacts on seagrass, and promote coastal ecosystems resilient to future environmental change. The present study investigated the influence of environmental and climate related factors on seagrass biomass in a large ≈250 ha meadow in tropical north east Australia. Annual monitoring of the intertidal Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle seagrass meadow over eleven years revealed a declining trend in above-ground biomass (54% significant overall reduction from 2000 to 2010). Partial Least Squares Regression found this reduction to be significantly and negatively correlated with tidal exposure, and significantly and negatively correlated with the amount of solar radiation. This study documents how natural long-term tidal variability can influence long-term seagrass dynamics. Exposure to desiccation, high UV, and daytime temperature regimes are discussed as the likely mechanisms for the action of these factors in causing this decline. The results emphasise the importance of understanding and assessing natural environmentally-driven change when interpreting the results of seagrass monitoring programs.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3315502?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Richard K F Unsworth Michael A Rasheed Kathryn M Chartrand Anthony J Roelofs Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. PLoS ONE |
| title | Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. |
| title_full | Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. |
| title_fullStr | Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. |
| title_short | Solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of Enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows. |
| title_sort | solar radiation and tidal exposure as environmental drivers of enhalus acoroides dominated seagrass meadows |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3315502?pdf=render |
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