2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | THE INFLUENCE OF SALINITY ON LEAF BREAKDOWN RATES IN TIDAL STREAMS | Virtual Platform
THE INFLUENCE OF SALINITY ON LEAF BREAKDOWN RATES IN TIDAL STREAMS
Carbon processing in streams is important for the foundation of aquatic food webs. However, the influence of salinity on leaf breakdown rates is poorly understood. Tidally-influenced streams could be used for measuring carbon processing in environments with fluctuating salinity. Periodic surges of saltwater could disrupt both saltwater and freshwater species that specialize in decomposition. We expect a slower rate of leaf litter decay because it could be difficult for bacteria and fungi to adapt to quickly changing conductivity. We deployed 8 conductivity data loggers and 16 leaf packs in 4 coastal streams. We positioned a set of loggers and leaf packs near the beach river mouth plus another set upstream. The intent is to measure leaf breakdown rates in tidally-influenced and non tidally-influenced reaches of the four streams. I will present initial results like the rate of leaf litter decay and the salinity gradient across urban and agricultural watersheds. Coastal streams could be a good platform for assessing carbon processing in saline environments.
- Conductivity
- Organic matter
- Salinity
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Presenters/Authors
Gretchen Wichman
(), School of Natural Sciences, California State University Monterey Bay, CA, USA, gwichman@csumb.edu;
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John Olson
(), Dept of Applied Environmental Science, California State University Monterey Bay, CA, USA, joolson@csumb.edu;
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