Event Title
Growth of Smooth Cordgrass Is Increased by Adding Fiddler Crabs
Faculty Mentor
Gary LaFleur, Jr.; Quenton Fontenot
Location
Memorial Gym
Start Date
20-4-2012 2:30 PM
End Date
20-4-2012 3:30 PM
Description
To support the restoration of coastal Louisiana, there is a high demand to cultivate Smooth Cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. We tested whether Spartina growth in the presence of the Long-wave Fiddler Crab Uca longisignalis was different from Spartina growth without the fiddler crab by culturing plants in greenhouse microcosms. Average plant lengths from three replicates were 59.71 +/- 19.33 cm with no crabs, 61.16 +/- 18.83 cm with 6 crabs, 75.75 +/- 7.74 cm with 12 crabs, and 78.75 +/- 10.1 cm with 24 crabs. We suggest that the growth of Spartina is increased in the presence of fiddler crabs.
Growth of Smooth Cordgrass Is Increased by Adding Fiddler Crabs
Memorial Gym
To support the restoration of coastal Louisiana, there is a high demand to cultivate Smooth Cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. We tested whether Spartina growth in the presence of the Long-wave Fiddler Crab Uca longisignalis was different from Spartina growth without the fiddler crab by culturing plants in greenhouse microcosms. Average plant lengths from three replicates were 59.71 +/- 19.33 cm with no crabs, 61.16 +/- 18.83 cm with 6 crabs, 75.75 +/- 7.74 cm with 12 crabs, and 78.75 +/- 10.1 cm with 24 crabs. We suggest that the growth of Spartina is increased in the presence of fiddler crabs.