Date of Award
8-2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Department
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Major Professor
Reed, Denise
Second Advisor
Georgiou, Ioannis
Third Advisor
O' Connell, Martin
Abstract
This research investigated the response of the dominant salt marsh macrophyte Spartina alterniflora var. Loisel to sedimentation from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. A range of sedimentation was used to track the above and belowground plant response, as well as the volume of mineral and organic matter, in the upper reaches of the marsh soil from September 2008 to April 2009. Where storm sedimentation was greatest (~3.5 cm), there were significant increases in live aboveground biomass. Although live belowground biomass did not change significantly over time, the volumetric contribution of both mineral and soil organic matter in the shallow marsh soil increased. These results indicate that hurricane sedimentation may benefit subsiding coastal marshes by stimulating aboveground vegetation mass as well as soil organic matter volume. However, these results imply that there may be a sediment thickness threshold that must be met before such positive effects are expressed.
Recommended Citation
Roberts, Jennifer Carter, "Vegetative Response to Hurricane Sedimentation" (2009). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 986.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/986
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.