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Synthesis Book Outline
Hello again from your friendly neighborhood editor. I put things on
hold after the site visit, but now we need to get the synthesis going
again.
This should be the penultimate draft of the outline that will be sent to
Oxford for review. It reflects the discussions during the meeting in
March, material sent to me afterwards and my on inclinations.
What to do now!
1. Confirm receipt of this with me, so that I know the mailing group
list is correct.
2. Read parts for which you have responsibility and make corrections.
Please, send me your corrections in a way that is easily understood by
me. PLEASE, GIVE ME YOUR COMMENTS BY SEPTEMBER 15!!
I want to send the outline to Oxford by the end of September.
3. Read other parts and make comments as appropriate.
4. If you are a lead author, organize your group for writing.
5. PLEASE, BUILD INTO YOUR SCHEDULE THE WRITING OF YOUR PARTS BY
CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd like
to have first drafts for discussion during the winter's all scientists
meeting.
THANKS!
Bob
Robert R. Christian
Professor
Biology Department
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27834
Phone: 919-328-1835
Fax: 919-328-4178
email: christianr@mail.ecu.edu
> ----------
> Title: Ecosystem Dynamics on a Coastal Landscape.
> (Virginia Coast Reserve Synthesis Volume)
>
> R. R. Christian and D. E. Smith, editors
>
> Overview: Disturbance affects all hierarchical levels of ecological
> structure and their associated processes. Understanding responses to
> disturbance within these these levels is thus core to modern
> ecological
> theory. The Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR), along the Delmarva
> Peninsula on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, is a dynamic,
> frequently disturbed landscape with elements that differ in degrees
> normally associated with biome-level differences. The types of
> ecosystem changes that generally occur over long periods of time
> (e.g., glacial and interglacial periods) happen on decadal time
> scales. As a result, ecosystem state changes are frequent. The
> central theme of the VCR Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) program
> is the understanding of the dynamics of ecosystem state change, both
> the transitions among ecosystem states and succession within these
> states. The program has been part of the U. S. LTER network since
> 1987. Our approach has been to study succession and associated
> ecosystem processes within several prominent
> ecosystem states on barrier islands, within a coastal lagoon and tidal
> creeks, and along the fringe of the mainland (e.g., Myrica thickets,
> forests, salt marshes and water column) and the response of the states
> to disturbance.
>
> The central hypothesis of the VCR LTER is that ecosystem, landscape
> and successional patterns are controlled by relative vertical
> positions of
> the surfaces of land, sea, and freshwater table. Large transient and
> small progressive changes in the position of these free surfaces
> result
> in disturbance of ecosystem processes and the physiological stresses
> that may lead to system state changes. Variations in the elevations
> of
> these critical surfaces result from local weather or climate change,
> such as short-term storm generated fluctuation in sea levels or
> long-term rise in sea level. Ecological processes; including species
> extinctions, invasions and alteration in rates of erosion and
> deposition; also affect the positions of these free surfaces relative
> to
> one another. There exist feedbacks within and between the biological
> and abiotic portions of the ecosystems which may retard or promote
> state
> changes. In many instances, the joint effects of contemporaneous
> disturbances at different temporal and spatial scales result in state
> changes (Hayden et al. 1995).
>
> Reference
> Hayden, B. P., M. C. F. V. Santos, Guofan Shao, and R. C.
> Kochel. 1995. Geomorphological controls on coastal vegetation at the
> Virginia Coast Reserve. Geomorphology 13: 283-300.
>
>
>
>
> Purpose and Scope of Book: To advance ecological theory regarding the
> mechanisms by which various hierarchical levels of ecological
> structure
> and associated processes respond to disturbance. This is done by
> synthesizing research from the VCR-LTER program where disturbance is
> frequent and controls the landscape.. We address studies from three
> perspectives: (1) within the various landscape units, (2) at different
> spatial and temporal scales and (3) on various processes across
> landscape units. These are placed in context of the theme of
> disturbance, biological/abiotic feedback and ecological state change.
> The book is structured to provide first an introduction to the central
> theme and then an introduction and background to the landscape and its
> various ecosystems (Section I). Emphasis in this first section is on
> describing the various scales in space and time of disturbance and
> interaction The first level of synthesis occurs in Section II where
> various studies conducted within each landscape unit are related to
> the
> central theme. In Section III we address selected ecological
> processes
> and structures across landscape units. A summary and conclusions with
> broad synthesis are presented in Section IV. Finally, we include
> electronic support materials (Section V). The nature of this is still
> being developed, but we will make accessible data and images alluded
> to
> in the text. This may be done through the inclusion of a compact disk
> or aids to access of web sites. Each section have a short
> introduction,
> and chapters will be well cross-referenced; such that the reader may
> begin at the beginning or with any of the sections or chapters.
>
> The VCR synthesis volume is meant to be used by an audience ranging
> from
> upper level undergraduate and graduate students to professional
> scientists and environmental managers. Although it is not designed as
> a
> textbook, it may be used in graduate ecology courses on disturbance or
> on coastal systems. The book is to be part of a series of volumes
> published by Oxford University Press to synthesize research within the
> LTER program. As such, it uses a particular group of ecosystems to
> address certain ecological principles. This approach is similar to
> that
> used in other series and books published by university and other
> presses. Below are citations of representative books of this
> approach:
>
> McClaran, M. P., and T. R. Van Devender (eds.). 1995. The
> Desert Grassland. The University of Arizona Press. Tucson.. 346 pp.
>
> Moreno, J. M., and W. C. Oechel (eds.). 1995. Global Change
> and Mediterranean-type Ecosystems. Ecological Series 117. Springer,
> New York. 527 pp.
>
> Mueller-Dombois, D., K. W. Bridges and H. L. Carson (eds.).
> 1981. Island Ecosystems: Biological organization in selected Hawaiian
> communities. US/IBP Synthesis Series 15. Hutchinson Ross Publishing
> Company. Stroudsburg, PA. 583 pp.
>
> Risser, P. G (eds.). 1991. Long-term Ecological Research: An
> International Perspective. Scope 47. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester,
> UK. 294 pp.
>
>
>
>
> General Outline
>
> Title: Disturbance and Ecosystem Dynamics on a Coastal Landscape.
> R. R. Christian and D. E. Smith, editors
>
> Audience: Professionals and graduate students from a wide variety of
> disciplines related to environmental science.
>
> Suggested chapter formats where appropriate:
> A. Introduction to purpose of chapter and studies to be
discussed.
> B. Relationship to research theme and free surfaces.
> C. Results and discussion of studies.
> D. Discussion and conclusions relative to research
theme, other similar coastal systems and general ecological
theory.
> Structure of general outline: (1) Section/chapter titles or topics;
> (2)
> Authors; and (3) Short description, given in parentheses. The first
> author listed is assumed to be the lead author.
>
> Introduction; Hayden, Christian, Smith; Dueser (overview of central
> theme of research)
>
> Section I. Coastal zone setting, the VCR as an example; Hayden,
> Christian provide short overview of section (description of the units
> of
> study)
> Chapters
> I.1. Holocene history; Oertel, Furman; (geologic setting)
> I.2. Recent, current and future climate; Hayden, Wiberg;
> (environmental setting for ecological processes)
> I.3. Macrosite and barrier islands; Oertel, Hayden; (response to
> long-term sea-level rise, with emphasis on Hog Island)
> I.4. Landscape units along a transect; Brinson; listed authors
> of subchapters; (description of ecosystems along an east to west
> transect from beach to mainland forest)
Subsections should be concise, allowing for details in other
chapters!!!
> Suggested elements of each subsection:
> 1. Dominant landforms (ecosystem
states)
> 2. Free surfaces and their
intersection
> 3. Soil/sediment characteristics
> 4. Flora and fauna
> A. Landscape units related to "states," Brinson
> B. Beaches and dunes; Kochel
> C. Chronosequences on barrier islands; Day, Young
> D. Barrier marshes; Walsh, Tyler, Osgood, Zieman
> E. Lagoon and lagoonal marshes; Hayden, Oertel, Zieman
> F. Mainland marshes and neighboring uplands; Brinson,
Christian
> G. Summary; Brinson
> I.5. Biogeography and ecological history; Dueser, Moncrief;
> Erwin (selected population dynamics and their relationships to
> disturbance in the landscape)
> I.6. Social history; Barnes, Truitt, (human relationships with
> and impacts on the landscape and human societal responses to changes
> in
> landscape)
>
> Section II. Ecological responses to disturbance within landscape
> units;
> Hayden, Christian provide short overview of section (processes and
> structure within individual landscape units are related to the general
> theme)
> II.1. Megasite land cover:current spatial features and latest
> dynamic change; Guofan Shao, Porter, Erwin, Moncrief
> II.2. Barrier island;Young, Day, Kochel, Osgood, Zieman
> A. Beach and dunes; Kochel
> B. Upland; Young, Day
> C. Backbarrier marshes; Zieman
> II.3. Lagoonal waters; Blum, Mills, Christian
> II.4. Lagoonal marshes; Osgood, Zieman
> II.5. Mainland; Brinson, Christian
> A. marshes
> B. upland
>
> Section III. Ecological responses to disturbance across the coastal
> zone; Hayden, Christian provide short overview of section
> (relationships
> to the theme of selected ecological variables across landscape units)
> III.1. Disturbance in a chronically disturbed landscape; Zieman,
> Wiberg
> III.2. Controls on organic matter accumulation; Day, Blum,
> Anderson
> III.3 Nutrient transformations across as upland coastal zone
> landscape; Anderson, Day, Macko, McGlathery, Tobias
> III.4. Biodiversity and biogeography; Erwin, Moncrief, Porter,
> Dueser
> III.5. Succession; Young, Zieman
>
> Section IV. Integration; Hayden, Christian and potentially an outside
> author; (summary section evaluating the program's success in testing
> and
> extending the central hypothesis)
>
> Section V. Electronic support materials; Porter
>
>
> Contributors
>
> Anderson, Iris; College of William & Mary, Virginia Institute of
> Marine
> Science
> Barnes,
> Blum, Linda K.; University of Virginia
> Brinson, Mark M.; East Carolina University
> Christian, Robert R.; East Carolina University
> Day, Frank P.; Old Dominion University
> Dueser, Raymond D.; Utah State University
> Erwin, R. Michael; University of Virginia, Patuxant Wildlife Research
> Center
> Furman, Tanya; University of Virginia
> Hayden, Bruce P.; University of Virginia
> Kochel, R. Craig; Bucknell University
> Macko, Steven; University of Virginia
> McGlathery, Karen; University of Virginia
> Moncrief, Nancy; Virginia Museum of Natural History
> Oertel, George F.; Old Dominion University
> Osgood, David; University of New Haven
> Porter, John H.; University of Virginia
> Shao, Guofan; Purdue University
> Smith, David E.; University of Virginia
> Tobias, Craig; College of William & Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine
> Science
> Truitt, Barry; The Nature Conservancy
> Tyler, Christy; University of Virginia
> Walsh, John; University of Virginia
> Wiberg, Patricia; University of Virginia
> Young, Donald R.; Virginia Commonwealth University
> Zieman, Joseph C.; University of Virginia
>
>
>
> Detailed Chapter by Chapter Outline
>
> Title: Disturbance and Ecosystem Dynamics on a Coastal Landscape.
> R. R. Christian and D. E. Smith, editors
>
>
>
> Introduction (Hayden, Christian, Smith, Dueser)
>
> A. Describe central theme of book linking disturbance to state
> change with mediation through biological feedback.
>
> B. Decsribe concept of 3 free surfaces considered at the VCR:(1)
> land, (2) ground water, (3) surface water. Discuss how they interact
> in
> promoting state change.
>
> C. Provide important definitions and general concepts necessary.
>
> D. Give overview of book format and advice on reading and using
> book.
>
>
>
> Section I. Coastal zone setting, the VCR as an example.
>
> Short overview of section (Hayden, Christian) which describes the
> landscape units of study.
>
> Chapter I.1 Holocene history (Oertel, Furman)
>
> A. Introduction to geological components of disturbance
> 1. Brief discussion of oxygen isotope stages
> 2. General discussion of climate fluctuations and sea-level
change
> 3. Transgressions and regressions
> 4. Stage 2 lowstand and antecedent topography
> 5. Holocene sea level curve
>
> B. Antedent topography of southern Delmarva
> 1. Stage 5e highstand; Mappsburg Shoreline
> 2. Wachapreague Regression
> 3. Stage 2; drainage evolution (1* to Chincoteague basins &
divides)
> C. Marine versus Antecedent influence
> 1. The role of waves
> -headland erosion
> -bimodal transport
> -overwash
> -agents of shoreline retreat (erosional)
> 2. The role of winds
> -dune rides
> -lag deposits
> 3. The role of sea level rise
> -agents of shoreline retreat (non erosional)
> -submergence of antecedent topography
>
> D. Antecedent dominated landscapes
> 1. Low-order valleys of the Chincoteague Basin
> 2. Necks and "winged headlands"
>
> E. Relationships to theme
>
> Chapter I.2 Recent, current and futrue climate (Hayden, Wiberg)
>
> A. Climate as a source of disturbance
>
> B. Storm Climate - 100 year histories
> 1. Extratropical
> 2. Tropical
>
> C. Storm Wave Climates
> 1. The Hindcast Records
> Mid-Atlantic
> WES 27-synthesis
>
> D. Wind Tide Return Intervals
>
> E. Precipitation and Temperature Climate
>
> F. Relationships to theme
>
>
>
>
> Chapter I.3 Macrosite and barrier islands (Oertel, Hayden)
>
> A. A temporal perspective relating sea-level rise to geomorphology
of VCR
> 1. Post Glacial Sea Level Rise History - (Oertel)
> 2. Contemporary (From S. Hicks work)
>
> B. Relative sea level rise Regional Context - (Ambrey)
> 1. Why the high rate at the VCR
> 2. Asteroid Impact
>
> C. Sea-level Rise and Barrier Island systems (Oertel)
>
> D. Recent indications of the impact of sea level rise on ecosystems
> 1. Sea-level encroachment in the Phillips Creek area (Map)
(Kastler)
> 2. Sea level encroachment into woody vegetation on Hog
Island (Shao)
> Chapter I.4 Landscape units along a transect (Brinson and others
> listed)
>
> A. Overview of landscape units related to "states"
>
> B. Landscape units defined
> 1. Beach and Dunes (Kochel)
> a. Beach morphology
> 1. Overview and spatial variation
> 2. Sand sources and supply - sand starved,
linkages to the north
> b. Beach morphodynamics
> 1. Wave, tide, and current climate (general
ranges, variations)
> 2. Beach morphology (based primarily upon observation at
washover sites)
> a) Beach profile and features
> b) States and form, stability, seasonality
> c) Storm response
> 3. Sedimentology
> 2. Dunes
> a. Dune variety and distribution (brief overview
and classification)
> 1. Berm and washover areas (ephemeral)
> 2. Foredune areas
> 3. Stable interior and maritime forest
areas
> 4. Beach-ridge and inlet margin areas
> 5. Pimple areas
> b. Dune nucleation and evolution (summary of work
on Parramore and Hog)
> 1. Nucleation processes
> 2. Sand supply
> 3. Eolian sand transport - rates and
controls
> 4. Dune propagation
> c. Vegetation - ties with water table, salinity,
overwash, distrubance stress
> d. Interation between dunes and beach processes.
>
> C. Chronosequences on Barrier Islands (Day, Young)
> 1. Dominant landforms (topographic features) across
the Hog Island Chronosequence
> D. Barrier Island Marshes (Walsh, Tyler, Osgood, Zieman)
> 1. Introduction to Barrier Island Marshes
> Position of marshes with respect to other
landscape units namely shrub zones grading to
high marsh and low marsh
grading to mud flats elevational range of
marshes surface geology as
function of sand transport from beach side (wind
and water) sandy nature
of sediment - consequences on community
structure
> 2. Types of back-barrier marshes and location along
transect
> a. over-wash marshes (south Hog Island)
> b. lagoonal marshes (north Hog Island)
> c. developmental sequence of high and low
marshes depends on depth of over-wash,
subsequent reworking of deposition
> 3. The structure of the high marsh
> a. terrestrial nature (inundation time)
> b. relation to salt flats
> c. HM hydrology
> d. creek development in HM
> e. plant communities of HM
> 1.) zonation in the high
marsh
> 2.) causes of HM zonation
(Bertness and Ellison, 1987, Bertness, 1991,
Bertness, 1994, Bertness and Leonard, in press, and
Levine, Brewer, and Bertness, in press)
> f. epifaunal invertebrates of HM paucity of
epifauna due to harsh environment.
> 4. The structure of the low marsh
> a. general trends in substrate
physico-chemical parameters
> b. general increase in organic content,
surface sediment grain size, and porewater
sulfide (Osgood and Zieman,1994, and Walsh and
Zieman,in preparation)
> 1.) marine nature (inundation time)
LM hydrology
> 2.) effects of smaller grain size on
LM (versus HM) hydrology
> 3.)creek development in LM
> c. Spartina alterniflora community of a
mature back barrier marsh
> 1.) role of physical variables (not
interspecific competition) in
determining monocultural nature of LM
(Bertness, 1991)
> 2.) Spartina alterniflora height
zones (tall, medium, and short zones)
causes of differences in plant
heights.
> d. lagoonal waters as source of epifaunal
invertebrate larvae
>
> E. Lagoon and lagoonal marshes (Hayden, Oertel, Zieman)
> 1. Lagoon
> a. Lagoon landscape type
> b. Holocene sea level curve
> c. Lagoon prism, tidal prism and hydraulic
turn-over time
> d. Hypsographic conditions and tides
> e. Hypsography and ecosystems
> 2. Lagoonal marsh
> a. Lagoonal marsh landscape classification
(Oertel et al, 1994)
> b. Marsh drainage
> c. Marsh relief and topography
> d. Sedimentation and erosion
> e. Submergence
>
> F. Mainland marshes and neighboring uplands (Brinson,
Christian)
> 1. Dominant landforms and their free surfaces
> 2. Soil-sediment properties
> 3. Plant communities and associated fauna (Possible
table with ranges of core factors)
> G. Summary
>
>
>
> Chapter 1.5 Biogeography and ecological history (Dueser, Moncrief,
> Erwin)
>
> A. Biographic setting the VCR as one of several chains of
> barrier islands on the U.S. Atlantic coast.
>
> B. Species distributions and changes since 1700s.
> 1. Mammals
> a. Species distributions
> b. Missing species
> c. Exotic species
> d. Apparent introduction (and history of
tinkering with island communities)
> e. Apparent extinctions
> 2. Reptiles and amphibians
> a. Species distributions
> b. Missing species
> 3. Birds - waterfowl, shore bird harvest, water
birds
> 4. Fisheries - shellfish, finfish
> 5. Plants - SAV, terrestrial
>
>
>
> Chapter I.6 Social History (Barnes, Truitt)
>
> A. Introduction to importance of human disturbances
>
> B. History of Virginia barrier islands from book of Barnes
and Truitt
> C. History of Delmarva mainland
>
> D. Summary of human control over landscape
>
> Section II. Ecological responses to disturbance within landscape
units.
> Short overview of section (Hayden, Christian) which
> describes the processes and structures within individual landscape
> units
> that link to the central theme.
>
>
>
> Chapter II.1 Megasite Land Cover: Current Spatial Features and the
> Latest Dynamic Trends (Guofan Shao, Porter, Erwin, Moncrief)
>
> A. Introduction
> 1. Landscapes on the Virginia Coast Reerve are
characterized by distinct zonation resulting from both
natural
disturbance, ecological succession, and human
modifications.
> 2. The spatial pattern and temporal changes of land
covers determine the complicated ecological processess.
> B. Nature of State Change
> 1. Spatial changes between six land cover types:
forest (including natural forests, shrub thickets and
plantations), agricultural land, grassland (mainly dense
grassland), dune (sparse grassland), marsh (including high
marsh), and tidal flat.
> 2. Temporal changes
> a. Data from later 90s, and early 80s TM
satellite images, 1974 USGS topo maps will be
used to examine the land cover changes over time.
> C. Implications of the dynamic landscape related to free
surfaces
> 1. Indirect changes in animal habitats, landscape
structure, and ecological processes.
> D. Historical prospective of the relationship of
disturbance and state change.
> 1. Long-term versus short-term changes.
>
> Chapter II.2 Barrier Islands (Young, Day, Kochel, Osgood, and Zieman)
>
>
> A. Introduction (relate to discussions in previous chapters
(e.g. I.O.b and I.2)
> 1. Landscape units are interrelated
> 2. Landscape units are dynamic
> 3. Disturbance accelerates/alters landscape
dynamics
> 4. Disturbance and state change Hayden et.al.
BioScience paper
> 5. Disturbance forms (if not in Intro to Section
> II)
> a. Spring tides
> b. Northeaster storms
> i. flooding
> ii. overwash
> iii. wind damage
> c. Hurricanes
> d. North Inlet - Hugo results ??
> e. Others (fire, large herbivore grazing,
thunderstorms)
>
> B. Beaches
> 1. Profile vs storm response
> a. form vs stability
> b. location vs. stability
> 2. Seasonality vs disturbance and response
> 3. Overwash
> a. size and frequency
> b. locations
> c. response (landscape and vegetation)
> d. Fahrig et.al. paper
>
> C. Upland
> 1. Introduction
> a. importance of topographic position
> i. swale vs dune
> ii. distance from ocean beach
> b. effect of vegetation type (grassland vs
shrub thicket
> 2. Effects and responses (relate to disturbance
forms (section A.5)
> a. flooding patterns
> b. changes in soil and groundwater salinity
> c. response of vegetation, especially to
October '91 storm
> d. revisit Fahrig et.al. paper
> e. thicket gaps (Young, Crawford and Day
work)
> i. small vs large gaps/disturbance
> ii. plant response and the effects
of thicket age
> D. Backbarrier marshes
> 1. Introduction
> a. disturbance as a structuring force in
marsh landscape
> b. role of disturbance in marsh structure
(review literature)
> c. history of disturbance at VCR
> i. pre-1962 marshes
> ii. Ash Wednesday storm/S. Hog
Chronosequence
> iii. Halloween '91 storm/S. Parramore
> 2. Changes in marshes in response to disturbance
> a. structural change
> i. geomorphology (elevation,
drainage network, high/low marsh ratio)
> ii. sediment characteristics
(physical, chemical, hydrologic)
> iii. hydrology (groundwater vs tidal)
> iv. biotic structure (flora and
fauna distribution)
> b. changes in ecosystem processes
> i. primary production
> ii. energy transfer (food web
structure)
> iii. solute transfer/exchange
> 3. Comparison/contrast among marshes
> a. non-mainland VCR marshes (isolated
lagoonal, back-barrier lagoonal, back barrier
overwash)
> b. compare VCR marshes to disturbance in
other coastal marshes (land subsidence, urban
impacts, etc.)
> E. Synthesis
>
> 1. Disturbances contribute to distinct vegetation
patterns on barrier islands
> 2. Predicted response to sea level rise
> a. increased frequene of overwash
> b. movement on landscape (relate to Brinson
et.al. '95)
> 3. Relate to Disturbance theory (e.g. Connell 1978)
> 4. Summarize relative to Hayden et.al. BioScience
> 5. Emphasize that these disturhance
responses/processes affect successional dynamics (i.e.
autogenic changed to allogenic, Chapter III.4)
> Chapter II.3 Lagoonal Waters
>
> A. Water Column (Blum, Mills, Christian)
> 1. Introduction review of pulsed ecosystem concept
sensu Odum et.al. 1995
> a. brief physical description of VCR
coastal bays with focus on time scales of
variability diurnal, lunar,
seasonal, geological (extent dependent upon
previous sections, e.g., I.4.D)
> b. types of measurements typically made as
part of water column measurements (e.g., temp,
salinity, nutrients,
etc.)
> 2. Description of data sets available for
comparison
> a. over single tide cycles high vs low
> b. daily measures (I'm not sure if there
are any)
> c. monthly
> d. seasonally how much is really a
temperature effect on biological processes
> 3. Disturbances that could impact
biological/ecological provesses
> a. extra tropical storms (Halloween storm
of 1991) and burricans likely to have lasting
effect on water chemistries anywhere in lagoon
because short water residence time
> 1.) tidal surge influx of ocean
water
> 2.) rain invlux of fresh water
> 3.) wind sediment resuspension and
organic matter supplement to water
column (removal of veg from marshes)
> b. destruction of marsh effects are likely
to short term (marshes regenerate relatively
quickly) and localized unless there are multiple
regional instances occurring coincidentally
> 1.) fire
> 2.) altered hydrology
> a. filling (not a likely
scenario if Corp is doing their
job)
> b. restoration of
impoundments
> iii. exotic invasion
> extinction potential for
> Phrag to alter water column
> chemistry
regionally because of
explosion in coverage and
high nutrient demand
> c. destruction of buffer
strips increased transport from
terrestrial system to aquatic system
> i. agriculutral
chemical (herbicides,
nutrients, and heavy metals)
> ii. sediments
> d. destruction of SAVs
> i. cause of system
state change
> ii. bayside-seaside
comparison
> e. sea level rise
> i. impact on ground
water discharge
> ii. destruction of
marshes as trangression
is limited by topography
> 4. Summary
> a. concept of pulsed systems and ability to
respond to disturbance
> b. constancy of patterns
> c. similarity to other coastal bays
>
>
>
>
> Chapter II.4 Lagoonal Marshes (Osgood, Zieman)
>
> A. Introduction
> 1. Position of present lagoonal marshes
> a. w/r/t Landscape
> b. w/r/t Time (relate to younger
backbarrier marshes)
> 2. Role of sedimentation/erosion in
stability/instability
> B. Comparison/contrast with other VCR marshes: Role of
exposure
> 1. Structure
> a. Position w/r/t tidal range
> b. Sediment characteristics
> c. Floral and faunal distribution
> 2. Processes
> a. Primary Production
> b. Hydrology
> c. Nutrient cycling
>
> C. Comparison/contrast with other coastal marsh ecosystems
> 1. Landscape dynamics
> 2. Sediment characteristics
> 3. Tidal range
>
> D. Predicted response to Sea Level Rise
> 1. Sediment dynamics (Kastler 93, Oertel's work)
> 2. Movement on landscape (relate to Brinson et.al.
95, compare to Wachapreague lagoon, Newman and Munart
68, other work??)
> Chapter II.5 Disturbance Effects on the Mainland (Brinson, Christian)
>
> A. Marshes
> 1. Sea level rise is the over riding stressor
through which more immediate stressors act
> a. Discussion from Brinson et.al. 1995
> b. Human stressors may be important
> 1.) Past cattle grazing
> 2.) Runoff issues
> 2. Negative feedbacks of peat formation etc. retain
state
> 3. Positive feedback promote state change
> Discussion from recent NSF proposal
>
> B. Upland
> 1. The major stressor is human activity which
imposes a state change
> a. Population rise
> b. Landuse change
> 2. Negative feedbacks rarely strong during stress.
But may be involved in restoration
> 3. Positive feedback toward erosion and runoff are
evident
> Section III Ecological Responses to Disturbance Across the Coastal
> Zone
>
> Short overview (Hayden, Christian) which describes how
> processes relate to the central theme
>
>
> Chapter III.1 Disturbance in a Chronically Disturbed Landscape
> (Zieman, Wiberg)
>
> A. Disturbance
> 1. The environment of coastal lagoon ecosystems
> 2. What is a disturbance in a chronically disturbed
system
> 3. When does a normal structuring force become a
disturbance
> B. State
> 1. The problem of ecosystems maintained by a single
primary producer (Includes both Spartina and Zostera
beds)
> 2. Succession in coastal ecosystems
>
> C. Biotic Feedback
> 1. Biologically vs physically structured systems
>
> D. Relationship to other "chronically disturbed landscapes"
and those not "chronically disturbed"
> Chapter III.2 Controls on Organic Matter Accumulation and Quality
> Across a Coastal Lagoon Landscape (Day, Blum, Anderson)
>
> A. OM Distribution Across the Landscape
> 1. organic matter as an integrator of processes
> 2. "map" of OM across the landscape
> 3. inclusion of general ecosystem theories and
paradigms
> B. Processes Affecting OM Content and Quality
> 1. Primary production (above and belowground)
> 2. Decomposition and diagenesis
>
> C. Free Surfaces as Forcing Functions Controlling OM
> 1. Terrestrial
> 2. Terrestrial aquatic interface (marshes)
> 3. Aquatic
>
> D. Impact of Disturbance
> 1. Effects on the relationship among free surfaces
> 2. Effects on processes contributing to OM
> 3. Effects on OM accumulation and quality
>
> E. Other Controlling Factors (e.g. N availability, others)
> --some of these will be more important in select
landscape components
> 1. Effects on processes contributing to OM
> 2. Effects on OM accumulation and quality
>
> F. Summary
>
> Chapter III.3 Nutrient Transformations Across an Upland Coastal Zone
> Landscape (Anderson, Day, Macko, McGlathery, Tobias)
>
> A. Characterization and Quantification of Sources of
Nitrogen
> 1. Surface Water Runoff - mainland
> 2. Groundwater - mainland
> 3. Lagoon/Tidal Creek
> a. Monitoring Data
> b. Sediment Input
> c. Marsh sediment/water exchanges
> d. Tidal creek/lagoon exchanges - mainland,
barrier island
> 4. Atmospheric Deposition
>
> B. Processes affecting the distribution of nitrogen within
and across free surfaces of the system
> 1. Agricultural uplands
> a. Nitrification in the unsaturated zone
> b. Volatolization
> 2. Riparian zone
> a. Uptake by plants
> b. Denitrification
> 3. Mainland salt marshes
> a. Mineralization
> b. Nitrification
> c. Denitrification
> d. Nitrogen fixation
> 4. Barrier island
> a. Marshes
> b. Uplands
> 5. Tidal creek
> a. Marsh-creek exchanges
> b. Creek-lagoon exchanges
> 6. Lagoon
> a. Macroalgal influences
> b. Benthic-pelagic coupling??
>
> C. Patterns of change
> 1. Anthropogenic
> a. Land use changes/fertilization
> 2. Natural
> a. Successional
> b. Wrack
>
> D. Cross-system comparison
>
>
> Chapter III.4 Biodiversity and Biogeography (Erwin, Moncrief, Porter,
> Dueser)
>
> A. Introduction
> Taxa included and why
> Plants, herps, mammals, birds
>
> B. Patterns and Processes
> 1. Broad-scale
> a. Disturbance effects on each taxon
> -Among islands
> -Island-mainland gradient
> b. Habitat/landscape effects (each taxon)
> -Island area, shape, size, elevation
> -Vegetation structure
> c. Longitudinal effect (peninsular) -birds,
esp.
> d. Spatial concurrence of diversity
"hotspots" among taxa
> 2. Fine-scale
> a. Genetic differentiation (small mammals,
esp.)
> b. Zonation/microhabitat influences
(cross-reference with Introduction and I unit
associations)
> C. Causes of diversity differences
> 1. Natural - sealevel rise, predator change, SAV
demise
> 2. Human - habitation on islands, introductions,
harvest (cross-ref to "Ecologi history" chapter)
> D. Relationship of biodiversity to LTER "core" subjects
(*Emphasize productivity, nutrient levels, organic matter??)
> E. Relevance to other barrier systems
>
> F. Information needs
> -Other taxa
> -Genetic analysis
> -Coupling aquatic with terrestrial
>
>
> Chapter III.4 Succession (Young, Day, Tyler, Zieman)
>
> A. Introduction
> 1. Brief discussion of coastal successional
literature
> 2. Multiple pathways? Ehrenfeld 1990 discussion
> 3. Effects of state change on succession "pathways"
(Hayden et.al. 1991)
> 4. Underlying mechanisms poorly understood
> 5. Goal: develop an integrated view of
successional pathways and underlying processes that
incorporates disturbance/state-change and extends from marsh to
upland
> B. Chronosequence examples
> 1. Refer back to chapter I.4
> 2. Important developments in terrestrial system
> a. grassland to shrub thicket
> i. Young et.al. shrub seedling
establishment results
> ii. Day nutrient plots
> iii. Facilitation vs competition
conceptual model
> b. shrub thicket to maritime forest
> i. characterization of gap
"community" relative to thicket
"community"
> ii. thicket gap experiments (Young
and Day)
> iii. gap succession acceleration
conceptual model
> C. Descriptive study and modelling approach on parramore
(Richarson, Porter, Shao, Shugart)
> D. Marsh Succession
> 1. Marsh as both pioneer and climax community
> a. defining succession in system where
vegetation community doesn't change
> b. traditionalsuccessional theories
> i. do thy apply?
> ii. aquatic vs terrestrial
> c. alternative mechanisms to define
successional process
> i. biogeochemical
> ii. physiological
>
> 2. Early succession: establishment of vegetation
> a. new platform (free land surface) and
interaction between land surface and sea surface
> b. vegetation/community zonaton based on
geomorphology and elevation rel. to MSL
> i. non-lagoonal marshes
> ii. lagoonal marshes
> 3. Marsh development: research on Hog Island
Chronosequence
> a. lower intertidal (Spartina marsh)
> i. general patterns
> ii. abiotic- biotic feedbacks
> iii. controls on succession
> b. upper intertidal (high marsh) - (some
from Hog I, some from literature)
> i. general patterns
> ii. abiotic- biotic feedbacks
> iii. controls on succession
> 4. Marsh as seral stage
> a. change in position of free surfaces
> i. sea level rise and community
transition
> ii. overwash/island rollover
> b. state change
>
> E. Integrated across the VCR
> 1. Comparison of potential succession pathways on
islands differing in
> a. size
> b. disturbance intensity
> 2. Island "rollover" as successional interaction
between marsh and upland surfaces
> 3. Revisit Hayden et.al. 1991 and state change
concept
> F. Conclusions
> 1. Traditional autogenic succession vs allogenic
influences
> 2. VCR contributions to the Ehrenfeld (1990)
discussion of succession
> 3. Stress importance of underlying mechanisms to
understand pathways
> 4. Possible implications of sea level rise?
>
>
> Section IV. Integration (Hayden, Christian)
>
> Summary chapter evaluating the program's success in testing and
> extending the central hypothesis.
>
>
>
> Section V. Electronic support materials (Porter)
>
> Robert R. Christian
> Professor
> Biology Department
> East Carolina University
> Greenville, NC 27834
>
> Phone: 919-328-1835
> Fax: 919-328-4178
> email: christianr@mail.ecu.edu
>
>