Article
 

Characterization of Schoenoplectus pungens in a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland and a Pacific Northwestern Estuary

Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/5h73px95x

Descriptions

Attribute NameValues
Creator
Abstract
  • This study seeks to identify key components of structure and growth habit of Schoenoplectus pungens (bulrush) that allow it to thrive in severe environments. Schoenoplectus pungens, an emergent herbaceous plant growing in shallow, high energy freshwater and brackish coastal wetlands, occurs throughout North America and several continents. We observe the plant in ecologically distinctive Laurentian Great Lakes and Pacific Northwestern estuaries. Plant populations were characterized in terms of above-ground and below-ground biomass, stem density, diameter, height, and flexibility. Plants grown in flooded planters for research were compared with populations in their natural environments. The modulus of elasticity was found to be similar for planter- and wild-grown plants from fresh and brackish waters. Aerenchyma tissue, important for conducting oxygen to roots, increased with flooding and possibly reduced stem flexibility. Stem diameter and height increased as water depths or flooding increased, while below-ground biomass decreased. Soils ranging from course gravels to clays supported S. pungens. Most regeneration occurs as sprouts from rhizomes, not seedlings. Below-ground biomass accounted for a greater proportion of total biomass than above-ground biomass in most zones. This study collected large below-ground biomass samples that allowed for more effective evaluation of root and rhizome structure than traditional small samples.
  • Keywords: Young’s modulus of elasticity, Aerenchyma, Biomass, Great Lakes coastal wetlands, Pacific Northwestern estuaries, Bulrushes
Resource Type
DOI
Date Available
Date Issued
Citation
  • Albert, D. A., Cox, D. T., Lemein, T., & Yoon, H. D. (2013). Characterization of Schoenoplectus pungens in a Great Lakes coastal wetland and a Pacific Northwestern estuary. Wetlands, 33(3), 445-458. doi:10.1007/s13157-013-0402-4
Journal Title
Journal Volume
  • 33
Journal Issue/Number
  • 3
Rights Statement
Funding Statement (additional comments about funding)
  • This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-0828549. Dan Cox gratefully acknowledges support by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and his hosts at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University during manuscript preparation.
Publisher
Peer Reviewed
Language
Replaces

Relationships

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details AlbertDennisHorticultureCharacterizationSchoenoplectusPungens.pdf 2017-07-27 Public Download