Mentor/s
Dr. LaTina Steele
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Abstract: Coastal marshes along the Long Island Sound play a clinical role in reducing erosion, mitigating climate change impacts, and sequestering carbon. This study investigates the resilience of Spartina species, crucial to marsh stabilization, by comparing northern, southern, and mixed-source plants under environmental stressors like temperature fluctuations, sea level rise, and nutrient variations. Field experiments have assessed differences in plant height, shoot density, and flowering frequency among these sources. Results have shown that northern plants performed better than southern and mixed populations in key traits relevant to marsh resilience. Northern populations have shown a significantly higher shoot density than both mixed and southern plant sources (ANOVA, p < .001), this proposes a greater capacity for vegetative spread and stabilization. Further, flowering frequency was significantly lower in southern sources compared to both mixed and northern sources (Kruskal–Wallis, p < .001), which shows potential reproductive disadvantages in southern populations at this site. Experimental warming treatments were performed, although no significant effects on flowering or growth were observed in either northern or mixed-source plants, which reinforces the importance of plant source over warming effects. These findings have shown that northern Spartina populations are better adapted to conditions at this site, exhibiting superior growth and flowering patterns that may strengthen marsh stability and resilience. This study emphasizes the importance of selecting suitable plant sources for restoration projects, which provides a framework for incorporating ecological adaptability into coastal conservation strategies in the face of climate change.
College and Major available
Biology
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Spartina alterniflora Resilience and Warming Impacts on Long Island Sound Marshes
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Abstract: Coastal marshes along the Long Island Sound play a clinical role in reducing erosion, mitigating climate change impacts, and sequestering carbon. This study investigates the resilience of Spartina species, crucial to marsh stabilization, by comparing northern, southern, and mixed-source plants under environmental stressors like temperature fluctuations, sea level rise, and nutrient variations. Field experiments have assessed differences in plant height, shoot density, and flowering frequency among these sources. Results have shown that northern plants performed better than southern and mixed populations in key traits relevant to marsh resilience. Northern populations have shown a significantly higher shoot density than both mixed and southern plant sources (ANOVA, p < .001), this proposes a greater capacity for vegetative spread and stabilization. Further, flowering frequency was significantly lower in southern sources compared to both mixed and northern sources (Kruskal–Wallis, p < .001), which shows potential reproductive disadvantages in southern populations at this site. Experimental warming treatments were performed, although no significant effects on flowering or growth were observed in either northern or mixed-source plants, which reinforces the importance of plant source over warming effects. These findings have shown that northern Spartina populations are better adapted to conditions at this site, exhibiting superior growth and flowering patterns that may strengthen marsh stability and resilience. This study emphasizes the importance of selecting suitable plant sources for restoration projects, which provides a framework for incorporating ecological adaptability into coastal conservation strategies in the face of climate change.
Students' Information
Christopher Isaac, Biology Major, Honors Student, Class of 2025.