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Habitat suitability and population demographics of the seagrass, Thalassia testudinum, in the northeast salt ponds of Key West, Florida

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Date Issued:
2000
Summary:
Reconstructive aging techniques were used to construct the age frequency distributions of T. testudinum short shoots in the Salt Ponds of Key West, FL. Median short shoot age was approximately two years. No evidence of sexual reproductive effort was found. A site-specific leaf emergence rate was not used, which may have contributed error in the reconstructive technique. Gradients in salinity, phosphorous availability, community composition, and leaf width were observed along the water flow pathway through the ponds. Populations of short shoots more distal from the tidal source exhibited an older age structure reflecting higher salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen stresses. Populations closest to apparent sources of nutrient enrichment were skewed toward young individuals. A significant positive relationship between increasing short shoot mortality and recruitment was identified. A significant correlation between low phosphorous availability and narrow leaf width was observed, and a positive relationship between phosphorous availability and recruitment was suggested.
Title: Habitat suitability and population demographics of the seagrass, Thalassia testudinum, in the northeast salt ponds of Key West, Florida.
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Name(s): Miller, Cheryl L.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Austin, Daniel F., Thesis Advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2000
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 91 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Reconstructive aging techniques were used to construct the age frequency distributions of T. testudinum short shoots in the Salt Ponds of Key West, FL. Median short shoot age was approximately two years. No evidence of sexual reproductive effort was found. A site-specific leaf emergence rate was not used, which may have contributed error in the reconstructive technique. Gradients in salinity, phosphorous availability, community composition, and leaf width were observed along the water flow pathway through the ponds. Populations of short shoots more distal from the tidal source exhibited an older age structure reflecting higher salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen stresses. Populations closest to apparent sources of nutrient enrichment were skewed toward young individuals. A significant positive relationship between increasing short shoot mortality and recruitment was identified. A significant correlation between low phosphorous availability and narrow leaf width was observed, and a positive relationship between phosphorous availability and recruitment was suggested.
Identifier: 9780599995345 (isbn), 12730 (digitool), FADT12730 (IID), fau:9611 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2000.
Subject(s): Seagrasses--Florida--Key West
Thalassia
Marine ecology
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12730
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.