Performance of Dionaea muscipula as influenced by developing vegetation

Demography, growth, and flowering of Dionaea muscipula (Venus\u27 fly trap) were studied during three years (2003–2005) following prescribed fire. Data were collected in permanent quadrats where the developing vegetation was either repeatedly clipped or allowed to grow. Clipping increased light availability at the soil surface. Over the study period, seedling establishment and flowering declined with increasing time since the last prescribed burn. Seedling densities did not differ between clipped and control quadrats, although greater numbers of seedlings grew to adult size in control quadrats and this significantly influenced population size-class structure. Clipping had no effect on leaf number or senescence, but plants in control plots were larger and had marginally longer petioles. The plant populations initially mapped in 2003 showed a continuous decline throughout the study and this decline was punctuated by temporary senescence linked to drought conditions. Drought-induced senescence had a persistent influence on plant size. Relatively higher seedling recruitment to the adult population in control quadrats produced an overall population increase of 18% as compared to a 17% decline in the population from clipped quadrats. Dionaea muscipula may have limited ability to respond to increased light availability due to leaf development constraints and repeated drought-induced senescence. Fire-dependence may best be defined in terms of seedling establishment and stimulation of flowering. Consistent soil moisture is critical to Dionaea muscipula but the species has characteristics that allow persistence across a wide range of vegetation trajectories

Relative Stability of Plant Communities in a South Carolina High Salt Marsh

The high marsh in southeast Atlantic coast salt marshes forms a relatively small but ecologically important transition zone between low marsh and the terrestrial shoreline. However, long-term trend data from high marshes are limited to a few studies. Permanent plots established in a high marsh near Waties Island in northeast South Carolina were measured for plant coverage from 2002-2010. At the beginning and at the end of the study, four groups of plots were identified: mixed indicated by Borrichia frutescens, Distichlis spicata, and Fimbristylis castanea; Juncus indicated by Juncus roemerianus; Salicornia indicated by Salicornia virginica; and Spartina indicated by Spartina patens. Ordination of the 2010 plot data and soil analyses produced clear separation of the groups along a single dominant axis with Salicornia and Juncus groups at the high end of a salinity gradient and the Spartina group at the high end of soil organic matter gradient. Comparison of plots classified in 2002 to the same plots in 2010 suggested both stability and change, depending on community classification. Salicornia and Spartina groups were stable. The mixed group experienced a switch in dominance from Distichlis spicata to Borrichia frutescens, whereas the Juncus group had gradually declining importance of Juncus roemerianus and gradually increasing importance of Borrichia frutescens. These data represent patterns and trends in a system and time period not affected by development or influenced by high intensity disturbance, and can be used as a reference for other high marshes in the immediate area experiencing environmental change

Long‐Term Outcomes of Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) Establishment

Determining the success or failure of rare plant establishment requires long-term monitoring, but such monitoring is seldom conducted. A 2004 census of Venus flytrap populations created by seeding and transplanting was compared to a similar census in 2010. Of the 18 original populations, three were destroyed by logging operations, 12 decreased and three increased. Venus flytraps face several limitations keeping populations small. Consistent soil moisture and the presence of population remnants improved the long-term management outcomes

The ecological boundaries of six Carolina bays: Community composition and ecotone distribution

Community and environmental gradients within the ecological boundaries of Carolina bay wetlands may provide important information on the interaction between Carolina bays and associated uplands, and may also provide guidance for improved management. We established twelve 30-m transects on the sloping rims of each of six Carolina bays in northeastern South Carolina to characterize the community gradient, as well as important environmental factors producing this gradient. Mid-points of the transects were placed on jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Hydrology, soil properties, and plant species composition were measured within these transects. On average, transects included an elevation change of 0.6 m that corresponded with gradients of hydrology, soil properties, and community characteristics. Decreasing surface soil moisture (i.e., fewer flood events) and decreasing soil nutrients were associated with a shift from shrub-bog vegetation with relatively low alpha diversity and prominence of evergreens to a relatively diverse and heterogeneous community characterized by grasses, herbs, low shrubs, and vines. Ecotones, identified by abrupt changes in community composition, were more frequently found outside jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Likewise, five near-endemic and endemic plant species were found outside the wetland boundaries. Our data reinforce the need for better understanding of how Carolina bays interact with adjacent landscape elements, and specifically how ecological boundaries are influenced by this interaction

Macroinvertebrates associated with water hyacinth roots and a root analog

Abstract: The ecological effects of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an introduced macrophyte, in freshwater systems depend on the growth and extent of floating mats. We studied macroinvertebrates associated with roots of water hyacinth in the Waccamaw River, a blackwater, tidal river in northeastern South Carolina, USA. In this system, water hyacinth is limited to a few protected bays and backwaters where the ecological effect is unknown. Our goal was to assess whether water hyacinth roots provided unique habitat. Plants representing ambient conditions, plants with defaunated roots, and a root analog (cotton mop strands = mop) were secured to floating frames in open water adjacent to water hyacinth mats. Samples were collected every 2 wk for 2 mo, and invertebrates were identified and quantified. Colonization of defaunated roots began within 2 wk, and invertebrate assemblages differed between roots and mops. The most common taxa on water hyacinth roots were Branchiopoda, Oligochaeta, Talitridae, and Chironomidae (Diptera), whereas Oligochaeta and Chironomidae were predominant on mops. Berosus sp.(Hydrophilidae) was the top-ranked taxon by proportional biomass on roots and mops. Total abundance and taxon richness of macroinvertebrates were greater on roots than on mops. Collector-gatherers were the most abundant functional feeding group (FFG) on mops, whereas distributions of abundance were relatively even among FFGs on ambient and defaunated roots. Predators dominated invertebrate biomass of all treatments, and shredder biomass was higher on roots than on mops. These data suggest that water hyacinth roots provide habitat for a diverse assemblage of macroinvertebrates, a function that should be weighed and assessed with other impacts before management actions are initiated

Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytrap) establishment, release, and response of associated species in mowed patches on the rims of Carolina bays. Restoration Ecol

Abstract Carolina bays are depression wetlands of high conservation value that occur across the Southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States. Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one rare carnivorous plant that grows in open habitats on the rims of Carolina bays. Without frequent burning, vegetation on bay rims becomes dominated by evergreen shrubs and Venus flytrap populations decline. This project examined the utility of mechanical mowing, soil clearing, transplanting, and seeding as an approach to restoring populations of Venus flytraps when fire is precluded. Mowing of patches on bay rims produced open sites with little ground-layer vegetation. After two growing seasons, adult Venus flytraps transplanted to mowed patches showed high survivorship and relatively high leaf number/plant. Suppressed Venus flytraps existing on-site quickly initiated growth in response to mowing. These volunteers and the transplants had higher flowering percentages than plants in reference populations. Seeds of Venus flytraps were scattered in mowed and cleared plots. Seedling establishment was low, but seedlings persisted into the second growing season. Mowing created suitable habitat for growth and flowering of adult Venus flytraps and facilitated establishment of two other carnivorous species, Sundew (Drosera capillaris) and Bladderwort (Utricularia subulata). But, mowing and clearing also facilitated invasion by four species of grasses and rushes; evergreen shrubs resprouted quickly after mowing. Maintaining persistent openings by mowing the rims of Carolina bays will be an ongoing challenge due to availability of potential invaders and rapid regrowth of shrubs

Tourists in Paradise: Making the Nature Connection in Coastal South Carolina

Economic development in the coastal zone of South Carolina has repeatedly relied on the unique characteristics of coastal ecosystems. There is perhaps no better example of this relationship than in Horry and Georgetown counties, where indigo, rice, cotton, tobacco, fish and wildlife, and forest products have, through time, dominated local commerce. Most recently, tourism and residential development are the twin engines of local commerce. The quick transition of the coastal economy from one based on agricultural and natural products produced by the land to one based on tourism and residential development has spawned much controversy regarding how land is used, managed, and regulated. The controversy is perhaps heightened by the fact that historical land uses and disuses as well as regional environmental conditions in coastal South Carolina conspired to produce an area that is still rich in biological and ecological diversity. The goal of this paper is to explicitly examine the connection between ecological conditions of coastal South Carolina and the people who come here to visit or live. Rather than focusing on environmental problems such as pollution that inevitably follow people, I will focus on trends in land use and the factors that shape the landscape. Here I define the landscape as the mixture of visible elements in an area (i.e., forest, water, cropland) perhaps best seen from an airplane but still consciously and unconsciously perceived by visitors and residents as they travel on the ground from one place to another. I will draw on recent hypotheses regarding how humans view and derive benefit from nature when nature is experienced as a landscape. Lastly, I make suggestions for how community leaders and residents in coastal areas can manage and develop their landscapes to enhance the quality of nature experiences and thus quality of life for both visitors and residents.https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/dtsls/1011/thumbnail.jp

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