A Comparison of Dipterans from Ten Created and Ten Natural Wetlands

This study compares densities of common larval dipterans collected from areas dominated by Pontederia cordata in 10 natural and 10 created freshwater herbaceous wetlands in central Florida. At each wetland, 7 core. samples were collected from each of 5 stations during summer 1993. In addition, stem densities, vegetation areal coverage, pH, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, water depth, conductivity, sediment quality, and leaf litter were measured at 3 locations near each of the 5 stations in each wetland. Of the 57 dipteran taxa collected, 20 occurred with sufficient abundance to justify statistical comparison. Despite a large sampling effort, there were no significant differences in densities of 20 commonly occurring taxa found in created and natural wetlands after considering the effect of multiple univariate tests. Comparison of environmental variables showed significant differences in stem densities for vegetation other than P. cordata,, pH, conductivity, and sediment quality. Canonical correspondence analysis, used to relate environmental and biological variables, suggests that pH, conductivity, and sediment quality are only weakly related to dipteran community structure. Despite differences in environmental conditions, there is no convincing evidence of differences in natural and created wetland dipteran communities

Seasonal Production and Biomass of the Seagrass, Halodule wrightii Aschers. (Shoal Grass), in a Subtropical Texas Lagoon

A study of Halodule wrightii in a shallow subtropical Texas lagoon was performed to obtain seasonal data on its physiological ecology. Leaf production and biomass dynamics of H. wrightii were intensively monitored along with the underwater light environment at a 1.2-m depth study site over a 21-month period from June 1995 to February 1997. The annual photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) flux of 6,764 mol m−2 year−1 was more than twice as high as 2,400 mol m−2 year−1, the minimum annual PAR required for maintenance of growth. As light intensity declined, blade chlorophyll a/b ratios increased suggesting that the plants were photo-adapting. Seasonal trends were evident in shoot growth and biomass. Compared to other Halodule populations in Texas, H. wrightii in LLM displayed slow growth and low biomass, high leaf tissue N content, and low C/N ratio but high N/P ratio of 38 suggesting that the plants were phosphorus-limited