Plant Life in Soft Bottom Communities
PLANT LIFE IN SOFT BOTTOM COMMUNITIES 1. INTRODUCTION
This paper deals with plants that are found in soft bottom communities that are either found in freshwater or marine environment. These plants are submerged therefore having different adaptation for this environment. These different adaptations were tackled in this paper as well as the physico-chemical parameters present in their environment. These plants have changes in their morphology to be able to cope with the environment. For example are leaves that are highly dissected for greater area of diffusion for carbon dioxide since CO2 concentrations in the water column are very minimal.
These plants provide ecosystem services that rank among the highest of all ecosystems on earth. The direct monetary outputs are substantial since highly valued commercial catches such as prawns and fish are dependent on these systems. They provide protective shelter for many animals, including fish, and can also be a direct food source for manatees and dugongs, turtles, water fowl, some herbivorous fish and sea urchins. The roots and rhizomes of seagrasses also stabilise sediments and prevent erosion while the leaves filter suspended sediments and nutrients from the water column. Seagrass meadows are thus linked to other important marine habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes and oyster reefs (Björk M., Short F., Mcleod, E. and Beer, S. 2008).
These plants sequester a considerable amount of carbon dioxide per year. They have higher carbon storage capacity than in terrestrial plants. Seagrasses are responsible for about 15% of the carbon storage in the ocean. Seagrass beds sequester between 0.012 to 1.33 metric tons of carbon per hectare per year (tC ha-1 yr-1). Management efforts are made so that the role of these plants in climate change abatement can reach its highest potential.
This paper presents an overview of plants found in soft bottom communities, their biology, ecology, benefits, role in climate
This paper deals with plants that are found in soft bottom communities that are either found in freshwater or marine environment. These plants are submerged therefore having different adaptation for this environment. These different adaptations were tackled in this paper as well as the physico-chemical parameters present in their environment. These plants have changes in their morphology to be able to cope with the environment. For example are leaves that are highly dissected for greater area of diffusion for carbon dioxide since CO2 concentrations in the water column are very minimal.
These plants provide ecosystem services that rank among the highest of all ecosystems on earth. The direct monetary outputs are substantial since highly valued commercial catches such as prawns and fish are dependent on these systems. They provide protective shelter for many animals, including fish, and can also be a direct food source for manatees and dugongs, turtles, water fowl, some herbivorous fish and sea urchins. The roots and rhizomes of seagrasses also stabilise sediments and prevent erosion while the leaves filter suspended sediments and nutrients from the water column. Seagrass meadows are thus linked to other important marine habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes and oyster reefs (Björk M., Short F., Mcleod, E. and Beer, S. 2008).
These plants sequester a considerable amount of carbon dioxide per year. They have higher carbon storage capacity than in terrestrial plants. Seagrasses are responsible for about 15% of the carbon storage in the ocean. Seagrass beds sequester between 0.012 to 1.33 metric tons of carbon per hectare per year (tC ha-1 yr-1). Management efforts are made so that the role of these plants in climate change abatement can reach its highest potential.
This paper presents an overview of plants found in soft bottom communities, their biology, ecology, benefits, role in climate
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