Salinity and Simulated Herbivory Effects on Spartina alterniflora in a Mesocosm, 2017

The goal of this mesocosm study was to examine the effects of salinity (0, 6,14, 19 or 26 ppt), collection site (mesohaline vs. freshwater marsh), and simulated herbivory via clipping on the growth and plant traits of Spartina alterniflora. Spartina alterniflora collected from a mesohaline marsh (Taskinas Creek) and a freshwater marsh (Sweet Hall) was grown in mesocosms and subjected to one of five salinities and an herbivory treatment. Chlorophyll concentrations, total phenolic concentrations, total soluble protein content, belowground biomass, number of new shoots produced, and carbon and nitrogen content were assessed.