Plant community response to fertilization at Sapelo Island, Georgia

Parallel fertilization experiments were performed in five different types of perennial plant mixtures found in the salt marsh habitat around Sapelo Island, Georgia, from May 1996 to September 1997. Each mixture differed in plot elevation, soil water content, and soil salinity, so each was considered a separate habitat. The mixtures also occurred in different geographic locations (i.e. Dean Creek on southern Sapelo Island, Marsh Landing on southwestern Sapelo Island, and Shell Hammock, which is near the University of Georgia Marine Institute). In May 1996, 16 1mx1m plots were placed within each plant mixture and alternate plots were assigned to control and fertilization treatments. Pelletized fertilizer (29% N, 3% P, 4% K) was broadcast into fertilization treatment plots by hand at the rate of 60g/m^2 every 2 weeks. The central 0.5mx0.5m of each plot was harvested in September 1997 after two summers growth. Live plants were sorted to species, dried to a constant mass, and weighed to measure biomass. Standing dead shoots and litter were not weighed.