Above- and belowground biomass of S. alterniflora in elevational marsh planter experiments

Spartina alterniflora is grown in experimental elevation planters placed in draining ponds on the salt marsh platform. The planters are constructed from PVC pipes of varying lengths. All of the PVC pipes are open at the bottom, and flush to the mudflat surface of the pond, resulting in the tops of the pipes being situated at various relative elevations within the tidal range. Plants growing in the shorter PVC pipes are flooded for a longer duration of each tidal cycle than plants growing in the taller PVC pipes. The growth response of S. alterniflora when exposed to different flood frequencies is monitored by monthly estimates of biomass (determined non-destructively from plant heights) and by destructive 'harvesting' of all above- and belowground plant material at the end of the growing season.

互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）种植于盐沼平台排水塘内的实验高程种植装置中。该装置由不同长度的PVC管搭建而成，所有PVC管底部均开口且与塘内泥滩表面齐平，使得管顶处于潮差范围内的不同相对高程位置。相较于种植于较高PVC管中的植株，种植于较短PVC管中的植株在每个潮汐周期内被淹没的时长更长。针对互花米草在不同淹水频率下的生长响应，本研究采用两种监测手段：一是每月通过测定植株高度进行非破坏性生物量估算；二是在生长季结束时，破坏性收获植株全部地上与地下组织以完成相关检测。