Post on 18-Dec-2015
Distribution and Abundance of Salt Marsh Dodder (Cuscuta salina) at Elkhorn Slough
Katie Alt Griffith
Ocean Sciences Department
Salt Marsh Plant Zonation
• Abiotic Factors
• Biotic Factors
How would a parasitic plant be distributed in a salt marsh as a function of its host?
1. How does Cuscuta distribution correlate with abiotic factors in Elkhorn Slough?
• Elevation
WRACK
• Wrack
• Flow Regime
• Land Use
2. What are the mechanisms involved in distributional patterns?
WRACK
• Seed dispersal
• Germination
• Seedling survival
3. How does nitrogen supply affect this host-parasite interaction?
Testing the
Plant Vigor
Hypothesis
Fertilized Not Fertilized
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cuscuta
Bio
mas
s (g
dry
wei
ght)
Salicornia
P = 0.001
n = 20
Is Cuscuta more abundant in marshes that receive inputs of synthetic fertilizers??
3. How does nitrogen supply affect this host-parasite interaction?
• How much nitrogen in tissues?
• Source of nitrogen?
• Level of infection / spread?