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Xena Brooks

Mars 2014

Impact on Avicennia marina pneumatophore density and crab hole density due to sea walls: A study of the Moreton Bay mangrove forests Abstract: Human modifications, such as concrete sea walls, are frequently found in mangrove forests, despite the lack of understanding about the effects of these structures. This paper looks at the relationship between pneumatophore density in Avicennia marina, the grey mangrove, and crab hole abundance in areas where a man-made seawall is present and where one is not. We hypothesized that sites with a sea wall present will have higher penumatophore density and fewer crab holes than sites in the same geographic area but without a sea wall. Results showed a significant increase in pneumatophore density in treatment areas as predicted. Crab hole density data did not follow a normal distribution and thus does not appear to have a significant effect. There is a non-significant effect between the penumatophore and crab hole densities. Sea walls put mangrove forests under stress, however further research is needed to understand the severity of the impact on mangrove health. Introduction: Mangrove forests are environments are characterized by saline soils, which have high organic matter contents and are subject to prolonged periods of water saturation, which can lead to a depletion of oxygen (Arajo Jr. et. al, 2011). To combat this depletion, some mangrove species, such as Avicennia marina, or the grey mangrove, have pneumataphores (aerial roots that aid in oxygen exchange). Our research looks at the correlation between mangrove forests that have a sea wall and those that dont. Sea walls can impede the transport of resources and cause erosion. As a previous study by Dugan et al. has shown, the construction of seawalls is known to erode sediments in front of them, leading to a reduction in tidal elevation in these areas (Dugan et al. 2008). Greater pneumatophore density could be a way to increase oxygen exchange since the reduced tidal elevations may receive higher water levels.

All of the treatment sites we focused on had hard concrete walls, because these lack the important microhabitats of natural rocky reefs and are of very steep gradient, producing shading and reducing the surface area for attachment of organisms (Chapman and Bulleri 2003). One of the mangrove forest organisms that are best studied are crabs because they are key ecosystem engineers (Kristensen, 2008). The role of crabs as bioturbators is crucial for increasing the transport of oxygen and nitrogen to the substrate. Crab burrows provide an aerobic-anaerboic area where both nitrification [oxidation of ammonia] and denitrification [nitrate reduction] processes can continuously occur (Mchenga and Tsuchiya, 2008). These processes are beneficial to mangrove forests, and thus crab hole frequency could be used as an assessment for mangrove site health. Our research looked at both pneumatophore density and crab hole frequency to assess the overall strain on mangroves by sea walls. We hypothesized that sites with a sea wall present will have higher pneumatophore density and fewer crab holes than a site in the same area without a sea wall. Mangrove forests act as filters for ocean systems around the world. Mangroves are able to remove, through biological, chemical and physical processes, organic matter and nutrients from sewage to acceptable levels before it is discharged into surrounding aquatic ecosystems (Yang et al. 2008). Mangroves perform an important role in marine ecology, so the better we can understand their biology and the affects of human impacts such as sea walls, the better we can maintain this integral niche. Methods: Sampling The sites selected were of two categories: with a man-made sea wall and with a natural sea wall or gradient. The man-made sea walls were all concrete (not rock or other materials). The sites were all located within the Morton Bay area of Northeast Queensland and samples were all collected during April of 2013 at low tide. Another requirement was that each site had Avicennia marina present. Once a site was selected, a

ten-by-ten meter quadrat was laid out with rope. Within this space, 3 areas were randomly sampled using a 1m2 quadrat. The number of pneumatophores and crad holes were both counted. A total of 8 sites were tested, 4 with sea wall present and 4 without. The soil type was mud with water levels ranging up to 10 cm above the ground. Statistical Analysis Our data was tested using a mixed model nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) to look at the effect of treatment (sea wall) on pneumatophore and crab hole densities. Sites location and quadrats were handled as random effects. In addition, we examined the correlation between pneumatophore and crab hole density. Results: The pneumatophore density data was normally distributed (Fig.1a). The crab hole density data did not fit a normal distribution. Despite attempts to transform it, the data spread remained abnormal (Fig.1b). The mixed model nested ANOVA revealed a significant range in mean pneumatophore density between treatments (F1, 2=11.63, p=0.0028) but no significant variation among sites within treatments (F2,20=2.90, p=0.0783). A subsequent mixed model nested ANOVA again showed significant variation in mean crab hole density between treatments (F1, 2=8.58, p=0.0083) and no significant variation among sites within treatments (F2,20=2.90, p=0.6301). Using Pearsons product moment correlation, there is a weak, non-significant correlation between the variable densities: pneumatophore and crab hole (t22 = -2.0703, r = -0.4038, p = 0.0504).

Fig.1. Analysis of the impact of a man made sea wall on Avicennia marina pneumatophore density and crab hole density in mangrove forests in Moreton Bay, Australia. (a) Boxplot of pneumatophore density data spread at all sites for treatments of sea wall and no sea wall. (b) Boxplot of crab hole density data spread at all sites for treatments of sea wall and no sea wall. (c) Average pneumatophore density for treatments of sea wall and no sea wall. (d) Average crab hole density for treatments of sea wall and no sea wall.

Discussion: The pneumatophore density data between treatments is quite significant and supports our hypothesis that areas with a sea wall present will have higher pneumatophore densities. There is no significant variation in sites within each treatment, so sites selected were done so without bias. The pneumatophore records collected are backed by other research, such as a study by Heatherington and Bishop that found mangrove forests with seawalls were in some instances less than a third of the width of unconstrained mangrove forests, and had up to twice the pneumatophore density (Heatherington and Bishop 2012). Although our data was not as dramatic as Heatherington and Bishops, we did find that treatment sites had about 1.5 times more pneumatorphores than non-sea wall sites. Though overall the pneumatophore density increased in sites with a sea wall, this was not true for every location individually, reducing the chances of bias in our data collection. Looking at the spread of data, there is a visible trend towards increased density in treatment sites. The crab hole density did not fit a normal distribution and thus, though there was statistically significance, the data spread overall has no significance (Fig1b). The data suggested an effect, but due to the spread of the data, it is not reliable. Further testing is necessary to understand the effect of sea walls on crab hole density. Many studies have looked at the roles crabs play as bioturbators in mangrove ecosystems and have found that They modify physical structures, transport conditions and substance chemistry, and by doing so change the availability of resources for the associated microbial, fauna and plant communities (Kristensen, 2008). Crabs are a key part of mangrove species and their role has a key effect in mangrove environments (Mchenga and Tsuchiya, 2008). At the moment however, we do not know how sea walls effect crab holes without more studies. The issue with the data spread could have been the method, since crab holes are sometimes difficult to see, or it could be that crab holes had been abandoned but the holes remained and were counted. When we used Pearsons product moment correlation, we found a weak, non-significant correlation connecting pneumatophore density with crab hole density. The data appears

to have a visual negative correlation with density increasing and crab holes decreasing in treatment areas. The statistical analysis of the data showed the correlation was not significant. With further data collection in a wider range of locations, a more prevalent pattern may appear. To entirely attribute the density differences of mangrove forests with and without sea walls, there would need to be a manipulative study done before and after the sea wall was built (Heatherington and Bishop 2012). In absence of this, we can only offer our results as a way of stressing the possibility of an impact by sea walls on the mangrove community and the need for continued research in this area. Mangroves help filter the water going out to sea and are home to a whole range of organisms. The construction of sea walls can raise water levels and cause mangroves to increase pneumatophore production (Arajo Jr. et. al, 2011, Dugan et al. 2008). With further study, there is hope we can understand the strain sea walls put on mangroves and alleviate it, perhaps through using different materials for building, or for creating slopes instead of walls (Chapman and Bulleri 2003). Bibliography: Arajo Jr. J.M.C et. al (2011) Selective geochemistry of iron in mangrove soils in a semiarid tropical climate: effects of the burrowing activity of the crabs Ucides cordatus and Uca maracoani. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., [Accessed: 22 March 2013]. Batzer, Darold P., Dr.; Sharitz, Rebecca R., Dr. 2006, Ecology of Freshwater and Estuarine Wetlands, e-book, accessed 15 May 2013, <http://uql.eblib.com.au.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=470808>. Chapman, M. and Bulleri, F. (2003) Intertidal seawallsnew features of landscape in intertidal environments. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 62 (Issue 3), p.Pages 159172. Dugan, J., et al. (2008) Sandy beach ecosystems: key features, sampling issues, management challenges and climate change impacts. Marine Ecology Special Issue: Advances in sandy shore ecology, Volume 29 (Issue s1), p.Pages 70-90. Heatherington, C. and Bishop, M. (2012) Spatial variation in the structure of mangrove forests with respect to seawalls. Marine and Freshwater Research, 63 p.926933. [Accessed: 10 May 2013]. Kristensen, E. (2006) Mangrove crabs as ecosystem engineers; with emphasis on sediment processes . Journal of Sea Research, Volume 59 (Issues 12), p.Pages 3043 Mangrove Macrobenthos Special Issue.

Mchenga, I. and Tsuchiya, M. (2008) Nutrient dynamics in mangrove crab burrow sediments subjected to anthropogenic input. Journal of Sea Research, Volume 59 (Issues 12), p.Pages 103113. [Accessed: 12 May 2013]. Reza Shokri, M. and Gladstone, W. (2012) Limitations of habitats as biodiversity surrogates for conservation planning in estuaries. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., [Accessed: 15 May 2013]. Yang, Q., et al. (2008) Potential use of mangroves as constructed wetland for municipal sewage treatment in Futian, Shenzhen, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 57 (Issues 612), p.Pages 735743.

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