Plants Probe Beneath the Surface to Indicate Physical Conditions

Ann Arbor, MI — Plants can tell us what lies beneath says Carol Johnson, a Professor at South Dakota State University. Understanding plant preferences can tell scientists a lot about the environment.

Some plants in Great Lakes coastal wetlands prefer a narrow range of soil conditions. So when you see such a species it indicates whether sand, silt, clay, or organic soils lie beneath it explained Johnson. Some plants also prefer specific water and geological (hydrogeomorphic) conditions, such as wetlands that are protected from wave action by a sand barrier.

"We studied 90 wetlands and 169 plant species throughout the Great Lakes to determine how well each wetland plant was linked to its physical environment," said Johnson.

The 40 most common plant species were strongly influenced by water depth and tussock height, and about two-thirds of the species were able to indicate a particular soil or hydrogeomorphic condition.

"Before we can use plants as indicators of human disturbance, we need to understand how their growth is influenced by natural physical factors," says Johnston.

Original Publication Information

Results of this study "Plant Species Indicators of Physical Environment in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands," are reported by Carol A. Johnston, Barbara L. Bedford, Michael Bourdaghs, Terry Brown, Christin Frieswyk, Mirela Tulbure, Lynn Vaccaro and Joy B. Zedler in the latest issue (Volume 33, SI3, pp. 106-124) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007.

Contacts

For more information about the study, contact Carol Johnston, Department of Biology & Microbiology, Box 2207B, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007; carol.johnston@sdstate.edu, (605) 688-6464.

For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.

Links

Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.