Aboveground biomass and net primary production along a Virginia barrier island dune chronosequence

• Published in: The American midland naturalist Vol. 137; no. 1; pp. 27 - 38
• Main Authors: Dilustro, J.J. (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.), Day, F.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Notre Dame University of Notre Dame 01.01.1997; University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences; American Midland Naturalist
• Subjects: Aboveground biomass; AMMOPHILA BREVILIGULATA; Barrier islands; BIOMASA; BIOMASS; Biomass production; BIOMASSE; BOTANICAL COMPOSITION; Botany; Chronology; Chronosequences; COMPOSICION BOTANICA; COMPOSITION BOTANIQUE; Dune soils; Dunes; Environmental aspects; GRAMINEAE; Grasses; Islands; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Plants; Seasons; SECUENCIA DE SUELOS; SEQUENCE DES SOLS; SOIL SEQUENCES; SPARTINA PATENS; Hog Island; USA, Virginia
• ISSN: 0003-0031; 1938-4238
• DOI: 10.2307/2426752

Aboveground biomass was measured along a chronosequence of dunes on Hog Island, a Virginia Coast Reserve LTER site. The dominant species were Ammophila breviligulata and Spartina patens. Aboveground biomass was harvested monthly from 10 quadrats on 6, 24, 36 and 120-yr-old dunes from April to November 1993. Total aboveground biomass decreased along the chronosequence and ranged from 205 g m-2on the 6-year-old dune to 152 g m-2on the 120-yr-old dune in October 1993. Spartina patens biomass exceeded A. breviligulata biomass on the 6, 24 and 36 yr-old-dunes. Spartina patens biomass decreased along the chronosequence; in July it ranged from 72 g m-2on the 6-yr-old dune to 5 g m-2on the 120-yr-old dune. Ammophila breviligulata biomass increased from 17 g m-2on the 6-yr-old dune to 39 g m-2on the 120-yr-old dune. Ammophila breviligulata had greater biomass than S. patens on only the 120-yr-old dune. Net aboveground primary productivity did not vary along the chronosequence. Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) from the sum of species peaks was 259 g m-2yr-1for the 6-yr-old dune, 226 g m-2yr-1for the 24-yr-old dune, 256 g m-2yr-1for the 36-yr-old dune and 274 g m-2yr-1for the 120-yr-old dune. There was no opportunity to study dunes of the same or comparable ages on other barrier islands, so these inferences apply only to the four dunes studied on Hog Island.