Influence of Plant Density on Rainfall Interception by Spartina alterniflora
Location
Armstrong Campus (Solms 110)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis Presentation (Open Access)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Michele Guidone
Faculty Mentor Email
mguidone@georgiasouthern.edu
Presentation Year
2022
Start Date
14-11-2022 5:30 PM
End Date
14-11-2022 7:30 PM
Description
Spartina alterniflora is an abundant plant in eastern US and Gulf Coast salt marshes; it is important in maintaining a diverse ecosystem. Salt marshes are impacted by rainstorms, which may affect erosion events. This project examined the partitioning of rainfall on single plants of various sizes and on central plants within different canopy densities of S. alterniflora. By calculating the rain stemflow (SF), throughfall (TF), and water adhered to the stem in S. alterniflora, we gained insight to rainfall partitioning with different plant features. My research found no statistically significant relationship between different plant features and SF, TF, and water adhered. However, the strongest correlation with leaves showed a trend of water adherence to the plant increasing with the number of leaves on the plant. This indicates plant features may affect how impactful rainfall events are to erosion, but further study is needed.
Academic Unit
College of Science and Mathematics
Influence of Plant Density on Rainfall Interception by Spartina alterniflora
Armstrong Campus (Solms 110)
Spartina alterniflora is an abundant plant in eastern US and Gulf Coast salt marshes; it is important in maintaining a diverse ecosystem. Salt marshes are impacted by rainstorms, which may affect erosion events. This project examined the partitioning of rainfall on single plants of various sizes and on central plants within different canopy densities of S. alterniflora. By calculating the rain stemflow (SF), throughfall (TF), and water adhered to the stem in S. alterniflora, we gained insight to rainfall partitioning with different plant features. My research found no statistically significant relationship between different plant features and SF, TF, and water adhered. However, the strongest correlation with leaves showed a trend of water adherence to the plant increasing with the number of leaves on the plant. This indicates plant features may affect how impactful rainfall events are to erosion, but further study is needed.
