Seasonal patterns in recoverable underground reserves in Spartina alterniflora Loisel ( Delaware, Georgia).

Abstract

By winter substantial reserves are stored in both northern (Delaware) and southern (Georgia) marshes. Cycles of the quantity of stored reserves have greater amplitudes than cycles of the concentration of storage compounds reported in the literature. Maximum concentrations occur at the same time as maximum storage tissue volumes. In Delaware, reserves are nearly exhausted by spring growth and that at least 1/3 are not replenished until after seed filling in the fall. This pattern of nearly complete utilization of reserves in spring with late fall replenishment may have an advantage for herbaceous perennial plants which are part of detritus based food webs. A cycle where substantial reserves are retained for canopy regeneration after early summer defoliation would be advantageous where a grazing web was dominant. -from Author