Seagrass Flashcards
Where are seagrasses found?
In neritic zones, on gently sloping, protected coastlines
Seagrasses are not algae, but
Flowering plants. Have roots, stems, and vines.
What keeps seagrass afloat?
Air pockets called lacunae
Seagrass lack this feature
Stomata - instead, rely on thin cuticle layer to diffuse gasses and nutrients from water
How do seagrasses pollinate?
Males produce pollen gains, and those clumps move with the current until they land on female flowers. Some species are pollinated by amphibious and polychaetes, kind of like bees.
Can seagrass reproduce asexually?
Yes! This is called clonal growth
What sort of ecosystem services do seagrass provide?
Oxygenation of marine environment, nursery habitat, base of coastal food web, carbon sequestration
How many species of seagrass are there?
72
4 main species of seagrass around brewers
Thalassia testudinum- turtle grass
Halophila stipulacea- non native
Syringodium filiforme - manatee grass
Halodule wrightii - shoalgrass
What is species richness?
The total number of species present
What does the Shannon index tell us?
Takes into account richness and evenness - how evenly the individuals are distributed in a community
What is the Simpson index?
Takes into account richness and evenness, but emphasizes dominance and is less sensitive to rare species. Measures the probability that two randomly selected induviduals will belong to the same speices. Ranges from 0 - 1, with 0 being diverse and 1 being not diverse.
What is evenness?
How evenly the induviduals are spread throughout a community, or species abundance
