A biophysical representation of seagrass growth for application in a complex shallow-water biogeochemical model

Baird, ME; Adams, MP; Babcock, RC; Oubelkheir, K; Mongin, M; Wild-Allen, KA; Skerratt, J; Robson, BJ; Petrou, K; Ralph, PJ; O'Brien, KR; Carter, AB; Jarvis, JC; Rasheed, MA

A biophysical representation of seagrass growth for application in a complex shallow-water biogeochemical model

Baird, ME Adams, MP Babcock, RC Oubelkheir, K Mongin, M Wild-Allen, KA Skerratt, J Robson, BJ Petrou, K

Ralph, PJ O'Brien, KR Carter, AB Jarvis, JC Rasheed, MA

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Ecological Modelling, 2016, 325, pp. 13-27
Issue Date:: 2016-04-10

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Baird, ME
dc.contributor.author	Adams, MP
dc.contributor.author	Babcock, RC
dc.contributor.author	Oubelkheir, K
dc.contributor.author	Mongin, M
dc.contributor.author	Wild-Allen, KA
dc.contributor.author	Skerratt, J
dc.contributor.author	Robson, BJ
dc.contributor.author	Petrou, K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2703-0694
dc.contributor.author	Ralph, PJ
dc.contributor.author	O'Brien, KR
dc.contributor.author	Carter, AB
dc.contributor.author	Jarvis, JC
dc.contributor.author	Rasheed, MA
dc.date.accessioned	2022-03-18T05:46:35Z
dc.date.available	2022-03-18T05:46:35Z
dc.date.issued	2016-04-10
dc.identifier.citation	Ecological Modelling, 2016, 325, pp. 13-27
dc.identifier.issn	0304-3800
dc.identifier.issn	1872-7026
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155351
dc.description.abstract	Seagrasses are a critical component of the healthy functioning of many coastal marine ecosystems. Capturing the dynamics of seagrass communities requires both a detailed representation of processes such as seagrass nutrient uptake and photosynthesis, as well as models of light penetration, water column and sediment biogeochemical processes and other ecosystem characteristics that determine the environmental state. Here we develop a new two-state, 13-parameter seagrass model with the aim of providing sufficient detail to represent light and nutrient limitation, but simple enough to be coupled into a 60 state variable biogeochemical model. The novel formulation is built around a nitrogen-specific leaf area parameter, Ω, that is well-constrained and is used in calculating both the rate of photosynthesis and the fraction of the seafloor covered by seagrass, Aeff, where Aeff=1-exp(-ΩSGA) and SGA is the aboveground areal seagrass biomass. The model also contains terms for the uptake of nutrients from multiple layers of varying-porosity sediments, translocation of organic matter between leaves and roots, respiration and simple mortality terms. The model is applied to Gladstone Harbour, a macro-tidal sub-tropical estuary in northeast Australia, and is able to simulate realistic spatial seagrass distributions. A simplified form of the model is derived, which can be used to predict seagrass light-limited growth based on five measurable species-specific parameters (maximum growth rate, mortality rate, compensation irradiance, leaf blade angle and nitrogen-specific leaf area). The steady-state percent coverage of seagrass achieved at varying light levels and mortality intensity is calculated as a means of understanding the dynamics of the new seagrass model.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
dc.relation.ispartof	Ecological Modelling
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.12.011
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject.classification	Ecology
dc.title	A biophysical representation of seagrass growth for application in a complex shallow-water biogeochemical model
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	325
utslib.for	0602 Ecology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-03-18T05:46:33Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	325

Abstract:

Seagrasses are a critical component of the healthy functioning of many coastal marine ecosystems. Capturing the dynamics of seagrass communities requires both a detailed representation of processes such as seagrass nutrient uptake and photosynthesis, as well as models of light penetration, water column and sediment biogeochemical processes and other ecosystem characteristics that determine the environmental state. Here we develop a new two-state, 13-parameter seagrass model with the aim of providing sufficient detail to represent light and nutrient limitation, but simple enough to be coupled into a 60 state variable biogeochemical model. The novel formulation is built around a nitrogen-specific leaf area parameter, Ω, that is well-constrained and is used in calculating both the rate of photosynthesis and the fraction of the seafloor covered by seagrass, Aeff, where Aeff=1-exp(-ΩSGA) and SGA is the aboveground areal seagrass biomass. The model also contains terms for the uptake of nutrients from multiple layers of varying-porosity sediments, translocation of organic matter between leaves and roots, respiration and simple mortality terms. The model is applied to Gladstone Harbour, a macro-tidal sub-tropical estuary in northeast Australia, and is able to simulate realistic spatial seagrass distributions. A simplified form of the model is derived, which can be used to predict seagrass light-limited growth based on five measurable species-specific parameters (maximum growth rate, mortality rate, compensation irradiance, leaf blade angle and nitrogen-specific leaf area). The steady-state percent coverage of seagrass achieved at varying light levels and mortality intensity is calculated as a means of understanding the dynamics of the new seagrass model.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155351