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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter July 26, 2011

Primary production and biomass in a Cymodocea nodosa meadow in the Ghar El Melh lagoon, Tunisia

  • Yassine Ramzi Sghaier EMAIL logo , Rym Zakhama-Sraieb and Faouzia Charfi-Cheikhrouha
From the journal Botanica Marina

Abstract

Primary production and biomass of Cymodocea nodosa in the Ghar El Melh lagoon (N-E of Tunisia) were measured from November 2006 to October 2007. Leaf growth was determined using the Zieman method and rhizome production was measured by marking and monitoring terminal rhizomes. The following parameters were measured: the number of new leaves per year (16 leaves year-1), the leaf Plastochrone Interval (23 days) and the life span of single leaves (from 2 to 7 months). Seasonality was apparent, with maximum growth in July, maximum leaf production (3.35 g dry weight m-2 d-1) in August, maximum leaf biomass (127.2 g dry weight m-2) and maximum of the shoot density (1437 shoots m-2) in September. Forty-five to 65% of all shoots were reproductive, with flowering density higher than generally observed in C. nodosa elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Environmental parameters (insolation, water temperature and salinity) had a strong seasonal influence on seagrass morphology and production; shoot density, biomass and leaf production were high in summer and low in winter.

Received: 2010-10-21
Accepted: 2011-6-2
Published Online: 2011-07-26
Published Online: 2011-07-26
Published in Print: 2011-08-01

©2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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