Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
8-2018
Journal
Estuaries And Coasts
Volume
41
First Page
S114
Last Page
S130
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors can affect subtidal communities within the land-water interface. Increasing anthropogenic activities, including upland and shoreline development, threaten ecologically important species in these habitats. In this study, we examined the consequences of anthropogenic stressors on benthic macrofaunal communities in 14 subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay. We investigated how subestuary upland use (forested, agricultural, developed land) and shoreline development (riprap and bulkhead compared to marsh and beach) affected density, biomass, and diversity of benthic infauna. Upland and shoreline development were parameters included in the most plausible models among a candidate set compared using corrected Akaike's Information Criterion. For benthic macrofauna, density tended to be lower in subestuaries with developed or mixed compared to forested or agricultural upland use. Benthic biomass was significantly lower in subestuaries with developed compared to forested upland use, and biomass declined exponentially with proportion of near-shore developed land. Benthic density did not differ significantly among natural marsh, beach, and riprap habitats, but tended to be lower adjacent to bulkhead shorelines. Including all subestuaries, there were no differences in diversity by shoreline type. In low salinities, benthic Shannon (H') diversity tended to be higher adjacent to natural marshes compared to the other habitats, and lower adjacent to bulkheads, but the pattern was reversed in high salinities. Sediment characteristics varied by shoreline type and contributed to differences in benthic community structure. Given the changes in the infaunal community with anthropogenic stressors, subestuary upland and shoreline development should be minimized to increase benthic production and subsequent trophic transfer within the food web.
DOI
10.1007/s12237-017-0347-6
Keywords
Estuarine Benthic Index; Chesapeake Bay; Land-Use; Macrobenthic Communities; Ecosystem Services; Biotic Integrity; Feeding Bivalves; United-States; Habitats; Urbanization
Recommended Citation
Seitz, Rochelle D.; Knick, Kathleen E.; Davenport, Theresa M.; and Saluta, Gabrielle G., Human Influence at the Coast: Upland and Shoreline Stressors Affect Coastal Macrofauna and Are Mediated by Salinity (2018). Estuaries And Coasts, 41, S114-S130.
10.1007/s12237-017-0347-6
