lab 3 salt marsh reveiw

Salt Marsh

A coastal ecosystem characterized by saline waters and salt-tolerant vegetation, providing various ecological services.

Dyke

A barrier built to block salt water and enable farming in salt marsh areas, originally constructed by the Acadians.

Blue Carbon Ecosystem

An ecosystem, such as a salt marsh, that sequesters carbon in plant biomass and sediment, significantly helping to mitigate climate change.

Corophium

A genus of amphipod crustaceans living in mudflats, serving as a vital food source for shorebirds.

Mycorrhizae

Fungi associated with plant roots that enhance nutrient uptake and support plant growth in salt marsh ecosystems.

Seaside Plantain (Plantago maritima)

A salt marsh plant characterized by succulent leaves and found in high elevations, important for wave energy reduction.

Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)

A salt-tolerant fine grass species, typically found growing alongside saltmeadow cordgrass in mid-elevations of salt marshes.

Species Diversity

The variety of different species within a given ecosystem, influenced by environmental complexity and species specialization.

Glasswort (Salicornia maritima)

A fleshy, jointed plant of salt marshes, known for its ability to thrive in saline conditions and its use in glassmaking.

Smooth Cordgrass (Sporobolus alterniflorus)

A coarse grass that dominates lower elevations of salt marshes and can withstand regular flooding.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.

Osmoconformers

Organisms that change the concentration of their extracellular fluid based on the surrounding environmental concentration.

Osmoregulators

Organisms that maintain a constant extracellular fluid concentration regardless of environmental changes.

Hypotonic

A solution that has a lower concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Aerenchyma

A specialized tissue in plants that facilitates gas exchange, typically found in waterlogged and wet environments.

Salt Marsh

An ecosystem found at coastal intertidal regions, characterized by salt-tolerant plants and a dynamic water environment.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

A species of shorebird known for its migratory patterns, breeding in the Arctic tundra and visiting Nova Scotia during migration.

Tidal Pool

A shallow pool of seawater that is left behind when the tide recedes, often filled with various organisms.

Chloride Cells

Specialized cells in the gills of marine fish that actively transport chloride ions to help regulate salt balance.

Ecosystem Productivity

A measure of the amount of organic matter produced by organisms within an ecosystem.