Intertidal zonation Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/steven-pennings/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7125 Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

gcelter@uga.edu https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/ Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/steven-pennings/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7125 Principal investigator James B. Grace United States Geological Survey

United States Geological Survey 700 Cajundome Blvd. Lafayette Lousiana 70506 USA

gracej@usgs.gov Research technician Tracy L. Buck University of Georgia Marine Institute

University of Georgia Marine Institute Sapelo Island Georgia 31327 USA

sugarpig@uga.edu Research technician Alana R. Lynes University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry 369 Science and Research Bldg 2 University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5001 USA

alynes76@sbcglobal.net Graduate research assistant Dr. Christina L. Richards University of South Florida

Department of Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa Florida 33620 USA

clr@usf.edu http://biology.usf.edu/ib/faculty/crichards/ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7848-5165 Graduate research assistant 2026

At a given point in the estuary, the zonation patterns of the plants across the intertidal zone are a function of competition and physical stresses, particularly salinity and flooding. S. Pennings (UH), Alana Lynes (MS student, UH), Tracy Buck (technician, UGAMI), Christina Richards (PhD student, UGA) and James Grace (USGS) are collaborating on a synthetic understanding of plant zonation patterns in Georgia tidal marshes, evaluating 1) spatial associations between different plant species and abiotic conditions, 2) the results of experiments transplanting plants into new habitats and removing neighbors, 3) the results of experiments altering abiotic conditions, 4) variation among 55 sites in vegetation zonation patterns, and 5) temporal variation in plant community composition.

Question 2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients? (more information)

LTER NSF Duplin River Georgia GCE abiotic intertidal marshes zonation Overall geographic extent of the research project -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 1996-01-01 2007-07-30

National Science Foundation grant numbers OCE-9982133 and OCE-0620959. This project was partially funded by the National Institute for Global Environmental Change.

estuary marsh complex Central Georgia Coast - Central Georgia coastal region from the South Newport River (northern extent) to the Satilla River (southern extent), and from the outer banks of the barrier islands (eastern extent) to approximately 35km inland (western extent) -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 Schalles, J.F., Hladik, C.M., Lynes, A.R. and Pennings, S.C. 2013. Landscape estimates of habitat types, plant biomass, and invertebrate densities in a Georgia salt marsh. Special Issue: Coastal Long Term Ecological Research. Oceanography. 26:88-97. (DOI: 10.5670/oceanog.2013.50) https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.50 Pennings, S.C., Buck, T.L., Lynes, A.R. and Grace, J.B. 2009. Poster: Centrifugal organization of vegetation in salt marsh plant communities. 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting, September 14-16, 2009, Estes Park, Colorado. MLT-GCED-0811 - Vegetation and invertebrate communities in 500 plots in the Duplin and Dean Creek watersheds: ground truth data for matching hyperspectral imagery https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/app/dataset_details.asp?id=311