. The ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California : a national estuarine research reserve. Estuarine ecology -- California Tijuana River Estuary. Estero de Punta Banda (Ibarra-Obando 1991). A large corner of the estuary was diked to exclude tidal flushing. Ibarra-Obando compared the composition of salt marshes inside and outside the dike and documented the same changes during the same year of very low rainfall (1984). Soil salinities skyrocketed while soil moisture dropped. Perennial pickleweed flourished, and annual pickleweed and sea-blite declined sharply in both their frequency of occurrence an
. The ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California : a national estuarine research reserve. Estuarine ecology -- California Tijuana River Estuary. Estero de Punta Banda (Ibarra-Obando 1991). A large corner of the estuary was diked to exclude tidal flushing. Ibarra-Obando compared the composition of salt marshes inside and outside the dike and documented the same changes during the same year of very low rainfall (1984). Soil salinities skyrocketed while soil moisture dropped. Perennial pickleweed flourished, and annual pickleweed and sea-blite declined sharply in both their frequency of occurrence and percent cover. Her results strongly support the above interpretation that the coincidence of nontidal drought and the decline of short- lived species is a cause-effect relationship. Whether or not either short-lived species will recover at Tijuana Estuary depends in part on management of the estuary. Dredging reopened the estuary mouth in December 1984 and increased tidal flushing beyond what it was in 1983 (Entrix et al. 1991). Yet perennial pickleweed remains abundant and there is little open space for seedling establishment. The seed bank no doubt remains depleted. A rapid recovery of either species would require a reduction in the perennial pickleweed canopy and seeding to replenish the seed bank. Neither is recommended at this stage. Rather, studies of the importance of these species to the salt marsh biota and long-term evaluation of their (potential) expansion are suggested. Mid-Elevation Dynamics After 1984 Extreme events have not significantly altered the monitored areas of salt marsh since tidal flushing was restored in December 1984. The 1988 sea storm altered the inlet (Webb et al. 1989) and had catastrophic impacts on the dunes (Fink 1989), but Oneonta Slough did not close and there was no interruption in tidal flushing. Data from the expanded monitoring program thus provide a new baseline record of the post-closure salt marsh. At the whole-marsh scale, spe
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