CARBON IN ESTUARIES 



229 



TABLE 4 

 BIOMASS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SUBMERGED ANGIOSPERMS 



•Aboveground portion only. 



TABLE 5 

 BIOMASS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF EPIPHYTIC AND BENTHIC ALGAE 



methods of measurement. Although we would like to contribute directly to an 

 evaluation of Eq. 2 for the world's estuaries by appraising both net and gross 

 production, the difficulties of measurement restrict us to a focus on net 

 production that occurs within estuaries. Where there are no exchanges of net 

 primary production with other ecosystems, net ecosystem production equals net 

 primary production minus the respiration of heterotrophs. 



Wetlands 



In Table 3 we have summarized 20 reports of measurements of production in 

 estuarine marshes and mangrove communities. The figures for net production are 

 for shoots only, except as indicated. There are no separately identifiable data on 

 root production in these vegetations. The assumption that root production is 

 equivalent to shoot production gives a range of net productivities from about 

 1000 to 3500 g (dry organic matter) nv 2 year l 



