The stabilizing features of the marsh 

 vegetation, combined with the relatively 

 open canopy which allows considerable 

 light penetration throughout the year, 

 seem to provide ideal conditions for algal 

 growth. 



1000 



800 



600 



o 

 C3)400 



E 



200 



Spartina Jaumea Batis Monanthochloe 

 SAMPLING STATION 



Figure 34. Estimated hourly gross 

 primary productivity of algal mats 

 under four different canopies at 

 Tijuana Estuary; X = horizontal bar; 

 ±S.E. = height of box; range = vertical 

 bar. Data are summaries of biweekly 

 measurements made in 1977 (Zedler 

 1980). 



3.3 SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 3 



The algal mats of Tijuana Estuary's 

 salt marsh are diverse, conspicuous, and 

 highly productive. Changes in both 

 composition and productivity occur through 

 the year, with bluegreen algae being most 

 abundant and productive through the long, 

 warm growing season. Diatoms and green 

 algae are more important in the cool 

 winter. 



Whether or not algal mats at other 

 southern California marshes are as 

 productive is not known. However, it 

 seems likely that the open canopies, warm 

 climate, and stable soils should favor 

 high algal productivity throughout the 

 region. 



48 



