Pipeline Construction Impact on Coastal Marsh Vegetation and Soils
Vegetation and soils were sampled 1 month prior to and 1 year after a pipeline was constructed in a Texas coastal marsh. Submerged aquatic (SAV) and emergent vegetation (EV) were sampled to detect changes in taxa frequencies and percent cover within 3 pipeline corridor treatments (soil deposit/borrow, pipeline ditch, construction equipment) and a control. Taxon richness was not significantly altered by pipeline construction within EV plots. However, pipeline construction decreased total vegetative coverage of EV plots within all 3 pipeline treatments. A 33% (2.3 ha) decrease in EV coverage...
