The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile

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REPORT WUMENTATION 1. RE"RT No. 3. Rutwent's Accasrlon No
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L~ioloqical Report 8i(i.
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4. Tifh and Subtltla 5 Rawrt Date
Cal iforiiia:
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The Lcoiogy of 1 i jirana Estuary,
An f.stuar.irle Prof i le
7. Authoflr)
Joy B. Zeciler. arici Christoptier 5. Nordby
9. Ai~thors' Afidrebs
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6.
June 1986
8. P~~o~wu Organtaatlan Rept. NO.
10. Prol.c(/Task/Wartr Untt NO.
B i o 1 oqy Depnrtmerit
Sdn Dieqo 3tate Univei'sity
3an Uieqo, CA 92182
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12. Swnsor~ng Organixatlan Name and Addrasr
U.!i. Crsh dnd Wilcllite hrt'vice 13. Typ. of Report & Pwod Covered
National Coastal Ecosystems Team
1010 Gdirse Bivd.
$1 idell, LA 1011.58
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IS. Supplsmantmry Hofes
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16. Ahtract (Llrnat. 200 words)
I r,juarict Lc,tu~ry in south~rri Cdl i forrtia is char*ctcterized by a high degree of envir
vctrial~i 1 ity rest~lt iriq pr inlari iy t roni itnpredictable tr.eshwater inputs. Ti juana Es
urti~c~cra l for its i~ttet~ndtion~~l settiriq (threcl-f ourthr, of its watershed is in Mexic
cliver*~, ity of ecolog ical commtini t ies, whicti provide habitat for a variety of rare
el~daricjered species; dntl its hi story of ecoloy ical study, yielding exterlsive data
wi ttt and without catastrophic distt~rbarices. The estuary is areal ly dornirlated by
wetldritls (salt mar-shes, Israckisti marshes, and salt pannes); estuarine channels,
~t'e~kh, irltei'tidal flat 5, tlun~s, arid beaches are also major habitat types.
Ihis report d i5ctlsse5 these habitats and syrithesizec~ data amassed on the vegetation, algae,
invertettrates, fishes, arlrl t irds found ill the estuary, their ecol ogical interrelationships,
arid reldtionships of the biota with the phys ical environment. Also clisctrssed are responses
ot biotic coilrporiertts to chnnqes resul ti rig from rrtajor stornis, closure of the estuarine
ntot~th, pro lortychcl i riuridat i (111 of emergerlt wet l arlds , and pro lortged drought.
Portiorrs of lijuaria Lstudry dre rnariagerl as a Natiortal Wildlife Refuge and a Nationdl
Estuarine Sanctuary. Maridcjernetit issires for this ecosystem iric lude erosio~t, streamf low
a1 terdtions dl~d sewacje wastewater5 d i scliarges , and mi tigat ion of impacts due to catastrophic
trv~llts.
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17. Dccurncnt Analys,r a. Dcacnpton
tituaric*s, eroloqy, geology, hydroloyy, climate, nitrcrgeri, iiekton, algae, biological
prboduct i v i ty
ldantlfieo/Open.Ended Terms
Wetlands, enercjy flow, riutr*ient cyc I iny, emergent ~~ascular pldnts
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16. Avstlab~ttty Statement
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19. Seeunty Class CThss Report)
20. %cuW CCta%s (Thrs Paae)
Unlimited release
I 1 Unclassified -
Unclassified ----- - - -
a. Pnce
(See ANSt-239 18) OFTIaFlhL FORM 272 (4-77)
(Formerly NTlS-39)
Dapmrtment d Commerce