The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile

CONTENTS
PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................
CONVERSION TABLE ..................................................................................................................................
FIGURES ................... ............................................................................................................................
TABLES ..............................................................................................................................................................
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................................
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I I I
iv
vii
ix
x
CHAPTER 1 . INTRODUCTION -- AN OVERVIEW ......................................................... 1
1 . 1 The International Setting ......................... ...................................................................... 1
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1 . 2 Estuary Type Class~flcation ................................................................................................ 1
1 . 3 The Estuarine Habitats .......................................................................................................... 3
1.4 National Significance ............................................................................................... ...... 3
CHAPTER 2 . MAJOR FACTORS THAT HAVE SHAPED THE ESTUARY ........................ 5
2.1 Geologic History ...................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Mediterranean-type CTimate ............................................................................................ 7
2.3 Land Use History ................... ...................................................................................... 10
2.4 Streamflow History ............................................................................................................
14
CHAPTER 3 . ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AT TIJUANA ESTUARY ........................... 17
3.1 Physiographic Diversity ..................... ............................................................................
3.2 Transition from Upland to Wetland .................................................................................
3.3 Intertidal Salt Marsh ................................................................................................................
3.4 Salt Pannes ........................... ..................................................................................................
3.5 Brackish Marsh ..........................................................................................................................
3.6 Estuarine Channels and Tidal Creeks ...........................................................................
3.6.1 Algae ..................................................................................................................................
3.6.2 Benthic Invertebrates ...............................................................................................
3.6.3 Fishes - Adults and Juveniles ........................................................................
3.6.4 lchthyoplankton .........................................................................................................
3.6.5 Birds ....................
.........................................................................................................
3.7 Intertidal Flats ........................... ..........................................................................................
3.8 Dunes and Beach ....................... ................................................................................
CHAPTER 4 . ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING ...................... .................................................... 60
4.1 Primary Productivity of Channel Algae ...................................................................... 60
4.2 Productivity of Epibenthic Algal Mats ............................................................................. 62
4.3 Vascular Plant Productivity and Biomass ............................................................. 65
4.4 Nutrient Interactions ............................................................................................................. 66
4.4.1 Nitrogen Fluxes in 1977-1978 ........................................................................ 68
4.4.2 Nitrogen Additions to Salt Marsh Vegetation ........................................ 6e