1995 Distribution of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay
- Published:
- November 1, 1996
- Originator:
- VIMS, School of Marine Science, The college of William and Mary
The term "submerged aquatic vegetation" (SAV) for the purpose of this report encompasses twenty taxa from ten vascular macrophyte families and three taxa from one freshwater macrophytic algal family, the Characeae. SAV excludes all other algae, both benthic and planktonic, which occur in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (Appendix A). Although these other algae do constitute a portion of the SAV biomass in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (Humm, 1979), this study did not attempt to identify, delineate, or discuss the algal component of the vegetation nor its relative importance in the flora, except the Characeae. This is the case for example, with the benthic marine algae, including many macrophytes, which sometimes co-occur in the same beds as vascular plants, even as epiphytes on vascular.