Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy is a Rapid, Cost-Effective Predictor of Seagrass Nutrients (original) (raw)

Abstract

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy was used to analyze nutrient composition of tropical and subtropical seagrasses in Queensland, Australia, as part of a broader study of impacts of grazing by dugongs on seagrass. Seagrass samples of 10 species were collected, transported to the laboratory, and separated into leaf and root/rhizome fractions. They were dried, ground, and near-infrared spectra (400–2500 nm) were collected. We used partial least-squares regression to develop calibration equations relating spectral data to standard compositional analyses performed in the laboratory. These compositional analyses focused on attributes believed to be important determinants of nutritional quality of marine vertebrate herbivores (nitrogen, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, neutral starch, water-soluble carbohydrates, and in vitro dry matter digestibility). Calibration equations for each attribute were developed separately for (1) roots/rhizomes and (2) leaves, irrespective of plant species. An equation that combined both plant parts was equally robust. These studies demonstrated the utility of near-infrared spectroscopy in providing rapid and cost-effective analysis of marine plants, which, in turn, permits a rigorous statistical approach to be applied to studies of foraging by marine herbivores.

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Abbreviations

MPLS:

modified partial least squares

NIRS:

near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

RMS:

root mean square

SEC:

standard error of calibration

SECV:

standard error of cross validation

SEL:

standard error of laboratory determination (=analytical precision)

r 2 :

simple coefficient of determination

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Acknowledgments

This work formed part of the Ph.D. thesis of L.A., who was supported by a scholarship from the Australian government through AUSAID. Data collection was facilitated by grants from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and James Cook University. We thank the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for permission to conduct scientific research within the Marine Park and Ms. M. Bissell and Ms. D. Haffner for help in the laboratory.

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Author notes

1. Lemnuel Aragones
   Present address: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
2. William Foley
   Present address: School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, 0200, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
   Ivan R. Lawler, Lemnuel Aragones & Helene Marsh
2. Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, P.O. Box 122, Gordonvale, QLD 4865, Australia
   Nils Berding
3. Zoology Department, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
   William Foley

Authors

1. Ivan R. Lawler
2. Lemnuel Aragones
3. Nils Berding
4. Helene Marsh
5. William Foley

Corresponding author

Correspondence toIvan R. Lawler.

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Lawler, I.R., Aragones, L., Berding, N. et al. Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy is a Rapid, Cost-Effective Predictor of Seagrass Nutrients.J Chem Ecol 32, 1353–1365 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9088-x

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• Received: 07 July 2005
• Revised: 15 December 2005
• Accepted: 06 February 2006
• Published: 23 May 2006
• Issue date: June 2006
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9088-x

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