The Scientific World Journal

Research Article

Natural Recovery and Planned Intervention in Coastal Wetlands: Venice Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) as a Case Study

Table 2

Abiotic and biotic data measured in central part of Venice Lagoon in 1987, 1993, 1998, and 2003 surveys (mean ± standard deviation (Std Dev), minimum (Min) and maximum (Max) values).


			1987	1993	1998	2003	ANOVA

Temperature*	°C	Mean ± Std Dev	22.9 ± 2.14	25.7 ± 1.70	24.7 ± 2.72	25.7 ± 1.33	<0.001
Temperature*	°C	Min ÷ Max	18.8 ÷ 27.8	22.9 ÷ 29.6	20.7 ÷ 29.7	22.7 ÷ 29.7	<0.001

pH*		Mean ± Std Dev	8.86 ± 0.38	8.48 ± 0.19	8.02 ± 0.13	7.65 ± 0.10	<0.001
pH*		Min ÷ Max	8.18 ÷ 9.54	8.21 ÷ 8.80	7.65 ÷ 8.27	7.41 ÷ 7.85	<0.001

Salinity		Mean ± Std Dev	30.7 ± 1.72	31.4 ± 2.1	29.6 ± 3.16	30.9 ± 3.44	0.08
Salinity		Min ÷ Max	25.5 ÷ 33.6	24.7 ÷ 34.8	22.2 ÷ 34.9	18.0 ÷ 35.4	0.08

Oxygen saturation*	%	Mean ± Std Dev	282 ± 73.4	134 ± 29.0	116 ± 27.5	115 ± 22.3	<0.001
Oxygen saturation*	%	Min ÷ Max	159 ÷ 392	88.0 ÷ 214	70.0 ÷ 202	82.5 ÷ 181	<0.001

Sediment fine fraction	%	Mean ± Std Dev	70.5 ± 27.1		60.4 ± 29.1	64.3 ± 29.8	0.12
Sediment fine fraction	%	Min ÷ Max	12.6 ÷ 98.7		11.1 ÷ 95.8	5.69 ÷ 98.2	0.12

Macroalgal biomass*	kg fwt/m²	Mean ± Std Dev	5.86 ± 6.05	0.51 ± 1.50	0.20 ± 0.99	0.08 ± 0.18	<0.001
Macroalgal biomass*	kg fwt/m²	Min ÷ Max	0 ÷ 25.0	0 ÷ 7.50	0 ÷ 5.50	0 ÷ 0.80	<0.001

Total nitrogen*	mg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	1.19 ± 0.62	1.13 ± 0.50	0.86 ± 0.38	0.70 ± 0.27	<0.001
Total nitrogen*	mg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	0.22 ÷ 2.98	0.33 ÷ 2.62	0.13 ÷ 1.37	0.09 ÷ 1.15	<0.001

Inorganic phosphorus*	µg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	282 ± 73.8	295 ± 73.8	320 ± 60.7	332 ± 83.2	0.001
Inorganic phosphorus*	µg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	146 ÷ 474	141 ÷ 423	215 ÷ 466	216 ÷ 660	0.001

Organic phosphorus*	µg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	105 ± 43.3	65.0 ± 27.4	66.5 ± 27.0	53.2 ± 28.4	<0.001
Organic phosphorus*	µg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	49.0 ÷ 246	27.0 ÷ 124	15.3 ÷ 117	3.02 ÷ 114	<0.001

Total phosphorus	µg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	387 ± 101	360 ± 82.6	386 ± 54.9	385 ± 79.7	0.27
Total phosphorus	µg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	227 ÷ 720	184 ÷ 511	302 ÷ 534	295 ÷ 665	0.27

Inorganic carbon	mg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	66.4 ± 24.8	67.6 ± 27.0	68.0 ± 21.5	72.3 ± 22.7	0.08
Inorganic carbon	mg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	25.3 ÷ 117	22.0 ÷ 120	38.4 ÷ 121	28.1 ÷ 123	0.08

Organic carbon*	mg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	8.85 ± 3.45	6.68 ± 3.30	10.7 ± 3.57	5.62 ± 2.64	<0.001
Organic carbon*	mg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	2.72 ÷ 16.7	1.91 ÷ 14.2	4.30 ÷ 18.5	0.92 ÷ 12.7	<0.001

Total carbon	mg/cm³	Mean ± Std Dev	75.2 ± 23.9	74.3 ± 25.9	78.7 ± 19.9	77.9 ± 22.0	0.23
Total carbon	mg/cm³	Min ÷ Max	33.8 ÷ 124	25.6 ÷ 123	51.3 ÷ 127	33.6 ÷ 124	0.23

		Observations	31	31	31	31

*Significant temporal fluctuations (ANOVA test, < 0.05).