TY  - JOUR
A1  - Carus, Jana
A1  - Heuner, Maike
A1  - Paul, Maike
A1  - Schröder, Boris
T1  - Plant distribution and stand characteristics in brackish marshes
BT  - Unravelling the roles of abiotic factors and interspecific competition
JF  - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
N2  - Due to increasing pressure on estuarine marshes from sea level rise and river training, there is a growing need to understand how species-environment relationships influence the zonation and growth of tidal marsh vegetation. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and stand characteristics of the two key brackish marsh species Bolboschoenus maritimus and Phragmites australis in the Elbe estuary together with several abiotic habitat factors. We then tested the effect of these habitat factors on plant growth and zonation with generalised linear models (GLMs). Our study provides detailed information on the importance of single habitat factors and their interactions for controlling the distribution patterns and stand characteristics of two key marsh species. Our results suggest that flow velocity is the main factor influencing species distribution and stand characteristics and together with soil-water salinity even affects the inundation tolerance of the two specie investigated here. Additionally, inundation height and duration as well as interspecific competition helped explain the distribution patterns and stand characteristics. By identifying the drivers of marsh zonation and stand characteristics and quantifying their effects, this study provides useful information for evaluating a future contribution of tidal marsh vegetation to ecosystem-based shore protection.
KW  - Bolboschoenus maritimus
KW  - Elbe estuary
KW  - Flow velocity
KW  - Inundation
KW  - Phragmites australis
KW  - Soil-water salinity
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.06.038
SN  - 0272-7714
SN  - 1096-0015
VL  - 196
SP  - 237
EP  - 247
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - London
ER  -