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  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Carus, Jana
A1  - Heuner, Maike
A1  - Paul, Maike
A1  - Schröder, Boris
T1  - Which factors and processes drive the spatio-temporal dynamics of brackish marshes?-Insights from development and parameterisation of a mechanistic vegetation model
JF  - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog
N2  - Tidal marsh vegetation offers important ecosystem services. However, in many estuaries, extensive embankments, artificial bank protection, river dredging and agriculture threaten tidal marshes. In this study we analysed the processes underlying the spatio-temporal patterns of tidal marsh vegetation in the Elbe estuary and quantified the influence of specific habitat factors by developing and applying the process-based dynamic habitat-macrophyte model HaMac in a pattern-oriented way. In order to develop and parameterise the model, we measured a wide range of biotic and abiotic parameters in two study sites in the Elbe estuary and compared observed and simulated patterns. The final model is able to reproduce the general patterns of vegetation zonation, development and growth and thus helps to understand the underlying processes. By considering the vegetative reproduction of marsh plants as well as abiotic influence factors and intraspecific competition, HaMac allowed to systematically analyse the significance of factors and processes for the dynamic of tidal marsh vegetation. Our results show that rhizome growth is the most important process and that flow velocity, inundation height and duration as well as intraspecific competition are the most important habitat factors for explaining spatio-temporal dynamics of brackish marshes. Future applications of HaMac could support the sustainable development and stabilisation of shore zones and thus contribute to the promotion and planning of ecosystem -based shoreline protection measures. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - Bolboschoenus maritimus
KW  - Emergent macrophytes
KW  - Pattern-oriented modelling
KW  - Phragmites australis
KW  - Tidal marsh vegetation
KW  - Vegetative reproduction
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.08.023
SN  - 0304-3800
SN  - 1872-7026
VL  - 363
SP  - 122
EP  - 136
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -