Plant distribution and stand characteristics in brackish marshes
- 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 andDue 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.…
Author details: | Jana CarusORCiDGND, Maike Heuner, Maike Paul, Boris Schröder |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.06.038 |
ISSN: | 0272-7714 |
ISSN: | 1096-0015 |
Title of parent work (English): | Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science |
Subtitle (English): | Unravelling the roles of abiotic factors and interspecific competition |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Place of publishing: | London |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2017/06/28 |
Publication year: | 2017 |
Release date: | 2022/01/21 |
Tag: | Bolboschoenus maritimus; Elbe estuary; Flow velocity; Inundation; Phragmites australis; Soil-water salinity |
Volume: | 196 |
Number of pages: | 11 |
First page: | 237 |
Last Page: | 247 |
Funding institution: | research programme KLIWAS (Impacts of climate change on waterways and navigation Searching for options of adaptation) of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI); German Science Foundation [SCHR1000/6-2, SCHR1000/8-2, PA 2547/1-1]; Federal Ministry of Education and Research (COMTESS - Sustainable Coastal Land Management: Trade-offs in Ecosystem Services) [01LL0911C] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Geowissenschaften |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |