Rethinking the role of edaphic condition in halophyte vegetation degradation on salt marshes due to coastal defense structure

Publication date: Available online 9 December 2016 Source:Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C Author(s): Tian Xie, Baoshan Cui, Junhong Bai, Shanze Li, Shuyan Zhang Determining how human disturbance affects plant community persistence and species conservation is one of the most pressing ecological challenges. The large-scale disturbance form defense structures usually have a long-term and potential effect on phytocommunity in coastal saltmarshes. Coastal defense structures usually remove the effect of tidal wave on tidal salt marshes. As a consequence, edaphic factors such as the salinity and moisture contents are disturbed by tidal action blocking. However, few previous studies have explicitly addressed the response of halophyte species persistence and dynamics to the changing edaphic conditions. The understanding of the response of species composition in seed banks and aboveground vegetation to the stress is important to identify ecological effect of coastal defense structures and provide usefully insight into restoration. Here, we conducted a field study to distinguish the density, species composition and relationships of seed bank with aboveground vegetation between tidal flat wetlands with and without coastal defense structures. We also addressed the role of edaphic condition in vegetation degradation caused by coastal defense structures in combination with field monitor and greenhouse experiments. Our results showed the density of the seed bank and ab...

Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - December 9, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: research