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- Title
Spatial and temporal patterns of initial plant establishment in salt marsh communities.
- Authors
Lõhmus, Kertu; Balke, Thorsten; Kleyer, Michael; Török, Péter
- Abstract
Questions: How are dispersal processes, abiotic and biotic interactions determining the initial salt marsh plant community establishment and development when connectivity is different? We aim to answer this question by analysing the spatial and temporal patterns of plant establishment along an environmental gradient at two connectivity settings. Location: Back‐barrier salt marsh and tidal flats of Spiekeroog, northwest Germany. Methods: We established an experiment along a saltmarsh elevation gradient with bare sediment open for spontaneous colonisation on the natural salt marsh and on the experimental salt marsh islands built on the tidal flats approximately 500 m from the natural salt marsh for low connectivity. Plant establishment was identified from georeferenced photos at least monthly. Results: Experimental islands as low‐connectivity plots had limited colonisation by annual halophytes that produced large number of small seeds. Number of individuals increased with higher connectivity at patches enclosed by salt marsh. Number of individuals was highest at the mid elevations whereas peak species richness was at the upper salt marsh. Temporal patterns of seedling emergence showed increasing plant numbers until the end of April followed by a gradual decline over the season at the pioneer and lower salt marsh zones. Upper elevations on the other hand had a stable number of low individual counts over time. Spatial clustering of plant individuals indicating possible facilitation was important at the initial stages of salt marsh development at pioneer and lower salt marsh elevation, but only early in the season. Conclusions: Stochastic patterns of early salt marsh colonisation indicated that success of species colonisation was determined by seed properties, seed availability and environmental conditions mediated by elevation. We found indications that at the initial stages, further colonisation was supported by already colonised plants but shifted to avoidance later in the season.
- Subjects
GERMANY; SALT marsh plants; SALT marsh ecology; SALT marshes; TIDAL flats; SPECIES diversity
- Publication
Journal of Vegetation Science, 2020, Vol 31, Issue 6, p1124
- ISSN
1100-9233
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/jvs.12915