Analysing how plants in coastal wetlands respond to varying tidal regimes throughout their life cycles

Xie, Tian; Cui, Baoshan; Li, Shanze

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.017

Cited by 18 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Both drought and hypersaline conditions negatively affect S. salsa seed emergence. However, soil salinity and moisture did not exceed the threshold of S. salsa (He, ; Xie et al, ) in the bare saltmarsh area, which did not put another ‘barrier’ in the emergence stage. However, they did affect the emergence rate of S. salsa to some extent (Figure S2), especially soil moisture content (a much higher linear R 2 = 0.46, P < 0.001, compared with salinity of 0.11).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…After entrapment by MS, seeds are not guaranteed to emerge (Major & Pyott, ). Salinity and water conditions are the main factors that influence seed emergence in saltmarshes (He, ; Rand, ; Xie et al, ). Both drought and hypersaline conditions negatively affect S. salsa seed emergence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This structural change can lead to different retention patterns due to the interactions between MS and tidal events, and it might determine the final establishment pattern of plants in different microhabitats along a saltmarsh tidal gradient. In the subsequent stages, abiotic factors, especially soil salinity, moisture, and inundation characteristics (He, ; Xie, Cui, & Li, ), would affect the emergence and growth of plants. In this way, tidal gradients provide a typical dynamic habitat where spatial and temporal variations in flooding (abiotic limitation) and drought (resource limitation) stimulate plant recruitment and impose strong environmental filters (Fraaije et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microtopographic structures facilitate plant recruitment across a saltmarsh tidal gradient

Wang

Cui

Luo

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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It is well known that establishment limitation is stronger than seed limitation in aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, it seems crucial during the recruitment recovery process to overcome this establishment limitation on bare or degraded patches. Microtopographic structures have been shown to act as trap agents in saltmarshes. They can facilitate establishment, but this effect has not been quantitatively examined and assessed. This study examined the facilitative effect of microtopographic structures on plant recruitment in a dynamic saltmarsh system by conducting a series of field experiments along a saltmarsh tidal gradient. A simple plant life‐cycle model was used to evaluate the dynamics of the plant recruitment process facilitated by microtopographic structure and the importance of each life stage. The influence of abiotic factors on each life stage was also assessed, to identify the determinants during the life history. It was revealed that seed retention was the limiting factor in a bare saltmarsh area, rather than seed dispersal. Microtopographic structures can provide trap agents to facilitate seed anchorage. During seed retention, the stability of the microtopographic structure, especially its relative surface elevation difference, can be influenced by tidal events and the associated sediment process, which then affects seed retention efficiency. Microtopographic structure has a strong environmental filtering effect that can revise the potential dispersed seed and emergence patterns, and the determinant of the final establishment pattern along a tidal gradient is the retention pattern resulting from the interactions between microtopographic structures and tidal events. Furthermore, it can be designed into the early stage of recovery or restoration process so that it facilitates pioneer plant establishment. These early recruitment patches will speed up the recovery or succession process by (1) providing local seed sources, (2) retaining more seeds via the established vegetative structures, and (3) modifying microhabitat factors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microtopographic structures facilitate plant recruitment across a saltmarsh tidal gradient

Wang

Cui

Luo

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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“…From the perspectives of life stages, the successful establishment of a plant can be determined by propagule sources (Levine & Murrell, 2003), windows of opportunity to anchor, emergence and growth (Friess et al, 2012;Rand, 2000;Xie et al, 2017) and relatively peaceful interactions with its neighbouring species (Bertness & Shumway, 1993). Salt marsh plants in all life stages can be affected by both biotic factors (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After establishment, the plant subsequently experiences hydrodynamic forces and inundation stressors during plant growth (Wang et al, 2019). All these factors are related to the tidal hydrological conditions or drove by the movement of tidal flows (Friess et al, 2012;Xie et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How hydrological connectivity regulates the plant recovery process in salt marshes

Wang

Xie

Luo

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Designing effective restoration strategies is a priority in recovering salt marsh plants. Hydrological connectivity is a main driver underpinning the success of the plant recovery process and can regulate life-history process-based restoration strategies. However, the relationship between these is unclear.2. Plant recovery needs to go through a whole life-history process, from seed to adult. Common restoration strategies are seed addition (SA) or seedling transplantation (ST), which start from seed germination and seedling growth stage.Besides these two strategies, another strategy starting from seed retention stage, microtopographic adjustment (MA), was designed to study the relationship with hydrological connectivity. A framework was also constructed to assess a gradient of hydrological connectivity between marsh plain and sea. We conducted several field experiments to test their relationships.3. The composite measurement of hydrological connectivity with five geomorphic variables can well represent the variation of environmental factors. Soil moisture, inundation frequency and sediment deposition were positively correlated, while soil salinity and hardness were negatively correlated with hydrological connectivity.4. The success of different restoration strategies varied with hydrological connectivity. MA showed a monotone decreasing trend, while SA and ST showed a unimodal trend as hydrological connectivity increased. Importantly, each strategy occupies a non-overlapping optimum range along the hydrological connectivity gradient.There is low hydrological connectivity for MA (0-0.28), middle hydrological connectivity for SA (0.28-0.55) and high hydrological connectivity for ST (0.55-1). Synthesis and applications.Our findings expand the quantification of the hydrological environment beyond elevation, distance or other single index to include a range of elements of hydrological connectivity, thus illustrating the underlying mechanisms of hydrological connectivity which regulate restoration strategies based on different life stages. The results provide a reliable framework to assess hydrological connectivity and offer guidance to select the optimum restoration strategy under different hydrological connectivities or to regulate the hydrological connectivity variables (topography on marsh plain and morphology of tidal | 1315

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Natural and Regenerated Saltmarshes Exhibit Similar Soil and Belowground Organic Carbon Stocks, Root Production and Soil Respiration

et al. 2019

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Analysing how plants in coastal wetlands respond to varying tidal regimes throughout their life cycles

Cited by 18 publications

References 49 publications

Microtopographic structures facilitate plant recruitment across a saltmarsh tidal gradient

Microtopographic structures facilitate plant recruitment across a saltmarsh tidal gradient

How hydrological connectivity regulates the plant recovery process in salt marshes

Natural and Regenerated Saltmarshes Exhibit Similar Soil and Belowground Organic Carbon Stocks, Root Production and Soil Respiration

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