Positive Feedbacks in Seagrass Ecosystems: Implications for Success in Conservation and Restoration

Nes, Egbert H. van; Geerling, Gertjan; Smolders, Alfons J. P.; Bouma, Tjeerd J.; Katwijk, M.M. van

doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9099-7

Cited by 257 publications

(280 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Several recent studies have argued that seagrass systems follow alternative stable state theory, implying hysteresis in the transition between vegetated and unvegetated states (van der Heide et al, 2007Carr et al, 2010Carr et al, , 2012. This has profound effect on the resilience of the system, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover versus recovery: Contrasting responses of two indicators in seagrass beds

Soissons

Han

et al. 2014

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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a b s t r a c tDespite being a highly valuable key-stone ecosystem, seagrass meadows are threatened and declining worldwide, creating urgent need for indicators of their health status. We compared two indicators for seagrass health: standing leaf area index versus relative recovery from local disturbance. Disturbance was created by removing aboveground biomass and recording the rate of regrowth for Zostera marina meadows exposed to contrasting wave regimes and nutrient stress levels.Within the experimental period, relative regrowth in gaps was around 50% in most plots, except for the ambient nutrient treatment at the sheltered site, where it exceeded 100%. The two indicators showed an opposite response to disturbance: the higher the standing leaf area index, the lower the relative recovery from disturbance. This conflicting response raises the question on the proper interpretation of such indicators to estimate seagrass health and resilience, and how to ideally monitor seagrass ecosystems in order to predict collapse.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover versus recovery: Contrasting responses of two indicators in seagrass beds

Soissons

Han

et al. 2014

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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“…Seagrasses alter their surrounding physical habitat, since their canopies attenuate turbulence and reduce water flow (Koch et al 2006), promoting fluxes of particles to the bed (Hendriks et al 2008) enhancing sedimentation (Koch et al 2006;Bos et al 2007) and preventing resuspension (Gacia and Duarte 2001). These intrinsic properties of macrophyte canopies act to stabilize sediments, reduce erosion and turbidity of the overlying water column (Madsen et al 2001), strongly influencing near-shore sediment dynamics (Marba et al 2002;van der Heide et al 2007). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of seagrasses and algae of the Caulerpa family on hydrodynamics and particle-trapping rates

et al. 2009

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The widespread decline of seagrass beds within the Mediterranean often results in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic green algae of the Caulerpa family. Because Caulerpa beds have a different height, stiffness and density compared to seagrasses, these changes in habitat type modify the interaction of the seafloor with hydrodynamics, influencing key processes such as sediment resuspension and particle trapping. Here, we compare the effects on hydrodynamics and particle trapping of Caulerpa taxifolia, C. racemosa, and C. prolifera with the Mediterranean seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica. All macrophyte canopies reduced near-bed volumetric flow rates compared to bare sediment, vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy revealed peak values around the top of the canopies, and maximum values of Reynolds stress increased by a factor of between 1.4 (C. nodosa) and 324

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“…Restoring connectivity in tropical seascapes means restoring donor ecosystems and their ecosystem engineers to the point where there is sufficient relevant physical structure for the positive effects on the recipient ecosystems (van der Heide et al, 2007;Bouma et al, 2009). In some cases artificial structures may be preventing connected fluxes between adjacent ecosystems, however the scale and impact of artificial structures is still relatively unknown Heery et al, 2017).…”

Section: The Need Of Targeting Connectivity In Restoration Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly true of tropical coastal regions, where one-third of humanity is supported on 4% of the total world land area (Barbier et al, 2008). Increased human exploitation of these coastal zones has caused declines in the health and extent of mangrove forests (35% Valiela et al, 2001), seagrass beds (30%; Waycott et al, 2009, and coral reefs (20%;Bellwood et al, 2004) over the last 20-40 years ( Figure 1A). The decreased area and functioning of these ecosystems implies concomitant loss of the ecosystem services they provide, particularly coastal defense in the face of projected sea level rise (Temmerman et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many attempts target one ecosystem without considering interactions among many. Interactions among adjacent ecosystems and their associated ecosystem engineers may influence local management success, but are rarely included despite general recognition of the potential importance of seascape-scale connectivity to ecosystem- (Valiela et al, 2001); seagrass beds (Waycott et al, 2009); coral reefs (Bellwood et al, 2004). (B) Percent restoration failure calculated from the number of restoration projects (106 mangrove forests; 141 seagrass beds; 293 coral reefs) and the number judged unsuccessful (Bayraktarov et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Opportunities for Protecting and Restoring Tropical Coastal Ecosystems by Utilizing a Physical Connectivity Approach

et al. 2017

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Effectively managing human pressures on tropical seascapes (mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs) requires innovative approaches that go beyond the ecosystem as the focal unit. Recent advances in scientific understanding of long-distance connectivity via extended ecosystem engineering effects and on-going rapid developments in monitoring and data-sharing technologies provide viable tools for novel management approaches that use positive across-ecosystem interactions (for example, hydrodynamics). Scientists and managers can now use this collective knowledge to develop monitoring and restoration protocols that are specialized for cross ecosystem fluxes (waves, sediments, nutrients) on a site-specific basis for connected tropical seascape (mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs).

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Positive Feedbacks in Seagrass Ecosystems: Implications for Success in Conservation and Restoration

Cited by 257 publications

References 48 publications

Cover versus recovery: Contrasting responses of two indicators in seagrass beds

Cover versus recovery: Contrasting responses of two indicators in seagrass beds

Effects of seagrasses and algae of the Caulerpa family on hydrodynamics and particle-trapping rates

Opportunities for Protecting and Restoring Tropical Coastal Ecosystems by Utilizing a Physical Connectivity Approach

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