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Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gittman, RK; Fodrie, FJ; Baillie, CJ; Brodeur, MC; Currin, CA; Keller, DA; Kenworthy, MD; Morton, JP; Ridge, JT; Zhang, YS
Published in: Estuaries and Coasts
May 1, 2018

Foundation species regulate communities by reducing environmental stress and providing habitat for other species. Successful restoration of biogenic habitats often depends on restoring foundation species at appropriate spatial scales within a suitable range of environmental conditions. An improved understanding of the relationship between restoration scale and environmental conditions has the potential to improve restoration outcomes for many biogenic habitats. Here, we identified and tested whether inundation/exposure stress and spatial scale (patch size) can interactively determine (1) survival and growth of a foundation species, Spartina alterniflora and (2) recruitment of supported fauna. We planted S. alterniflora and artificial mimics in large and small patches at elevations above and below local mean sea level (LMSL) and monitored plant survivorship and production, as well as faunal recruitment. In the first growing season, S. alterniflora plant survivorship and stem densities were greater above LMSL than below LMSL regardless of patch size, while stem height was greatest in small patches below LMSL. By the third growing season, S. alterniflora patch expansion was greater above LMSL than below LMSL, while stem densities were higher in large patches than small patches, regardless of location relative to LMSL. Unlike S. alterniflora, which was more productive above LMSL, sessile marine biota recruitment to mimic plants was higher in patches below LMSL than above LMSL. Our results highlight an ecological tradeoff at ~LMSL between foundation species restoration and faunal recruitment. Increasing patch size as inundation increases may offset this tradeoff and enhance resilience of restored marshes to sea-level rise.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Estuaries and Coasts

DOI

EISSN

1559-2731

ISSN

1559-2723

Publication Date

May 1, 2018

Volume

41

Issue

3

Start / End Page

884 / 895

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences
 

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Gittman, R. K., Fodrie, F. J., Baillie, C. J., Brodeur, M. C., Currin, C. A., Keller, D. A., … Zhang, Y. S. (2018). Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh. Estuaries and Coasts, 41(3), 884–895. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-017-0302-6
Gittman, R. K., F. J. Fodrie, C. J. Baillie, M. C. Brodeur, C. A. Currin, D. A. Keller, M. D. Kenworthy, J. P. Morton, J. T. Ridge, and Y. S. Zhang. “Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh.” Estuaries and Coasts 41, no. 3 (May 1, 2018): 884–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-017-0302-6.
Gittman RK, Fodrie FJ, Baillie CJ, Brodeur MC, Currin CA, Keller DA, et al. Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh. Estuaries and Coasts. 2018 May 1;41(3):884–95.
Gittman, R. K., et al. “Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh.” Estuaries and Coasts, vol. 41, no. 3, May 2018, pp. 884–95. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s12237-017-0302-6.
Gittman RK, Fodrie FJ, Baillie CJ, Brodeur MC, Currin CA, Keller DA, Kenworthy MD, Morton JP, Ridge JT, Zhang YS. Living on the Edge: Increasing Patch Size Enhances the Resilience and Community Development of a Restored Salt Marsh. Estuaries and Coasts. 2018 May 1;41(3):884–895.
Journal cover image

Published In

Estuaries and Coasts

DOI

EISSN

1559-2731

ISSN

1559-2723

Publication Date

May 1, 2018

Volume

41

Issue

3

Start / End Page

884 / 895

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences