10.5061/DRYAD.380G2
Sullivan, Martin J. P.
University of Leeds
Davy, Anthony J.
University of East Anglia
Grant, Alastair
University of East Anglia
Mossman, Hannah L.
Manchester Metropolitan University
Data from: Is saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching
natural environments or altered succession? a test using niche models
Dryad
dataset
2018
Spartina anglica
Limonium vulgare
Suaeda maritima
Plant Community
redox
Puccinellia maritima
Triglochin maritima
Salicornia europaea agg
Aster tripolium
niche models
Elytrigia atherica
tidal frame
Atriplex portulacoides
Plantago maritima
species occurrence
managed realignment
de-embankment
2018-10-18T00:00:00Z
2018-10-18T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13033
54912 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
1.Restored habitats, such as saltmarsh created through managed
realignment, sometimes fail to meet targets for biological equivalence
with natural reference sites. Understanding why this happens is important
in order to improve restoration outcomes. 2.Elevation in the tidal frame
and sediment redox potential are major controls on the distribution of
saltmarsh plants. We use niche models to characterize ten species’
responses to these, and test whether differences in species occurrence
between restored and natural saltmarshes in the UK result from failure to
recreate adequate environmental conditions. 3.Six species occurred less
frequently in recently restored marshes than natural marshes. Failure of
restored marshes to achieve the elevation and redox conditions of natural
marshes partially explained the underrepresentation of five of these
species, but did not explain patterns of occurrence on older (> 50
years) restored marshes. 4.For all species, an effect of marsh age
remained after controlling for differences in environmental conditions.
This could be due to differences in successional mechanism between
restored and natural marshes. In recently restored marshes, high-marsh
species occurred lower in the tidal frame and low-marsh species occurred
at higher elevations than in natural marshes. This supports the hypothesis
that competition is initially weaker in restored marshes, because of the
availability of bare sediment across the whole tidal frame. Species that
establish outside their normal realized niche, such as Atriplex
portulacoides, may inhibit subsequent colonization of other species that
occurred less frequently than expected on older restored marshes.
5.Synthesis and applications. Niche models can be used to test whether
abiotic differences between restored sites and their natural counterparts
are responsible for discrepancies in species occurrence. In saltmarshes,
simply replicating environmental conditions will not result in equivalent
species occurrence.
Species occurrence and environmental data from Sullivan et al "Is
saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching natural environments
or altered succession? A test using niche models"Quadrat data used in
statistical analysis. Columns are quadrat ID, region (Essex, Norfolk or
Humber), marsh age (MR = managed realignment, AR = accidental realignment,
NAT = natural reference), redox potential (mV), relative tidal height,
then the presence (1) or absence (0) of each study species. Species
abbreviations are as used in the paper. Note that one site (FHOLME,
quadrat IDs FHOLME 1 to FHOLME 50) was excluded from the final analysis as
it was subject to historic grazing.Species and environmental data from
Sullivan et al Is saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching
natural environments or altered succession.csv
UK