Hapaxant Species of Coastal Beach Plains Colonizing Embanked Sand Flats

Abstract

The article documents the colonization of sand tlats exposed in a new polder by r-selected species of beach plain environments. i.e. Sagina maritima, Juncus bufonius ssp. ambiguus. Centaurium pulchellum, C. littorale and Sag ina nodosa var. moniliformis. Species distribution along transects after eight years of succession in the polder and on the beach plain of the island of Schiermonnikoog were compared and related to combinations of the principal environmental factors: salinity. hydrology and % coverage of the vegetation. It is concluded that several hapaxant species of beach plain communities. and especially those belonging to the B2 life form (summer annuals exhibiting innate dormancy) are pre-destined to be successful colonizers of embanked flats, indicating temporary ecological similarity. The more even distribution of the species in the hapaxant life form spectrum of the polder susceptibly indicates the succession towards mesic communities.

Wetlands of recent Dutch embankments

“…The sandfiats had attracted several species from dune slack-type environments, such as Carex oederi pulchella, C. distans, Centaurium pulchellum, C. littorale, Odontites verna serotina, Parnassia palustris and Schoenus nigricans (Bruinenberg et al, 1980) (Table 1).…”

Wetlands of recent Dutch embankments

“…The sandflats had attracted several species from dune slack-type environments, such as Carex oederipulchella, C. distans, Centaurium pulchellum, C. littorale, Odontites verna serotina, Parnassia palustris and Schoenus nigricans (Bruinenberg et al, 1980) (Table 1).…”

The significance of waterfowl grazing in the primary vegetation succession on embanked sandflats

“…The mechanism by which succession towards perennial grasslands is retarded, lies in the 'salt-conservationism' (Baas-Becking, 1936), i.e. the capillary rise of sodium chloride (see also Joenje, 1978;Bruinenberg et al, 1980). This creates high concentrations in a shallow upper soil layer of bare, i.e.…”