Plant traits shape the effects of tidal flooding on soil and plant communities in saltmarshes

Pellegrini, Elisa; Boscutti, Francesco; Nobili, Maria De; Casolo, Valentino

doi:10.1007/s11258-018-0837-z

Cited by 10 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…We hypothesized that flavonoids might also be affected by shrub abundance, here representing a proxy for plant–plant interaction intensity. The size of shrubs has already been linked to species competition (Treydte et al 2009), while plant cover has also been used as an index of plant–plant interaction intensity along ecological gradients (Bonanomi et al 2016; Pellegrini et al 2018). In V. myrtillus stands, high shrub cover leads to slender aerial biomass and taller individuals, mainly due to more elongated annual shoots (Boscutti et al 2018) and has been proved to affect carbohydrate allocation in reserve organs (Casolo et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

et al. 2020

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The study of morphological and physiological responses of shrubs to climate is crucial for the understanding of future scenarios regarding climate change. In this light, studying shrub growth and physiological acclimation along an elevation gradient might be insightful. The phenolic metabolic pathway represents a powerful tool to interpret such processes. In the South‐Eastern Alps, we investigated the relationships between elevation, plant traits (i.e. age, xylem ring width, annual shoot length), plant–plant interaction (i.e. shrub cover) and flavonoids in Vaccinium myrtillus L. (leaves, berries) in stands above the treeline. The relationships were parsed within causal networks using a confirmatory path analysis. Elevation was the main driver of V. myrtillus growth, having both direct and indirect effects on the leaf flavonoid content, but this was less evident for berries. In particular, the content of foliar flavonoids showed a peak at mid‐elevation and where the growth of xylem rings was intermediate, while it decreased in stands with higher shoot length. Flavonoid content variability of both leaves and berries was affected by elevation and shoot length. In berries, flavonoid variability was further related to all growth traits and shrub cover. These findings evidence that flavonoid content is influenced by both elevation and growth traits of V. myrtillus, often showing non‐linear relationships. These results suggest a trait‐mediated response of this plant to climate conditions as a result of trade‐offs between plant growth, plant defence, environmental stress and nutrient/resource availability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

et al. 2020

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“…Nevertheless, the lack of a significant direct relationship between the hydroperiod and AVS in the calcareous saltmarsh soils we examined suggests that flooding may have no direct influence on AVS accumulation. The surprising absence of a relationship between AVS accumulation and soil Eh has been already recorded in similar saltmarsh soils (Pellegrini et al 2018b). Nevertheless, in the optimized model, both hydroperiod and Eh showed an indirect relationship with AVS, and their effect seemed to be mitigated by soil pH.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Soil Organic Carbon and Carbonates are Binding Phases for Simultaneously Extractable Metals in Calcareous Saltmarsh Soils

Pellegrini

Contin

Antisari

et al. 2019

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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The ability of the simultaneously extracted metals/acid volatile sulfides (∑SEM/AVS) index to ascertain environmental risk from potentially toxic elements in calcareous saltmarsh soils was tested using structural equation modeling. This technique allows the detection of both direct and indirect relationships among AVS, SEM, and other soil variables, representing results in a graphical view. The dataset included 90 soil samples from 21 different sites belonging to 6 different saltmarshes and featured a wide range of soil chemicophysical properties. Variables included in the a priori model were hydroperiod, pH, soil redox potential, labile organic carbon, carbonates, total iron, and total amount of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The best optimized model pointed out the main soil properties that affect AVS accumulation and SEM speciation in these soils. Effect plots of AVS and SEM calculated with the partial linear mixed‐effects models included in the piecewise structural equation modeling showed a significant and positive influence of pH and carbonates on AVS and a highly significant effect of carbonates and labile organic carbon on SEM. Single SEM components were also considered separately, to define the potential contributions of labile organic carbon or carbonates as alternative binding phases. Simultaneously extracted Cu, Ni, and Zn were preferentially bound to carbonates, followed by labile organic carbon, whereas Pb and Cd were easily bound to labile organic carbon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2688–2697. © 2019 SETAC

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“…The vegetation zonation could be more relevant to species‐specific strategies (Pellegrini et al. ). Plant trait‐based approaches are widely used to understand plant communities, species abundance, and even ecosystem functioning (Ozinga et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonetheless, the distribution of N and P in plants varies not only with soil properties but also with species and overall environmental and physiological growth strategies (Reich and Oleksyn 2004). The vegetation zonation could be more relevant to species-specific strategies (Pellegrini et al 2018). Plant traitbased approaches are widely used to understand plant communities, species abundance, and even ecosystem functioning (Ozinga et al 2009), and edaphic conditions are pivotal factors that drive them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been imperative to perform restoration engineering for degraded S. Salsa habitats. Plant traits can influence species richness, change the community structure, and modulate the effects of flooding (Pellegrini et al 2018); therefore, plant traitbased restoration is promising, although few researchers have studied this method. Therefore, we combined field surveys and experimental fieldwork at four distinct sites that vary with tidal regime from seaward to landward, considering the site dependence of plant traits, the edaphic conditions along the tidal gradient, and the relevance of plant-soil interactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tidal regime influences the spatial variation in trait‐based responses of Suaeda salsa and edaphic conditions

Wang

Yan

et al. 2019

Ecosphere

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Tidal regime is recognized as a vital hydrological process in the restructuring of saltmarsh vegetation communities, resulting in differing edaphic conditions and ecosystem functions. Ample studies have focused on the context‐dependent effects of tidal disturbance on saltmarsh vegetation worldwide, particularly trait‐based responses to physical factors; however, to our knowledge, there are few insights into the edaphic conditions and responses of saltmarsh plants as well as plant–soil systems to tidal disturbance gradients in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), a temperate estuary in northern China. Here, we conducted field surveys and experimental fieldwork at four distinct sites that varied with tidal regime. Site‐specific effects of tidal disturbance on the annual saltmarsh foundation plant Suaeda salsa, as well as their edaphic surroundings, were analyzed. Our results showed that trait‐based responses largely explained the tidal disturbance impacts on S. salsa; moreover, the edaphic environment differed significantly among sites. We found that flooding frequency had a significantly negative relation to S. salsa total biomass, which consisted of above‐ and belowground biomass, and a significantly positive relation to height. In general, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus differed among sites, and these differences changed with the soil layers. In addition, there were some correlations between the soil environment and plant traits. Total organic carbon was linearly positively linked to the biomass of S. salsa at each soil depth. The carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of the soil had a low correlation with that of the belowground biomass of S. salsa but had a significant correlation with that of the aboveground biomass of S. salsa. Our study suggests that spatial patterns of S. salsa and edaphic conditions in the YRD vary with tidal regime, therefore providing a basis for the context‐dependent conservation and restoration of coastal saltmarsh ecosystems, especially in areas with irregular, semidiurnal tides. Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of potential interactive effects between plant traits and tidal disturbances in regulating biogeochemical cycles, especially carbon sequestration, in coastal saltmarsh systems.

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Plant traits shape the effects of tidal flooding on soil and plant communities in saltmarshes

Cited by 10 publications

References 72 publications

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

Soil Organic Carbon and Carbonates are Binding Phases for Simultaneously Extractable Metals in Calcareous Saltmarsh Soils

Tidal regime influences the spatial variation in trait‐based responses of Suaeda salsa and edaphic conditions

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