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Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes

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A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 16867

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jesús M. Castillo

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Guest Editor

Departmento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: brackish wetlands; climate change; ecological restoration; environmental stress; invasive plant species; plant ecology; salt marshes

Dr. Jesús Cambrollé

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Departmento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080, Sevilla, Spain
Interests: coastal ecosystems; halophytes; climate change; ecological restoration; environmental stress; plant ecology

Dr. Blanca Gallego-Tévar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Instituto de Recursos Naturales CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
Interests: coastal ecosystems; halophytes; climate change; ecological restoration; environmental stress; plant ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Salt, brackish and freshwater tidal marshes fulfill many functions, such as biodiversity support, water quality improvement and carbon sequestration. At the same time, they have been affected by anthropogenic degradation worldwide. Wetland losses are a global problem, with 50% of the original wetlands that existed before human intervention now lost. Additionally, alteration of tidal habitats can arise through different processes such as introduction of exotic invasive species, erosion and sea level rise in the present climate change scenario. Intertidal plant species diversity, often including many endemic taxa, exists along pronounced environmental gradients of salinity and inundation and contributes to biological diversity on a landscape scale. Intertidal vegetation is increasingly vulnerable to unprecedented rates of climate change, sea level rise, and biological invasions that compromise diversity and critical ecosystem services provided by wetlands.

From a conservation perspective, improved knowledge of diversity and distribution thresholds of intertidal vegetation is needed to maintain essential ecosystem services and restore wetlands for climate change resilience. There is a need for conservation and ecological restoration of tidal wetlands. Passive and active conservation and restoration of tidal wetlands are critical for maintaining biodiversity in the face of marsh degradation and destruction. Ecological restoration that increases habitat heterogeneity provides new habitats and has been linked to increasing diversity and abundance of plants inhabiting tidal wetlands. In this context, monitoring is essential to assess the success of marsh conservation and restoration projects.

This Special Issue is an exciting opportunity to combine and synthesise recent research on conservation and restoration of salt, brackish and freshwater tidal marshes. This Special Issue explores diversity of intertidal plant communities, with focus on knowledge and approaches needed to mitigate influences of climate change and plant invasions on biodiversity in intertidal wetlands. This issue welcomes novel descriptive and experimental research on variation of intertidal plant species diversity, structure and functions with changing environmental gradients, knowledge to predict vulnerability of native species to plant invasions and climate change, and wetland restoration and management methods to maintain diverse resilient vegetation that promotes ecosystem services such as carbon storage and shoreline protection. Diversity’s team and we kindly invite you to submit a manuscript focused on any of the above topics. Although specific case studies with broad implications are welcome, we encourage authors to submit large-scale and/or multi-specific studies, synthesis works and reviews that could better enlarge our knowledge on the ecology conservation and restoration of tidal marshes worldwide. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Jesús Castillo
Dr. Jesús Cambrollé
Dr. Blanca Gallego-Tévar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

salt marsh
brackish marsh
halophyte
glycophyte
restoration
invasive species
biodiversity conservation
sea level rise
climate change
spartina
intertidal wetland

Published Papers (6 papers)

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16 pages, 2151 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contrasted Impacts of Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) on Plant Diversity in Tidal Wetlands within Its Native and Invaded Distribution Ranges

by Blanca Gallego-Tévar, Brenda J. Grewell, Christine R. Whitcraft, Joy C. Futrell, Gael Bárcenas-Moreno and Jesús M. Castillo

Diversity 2022, 14(5), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050326 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2407

Abstract

We conducted an intercontinental biogeographic survey to analyze the effects of an invasive plant species in its native and invaded ranges. Our study system included tidal wetlands colonized by Iris pseudacorus L. (yellow flag iris, Iridaceae) along salinity gradients in two estuaries in its native European (Guadalquivir Estuary) and invaded North American (San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary) ranges. We hypothesized I. pseudacorus would impart more negative community-level impacts on plant species diversity in the invaded range compared to the native range. Our results show that the colonization of Iris pseudacorus has very different effects on the diversity of tidal plant communities in its native and invaded ranges. In the native range, I. pseudacorus promoted plant diversity by increasing evenness and species richness. On the contrary, I. pseudacorus greatly reduced plant diversity in the invaded range, being this reduction higher in those communities with higher species richness and diversity levels. In view of these results, urgent management practices are needed to control and eradicate I. pseudacorus from the inland Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary since this invasive macrophyte is reducing plant diversity at local and landscape scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes)

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14 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Herbivory by Geese Inhibits Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration Success

by Justus Jobe, Cairn Krafft, Mikaila Milton and Keryn Gedan

Diversity 2022, 14(4), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14040278 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1975 | Correction

Abstract

Experimental results from a multi-year exclosure study (2009–2015) demonstrate strong effects of geese on plant cover and species diversity in an urban, restored tidal freshwater wetland. Access by geese inhibited plant establishment and suppressed plant diversity, particularly of annual plant species. Our experimental results demonstrate that the protection of newly restored tidal freshwater wetlands from geese is a make-or-break management activity that will determine the composition and long-term persistence of vegetation at the site. The causal herbivore, in this case, was resident, non-migratory Canada geese (Branta canadensis), which have increased dramatically over the last several decades and had high population densities throughout the study period. These findings suggest that management activities to reduce the population sizes of non-migratory goose populations will support greater wetland plant diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes)

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20 pages, 2930 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salt Marsh Restoration for the Provision of Multiple Ecosystem Services

by Janine B. Adams, Jacqueline L. Raw, Taryn Riddin, Johan Wasserman and Lara Van Niekerk

Diversity 2021, 13(12), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13120680 - 19 Dec 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5912

Abstract

Restoration of salt marsh is urgent, as these ecosystems provide natural coastal protection from sea-level rise impacts, contribute towards climate change mitigation, and provide multiple ecosystem services including supporting livelihoods. This study identified potential restoration sites for intervention where agricultural and degraded land could be returned to salt marsh at a national scale in South African estuaries. Overall, successful restoration of salt marsh in some estuaries will require addressing additional pressures such as freshwater inflow reduction and deterioration of water quality. Here, we present, a socio-ecological systems framework for salt marsh restoration that links salt marsh state and the well-being of people to guide meaningful and implementable management and restoration interventions. The framework is applied to a case study at the Swartkops Estuary where the primary restoration intervention intends to route stormwater run-off to abandoned salt works to re-create aquatic habitat for waterbirds, enhance carbon storage, and provide nutrient filtration. As the framework is generalized, while still allowing for site-specific pressures to be captured, there is potential for it to be applied at the national scale, with the largest degraded salt marsh areas set as priorities for such an initiative. It is estimated that ~1970 ha of salt marsh can be restored in this way, and this represents a 14% increase in the habitat cover for the country. Innovative approaches to restoring and improving condition are necessary for conserving salt marshes and the benefits they provide to society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes)

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15 pages, 1345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation and Effect of Heavy Metals on the Germination and Growth of Salsola vermiculata L. Seedlings

by Israel Sanjosé, Francisco Navarro-Roldán, María Dolores Infante-Izquierdo, Gloria Martínez-Sagarra, Juan Antonio Devesa, Alejandro Polo, Sara Ramírez-Acosta, Enrique Sánchez-Gullón, Francisco Javier Jiménez-Nieva and Adolfo Francisco Muñoz-Rodríguez

Diversity 2021, 13(11), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13110539 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3124

Abstract

The influence of different concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn) was analyzed in the Salsola vermiculata germination pattern, seedling development, and accumulation in seedlings. The responses to different metals were dissimilar. Germination was only significantly reduced at Cu and Zn 4000 μM but Zn induced radicle growth at lower concentrations. Without damage, the species acted as a good accumulator and tolerant for Mn, Ni, and Cu. In seedlings, accumulation increased following two patterns: Mn and Ni, induced an arithmetic increase in content in tissue, to the point where the content reached a maximum; with Cu and Ni, the pattern was linear, in which the accumulation in tissue was directly related to the metal concentration in the medium. Compared to other Chenopodiaceae halophyte species, S. vermiculata seems to be more tolerant of metals and is proposed for the phytoremediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes)

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15 pages, 1507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Pressures on Top-Down and Bottom-Up Forces in Coastal Ecosystems

by Michael J. Blum

Diversity 2021, 13(9), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13090444 - 16 Sep 2021

Viewed by 1924

Abstract

Global change is manifesting new and potent pressures that may determine the relative influence of top-down and bottom-up forces on the productivity of plants that undergird coastal ecosystems. Here, I present a meta-analysis conducted to assess how herbivory, nitrogen enrichment, and elevated salinity influence plant productivity according to the salinity regimes of coastal ecosystems. An examination of 99 studies representing 288 effect sizes across 76 different plant species revealed that elevated salinity negatively affected productivity across all environments, but particularly in freshwater ecosystems. Nitrogen enrichment, on the other hand, positively affected productivity. In agreement with the plant stress hypothesis, herbivory had the greatest negative impact in saline habitats. This trend, however, appears to reverse with nitrogen enrichment, with maximum losses to herbivory occurring in brackish habitats. These findings demonstrate that multiple stressors can yield complex, and sometimes opposite outcomes to those arising from individual stressors. This study also suggests that trophic interactions will likely shift as coastal ecosystems continue to experience nutrient enrichment and sea level rise. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Intertidal Marshes)

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