Long-term nutrient reductions lead to the unprecedented recovery of a temperate coastal region.

ABSTRACT: Humans strongly impact the dynamics of coastal systems, yet surprisingly few studies mechanistically link management of anthropogenic stressors and successful restoration of nearshore habitats over large spatial and temporal scales. Such examples are sorely needed to ensure the success of ecosystem restoration efforts worldwide. Here, we unite 30 consecutive years of watershed modeling, biogeochemical data, and comprehensive aerial surveys of Chesapeake Bay, United States to quantify the cascading effects of anthropogenic impacts on submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV), an ecologically and economically valuable habitat. We employ structural equation models to link land use change to higher nutrient loads, which in turn reduce SAV cover through multiple, independent pathways. We also show thr

SUBMITTER: Lefcheck JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5889635 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature