Biomechanical properties of marsh vegetation in space and time: effects of salinity, inundation and seasonality.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Over the last decade, the importance of plant biomechanical properties in shaping wave dissipation efficiency of marsh vegetation has gained growing attention. Here we provide the first analyses of how biomechanical stem properties vary with seasons and along environmental gradients in coastal and estuarine marshes, which is essential to enable accurate assessments of flood defence value of marsh vegetation.

Methods

We quantified both spatial and seasonal variation in stem flexibility and breakability for a variety of common marsh vegetation (Spartina anglica, Scirpus maritimus, Phragmites australis, Elymus athericus, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Saliconia procumbens) distributed along both salinity and inundation gradients.

Key results

Increa

SUBMITTER: Zhu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7442387 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature