Flooding and Soil Properties Control Plant Intra- and Interspecific Interactions in Salt Marshes
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Flooding and Soil Properties Control Plant Intra- and Interspecific Interactions in Salt Marshes. / Pellegrini, Elisa; Incerti, Guido; Pedersen, Ole; Moro, Natasha; Foscari, Alessandro; Casolo, Valentino; Contin, Marco; Boscutti, Francesco.
I: Plants, Bind 11, Nr. 15, 1940, 2022.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Flooding and Soil Properties Control Plant Intra- and Interspecific Interactions in Salt Marshes
AU - Pellegrini, Elisa
AU - Incerti, Guido
AU - Pedersen, Ole
AU - Moro, Natasha
AU - Foscari, Alessandro
AU - Casolo, Valentino
AU - Contin, Marco
AU - Boscutti, Francesco
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) states that plant-plant interactions shift from competition to facilitation in increasing stress conditions. In salt marshes, edaphic properties can weaken the application of the SGH by amplifying the intensity of flooding and controlling plant zonation. We identified facilitative and competitive interactions along flooding gradients and tested the role of edaphic properties in exacerbating stress and shaping plant-plant interactions. Morphological traits of two target halophytes (Limonium narbonense and Sarcocornia fruticosa), flooding intensity, soil texture and soil organic C were recorded. The relative plant fitness index was assessed for the two species based on the relative growth in plurispecific rather than monospecific plant communities. Plant fitness increased with increasing stress supporting the SGH. L. narbonense showed larger fitness in plurispecific stands whereas S. fruticosa performed better in conspecific stands. Significant intra- or interspecific interactions were observed along the stress gradient defined by the combination of flooding and clay content in soil. When considering the limited soil organic C as stressor, soil properties were more important than flooding in defining plant-plant interactions. We highlight the need for future improvements of the SGH approach by including edaphic stressors in the model and their possible interactions with the main abiotic drivers of zonation.
AB - The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) states that plant-plant interactions shift from competition to facilitation in increasing stress conditions. In salt marshes, edaphic properties can weaken the application of the SGH by amplifying the intensity of flooding and controlling plant zonation. We identified facilitative and competitive interactions along flooding gradients and tested the role of edaphic properties in exacerbating stress and shaping plant-plant interactions. Morphological traits of two target halophytes (Limonium narbonense and Sarcocornia fruticosa), flooding intensity, soil texture and soil organic C were recorded. The relative plant fitness index was assessed for the two species based on the relative growth in plurispecific rather than monospecific plant communities. Plant fitness increased with increasing stress supporting the SGH. L. narbonense showed larger fitness in plurispecific stands whereas S. fruticosa performed better in conspecific stands. Significant intra- or interspecific interactions were observed along the stress gradient defined by the combination of flooding and clay content in soil. When considering the limited soil organic C as stressor, soil properties were more important than flooding in defining plant-plant interactions. We highlight the need for future improvements of the SGH approach by including edaphic stressors in the model and their possible interactions with the main abiotic drivers of zonation.
U2 - 10.3390/plants11151940
DO - 10.3390/plants11151940
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35893643
VL - 11
JO - Plants
JF - Plants
SN - 2223-7747
IS - 15
M1 - 1940
ER -
ID: 315983254