Dissertation Research: Disturbance and Species Dominance in Plant Communities of Low Salinity Tidal Marshes

全球海平面上升预计将对沿海生态系统造成严重影响。然而，在最易受影响的低盐度沼泽地，干扰后影响植被再生的机制知之甚少。杀死植物的干扰可能会导致不同的再生模式比非杀死干扰，导致群落结构的差异。本论文的研究目的是：（1）研究在杀死干扰和非杀死干扰的影响下，盐沼植被抵抗其他物种入侵的能力;（2）研究盐度和干扰在盐沼植被物种优势格局中的作用。将进行一系列田间和温室试验。 详细了解影响植被再生的机制对于预测沿海沼泽植物群落对全球海平面上升的响应能力至关重要。这项研究将大大有助于增加有关海平面上升对沿海湿地影响的知识，并进一步了解不断变化的环境条件在植物群落动态中的作用。***

9321692 Mendelssohn Global sea level rise is expected to result in severe impacts to coastal ecosystems. However, mechanisms affecting regeneration of vegetation following disturbances in low salinity marshes most susceptible to impacts are poorly understood. Disturbances that kill plants may result in different patterns of regeneration than non-killing disturbances, leading to differences in community structure. The objectives of this dissertation research are to: (1) examine the ability of vegetation to resist invasion by other species when affected by killing or non-killing disturbances, (2) investigate the role of salinity and disturbance in species dominance patterns in salt marsh vegetation. A series of field and greenhouse experiments will be employed. %%% Detailed knowledge of mechanisms affecting regeneration of vegetation is crucial to out ability to predict the responses of plant communities in coastal marshes to global sea level rise. This research will contribute significantly to the growing body of knowledge regarding the effects of sea level rise on coastal wetlands, as well as further understanding of the role of changing environmental conditions in plant community dynamics. ***