Collaborative Research: Effects of Nutrients on Salt Marsh Zonation

BERTNESS DEB-9628743本提案的目的是研究营养水平在确定盐沼植物物种的分布和丰度方面的作用。 初步实验表明，营养水平通过改变竞争的焦点从地下到地上来影响沼泽植物的竞争能力。 这表明，沼泽植被格局的差异是由于营养水平的变化，地上和地下之间的竞争权衡的结果。 研究人员将通过实验研究营养物质和竞争能力之间的联系以及营养物质供应和沼泽植被模式之间的关系。 资源管理者对影响物种沿着环境梯度分布格局的变量很感兴趣。 这项研究的结果将提供一个重要的工具，帮助生态学家预测人为营养添加对本地植物群落的后果。

BERTNESS DEB-9628743 The objective of this proposal is to examine the role of nutrient levels in determining the distribution and abundance of salt marsh plants species. Preliminary experiments indicate that nutrient levels influence the competitive ability of marsh plants by changing the focus of competition from belowground to aboveground. This suggests that differences in marsh vegetation patterns are the result of tradeoffs between above and belowground competition as nutrient levels change. The investigators will experimentally investigate the mechanisms responsible for the linkage between nutrients and competitive ability and the relationship between nutrient supplies and marsh vegetation patterns. The variables that contribute to the distribution patterns of species along environmental gradients are of interest to resource managers. Results from this study will provide an important tool in helping ecologists predict the consequences of anthropogenic nutrient additions on native plant communities.