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<p>Plant height can indicate environmental conditions within tidal wetlands, but regional and temporal trends have rarely been examined. We used &gt; 4000 height records of dominant herbaceous perennials measured from vegetation plots in reference and restoring tidal wetlands across four environmentally distinct coastlines in mainland Nova Scotia. Eight species had sufficient records for statistical analyses; 9 of 41 reference sites had at least five years of repeated samples. Average heights of several species were significantly greater for Inner Bay of Fundy minerogenic wetlands compared with Atlantic and Northumberland Strait coastlines. The Atlantic coast had the highest nitrogen, organic matter content and salinity, with Inner Bay of Fundy having the lowest values. Plant height differences across the coastlines are likely due to higher inundation durations on the Atlantic coast, intermediate durations on Northumberland Straight and Outer Bay of Fundy coasts, and the lowest durations in the Inner Bay. Reference heights for dominant low, high and brackish marsh graminoids were negatively correlated with elevation. Controlling for broad coastline differences using a mixed linear model showed positive correlations between nutrients and height for <i>Sporobolus alterniflorus</i> and <i>Carex paleacea</i> and negative correlations with height for <i>Juncus balticus</i> and <i>Distichlis spicata</i>. At restoration sites, heights of salt and brackish marsh dominants showed consistent trends only at the Inner Bay of Fundy sites, with heights peaking 4–7 years post-restoration, followed by declines &gt; 10 years onward. This height response may result from increased nutrient availability following sediment accretion in early post-restoration followed by declines as accretion slows down.</p>

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Monitoring vegetation height to track environmental change and restoration trajectory in tidal wetlands

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月28日

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  • J. T. Lundholm,
  • K. J. Williams,
  • E. Hodgson,
  • K. Sampson,
  • J. M. Graham,
  • T. M. Bowron,
  • A. K. Walker,
  • D. van Proosdij

摘要

Plant height can indicate environmental conditions within tidal wetlands, but regional and temporal trends have rarely been examined. We used > 4000 height records of dominant herbaceous perennials measured from vegetation plots in reference and restoring tidal wetlands across four environmentally distinct coastlines in mainland Nova Scotia. Eight species had sufficient records for statistical analyses; 9 of 41 reference sites had at least five years of repeated samples. Average heights of several species were significantly greater for Inner Bay of Fundy minerogenic wetlands compared with Atlantic and Northumberland Strait coastlines. The Atlantic coast had the highest nitrogen, organic matter content and salinity, with Inner Bay of Fundy having the lowest values. Plant height differences across the coastlines are likely due to higher inundation durations on the Atlantic coast, intermediate durations on Northumberland Straight and Outer Bay of Fundy coasts, and the lowest durations in the Inner Bay. Reference heights for dominant low, high and brackish marsh graminoids were negatively correlated with elevation. Controlling for broad coastline differences using a mixed linear model showed positive correlations between nutrients and height for Sporobolus alterniflorus and Carex paleacea and negative correlations with height for Juncus balticus and Distichlis spicata. At restoration sites, heights of salt and brackish marsh dominants showed consistent trends only at the Inner Bay of Fundy sites, with heights peaking 4–7 years post-restoration, followed by declines > 10 years onward. This height response may result from increased nutrient availability following sediment accretion in early post-restoration followed by declines as accretion slows down.