TY  - JOUR
U1  - Zeitschriftenartikel, wissenschaftlich - begutachtet (reviewed)
A1  - Schwab, André
A1  - Stammel, Barbara
A1  - Kiehl, Kathrin
T1  - Seed dispersal via a new watercourse in a reconnected floodplain: differences in species groups and seasonality
JF  - Restoration Ecology
N2  - Reconnection of floodplains to rivers to enhance fluvial dynamics is a favored method of floodplain restoration in Europe. It is believed that the restoration of hydrological conditions of the floodplain facilitates natural dispersal of target species, and hence the reestablishment, of typical plant communities. The aim of our study was to investigate whether floodplain target species could reach restoration sites via hydrochorous dispersal. We analyzed seed inflow from the river and seed dispersal in different sectors of a new watercourse in the Danube floodplain. Seeds were captured using 27 seed traps during three sampling periods of 3 weeks each from summer 2011 to spring 2012. After germination seedlings were identified, we detected a total of almost 39,000 seeds of 176 species, including 80 target species of riparian habitats. We found significant differences between seasons (most seeds in autumn/winter) and between stream sectors. Fewer seeds came in from the Danube (2,800 seeds) than were transported within the floodplain. Several new floodplain target species were detected, which had not been found in the aboveground vegetation or soil seed bank before the start of the restoration. Seeds of nonnative species did not disperse further than approximately 1 km. Our results indicated that hydrochorous seed dispersal from upstream habitats along the new watercourse was important for the establishment of target species and hence for the success of floodplain restoration. Technical water diversion weirs must be traversable for seeds, and small donor sectors upstream might enhance the reestablishment of target vegetation along new sectors downstream.
KW  - Danube
KW  - Ecological restoration
KW  - Hydrochory
KW  - Nonnative species
KW  - Seed traps
Y1  - 2018
SN  - 1526-100X
SS  - 1526-100X
SN  - 1061-2971
SS  - 1061-2971
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12677
DO  - https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12677
N1  - Zugriff im Hochschulnetz
VL  - 26
IS  - S2
SP  - 103
EP  - 113
ER  -