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Seed dispersal via a new watercourse in a reconnected floodplain: differences in species groups and seasonality

  • 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.

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Metadaten
Author:André Schwab, Barbara Stammel, Kathrin KiehlORCiD
Title (English):Seed dispersal via a new watercourse in a reconnected floodplain: differences in species groups and seasonality
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12677
ISSN:1526-100X
ISSN:1061-2971
Parent Title (English):Restoration Ecology
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2018
electronic ID:Zur Anzeige in scinos
Release Date:2023/11/27
Tag:Danube; Ecological restoration; Hydrochory; Nonnative species; Seed traps
Volume:26
Issue:S2
First Page:103
Last Page:113
Note:
Zugriff im Hochschulnetz
Faculties:Fakultät AuL
DDC classes:500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 500 Naturwissenschaften
Review Status:Veröffentlichte Fassung/Verlagsversion