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<p>As mangroves expand into salt marsh habitat at temperate-subtropical ecotones, salt marsh grasses must respond to the larger woodier mangroves. Near the poleward limit of mangroves in Florida, USA, we previously showed that experimental warming alters mangrove <i>(Avicennia germinans)</i> growth differently at three sites that vary in latitude. However, the combined impact of direct warming and increased mangrove dominance on existing salt marsh plants and their growth forms remains unclear. Using the aforementioned warming experiment in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve, we investigated how warming and mangrove expansion impact the heights and density of two salt marsh plants. Though we could not separate roots by species, we also quantified how warming and mangrove presence alter ecosystem root productivity. We found that <i>Spartina alterniflora</i> growth was unaffected after two and three years of 1.6 ° C above average daily warming, but that marsh grass height and density changed in the presence of mangroves. Specifically, <i>S. alterniflora</i> density was negatively correlated and <i>S. alterniflora</i> height positively correlated with mangrove height, suggesting mangrove size drives <i>S. alterniflora</i> growth form. Another salt marsh plant, <i>Batis maritima</i>, also did not respond to warming. Despite the minimal impact of warming on aboveground growth, we found that warming seemed to increase root productivity in mangrove dominated plots at one site. Due to our finding that <i>S. alterniflora</i> density declined in the presence of bigger mangroves, we expect this salt marsh grass will decline in mangrove dominated portions of the Florida coastal ecotone, but <i>S. alterniflora</i> will persist in lower elevation coastal wetlands. This emerging matrix of mangrove-marsh wetlands will be driven more by vegetation shifts than by the direct effects of rising temperatures.</p>

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Salt Marsh Plants are Unaffected by Chronic Warming but Change Growth Form and Decline during Mangrove Expansion

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月6日

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  • Samantha K. Chapman,
  • Tess Adgie

摘要

As mangroves expand into salt marsh habitat at temperate-subtropical ecotones, salt marsh grasses must respond to the larger woodier mangroves. Near the poleward limit of mangroves in Florida, USA, we previously showed that experimental warming alters mangrove (Avicennia germinans) growth differently at three sites that vary in latitude. However, the combined impact of direct warming and increased mangrove dominance on existing salt marsh plants and their growth forms remains unclear. Using the aforementioned warming experiment in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve, we investigated how warming and mangrove expansion impact the heights and density of two salt marsh plants. Though we could not separate roots by species, we also quantified how warming and mangrove presence alter ecosystem root productivity. We found that Spartina alterniflora growth was unaffected after two and three years of 1.6 ° C above average daily warming, but that marsh grass height and density changed in the presence of mangroves. Specifically, S. alterniflora density was negatively correlated and S. alterniflora height positively correlated with mangrove height, suggesting mangrove size drives S. alterniflora growth form. Another salt marsh plant, Batis maritima, also did not respond to warming. Despite the minimal impact of warming on aboveground growth, we found that warming seemed to increase root productivity in mangrove dominated plots at one site. Due to our finding that S. alterniflora density declined in the presence of bigger mangroves, we expect this salt marsh grass will decline in mangrove dominated portions of the Florida coastal ecotone, but S. alterniflora will persist in lower elevation coastal wetlands. This emerging matrix of mangrove-marsh wetlands will be driven more by vegetation shifts than by the direct effects of rising temperatures.