Success of managed realignment for the restoration of salt-marsh biodiversity: preliminary results on ground-active spiders

Abstract

Abstract Since the early 1990s managed realignment, where formerly reclaimed land is re-exposed to tidal inundation through breaching of coastal embankments, has been increasingly used throughout Northern Europe as a cost effective and sustainable response to biodiversity loss and flood management. This study aimed to evaluate the success of managed realignment schemes that resulted in salt-marsh development for the restoration of spider assemblages. Restoration of salt-marsh fauna was studied by comparing ground-active spiders between recently inundated land (3–14 years old) and pair-matched, adjacent natural salt marshes. Natural reference salt marshes were characterized by a relatively low species richness, the dominance of late-successional stage species such as Pirata piraticus (Clerck 1757), and the presence of species preferring a closed vegetation canopy like Arctosa fulvolineata (Lucas 1846) and Pardosa nigriceps (Thorell 1856). Restored habitats were characterized by greater species richness tha...