The behavior of birds digging pits and foraging in the degraded coastal wetland promotes the restoration of vegetation

Abstract

Birds are a very important part of the coastal wetland ecosystem, and they are also ecosystem engineers who can affect the abiotic environment and biological processes through their own behavior. Understanding the ecosystem engineering effect of birds in the coastal wetland ecosystem plays an important role in the ecological restoration of coastal wetlands. Through field investigation, the effects of pit digging and foraging behavior of coastal birds led by Grus grus and Anas poecilorhyncha on the topography and soil environmental physical and chemical indicators in the vegetation degradation area were studied, so as to promote the restoration of Suaeda salsa vegetation. The results showed that birds’ digging and foraging behavior in the degraded vegetation area changed the micro topography and soil environment in the degraded area, resulting in a significant decrease in soil hardness and soil salinity, while soil moisture content and soil carbon and nitrogen nutrition index were significantly higher than those in the degraded flat area without the influence of birds; in addition, the pit micro terrain environment improved by bird activities can significantly improve the seed retention, seedling colonization and adult survival of Suaeda salsa, and effectively promote the restoration of Suaeda salsa in the vegetation degradation area. Inspired by the change of microtopography by birds to promote vegetation restoration, it is proposed that we can try to artificially simulate and transform the microtopography environment in the degraded area, and promote the vegetation restoration in the degraded area of coastal wetlands through human intervention, which has important guiding significance for the ecological restoration of coastal wetlands.