Abstract
The monitoring of biodiversity has mainly focused on the species level. However, researchers and land managers are making increasing use of complementary assessment tools that address higher levels of biological organization, i.e. communities, habitats and ecosystems. Recently, a variety of frameworks have been proposed for assessing the conservation status of communities or ecosystems. Among the various criteria proposed, all the protocols suggest considering (i) spatial aspects (range and area), and (ii) qualitative aspects of specific structures and functions. However, changes to ecological function are difficult to quantify and many protocols end up by using qualitative criteria. The aim of this work was to test the efficacy of some plant community attributes for the detection of vegetation quality in sand dune plant communities. We chose plant community attributes that either help to distinguish a habitat from others (diagnostic components) or play a significant role in habitat function and persistence over time. We used a diachronic approach by contrasting up-to-date vegetation data with data from previous studies carried out within the same areas. Changes in species composition were detected through detrended correspondence analyses (detrended correspondence analyses), Multi-Response Permutation Procedures and Indicator Species Analysis, while structural changes were analyzed by comparing species richness, total species cover, ecological groups of species and growth forms through null models. Ecological groups such as native focal species and aliens, and growth forms proved their efficacy in discriminating between habitat types and in describing their changes over time. The approach used in this study may provide an instrument for the assessment of plant community quality that can be applied to other coastal ecosystems.
Highlights
Countries are experiencing the degradation and loss of coastal habitats (Curr et al 2000; Defeo et al 2009; EEA 2009; Feagin et al 2005)
Given the growing empirical and theoretical evidence that ecosystem functions and services are linked to biodiversity (Cardinale et al 2012; Hooper et al 2012), it can be expected that the loss of species and habitats will affect pivotal ecosystem functions which form the basis of the distinctive ecological services provided by coastal ecosystems, such as erosion and salt spray control, storm buffering, water filtration, nutrient recycling
Among the diagnostic component, those that contributed the most to distinguish the two habitats were tussocks of A. arenaria (Pearson correlation with ordination axis 1: r 1⁄4 0.7), E. farctus (r 1⁄4 0.3) and erect leafy species such as Echinophora spinosa (r 1⁄4 0.3) in FD, while TD showed a more complex structure dominated by dwarf shrubs of Fumana procumbens (r 1⁄4 0.6), Helianthemum nummularium ssp. obscurum (r 1⁄4 À0.3), Teucrium capitatum (r 1⁄4 À0.3), Teucrium chamaedrys (r 1⁄4 À0.3), and perennial herbs as Petrorhagia saxifraga (r 1⁄4 À0.5), Koeleria macrantha (r 1⁄4 À0.4), Stachys recta (r 1⁄4 À0.3), Silene otites (r 1⁄4 À0.3), Lomelosia argentea (r 1⁄4 À0.2)
Summary
Countries are experiencing the degradation and loss of coastal habitats (Curr et al 2000; Defeo et al 2009; EEA 2009; Feagin et al 2005). Economic progress, burgeoning human populations as well as the growing demand for coast-bound tourism opportunities have increased pressures on sandy beaches (Dugan and Hubbard 2010) and coastal sandy ecosystems are Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. Given the growing empirical and theoretical evidence that ecosystem functions and services are linked to biodiversity (Cardinale et al 2012; Hooper et al 2012), it can be expected that the loss of species and habitats will affect pivotal ecosystem functions which form the basis of the distinctive ecological services provided by coastal ecosystems, such as erosion and salt spray control, storm buffering, water filtration, nutrient recycling
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