Fig 1.
Study site diagram and experimental design.
a) Schematic diagram (not to scale) of main plant taxa along tidal gradient at study site on Cannon Island. b) Design of experimental plots at succulent-grass ecotone with initial position of propagules; shading indicates saltmarsh composition: (S. virginicus = gray; succulent plants = white) for saltmarsh grass monoculture (SV) and succulent-grass ecotone (SUC) treatments.
Table 1.
Saltmarsh plant abundance within experimental plots.
Table 2.
Saltmarsh taxa frequency of occurrence.
Table 3.
Abundance of A. germinans recruits within saltmarsh adjacent to mangrove fringe.
Table 4.
Fate of A. germinans propagules in experiment.
Fig 2.
Spatial dispersion of A. germinans relative to initial position.
Box-plot with data indicating the distance from initial position (0 m) at which marked A. germinans were recovered for saltmarsh grass monoculture (SV = gray) and succulent-grass ecotone (SUC = white) treatments. Data include all A. germinans regardless of rooting status. For each box-plot, median distance (bolded line) and outliers (circles) are shown.
Fig 3.
Distance moved by A. germinans propagules that dispersed seaward.
Mean distance ± se (cm) seaward of initial position at which A. germinans propagules were recovered for saltmarsh grass monoculture (SV) or succulent-grass ecotone (SUC) treatments on three dates. Different letters above bars represent significantly different distances (RMANOVA).
Fig 4.
Establishment of A. germinans on 9 November 2012.
Initial establishment success was evaluated by categorizing the rooting status and leaf development of A. germinans six weeks after propagule emplacement into two saltmarsh treatment a) saltmarsh grass monoculture (SV) and b) succulent-grass ecotone (SUC). The percentages of A. germinans propagules in the three categories of seedlings establishment at three positions relative to the starting position (0 m) within the saltmarsh are presented for each of the saltmarsh treatments.