Biotic homogenization increases with human intervention: implications for mangrove wetland restoration

The large-scale conversion of natural mangroves to aquaculture reduces species richness and diversity. Large areas abandoned ponds in where formerly predominated China southeast Asia represent important potential effective targets for mangrove restoration. Here, we empirically assessed the α-diversity (species richness) β-diversity (variation community composition) mangrove, macrobenthos, fish waterbird a tropical bay on Hainan Island, China. We compared sites subjected different pond-to-mangrove restoration programs more than 20 years ago (passive without planting active with planting) nearby reference site forests mudflats. To better understand how responds restoration, also distinguished between turnover nestedness (richness difference). In general, values both communities macrobenthos were lower at site, suggesting that strong homogenizing effects anthropogenic habitat alternation still apparent after since ceased. addition, spatial turnover, not nestedness, dominated total across whole study area individual sites, multiple processes, such as environmental filtering, helped shape multi-taxa structures. Moreover, found no evidence ponds, addition standard hydrological supported greater diversity taxa like naturally regenerated years' recovery. Our results underline importance avoiding stands wherever possible urgent need design techniques Asia.