Plant genotype determines biomass response to flooding frequency in tidal wetlands

Abstract. The persistence of tidal wetland ecosystems like salt marshes is threatened by human interventions and climate change. In particular, the threat accelerated sea level rise (SLR) has increasingly gained attention scientific community recently. However, studies investigating effect SLR on plants vertical marsh accretion are usually restricted to species or do not consider phenotypic plasticity genetic diversity. To investigate response genotypes within same salt-marsh SLR, we used two known Elymus athericus (Link) Kerguélen (low-marsh high-marsh genotypes). a factorial organ experiment exposed both different flooding frequencies quantified plant growth parameters. With increasing frequency, low-marsh genotype showed higher aboveground biomass production compared genotype. Additionally, generally formed longer rhizomes, shoots leaves, regardless frequency. Belowground decreased with We conclude that better adapted through its ability allocate resources from below- biomass. Given strong control accretion, argue these findings yield important implications for our understanding ecosystem resilience as well distribution in marshes.