Species Traits, Species Richness and the Resilience of Wetlands after Disturbance

Recent studies on grasslands demonstrate that species losses and subsequent changes in diversity can decrease the resilience (recovery ability) of ecosystems after a disturbance and can alter ecosystem functioning (e.g., productivity). These studies also explain that responses of ecosystems to enUtah State University; Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and The Ecology Center, 5210 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321-5210. Current address: University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory, 301 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 215322307. E-mail: [email protected]. Received for publication July 25, 2000 and in revised form September 10, 2001. vironmental perturbation or species loss ultimately depend on individual species traits and species interactions within a community. We conducted an experiment with 220 wetland mesocosms in summer 1998 to test whether species richness or presence of specific species of submersed aquatic plants (Potamogeton pectinatus L., Potamogeton nodosus Poir., Potamogeton crispus L., Zannichellia palustris L., and Ruppia maritima L.) affect the resilience of macrophyte above-ground biomass and total ecosystem respiration after disturbance (clipping). Neither respiration or final biomass were affected significantly by macrophyte species richness. Species richness also did not have a significant effect on the resilience of macrophyte biomass and system respiration. In contrast, the presence of specific species had significant effects on macrophyte biomJ. Aquat. Plant Manage. 39: 36-39