AUTHOR=Wang Sikai , Sheng Qiang , Zhao Feng , Zhang Tingting , Zhuang Ping 

TITLE=Variable Effects on Benthic Community From Diking to Eradicate Invasive Plants in the Yangtze Estuary Salt Marsh

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.706353

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.706353

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The removal of invasive plants is a global concern, and ecological restoration methods have been major research topics in recent years. In the estuarine saltmarsh of the Yangtze River, dikes are typically used in ecological restoration projects to eradicate the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora. We explored ways of optimizing dike construction and of providing an effective basis for wetland ecological control and protection of biodiversity, and analyzed the effects on macrobenthos of fully and partially dikes. Measurement of the quantitative change in macrobenthos diversity and species composition was carried out in the project area and in a control before (2013) and after (2016) dike construction.
Results showed that the number of species and average density decreased significantly in the fully-diked enclosed area, but increased in the partially-diked semi-opened area. Outside the project area, all site samples showed increased species richness and average density after dike construction.
This study indicated that macrobenthos was negatively affected by the dike project in the inside diked area. However, when tidal water canals were preserved to maintain connection between the inside and outside areas, there was a positive effect on macrobenthos in the project area. We suggest that canals are preserved while diking in saltmarsh, and that gates are opened regularly to maintain the water and nutrient connectedness inside and outside the dike. The diking project mostly affected mollusks and polychaetes, which are indispensable food sources for birds and fish. The study provides valid evidence for estuarine saltmarsh management and the protection of macrobenthos.