Shorebirds-driven trophic cascade helps restore coastal wetland multifunctionality

Area of Science:

• Coastal ecology
• Restoration ecology
• Trophic interactions

Background:

• Traditional ecosystem restoration focuses on lower trophic levels with varied success.
• Coastal wetlands face degradation, impacting their multifunctionality.
• Invasive species like Spartina alterniflora can alter ecosystem structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of shorebirds in restoring coastal wetland multifunctionality.
• To assess the effectiveness of traditional restoration methods versus top-down approaches.
• To understand the trophic cascade involving shorebirds, crabs, and native vegetation.

Main Methods:

• Field surveys and manipulative experiments were conducted in the Yellow Sea.
• Restoration experiments involved planting native plants and manipulating shorebird and crab populations.
• Wetland multifunctionality was assessed under different experimental conditions.

Main Results:

• Planting native species alone did not restore wetland multifunctionality.
• Excluding shorebirds reduced wetland multifunctionality.
• Excluding crab grazers, mimicking higher predation, enhanced wetland multifunctionality.
• Shorebirds control crab populations, which in turn benefits native vegetation and sediment stability.

Conclusions:

• Top-down trophic cascades, driven by shorebirds, are crucial for coastal wetland restoration.
• Conservation and rewilding efforts should consider the role of apex predators like shorebirds.
• Harnessing shorebird effects offers a nature-based solution for degraded coastal wetland multifunctionality.