Mimicry of emergent traits amplifies coastal restoration success

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17438-4
• Publication Date: 2020-07-22T10:04:54Z
• Authors: Ralph J. M. Temmink; Marjolijn J. A. C...; Gregory S. Fivash; Christine Angelini; Christoffer Boström; Karin Didderen; Sabine M. Engel; Nicole Esteban; Jeffrey L. Gaeckle; Karine Gagnon; Laura L. Govers; Eduardo Infantes; Marieke M. van Ka...; Silvija Kipson; Leon P. M. Lamers; Wouter Lengkeek; Brian R. Silliman; Brigitta I. van T...; Richard K. F. Uns...; Siti Maryam Yaakub; Tjeerd J. Bouma; Tjisse van der Heide
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; EROSION; POSITIVE INTERACTIONS; Science; West Indies; General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Physics and Astronomy; Biodegradable Plastics; Hydrocharitaceae; 01 natural sciences; Article; FLUME; Biomimetics; ECOSYSTEMS; Life Science; Seawater; 14. Life underwater; SEDIMENTATION; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Netherlands; Sweden; Tropical Climate; Ecology; Zosteraceae; Q; Aquatic Ecology; General Chemistry; 15. Life on land; FACILITATION; Adaptation, Physiological; PARADIGMS; FUNCTIONAL TRAITS; DENSITY; Wetlands; FEEDBACKS; Florida; restoration, coastal ecosystem degradation, self-facilitation, emergent traits, seagrass, salt marsh; Environmental Sciences

Restoration is becoming a vital tool to counteract coastal ecosystem degradation. Modifying transplant designs of habitat-forming organisms from dispersed clumped can amplify restoration yields as it generates self-facilitation emergent traits, i.e. traits not expressed by individuals or small clones, but that emerge in large clones. Here, we advance science mimicking key locally suppress physical stress using biodegradable establishment structures. Experiments across (sub)tropical and temperate seagrass salt marsh systems demonstrate greatly enhanced when are transplanted within structures waves sediment mobility. Specifically, belowground mimics dense root mats most facilitate seagrasses via stabilization, while aboveground plant grasses reducing stem movement. Mimicking may allow upscaling many ecosystems depend on for persistence, constraining biological material requirements implementation costs.